Nat: They rested, kicking the soccer ball around as well as the usual routine had been tiring. After a moment, she said, "We'll have to tell the others about Karima. If we start with Marci, she'll be able to spread the word around very quickly, she knows them."
Jason: "That will mean outing yourself as well Natalia," he said cautiously.
Nat: "I will not lose a friend Jason Perseus, I have precious few of those, friends are a rare commodity in my world and I will not lose Karima because of our classmates going crazy just because she's related to Yzma. Besides, no it will not mean outing myself. Just because Karima is a CIA agent won't mean that I am to them, they will assume I met her working for Kim, they won't suspect."
Jason: He nodded. "You are really brilliant sometimes, you know that Nat?"
Nat: "Don't think you're going to get back in my good graces using flattery Jason." Although she snapped, a smile was already tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Jason: He cleared his throat. "I actually wanted to bring up something. I know things are crazy, but you know our birthdays are coming up, mine on Saturday, yours on Sunday. I wondered if you wanted to have a joint-birthday party."
Nat: She looked away. "I don't know if I want to celebrate."
Jason: "What? We'll be seventeen, why wouldn't you want to celebrate?"
Nat: "I've never celebrated without Kim before." It was true, as her twin there had never been a birthday without Kim right beside her.
Jason: Oh. "But Nat, we've never celebrated our birthdays together, and now we have the chance to!"
Nat: Unfortunately, that was a good argument. She had always wanted to celebrate her birthday with her best friend ever since they learned he was only a day older than her. "Who would we invite?"
Jason: "Our classmates I guess. And you and Karima can have a private celebration later, it wouldn't be good to have her seen at our party."
Nat: She couldn't deny that Jason's arguments were good, and even if she wasn't looking at him, Nat could feel his blues staring at her. Yup, she looked at him and there was his perfected blue-eyed puppy dog look. Why oh why could she never resist his puppy eyes? "Fine."
Jason: He punched the air. "Yes!"