"Okay, tell me if you’re down with this," Taylor started as he stood in the guest room.
Mira ran her brush through her wet hair. "Shoot."
"You, me, Zac, Ike, and Amy all going out for your birthday."
"Sure," Mira smiled.
"Mira’s gonna get crazy," Zac said. "The big 21."
"Hell yeah," Mira laughed. "But I don’t need to get too crazy. I don’t want you guys having to carry me back into the house at the end of the night. That’ll look real good."
"Well we’ll keep it semi-low key," Taylor said.
"We’ll whoop it up for ya," Zac smiled patting Mira on the shoulder.
"Good morning, Mira," Diana greeted as Mira sleepily made her way into the kitchen. "Happy Birthday," she said wrapping Mira in a hug.
"Aw, thanks," Mira smiled.
"Happy Birthday Mira," 5 year old Zoe said from the kitchen table.
"Thank you Zoe," Mira said placing a kiss on Zoe’s cheek.
"I didn’t know you’d be up this early or I would have made a big breakfast," Diana said putting Zoe’s cereal bowl in the dishwasher.
"Oh it’s okay," Mira said pulling her hair up in a clip.
"Are the boys still asleep?" Diana asked.
"Of course," Mira smiled opening the fridge to take out the orange juice.
"Well hopefully they’ll be up for lunch. Or else it’ll just be the three of us girls eating birthday cake," Diana smiled.
"Maybe I’ll go wake them up just to be annoying," Mira said. She finished her juice and placed the glass in the dishwasher.
Diana laughed and finished cleaning the kitchen as Mira made her way upstairs. She cracked open the door to Taylor and Zac’s room and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Zac laid on his back with one leg hanging over the side of the bed. He had his arms over his head with his face turned and his messy blonde hair covering it. Taylor was sound asleep on his stomach and his head was turned away from Mira but she knew his mouth was hanging open.
She crept over to Taylor’s bed and bent down beside him. "Taylor," she whispered. "Taylor," she said again in a sing-song voice.
"Huh?" he sleepily moaned.
"You were great last night," she breathed into his ear.
"Uh huh."
"Will you do it to me again?" She asked brushing the hair back from his face. "Please?" She whispered almost laughing.
"5 minutes - I promise," he mumbled.
"Now, Taylor."
Taylor rolled over covering his eyes with his arm. "Hmm?"
Mira stood over him laughing. She kneeled on his bed beside him.
"Mira," Taylor groaned realizing it was her. "Morning," he said rolling on his side away from her.
"Come on," she said shaking him. "Wake up. Wake up."
He rolled over on his back and laughed at her. "Baby, it’s like 8:00 in the morning," he groaned.
"Darling, it’s 10:00. Quit your bitchin’," she smiled.
Taylor picked up his watch on the desk beside him. "Oh," he realized. "Happy Birthday," he smiled.
"Thank ya," she chirped bouncing up and down on his bed. She got up and walked over to Zac’s bed. "Zachary," she called out jumping on his bed and straddling his body.
"Oh lordy," Zac said rubbing his eyes.
"Come on, sexy boy," she said slapping his bare chest.
"I’m up," he laughed.
"Hey, is it cool if Julie hangs out with us tonight?" Taylor asked coming into the bathroom where Mira was fixing her hair.
"Yeah, sure," Mira said.
"Cool," Taylor said. "Yeah, we’ll pick you up," he said into the phone.
Isaac and Amy came over while Taylor, Zac, and Mira finished getting ready and met them in the living room.
"What’s up, girl? Happy Birthday," Isaac smiled and stood up from the couch to give Mira a hug.
"Thanks, sweetie," she smiled hugging him back. She was greeted by rounds of "Happy Birthday’s" from Amy and the rest of the family before heading out the door into their respective cars.
Mira and Taylor took Zac’s dark blue Nissan Pathfinder while Isaac, Amy, and Zac lead the way in Isaac’s burgundy Ford Focus. They drove over to Julie’s house first then to Lucky 32’s which was a restaurant/pub atmosphere. They gathered at a semi-circle booth where Mira sat in the middle sandwiched between Taylor and Zac.
They ate dinner reminiscing about old times in New York. "No, no. The best story," Mira put her beer down and held up her hands, "was truth or dare-"
"Aw yeah," Zac laughed.
"When Zac had to ask that girl for a condom," Mira finished.
"Yes," Taylor shouted pointing at Zac.
"Oh my God," Isaac leaned his head back laughing. "Mira dared Zac to go to this person’s hotel room in his underwear and ask for a condom," Isaac explained to Amy and Julie.
"Now, keep in mind, I was like 12," Zac added.
"Oh God," Julie laughed from her position on the other side of Taylor.
"In your underwear?" Amy asked raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah," Zac laughed.
"We have it all on videotape," Taylor said.
"That was the same game of truth or dare where I dared Mira to kiss Zac," Isaac said.
"Oh yeah," Mira smiled.
"Aww," Julie said. "How was he?" she asked.
"I was the best you’ve ever had," Zac stretched his arm around Mira.
"Definitely," Mira laughed.
Mira finished off 1 margarita and a beer and Isaac had 2 beers. Taylor insisted on paying and put the entire meal on his credit card. Afterwards they left the restaurant and went over to O’Henry’s which was a bar but all ages so everyone could get in. They also served food and there were pool tables scattered around.
"Oh, it is so karaoke night," Taylor raised his arms smiling. He threw his arm around Julie and they led the way to a table. Taylor and Isaac pushed two tables together.
"Hey Mira, you want anything from the bar?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah, get her a shot of Yagermeister," Taylor called out.
"Oh God, no," Mira laughed. "No shots tonight. Um, I’ll have another margarita. I’m feelin’ a little crazy."
"Sure thing," Isaac smiled and went to the bar. He returned with her margarita, a Miller Lite for himself. Taylor and Julie were busy looking through the book for possible songs to sing.
"Are you guys singing anything?" Mira asked as Taylor filled out a slip of paper.
"I’m not," Julie laughed. "But this guy is," she pointed to Taylor. He turned in his karaoke request to the DJ and went outside to Zac’s car.
"What are you doing?" Mira smiled when Taylor came back.
"You’ll see," he grinned.
