Ink and Iron

Birthday

Rubbing the grogginess from my eyes, I slid out of bed, half expecting to hear the usual sounds of activity—a door closing, footsteps on the hardwood floor, maybe the faint laughter from the kitchen where someone was brewing coffee. But the house was still, almost unnervingly so.

Frowning, I slipped into a hoodie and headed into the hallway. The air felt heavier somehow, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Normally, by this time, the house would be buzzing with life.

I walked through the living room, the quiet pressing in on me, and just as I was about to call out, a sudden burst of voices shattered the stillness.

"Happy birthday!"

I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat as they all jumped out, silly birthday hats on their heads and party horns in their mouth. Lily threw her boa around my shoulders dramatically. "Chris, darling, you look fabulous!"

"Fabulous, huh?" I chuckled, shaking my head at her antics as Tony clapped me on the back with so much enthusiasm I nearly stumbled forward.

"Happy birthday, man!" Tony grinned, pulling me into a bear hug. "You're another year older, and somehow you're still putting up with all of us."

"Come on," Sarah chimed in, already bouncing on the balls of her feet, "sit down! We've got so much planned for you today!"

Jake leaned in with a mischievous smile. "Yeah, and you're gonna love every second of it, birthday boy."

Before I could protest or even thank them, they ushered me to the couch, where gifts were piled up on the coffee table, each wrapped with different levels of effort. Maya and Ava, practically vibrating with excitement, bounced forward holding a massive box between them.

"Ours first!" they declared in unison, thrusting the box toward me with wide eyes, eager to see my reaction.

With a grin, I tore into the wrapping paper, and when the box finally opened, I was greeted by a giant, plush ghost pillow with huge, cartoonish eyes staring up at me. The thing was absurd, but the moment I saw it, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"This is... amazing!" I said through fits of laughter, hugging the pillow close to me. "Thank you."

Next, Lily stepped forward, handing me her gift with a smirk that was impossible to miss. The box was wrapped beautifully, with a perfect bow and expensive-looking paper.

"Brace yourself, Chris," she warned, her eyes dancing with mischief.

I carefully unwrapped the gift, almost afraid of what I might find, and when I pulled open the lid, I couldn't stop the laughter that exploded out of me. Inside was a neatly arranged box of 100 condoms, along with a glowing neon sign that read: "Friends are like condoms—there to protect you when things get hard."

I was laughing so hard I could barely catch my breath, tears streaming down my face as everyone around me lost it. Even Marco, who was usually so composed, was doubled over, struggling to keep it together.

"Lily," I gasped, wiping the tears from my eyes, "this is... wow. I don't even know what to say!"

Lily tossed her hair over her shoulder with a grin. "You don't have to say anything, darling. Just... be safe. And considering Marco practically lives in your room these days, I figured you'd need them."

"Alright, enough of that!" Jake interrupted, stepping forward with a homemade cake that looked so beautiful. He'd even gone through the effort of decorating it with the number 27, carefully piped in colorful frosting.

"Thought I'd contribute something sweet," Jake said with a proud smile, placing the cake on the table.

My heart swelled as I looked at it. "Jake, this is amazing. Seriously, I've missed your baking."