I hate him.

... Not Cole.

Jay.

... In dragon rising

I hate him.

So much

I yell at him

A lot.

... Anyway this is about Cole.

Here we are. Cute Cole.

Anyway, enjoy the story!

... Couldn't resist

Anyway, bye!

Sorry!!!! I can't help it!

Also, I hate Jay. Did I mention that?

... Sorryyyyyyyy. Go on, now. Read.

Group photo.

Jay looks angry

What if I told Hi-

* Jay*

Stop! You're making them bored! Get to the good part!

* Me* sigh. Fine.

There. You happy?

* Jay* glares*

* Me*

Fine.

" COOOOLE! WAKE UP!" Two year old Mia yelled into her brother's friend's ear one day .

" Mmm... What?"

" ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY!"

Cole opened an eye. " No, it's not."

Mia shoved a paper onto his face. " Now?"

Cole scanned the paper. " Yippie." He said in a flat tone. " Now, let me sleep."

" Nope! There's a cake in the oven!"

" Oh, ni- wait, what?"

Cole burst into the kitchen, his eyes wide with alarm. The once-delightful aroma of cake had turned into a burnt, acrid stench. The kitchen was filled with thick, gray smoke, and the cake in the oven was barely recognizable, more of a charred lump than a baked treat.

"Is that supposed to be a cake?" Cole asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as he pulled the oven door open and saw the mess inside.

Mia stood nearby, her face beaming with excitement and completely oblivious to the disaster. "Yep! I made it all by myself for your birthday!"

Cole's mouth dropped open as he took in the sight. "Mia, this is... well, it's not exactly edible."

Mia's smile faltered slightly. "But I followed the recipe! It's supposed to be chocolate!"

Cole couldn't help but chuckle despite the situation. "Mia, the recipe didn't include setting the oven to 'burn' mode."

Before Mia could respond, the smoke alarm began to shriek, adding to the chaos. Cole hurried to turn it off while Mia frantically waved a towel in front of the smoke detector.

"Maybe we should just forget about the cake," Cole suggested, trying to suppress a laugh as he glanced back at the mess in the oven.

Mia's shoulders slumped. "Oh... I really wanted it to be perfect."

Cole turned to her with a reassuring smile. "It's the thought that counts, Mia. How about we order a cake from the bakery instead? We can still celebrate."

Mia's eyes lit up with renewed hope. "Okay! I'll help pick it out!"

Cole wiped his hands on a nearby towel, shaking his head in amusement. "Just... next time, let's stick to recipes that don't involve setting off smoke alarms."

Mia nodded vigorously. "Deal!"

As they made their way to the phone to order a cake, the smell of burnt cake began to dissipate, and the kitchen slowly returned to its usual state. Despite the disaster, Cole couldn't help but appreciate the effort Mia had put into the surprise. After all, it was the thought and her enthusiasm that truly mattered.

Cole stared at the fridge in disbelief. Inside, Lloyd, Jay, and Zane were frozen solid, each sporting a festive bow on their heads. A handwritten note from Mia read, "Happy Birthday!"

"Mia, do you realize who these people are?" Cole asked, his voice a mix of confusion and amusement.

Mia looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Of course! They were begging for food, so I put them in the fridge to keep them safe until you were ready."

Cole sputtered, trying to process the situation. "Mia, they're not poor people! They're your housemates! And they're not dirty; they're just frozen!"

"Oh!" Mia exclaimed, her eyes widening with realization. "I thought they looked a bit unkempt..."

Cole couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. "Mia, they're in the fridge because they're frozen solid, not because they're dirty. And they're not in need of food; they were probably just trying to surprise you."

Mia's face turned red as she processed the mix-up. "Oh. Well, it was meant to be a surprise. Maybe I should have asked for help."

Jay, still frozen, gave a thumbs-up with a strained grin, while Zane and Lloyd managed half-smiles through their icy predicament.

"Let's get them out of there," Cole said, shaking his head and starting to defrost the fridge. "Next time, let's go with something less... extreme for birthday surprises."

Mia nodded earnestly. "Got it. I'll make sure the next gift is warmer and less freezing!"

As the group worked to unfreeze Lloyd, Jay, and Zane, they couldn't help but laugh at the hilariously innocent misunderstanding. Despite the chaotic morning, it was clear that Mia's heart was in the right place, even if her execution was a bit off.

Mia, still enthusiastic about her unconventional birthday celebrations, rummaged through a drawer and triumphantly pulled out a pair of random underwear. "Happy birthday, Cole!" she declared with a grin, holding up the underwear like it was the best gift ever.

Jay, who was busy helping to unfreeze Lloyd, Zane, and Lloyd, glanced over and his eyes widened in horror. "Mia, is that...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he yelped, "Agh! What is that?!" as he saw the underwear in Mia's hands.

Cole, still shaking off the shock of seeing his friends frozen, stared at the underwear and then at Mia, unsure whether to laugh or groan. "Uh, thanks, Mia," he said, trying to hide his bewilderment.

Mia, oblivious to the awkwardness, beamed with pride. "It's a special gift! I thought you might need some new ones!"

Lloyd, still partially frozen, managed a weak chuckle. "Well, that's certainly... unique."

Zane, shaking off the frost, gave Mia a polite, if somewhat strained, smile. "Yeah, thanks, Mia. It's definitely... memorable."

Jay finally managed to regain his composure and joined in the laughter, though he still looked a bit flustered. "Mia, you sure know how to make a birthday unforgettable."

Mia looked around, her smile fading a bit as she realized the awkwardness of the situation. "Did I mess up again?"

