Don’t Tell Anyone, Okay! I had big fish to fry on that particular day. How was I, someone who had a gazillon friends, going to tell only five people that they were invited to my first birthday party? That was like asking for only five Christmas presents when you wanted a hundred things. It couldn’t be done, but that was my task and I whole-heartedly believed that the whole universe itself couldn’t pull off this task. This was my struggle with trying to change the world that day. “So son, you have a birthday coming up next week. Have you been thinking about what you want,” asked my mom as we headed into school that bright spring morning. It was always nice when your mom would ask you what you wanted for your birthday. Of course I had a list, but I knew better than to spout off a hundred items. Experience told me to list all the gifts of utmost importance. “Yeah mom, I think it would be cool if I got to have a birthday party this year?” I waited to hear an immediate response, and when there was none I continued. “What do you think about that for a present.” “Hmmm, I haven’t thought about that. You are getting older now and maybe it is time that we tried having a birthday party. What did you have in mind?” this was a reply from a curious homeowner now. “Well I could invite Jason, Joe, Matt, Stephen, Aaron, Will, Jared, Richard, Clay, and Ben. We could all play outside and then eat birthday cake and ice cream, play video games and watch movies all night long!” I shouted back with eager anticipation that she would accept this offer. She gave a slight hesitation before she answered and I knew she was pondering this idea. Those few seconds felt like eternity. “Tell you what son, why don’t we put a limit on the friends at four, plus you which makes five 7 year-olds for your birthday party. That sounds like a good number.” This was the limit my mom set and I knew it could not be bartered. I had to try though, right? “Mom, that means I can’t invite all of my friends. What am I supposed to do?” were the only words I could find to thwart my mom’s bullet-proof plan. “It is quite a situation you are in, but you wanted the party so you can figure out how to tell these people,” were the words she left me with as she kicked me out of the car and sped off in the opposite direction, a carefully planned escape. This could turn out to be the worst day ever in Bonanza Elementary School history.

My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Wallen, began the day’s math lesson by reviewing some information about single number addition. I didn’t catch much of what she was doing in class. Bigger things were about to go down because whatever happened inside the classroom was pointless compared to what I would face outside at recess or in the cafeteria if my secret was to get out. I realized that it would be better if I went home and talked to Splinter because he seemed to always help the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when they were in a jam. You might be asking yourself why is all of this important? It’s simple; your first birthday party is huge. It sets the tone for the rest of your life. If something goes wrong or someone isn’t invited, then all of your friendships could be fatally wounded, or even destroyed. I had to find a creative way to keep the friends I would invite quiet so that they wouldn’t tell anyone else. This task was huge because it is not like 2nd graders are good at keeping anything a secret. I can’t believe my mom wouldn’t let me invite all my friends. It was only ten people, it’s not like I was inviting the whole school for crying out loud. “Jeff Scott, are you paying attention to what we are doing? Two digit addition with carrying is very important and you need to know how to do it properly.” My daydreaming state proved to be ill-timed because now the whole class was fixed on me. I could feel all their eyes’ staring directly at me. They were scanning my brain and looking for juicy details I had never shared. The secret was out, they all knew and my plan was foiled. I was busted. What was I going to do know? I sat there motionless. “Well, Jeff, do I have your attention yet?” asked Mrs. Wallen one more time. “Yeah, sorry. I, huh, just had something on my mind, but I am ready now. Two-digit addition.” I can’t believe I just said that. All of them staring right at me and into my thoughts, but I played it cool. Just make it to recess. If I can make it that far nobody will ever find out. Even those people who can somehow see magically right into my head. It took forever but recess finally came to the second grade class at Bonanza Elementary school. It was very odd, but when I was running out to the playground I felt a strange wave rush over me. I realized that everything was going to be all right. I could go the whole day and nobody would ask about my secret. Then at home I would hash out a plan that I would use to tell

