M.I.C.: Birthday Blues

As you may remember from Sorority Blues, I was having some difficulties with my sisters. Perhaps it wasn't their fault. After all, none of them were married. They didn't quite understand precisely what I was going through with Clark being away. However, a few of them were in long distance relationships. I had hoped, perhaps, they would step up and try to really get me out to do things. Sadly, I was mistaken (save for one sister, that is).

Well, at this time I was in a Literature Theory class where I met my now bosom friend, Becca. She and I started talking thanks to her fabulous Wicked bag (as in the musical), and hit it off from there. It just so happened that at this point in time, she was actually dropping from her sorority thanks to a lot of drama and ridiculousness. I shared my woes about how my sisters weren't being supportive about Clark being gone, and we then adopted each other.

Our spring formal was approaching, and it just so happened that it was on my birthday. Thanks to the "tapping" drama from the last function I was at with Clark, I had to stay at formal all night (or at least until Lady President told me I could leave). Well, I certainly didn't want to be stranded all night by my lonesome. Since Becca was dropping her sorority, and had mentioned already buying her own formal dress, I invited her as my date. Of course she said yes. From then on, we were pretty much inseparable.

I decided to have people meet at my house before the event (I forgot what we called this). Since I had to be there all night, I had to drive. Having a minivan meant that I pretty much always got assigned to drive people as it was. I decided, since it was my birthday, I would make cupcakes for everyone. Perhaps I was secretly hoping that they'd all sing to me. Well, much to my dismay, no one ate cupcakes before we had to go. In fact, very few people arrived even remotely early. They showed up and then we had to leave (we were assigned a time). One of my sisters, who was actually moving in with me over the summer and basically already living with me, bought me a sunflower (my favorite) and kept wishing me happy birthday, but no one else seemed to care.

When we all piled in the car, I asked Becca to direct for me off the directions I had printed out.

Let me lead with I am AWFUL at directions. Terrible. Truly. Thank goodness I married Clark, who seriously has a GPS in his head.

So, I asked Becca to direct. However, there was some confusion, and I took a wrong turn. One of my sisters was from the town, and was like, "Where are we going?"

I looked in the rear view mirror and said I was following the directions I printed off.

"Well, you're going the wrong way. You need to turn around. You could have just asked me, I am from here."

My van was jam packed (as in, there may have been one or two people extra) and they were all being loud and my feelings were hurt that no one had wished me a happy birthday or even partaken in the cupcakes I made, and I was stressed because I'm awful with directions but had thought that out and here I was going the wrong way anyway.

"Look," I said, "I'm just following the directions. If we don't come up on the road it says next, I'll turn around, but until then could you just let me drive?"

It may have been nastier than that. I am biased, after all.

She rolled her eyes, said something under her breath to her date, and let me be. Five minutes later, we turned around.

"So, now you're going to listen to me?" She just had to say.

"Well, we figured out what we missed on the directions. Next time why don't you drive."

When we finally got to formal (truly not that late), the sister who had been telling me where to go and whatnot ignored me the entire time. So, when we all sat down at a table, it was me, Becca, and most of the people who had been in the car with me (save the sunflower-sister), and they didn't talk to us at all. Seriously. I basically felt like I was an outcast imposing on formal. I was so mad.

Becca did her best to make the night worthwhile. I think we spent most of the night talking to the female bar tenders (although I wasn't drinking) than we did anyone else. If we weren't talking to them, we were dancing. Thank goodness Becca was super outgoing and loving, because I think I would have spent most of the time sulking at the table or in the bathroom if it wasn't for her.

When we left, we gave more people a ride. At least they had the courtesy to thank me and offer me gas money. Becca spent the night. We stayed up talking/watching a movie and divulging in the cupcakes I made.

My family and friends from afar did everything in their power (sent me flowers, presents, phone calls, etc.) to make up for the fact that Clark wasn't there, but they weren't either. I was so thankful to have one friend, who I wasn't even close to at that time, to really just take over and make my day amazing. Because, admittedly, I'm one of those people who wants a parade on their birthday. Becca definitely did her best to do all that and more for me, even if my "sisters" didn't.