“Ok.” Elena walked to the other side of the basement and bent over another table and wrote a list. Jillian stood where she was, thinking she would do a good job. Elena came over with the list and Jillian looked at it.

“There’ll be another list this afternoon, this is just preliminary stuff.”

The list included snacks for the party, decorations, and costumes.

“Um, Elena?” said Jillian. “I can totally get this for you, and I’m not trying to be funny, but I don’t have a car.”

Elena looked at her.

“I just don’t know if I can walk to all of these places and carry all of this stuff and get it all done in time for the party.”

“Well, I can’t come with you.”

“Yeah, I know, but, could I borrow your car maybe?”

Elena stared at her. “Do you have your license?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Jillian. Elena gave her a look and Jillian shifted. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Ok, you can borrow my car, but if you get pulled over, I don’t know if I can be responsible for it.”

“Oh, I’m a good driver, don’t worry.” Elena went to her purse and got out her keys.

“You’ll be back before one, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m just going to go to the drinking fountain to take a Tylenol and then I’m off.”

The best route to take was to go to the grocery store, then the party store, then the thrift store for the costumes, but if she did that, then the dips would sit in the car and get warm. She’d have to go to the party store first and get the groceries on the way back. Elena’s list had specific directions for the party decorations. Jillian pulled into the Party City parking lot. The store was a warehouse, so she thought she should be able to find everything. Elena wanted posters or hanging boards that said something about the ’80s. The list said the posters should say “It’s the 80s!” or “’80s party time!” Jillian wrinkled her nose at the list. The only decorations she could find with the number 80 on them were birthday posters, and they all had graves and grim reapers on them. That would not do, she thought. There were some paper plates that said “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Girls Night” on them, with pictures of girls in aerobics outfits. They looked kind of 80s.

“Oooh,” said Jillian.

She could go through and take out the “Girls Night” plates, because “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was an ’80s  song.

She walked the aisles looking for things that would do and put these things in her basket. Neon balloons, neon streamers, neon puffy paint, two posters that said “party” in metallic letters, some blank neon poster board, electric blue crepe tablecloths, two packages of pink plastic forks, party hats with Michael Jackson on them, and party hats with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on them.