I adjusted the star-shaped piñata so that it was straight. According to my calculations, a perfectly straight piñata is harder to break open because of the angle ponies would hit at it. I wanted this day to last longer. I wanted ponies to spend more time here. The party would last longer. My first one every, and it would hopefully last long enough.
Twinkleshine walked into the garden first, smiling at the sight of me decorating. "Party for your birthday?" I smiled back and nodded. "Alright, here. I'll help you set it up." She began to pick things up and place them in their proper spots, way better than I could manage in just a few seconds. I would be able to do that, but I don't know how a party is meant to look.
I hugged her. "Thank you so much! You're a lifesaver!"
Twinkleshine nodded. "No problem! Are you ready to invite the other girls?" I nodded and she smiled, casting a spell that made six party hats appear, one that matched the cutie marks of each of my friends.
As I gaped, I whispered in awe, "Wow, that's amazing. I... How would I have pulled this off without you?" She shrugged and I smiled as she left to go get the rest of our friends. I teleported back to my house to get the five gift bags, all of which I had bought earlier and had forgotten, and peeked inside to make sure they were filled. Yes, they were. Luckily, they were. I sighed a huge sigh of relief and teleported back to Canterlot Gardens to host my party.
Just as I arrived, the rest of my friends did, too. Well, almost all of them. Four of them, Twinkleshine, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Lyra Heartstrings. But the other who didn't show up, Twilight Sparkle, was either late (which she was never, when it came to important events), was somewhere they couldn't find her, or was just busy studying.
I prayed that it was the first one, although that was probably the least likely to happen. I've been friends with Twilight for quite a while; in fact, she was my first friend ever. But sometimes, she got busy with the Princess and her lessons. Hopefully she was just in the middle of a test or an essay and was able to come right after she got her 100 percent. She wouldn't get anything lower. I hoped that she got her good grade then went to my party.
It's my first time throwing a party myself, but my Mom and Dad always threw the parties, so Twilight knew when my birthday was. She would come soon, I knew it. Well, I wished it. I hope for luck, just this once. Oh, just once, I want my oldest friend to come to my first ever party. It's one thing for me to get out of my house to spend time with others, and another that I'm doing it at a party. If Twilight didn't come, well, then, I don't know. It would be really sad.
I looked around for something to do while Twilight was out. That's when I realized I forgot the cake. I slapped my face and chuckled sheepishly at them all. "Hey, uh, I forgot the cake. Could you all go see if Twilight's done with whatever it is she's doing while I go back home to get the cake?"
The girls giggled. "Boy, you don't know how to throw a party, do you?" We all laughed, even me. It was a funny joke, and it wasn't rude. Minuette knew how to twist almost every sentence into something like that. I shook my head with a smile and headed towards my house.
"We'll go fetch her in just a few," Lemon Hearts called back at me. "We just want to get something set up really quickly, alright?"
I smiled. "Okay, thanks everypony!" I trotted off towards my house to both waste time and use it efficiently. When I arrived at my house, I opened the door and called out, "Mom? Is my cake in the fridge?"
"No, I took it out and left it on the counter because I wanted to give it back to you! Go a head and grab it, dear!" I stepped into the kitchen and found it, grabbing it with my magic. I peeked into the cake box to see the candles in there along with the cake. I bit my lip and, with a smile, trotted back out the door.
"Thanks, mom," I said, probably too quietly for her to hear. It didn't matter though. She could probably tell. As I arrived back at the party, my friends weren't there yet. I shrugged. It couldn't take that long to fetch one pony; they were probably doing something for me and then headed to get Twilight. I unboxed the cake and set it on one of the tables with all the little party hats and pleasure bags. I forgot what ponies called them. Giveouts? Something like that. I also took out the candles from the box, and stuck them into the cake. There were six, and each matched our party hats. Finally, I took the plastic knife from the box and set it down right next to the cake. With a smile, I threw the box away and adjusted everything to make it all look straight.
After making sure the knife looked right, I heard hoofsteps and everypony walked into the scene, except they now had gift boxes and bags on their backs. They all set them down on the side of the table and I thanked them for about a hundred times. Then, they showed me what they'd been working on. "Hey, Moondancer! Check out this spread, huh?"
On the table without the cake was a variety of snacks, all of which I loved. This party really would be incomplete without them. With the biggest smile I could manage, I said, "Thank you all so much for coming!"
"Of course," Twinkleshine said with a giggle. "We couldn't miss one of our best friend's parties!"
I looked around. "Is Twilight coming?" They all glanced at each other, and I realized that they had tried to ask her. But she'd refused, and wanted to study. Something like that. "Oh... Okay...."
I knew Twilight would be "too busy." I knew she would choose her books and her studying over me. I knew she wasn't loyal enough to attend her friend's first party ever, anyways. I knew she would end up hurting me. So why did it tear my heart up so much? Why did I decide to invite her in the first place? Why did I want her so badly to be at my party?
Oh, wait. I know the answers to this one. I'm a good friend. Good enough, I guess. I don't want to sound self-absorbed. But I'm a good friend compared to Twilight, who, on the other hoof, isn't. She was my oldest friend, and yet she didn't bother to come to my first party. She doesn't partake in many friendly discussions. We don't chat as much, and we're really distant with her. All of us. But we're still her friends. Right? Or am I wrong?
"Hey," Minuette chirped with an uneasy laugh, "we'll still have fun, right?"
I sighed. "Sure." Friendship failed me. I'd make sure not to let that happen again. After tonight's last piñata hit, after the candy collecting was over and they all said goodbye, I'd stop. I'd study, and study, and prove to Twilight what studying is to a friendship. I'd show her. With how badly she hurt me, I could hurt her back.
