October is my favorite month of all time, with the soft crunch of leaves under everyone's cleats and the crisp air that lift up your nose and tickles your senses making you remember all the fun you had last time. The rays of harsh yellows and oranges hit every corner of the sky; the colors mix with the clouds making a nice white puffy cotton ball with an delicate undertone of orange. The tall and proud Evergreen trees sat and watched the children play whereas the others were losing their leaves thinking about the upcoming winter. My mom is standing shoulder to shoulder with Dustin, or as I like to call him Tall Guy, watching me with such pride and love the every child deserves to have. Anxiety starts to build in my chest.

“ I wonder if dad's here,” I whisper softly.
I searched and searched and I finally found him; brooding in the corner while intensly staring at his Blackberry. I would normally be upset with my mom or Dustin if they were on their phone during the whole game but him being here is enough; my dad is a really busy man. He sometimes can’t make it to my games because he is either too tired and forgot, or he promised his girlfriend that they would go out to eat for dinner which I think is weird because who eats dinner at 9:30 in the morning? But, I will take what I can get from him. A whistle blew signalling the start of the game
Once the game was over I left my post as goalie and pushed past everyone and dashed over to my dad who was quickly packing his things.
“ Hey papa,” I screamed at the top of my lungs right next to his ear.
“ Hey babygirl, but I have to go home and rest for my big day tomorrow.”
“ Didn’t I play good?” I questioned.
“ See ya Syd!” Shouted my dad as he quickly retreated back to his monster of a Jeep with scratches and dents all over it but a clean and pristine white and blue Colts sticker on the back of his car is still perfectly intact. I don’t think I’ve ever see someone leaving a parking lot as fast as my dad does after my soccer games.
“Bye and don’t forget about my birthday on Monday!” I shirked. Worry wrapped around me like a blanket because with his record he might forget, but I pushed it out of my mind because I know he wouldn’t miss my 8th birthday for the world.
I’m turning eight on Monday and I will be the oldest in my class besides my teacher Mrs. Wirth. She is a nasty old lady; she's probably 1,000 years old judging by the wrinkles surrounding the bottomless pit she calls eyes. She doesn't have any teeth either; she has a clear glass with gross water in it that holds her dentures; what's really gross is that when she puts her dentures in she makes this weird slurping noise that sends shivers down my spine. I don't think that women can keep any type of fluid inside her! She goes to the bathroom every 10 minutes and she spits every time she talks. During story time she turns into a super soaker and spays everyone; even little Wyatt, who really isn't little because he's taller than me but he's really lanky and weird, in the back who is minding himself, playing with his nerd cards and all of a sudden a wad of spit hits him right in between the eyes.
‘“Nin come on it’s cold as balls out here.” shouted mom.
“Coming Mema.” I shouted back.
I sprinted toward a cocoon of blankets also know as my mother. She hates the cold with a burning passion, but she refuses to turn on the heat til Thanksgiving; which I personally think is dumb, because she complains constantly about how cold she is but won't do the thing that will solve all her problems.
“Turn up the thermostat!”
Hopping in the car I shut the door and I'm completely bombarded with questions from my annoying little sister, Raegan Olivia Eckard or Rae for short.
“How was the game?”
“Did you break any bones?”
“Did you get frostbite while you were out there?”
“ Can I touch your cleats?”
“ Rae if you ask me one more question I swear you’re not gonna live to be four!” I threatened.
“Sydney Harrison Hunter you better apologize right now or this birthday party is over” shouted mom.
“Sorry Rae. Sorry mom.”
The rest of the ride was dreadfully silent journey with a lot of awkward eye contact and a lot of thinking on my part.
I wonder who I should I should invite? Nina, definitely. Nina Marie Follmer has been my best friend since day one! I remember it as clear as day; it was kindergarten in Mrs.Kariga’s class and I was in the back munching on blue crayons and she came over and started eating the purple ones and it was a perfect match ever since. So she’s a must have. Lauren Peck, Lauren Ogden, and Ashley Larson have to come too because they are my BFF’s too.
It's finally time! Almost everyone is here; Mom,Dustin, Reagan, Jordan,Zach,Sarah, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Kate, Seth,Grandma, Nina,both Laurens,Ashley, and Grace; all I'm waiting on is my dad and everything will be perfect.
“ Sydney can you go upstairs and grab the party favors for your friends please.” shouted mom.
“ Ok mom but where are they at,” I yelled back.
“ In my room and I’ll let you bring down your lincoln logs for your friends because I don’t want them in your room because it's messy as balls in there!”
“ Thanks mom!”
It's not an everyday occurrence that my mom lets me bring my toys downstairs to play with, but we know she’s doing this just to seem cool to my friends which I don't understand because she the coolest person I know.
I run up the stairs on all fours because I want these Lincoln Logs down here ASAP. Walking into moms room all I can think is that her room is messier than mine, there are clothes everywhere!
I rummage through the mess she calls a room until I finally find the party favors. As I’m about to pick them up the phone rings, looking at the number I recognize it as my dad's number.
He’s probably calling to tell me that he going to be here in a little and he's late because the present he got me was too big to fit in his car! I answer the phone and I’m hit with loud music.
“ Donald where in the world are you?” mom whispered harshly through the phone. We must have answered at the same time as me.
“Shannon I can't come to Sydney’s party today. I overslept and I have to go to Nicole's friends party right now” my dad said nonchalantly.
“Are you serious Donald! Sydney has been asking for you to come for days now and you're just gonna blow her off for your girlfriend you've only known for a week!”
“Shannon I forgot, what d yo-.”
The line went dead after that and I'm thankful because i don't think i could take anymore of that conversation.
I dropped the phone and wiped the tears that i didn't know where rapidly streaming down my face. I don't think I've ever cried so much over someone so much in my life.
I need to get myself together and not live for that man, which in my book isn't really a man at all. He's more like a rainbow; when he's there it's all peachy but once he's gone you’re are sad for a little bit because you don't know when he will be back but after a while you just go with it ,and I’ve cried so now I have to get over him and not be so hung up on that rainbow and get on with my party and play with my Lincoln Logs.