CHAPTER 52 THIEF & POLICE

The Toy.

“Happy birthday to you!” I sang the song loudly, clapping my hands as though I were an alarm waking Jessie up from her sleep.

I couldn't fathom how she could sleep on her birthday; I'd have been too excited to rest.

"Nope," I said, pulling her off the bed.

"Oh, Ari," she yelped as she thudded onto the floor. “Today is my birthday; the best you can do is let me sleep.”

“We have a lot to do,” I stated with a bubbly voice. “Like baking a cake, cooking, and watching a movie.” My expression deepened as I dashed to sit very close to Jessie on the bed. I cupped her hands and raised them up, positioning them between our chests. “Please, let’s go out for your birthday. Let’s not spend it like a regular Saturday.”

I always knew Jessie was quirky, but planning on spending her birthday like every other day was the height of it. Even if I decided to throw a surprise party, we didn’t have any friends we could invite, and Jessie would strangle me to death if I dared to invite colleagu