2019 Birthday Story Scavenger Hunt, 3

​​Welcome to birthday week! We're celebrating my birthday all week long with a short story I wrote just for the occasion, as well as a chance for you to win some ice cream. Want more information or to see the list of scavenger hunt clues you're looking for? Check it out here. If you missed yesterday's part of the story, it's here (you'll want to read it first).

​“Meet me in the parking lot.” Cassandra’s sister, Paige texted in the middle of the afternoon.
“This is getting ridiculous.” Cassandra stuck her bookmark back between the pages. “And right as I get to the climax.”
She peeked out her window and spotted her sister’s little green car in a spot next to her own silver SUV. She slid on flip-flops, grabbed her key, and pulled the door shut behind her. At least her parents had come up to her. Not Paige. She was too busy to walk up a flight of stairs.
“Hey.” Paige looked up from her phone when Cassandra stood next to her window. “Wow. You look—”
“What?” Cassandra glanced down at her outfit. Nothing wrong with it. She’d just been lounging around the apartment. “It’s not like I had plans today. No one was supposed to see me.”
“Yoga pants? I didn’t even know people wore those anymore.”
“Was there a reason you summoned me down here or was it just to criticize my clothes?” Cassandra started to turn.
“I was going to take you for ice cream. Thought I’d do something nice for your birthday.” Paige waved her hand. “But if you don’t want to accept my nice gesture, it’s no skin off my back. More money to spend on something for myself later.”
“Wow.” For a full minute, Cassandra battled the temptation to simply walk back upstairs and wipe this whole visit from her mind. But the craving for ice cream won out. “Where are we going?”
“I knew you’d cave.” Paige laughed. “You’re so predictable in your old age.”
“Old-ER. You left off the end of that word.” Cassandra poked her sister in the arm. “I’m only two years older than you. You’ll be thirty before you know it.”
“But hopefully I’ll dress better and maybe even be married by then.” Paige flipped her perfectly straight hair over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong with yoga pants? They’re comfy. And I had planned to stay home and read all day. The universe obviously has other plans. You’re the third interruption of the day.”
“Seriously? That was your big birthday plan? To read all day?” Paige shook her head as she pulled into the parking lot of their favorite treat shop. “If that’s what’s considered exciting, I don’t want to turn thirty.”
“I think I want the biggest size they have of chocolate with all the toppings we can pile on.” Cassandra narrowed her eyes at her flippant sibling.
“I’ll let you go medium. I’m only getting a small frozen yogurt. Can’t ruin this figure, after all.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes as she watched her sister walk in the door of the shop. Paige wore a tunic over leggings, almost Cassandra’s exact same outfit. What was it with people offering treats laden with backhanded criticism today?
In the midst of the verbal sparring with Paige, Cassandra forgot about the impending promise of more fun from her apartment mates.