only a few friends that they were invited. It was all going to work out. That was until I got to the top of the slide. “Hey Jeff, were you sleeping in math today?” asked Ben. “No way man, I was just thinking about something, that’s all!” Oh no, that is the last thing I wanted to say. Now they have reason to believe that I am hiding something. So much for keeping things to myself, somebody was sure to find out now. “What were you thinking about,” pried Ben again. “Nothing man, it’s okay!” I replied even quicker this time. “All right buddy, just thought something was wrong that’s all,” and Ben turned around to go down the slide. Now I felt bad. He wasn’t asking for anything in particular and he wasn’t prying into my thoughts. He was simply asking if something was wrong. Normally I would shrug off these feelings and move on, but I felt bad today. “It’s just that I got this tough situation to work out and I am stuck.” Did I really just say that? Now I am giving him more reasons to ask questions. “Need any help,” was the typical response he gave me. “Well, how do you invite some people but not others and still have them not get mad at you?” I blew my cover. Ben had to know my secret. Well, at least Ben is my friend so I can invite him without feeling bad. “ Invite them to what?” he quizzically replied. “Huh, well….how do you do it?” I struggled to change the focus of the question to something else besides my secret. “What are you inviting them to?” he asked again, but this time looking directly into my eyes. “All right, if I tell you, you can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. You know how to keep a secret don’t you?” I asked with a stern voice. “Of course man, how old do you think I am? Now what is it?” Ben was getting eager now. “I am having a birthday party, my first one, and you are now the first person that I invited. But you have to keep it a secret. Do you promise?” I asked with the utmost concern in my voice because I already knew secrets were impossible to keep.

“You can tell me anything dude. I will lock up the darn thing and throw away the key. Who else you are going to invite?” was a question I actually hadn’t anticipated, but it was a very valid one. “I haven’t thought about that yet. Just don’t tell anyone all right. I’ve got to go play some football. Later man.” I took off from the slide with only three invitations left to give out and a friend that I entrusted with the most powerful secret of my whole life. If he blew this for me, I was done. No more friends. No more sleep-overs. No more invitations to other birthday parties. I had to rethink my strategy of keeping this secret, obviously I couldn’t be trusted to keep my mouth closed. It was quite a struggle, but I made it all the way to lunch with three invitations left to give out to my friends. I was standing in our lunch line deep in thought, planning how to ask only three people that they were invited to my birthday party. It would have been perfectly fine by me if I went the rest of the day without inviting someone else. Which ultimately meant that Ben was the one person who could determine my fate in this matter. He could possibly be the greatest secret holder or the worst gossip teller this school has ever seen. “What did you bring for lunch today Jeff?” asked Aaron who was sitting next to me on the bench. “I am not keeping anything from anyone.” I waited a short second to catch myself. “Huh, I mean, my mom packed me a sandwich and some chips,” I instinctively blurt out. That was funny because my mom actually packed tuna on crackers. I looked really out of place now. “He isn’t inviting anyone to his birthday, so stop asking Aaron.” Ben heard my response and tried to defend my position like a good friend. But he was doing more harm than good. “You’re having a birthday party Jeff?” Aaron smelled the suspicion and dove in like a hawk to investigate. “Yeah I am, but…huh….well I don’t know when it is.” This wasn’t true, but what else was I supposed to say at this point. My secret was uncovered to the whole crew that was at the lunch bench. “Guess what, I am already invited,” Ben said with pure pride and joy. There went the promise of my secret holder.

“Well, who else have you invited?” chimed in Stephen who was sitting right next to me. The minute I heard that question the immediate thought of, “run and don’t stop,” popped into my head. The door was only a few feet away and I was sure that nobody would catch me if I bolted from my chair. I had a split-second to react. “I don’t know yet. Ben is the only one I asked.” At that moment, the battle was lost. My secret was revealed and now I had an audience who were waiting patiently as I gave my answer. I felt like my back was against the wall. All the forces of the earth were against me and I only had three invitations to give out. Instantly I was stuck in a quagmire. “I am going to invite Ben, Stephen, Clay, and Aaron.” This wasn’t entirely true because I hadn’t actually decided whom I was going to invite. I had to bring Aaron because he started the inquiry. Stephen also asked a question and was conveniently sitting right next to me so it was a given that he was invited. Clay was the most unlikely choice but he was sitting on the other side of me and I felt the pressure from his breathing down my neck. “What about me?” was the single question that came delivered in rapid-fire succession from the rest of the lunch bench crew. There was no rhyme or reason why I invited the people I did and now I had to defend my choices. “Well, I just picked these people out randomly. I hope nobody else is mad at me.” I glanced around the bench to see everyone’s reaction to my latest statement. At this point in time, all was lost in my quest to keep my friendships. The secret was out, the guests were invited, and the situation I was praying wouldn’t happen is now reality. I can’t wait for my birthday so I can get this stinking mess over with. I was so excited when my mother told me that I could have my first birthday party. I had the freedom to invite friends, get a bunch of presents, and eat cake like I was a silly kindergartener. Little did I know that trying to choose between who gets invited and who has to stay at home on Friday would be my first lesson in life. My dad told me later that there would have been no possible way to work that situation out any differently. It was no fault of my own and I shouldn’t blame anyone for what happened. All I know about the whole fiasco is that my mom should of just let me invite my original list of friends and this all might have been avoided. It’s not like I was inviting the whole school or anything.