“Ok Dear, if you are going to be the star — you have to look the part,” Mathildee said, patting Stupid on her head.

  Stupid remembered Mathildee’s name — because she was always really nice!

  Stupid giggled.

  “But I eez not a star, I eez Stupid!” she exclaimed.

  One of the other goblins — Johnz? — snorted into his coffee.

  Stupid couldn’t remember his name — but he was the one with the super big nose!

  She reached out and put a hand on his arm.

  “Eez… eez you choking?” she asked in concern. “Stupid can try to sneeze a cup for youz that is big enough your nose doesn’t get stuck in eetz!” she beamed, patting his arm.

  She had seen Mathildee pat Beeg’s arm when Beeg was having worried day.

  Patting arms seemed funny, but maybe it helped people feel better?

  Stupid liked the idea of helping.

  Now the rest of the AP team laughed, while Johnz of the Nose grumbled.

  “Sweetie, it is your special day, you don’t have to worry about — “

  “Oh, Stupid eez not worried!” Stupid exclaimed. She really wasn’t — she was so happy —

  “Did you know, it eez Stupid’s Birfday today?” Stupid beamed, looking up at Mathildee. “Stupid never haz those! Maybe, maybe we will even see Ugly today!”

  Stupid hadn’t seen Ugly in a long time.

  Stupid thought it must be sad, having to hide because you eez too ugly. Especially because he was probably the smartest one!.

  “Stupid wants to see Ugly, he alwayz knows how to make Stupid laugh,” she continued thoughtfully. “He eez also the only one who makes Stupid feel tall!”

  Johnz of the Nose coughed into his drink again.

  Stupid looked intensely at his cup… maybe she really should try to make it special?

  Johnz hid the cup behind his back, which seemed funny —

  “But, I don’t see any of you very much either!” she continued, giving Mathildee a hug. “Mathildeez, You eez always so nice to Stupid, but Stupid haz to sleep when you eez here, so she can workz hard the next day! But, Stupid will try to see you more!”

  Thinking about seeing Mathildee more made Stupid happy. Maybe one day, she would even have big, beautiful hair too!

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  Then, Mathildee, with her lovely hair, reached out and gave Stupid another rub on the head. It made Stupid giggle, because it tickled.

  She hadn’t sneezed in a few days, so her hair was starting to grow again — it was short and spikey now, and tickled her ears whenever they fell over her head.

  She spun in a quick circle so her ears flopped, giggling when it still tickled.

  “Oh!” she gasped, “I haz to get Beeg a present!” she froze, one of her ears smashing into a shelf.

  Stupid giggled. She loved her ears, they were so fun!

  “Stupid, it is your birthday. You get the presents,” Marlo laughed.

  Stupid sighed dreamily. Stupid also knew Marlo, because he was the boss.

  Not boss like Boss, but boss like boss, Stupid nodded to herself.

  Stupid also remembered his name — he had the biggest muscles she had ever seen on a goblin. She liked them, they looked safe.

  “Stupid knows!” She exclaimed. “But, Beeg remembered Stupid’s Birfday, which is the bestest present ever! So, Stupid haz to get heem something, or it won’t be fair!”

  “Stupid also likes Beeg the most,” she finished. “He eez always so nice to Stupid. And he is cool. And he has nice clothes. And he is smart. And tall. So, so tall. And… ”

  Stupid blinked, realizing she was smiling and staring at the wall.

  Then she froze.

  “Oh but, Stupid likes all of you, too!” she cried. She didn’t want them to think she didn’t like them!

  “Tell ya what,” the scary one said… Molliez? or something, huffed in amusement, walking over to a machine and putting in a coin.

  Stupid gasped. Imagine giving coins away like that! Well, Stupid did it too — she gave them to the horrible pie lady!

  Because the horrible pie lady was really nice — her pies were just really… not nice.

  The machine whirred and spit out a package, which Molliez handed to Stupid.

  “But, what eez eet?” she asked in confusion. It was lumpy and long… and squishy?

  “It is yer present for Beeg,” Molliez smiled. Stupid thought her smile looked nice, but sneaky.

  It was super cool.

  “Oh, so I canz give it too heem, and when it eez opened, it will be a surrrplies for both of us!” Stupid giggled in excitement.

  She loved that idea very much.

  Molliez blinked, then smiled again. “Yes, that is right.”

  Marlo clapped his hands. “Ok J-squad, we have work to do. Operation, Birthday Party. Get to work!” he barked. Stupid thought his serious voice was really nice. It made her toes tingle and her tippy ears feel warm.

  Johnz of the Nose, and maybe… Jif? That sounded nice! And Juk? That didn’t sound so nice, but he never said anything, so maybe he wasn’t nice? Scattered.

  Stupid gasped. “Did you see that? He climbed into a wall, without a portal!” she exclaimed, pointing to where Jif had disappeared.

  “Stupid want’s to learn that Mageek!” she cried, scrambling over to the wall.

  She made sure to take an extra bounce in her step, so her ears could flop. She giggled when one flopped all the way to the ground.

  “Stupid?” Mathildee called.

  “Yeth!?” Stupid exclaimed, scratching at the wall where Jif had disappeared. There was no hole!

  “Stupid?” Mathildee chuckled in exasperation.

  “Big Mathildee! Look! How, how did he do eet! Stupid haz to leave portals!” she cried in astonishment, turning to look at Mathildee.

  Mathildee sighed and held the dress in front of Stupid.

  Stupid stopped right away to stare.

  “Eez so pretty,” she exhaled. “Did you know, Beeg gave it to Stupid? Because we have Friend Fries,” she finished with a serious nod, reaching out to stroke the powder-blue dress.

  “Yes, this is a very special dress,” Mathildee agreed. “And now we need to make you beautiful, too.”

  Stupid froze.

  “Stupid… can be beautifulz?”