Jan 30, 2020, 7:40 PM

This one is actual embarrassment. This one is 'if I am ever a writer on a television show, it is being written in.'

One of my brothers is 8 years and 2 days younger than I am. This means that the last birthday party I ever had was my 8th. After that, every birthday as a kid/teen was 'we'll sing happy birthday to both of you, but as the elder sibling...'

Anyway, for my... I think it was 12th birthday and his 4th, we had my grandparents and my dad's friend and my dad's friend's kids over. Said friend's kids were a group of boys around my age. I guess my parents thought I'd appreciate this. I guess my parents thought 'teenage girl will like having some teenage boys around.' Mostly they just liked that it was free food, cake, ice cream, and access to the basketball hoop we had in our backyard.

Now, when the cake came out, there were very stern words to KEEP THAT BALL AWAY FROM THE CAKE and I, being the very anxious sort I was, just had a feeling and I'd been stood in the general area between table and where the hoop was. I happened to turn just at the time the ball winged off the hoop and went flying towards the table. I jumped up to try to catch it and there I was... hands in the air just as everyone standing around the cake, now splattered in cake, looks up to see me with a horrified look on my face.

Imagine what it would be in a sitcom and it was exactly like that. Teenage boys scattered.
Me with hands in the air looking like I'd thrown the ball directly into the cake.
My brother in tears.
My other brother (8 at the time) already pointing at me and blaming me for it despite having seen nothing.
My grandfather, parents, father's friend all covered in cake and FURIOUS, all yelling at me at once.

Trust me, it didn't help when the 'hot one' of the teenage boys snuck up to sit outside my door an hour later and thank me for taking the fall. I even told him that, y'know, he COULD try coming clean instead. No Disney Channel ending for me.

That moment of standing there, my hands in the air, as the worst possible outcome was laid out before me will be forever etched into my memory, but goddamn if as an adult it isn't just hilarious how picture perfect it is.