Excitement Is Just The Icing On The Cake

(It’s my 18th birthday. I’ve invited some friends over for a party. My mother has got sparklers for my cake as well as candles. While she’s lighting the candles on the cake, my friends are talking. After a joke, all my friends laugh but one, who is staring past me in confusion.)

Me: “[Friend #1], what’re you doing?”

Friend #1: “Is your microwave SUPPOSED to be on fire?”

(At this point, all five of us turn to look at the cake. Turns out what my mother thought were sparklers were actually just VERY thin candles. When she’d lit them all the smaller ones melted the wax on the long thin ones enough to make them lean against the microwave. We all start shouting to get my oblivious mother’s attention and she proceeds to blow out the fire on the microwave, toss it out the back door, and then go back to talking like nothing happened.)

Friend #2: “This is why I like coming over here. It’s always exciting!”