It was Max’s 13th birthday. He gave invitations to everyone in his class. With his nerdy math skills, Max assumed only fifty percent of kids in his class will actually show up. Max glances at the clock. 4:58. Two more minutes until the party begins. Noticing his worry, Max’s Mom pats her son’s back “Don’t be anxious honey. I’m sure your party will be ‘ killer.” Max laughs at his mom’s attempt to use his generation of words, like killer, totes, uber, the list goes on. Max’s anxiety isn’t about the party, it’s about who shows up. Max wanted the popular kids to come, but he didn’t want the lame nose picking noobs to fly in. Max paces around in circles. “Damn, Max, you're going to fall, and i’m gonna’ be the one to see it, and laugh at it, like the asshole i am.” Iris, Max’s sister bugs.  She pets her hair like as if it’s a cat and watches Max. “ You're going to tire yourself out before the party even begins.” Max rolls his eyes, “Before? It’s already freaking five o one.” Iris peeks out the curtain, “ Looks like all your friends are here.” Max snorts, “ Pfft, half of ‘em aren't even my friends, just kids who decided they wanted to come eat our food and trash the house.” Iris turns to Max and frowns. “ I don't get it, you were so excited to have this party and invite everyone in your class, but now you're being an ass….. Are you on drugs?” Max’s face gets whiter than a ghost. “ DRUGS? What the hell are you freaking talking about?”  His sister puts her hands up in the air and laughs. “ Dont drag me into your underground factory.”She starts. She goes to open the door and looks back at Max. “Obviously i’m joking, you can’t even understand that.” Who jokes about that?  A load of kids fill in the house and Max goes to the kitchen to grab a soda.  While in the kitchen, Max’s dad spots him and slaps his hand on Max’s back. “Your Fourteen? No? Thirteen? Thirteen!?! Wow, you're growing up pretty fast, its like you were learning to walk yesterday.” Max smiles at the thought of himself trying to learn to walk. “ Well I guess i didn't know that you are now thirteen, i thought that you were younger…”  “ It must be your old man brain kicking in.’ Max suggests.  His dad laughs out loud.  Max looks out the window as a kid cannon ball’s into the pool and water splashes out everywhere. He looks around at the kids and frowns. “ Whats wrong?” his dad asks. “ I’m not sure, i feel like the party is missing something.” “You're right, i think that i should go fire up the grill and make some food.” Max nods.   Max walks out and takes a deep breath. Well, i made it to thirteen. But why do i feel bad? I should be excited….   He shakes his head and tries to just enjoy himself. “Hey Max, this is a great party, i thought you were some nerd, but i was wrong, now i think your a noob.” Alex, Max’s classmate says. “ Wow, such an honor to be thought that way.” Max says sarcastically. “ Yeah I know right?”  Max shrugs. He spots his mom on the phone.  I wonder who she is talking too.  He stealthly walks over near his mom and listens in on her conversation. “... Yeah he just turned thirteen today, to me it's just thirteen more grey hairs. Just few more years ‘til he moves out and gets a job. Until then i'll have to use makeup to hide the bags under my eyes.” Max rolls his eyes at his mom’s annoyance. When i do get a job, you ‘ain't begging ME for money.  His mom spots him and hangs the phone up. “ Oh, hi honey, how's it going so far?” She asks, as if never saying things behind her son's back. “ Ok, i just hope it’s not  quote, quote, giving you bags under the eyes.” His mom rubs her hand behind her hair. “ Ha, why’d it do that?”  A few minutes later, Max is swishing his feet in the turquoise blue water of the pool thinking. The feeling of something missing still surrounds Max. Then he realizes what it is. The strange worry, the unthinkable,  there… was.. No.. CAKE!  How stupid Max feels for not even remembering to have had cake at his party. But why did that bother him the whole time?  Because, he was having a good time all along, when he thought it was bad. Max’s eye twitches. “ All this time, i was feeling bad just ‘cuz there was NO CAKE???”  A kid walks by, “Who you talking to?”  Max immediately runs to the kitchen to tell his mom. When he walks in his mom is facing the fridge. She notices him and turns around. “Missing something?” he looks down at his mom’s hands. A cake.