Vera, a nine-year old Russian American girl, attends her friend Sarah’s birthday party and describes the components that make up the perfect party: Carvel ice cream cake, stuffed-crust pizza from Pizza Hut, and gift bags. Additionally, it must be a sleepover. Vera and the other girls at the party gather around Sarah to watch her open her gifts. Most of them are clothing and accessories for Sarah’s “fancy historical doll,” which she received as a gift last year. Vera gives Sarah a drawing as a gift, and Sarah thanks her for it but quickly sets it outside. Later that night, all of the girls are playing with their historical dolls in Sarah’s room. They ask Vera where her doll is, and she lies and says that she left it at home. She says that her doll is named Maria and that she is a discontinued Russian doll. Sarah offers Vera a Barbie doll to play with instead.

As the girls are settling down in their sleeping bags, they begin to talk about which camps they will be attending later that summer. Vera feels left out, as she does not go to summer camps, and she quietly leaves the room to go to the kitchen.