Head over Heels

Chapter 23: Happy Birthday to me?

It was a cold and dark night as I finished my shift at Mazakofs. I changed into my normal attire, a black long-sleeved dress, and black thigh-high heels. Since my apartment was only a few blocks away, I decided to walk home, taking the longer path to be alone with my thoughts.

As I walked, I put on my headphones and pulled a sweater out of my backpack to keep me warm.

As I walked down the dark and lonely path, my thoughts were a jumbled mess. I couldn't wait to get home and get warm, and I started to pick up my pace. Suddenly, I heard a rustling noise behind me. I quickly turned around to see who or what it was, but before I could even react, a bag was thrown over my head, and I was lifted up off the ground.

I tried to scream and fight back, but the kidnapper was too strong. My mind raced with a million questions. Who was this person? Why had they kidnapped me? What was going to happen to me?

As the van drove, I tried to listen for any clues about where I was being taken, but it was no use. My kidnapper was silent and made no effort to communicate with me.

After what felt like hours, the van came to a sudden stop. The kidnapper pulled me out of the van and led me into a dimly lit warehouse. I was forced into a chair and tied up with rope.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and I heard a loud "Surprise!" from behind the boxes. My heart was racing, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All my closest friends, including Mik and her family, were standing in front of me, smiling.

"Happy Birthday!" Mik exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

I then remembered, "I might have entered todays date on my fake id." My confusion quickly turned into relief, and I burst into tears. "I can't believe you guys did this to me!" I exclaimed, laughing and crying at the same time.

Mik's little brother Noah came up to me and handed me a large present. "Open it!" he urged.

I tore the wrapping paper off to reveal a beautiful collage of all our memories from the ranch. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged Noah tightly. "Thank you so much," I whispered.

As the night went on, I celebrated my "20th" birthday with my closest friends. We danced, ate cake, and exchanged gifts. For a moment, I forgot all about the scare that had happened just hours before.

As the party wound down and everyone started to say their goodbyes, Mik pulled me aside. "I'm sorry we scared you like that," she said, looking genuinely apologetic. "But we wanted to do something special for your birthday."

I smiled, feeling grateful for my friends and their love for me. "It's okay," I said, giving her a hug. "It was definitely a birthday I'll never forget."