Cole walked over and patted her on the back, his expression warm despite the bizarre circumstances. "No, Mia. You just have a very... unique way of celebrating. It's the thought that counts, right?"

Mia nodded, still a bit unsure but clearly relieved by Cole's kindness. "Yeah, right! I'll try to be more careful next time."

As everyone resumed their tasks, the morning's chaos transformed into a shared memory that would surely be laughed about for years to come.

As breakfast concluded and the group began to settle down from the morning's chaos, Mia quietly excused herself. She didn't join in the conversation or partake in the meal; instead, she slipped away to her room and shut the door behind her.

Cole, noticing Mia's sudden departure and her lack of appetite, turned to Jay with concern. "Is she okay? She seemed really down."

Jay, trying to offer some reassurance, said, "She probably just wants to give you a really good gift. Sometimes she gets a bit overwhelmed with her own feelings."

A short while later, Mia reappeared, looking somber. She walked into the room with a small envelope in her hand, her eyes downcast. "I... I want you to have this," she said quietly, extending the envelope to Cole. "Happy birthday."

Cole took the envelope, his confusion deepening as he noticed how sad Mia looked. "What's this?"

Mia forced a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's my money. I thought you might need it more than I do."

Before Cole could respond or Jay could ask what was wrong, Mia quickly turned and retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her with a soft thud.

Jay and Cole exchanged worried glances. "What's going on with her?" Cole asked, his concern growing.

"I'm not sure," Jay replied, his voice filled with worry. "But we need to find out. She shouldn't be this upset."

Cole looked down at the envelope, feeling a pang of sadness for Mia. He opened it and saw the money inside. "She must be going through something really tough."

Determined to support his friend, Jay knocked gently on Mia's door. "Mia? Can we talk?"

There was no immediate response, but Jay knew she was probably listening. "We're here for you. Whenever you're ready to talk, just let us know."

Jay carefully unlocked Mia's door and stepped inside, finding her sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she muttered to herself. "I can't even find a good gift for Cole. I'm just messing everything up."

Jay approached her gently, his concern evident. "Mia, what's going on? We just want to help."

Mia looked up, her eyes red. "I'm sorry. If it makes you happy, just take my whole room! I'll go sleep in the basement." She gestured to her belongings scattered around, including her birthday money and other personal items. "Actually, not my room. I like it. You can take all this!"

Cole, who had followed Jay, stepped closer and shook his head. "Mia, I don't want all of this. I don't need your room or your things. I just want to spend time with my family."

Mia's face crumpled as she listened, the weight of her emotions pressing heavily on her. "But I'm not good at this. I wanted to make your birthday special, but I keep messing up."

Cole knelt beside her, trying to offer comfort. "Mia, you don't have to give up anything. Your presence and how much you care mean more to me than any gift. All I want is to be with you and everyone else."

Jay sat down next to Mia and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Cole's right. We care about you, not the gifts or things. We're a family, and we want to be here for each other."

Mia looked at both of them, her sadness giving way to a flicker of understanding. "But I just wanted to do something right. I'm sorry."

Cole gave her a warm smile. "You don't need to be sorry. Sometimes, things don't go as planned, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate you. We're happy just being together."

Jay nodded in agreement. "We love you, Mia. Don't let these feelings make you think otherwise."

Mia took a deep breath, wiping away her tears. "Thank you. I guess I needed to hear that."

As Lloyd and Zane entered the room, they asked, "Do you want to go out? Maybe do something fun?"

Mia thought for a moment, then hesitantly said, "Is it okay if I pay for ice cream? I don't mind covering everyone's share."

Cole, touched by her offer, replied, "Uh, sure. That sounds great."

At the ice cream parlor, Mia paid for everyone's ice cream but kept her own treat off the order, realizing she didn't have enough money for herself. While the others enjoyed their cones and chatted, Mia found a quiet corner to sit and read a book, her focus intent on the pages.

Cole noticed her from across the room and said with a smile, "Wow, she really did want to give me a good gift."

Jay, watching Mia with a mix of admiration and concern, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she did."

Seeing Mia sitting alone and not enjoying any ice cream, Jay decided to make things right. He went back to the cashier and bought an extra ice cream cone. With a determined stride, he walked back to Mia.

"Mia," Jay said as he approached her, holding out the ice cream, "I got this for you. You deserve to enjoy it too."

Mia looked at the treat with surprise and shook her head. "I didn't need any. I just wanted to-"

"Nope," Jay interrupted gently but firmly, "Not gonna hear it. You've done so much for everyone else. It's time you treat yourself."

Mia's face softened as she accepted the ice cream. "Thank you, Jay. I really didn't expect this."

Jay smiled, sitting down next to her. "You don't have to. We're family. We take care of each other."

As Mia took a bite of the ice cream, she couldn't help but smile. The day, though imperfect, had turned into something meaningful. Surrounded by the people who cared about her, Mia felt a renewed sense of belonging and appreciation.

Cole, enjoying his ice cream, turned to Mia and said, "Thanks for the gift. It really means a lot."

Mia smiled warmly, replying, "You're welcome."

As she glanced at her remaining money, she realized she had a little extra. She turned to Jay and said, "Oh, here you go. I have some extra money."

Jay shook his head and said, "Keep your money. It's your birthday gift."

Without waiting for a response, Jay gently picked Mia up and said, "Let's go."

Mia looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Where are we going?"

Jay grinned. "We're going to make the most of today. You deserve to have fun too."

With a mixture of excitement and gratitude, Mia nestled into Jay's arms as they left the ice cream parlor together, ready to enjoy the rest of the day as a family.

Remember, she's two.

.. More vocab but still two.