Can't Seem To Hide It

70th birthday?!

Chapter 46:

The sun peeked through the blinds, casting soft rays of light over the room. Paige blinked awake, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. As she stretched under the covers, she realized something was different—her phone was vibrating nonstop on the nightstand.

Confused, she grabbed it, squinting at the screen to find countless texts, missed calls, and notifications from her social media apps. Groggily, she unlocked it to see the first message that stood out:

Azzi: Happy 23rd Birthday, babe!!

Paige's mind quickly caught up—October 20. Her birthday. A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued to scroll through messages from her teammates and friends.

Kk: Another year of dealing with you, Bueckers. Happy 23rd! 🎉

Nika: Wow, Paige, 23? Time to start preparing for retirement. Happy birthday, grandma.

Aubrey: We've got something big planned for you today. Get ready. 😏

Paige chuckled at the texts, feeling a familiar warmth in her chest. She wasn't one to make a huge deal out of birthdays, but she appreciated the love from her friends.

Before she could even finish replying, her door burst open with a loud bang, and in came Kk, Azzi, and Ice carrying an absurdly large box wrapped in obnoxious pink wrapping paper. Aubrey followed, phone in hand, already recording the chaos for Kk's TikTok live.

"Happy Birthday, Paige!!" Kk shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

Paige blinked, still shaking off the remnants of sleep. "What... what is this?" she asked, sitting up and eyeing the box suspiciously.

Azzi plopped down on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "This is part one of your birthday surprise."

"Part one?" Paige raised an eyebrow, glancing between her friends, who were all grinning like they were in on some secret plan. "Do I even want to know what part two is?"

"Probably not," Ice said with a smirk, setting the box down in front of Paige. "But you have to start with this first."

Paige hesitated for a moment before tearing into the wrapping paper. It didn't take long for her to uncover the contents—a massive box filled with quirky, random gifts. On top was a pair of ridiculous, oversized sunglasses, followed by a rubber chicken, a framed photo of the team pulling goofy faces, and then... Paige couldn't help but laugh as she uncovered a custom jersey that said "BIRTHDAY QUEEN" across the back, with the number 23 printed underneath.

"This is... ridiculous," Paige said, grinning as she held up the jersey.

"You mean perfect," Kk corrected her, grabbing the rubber chicken and giving it a squeeze. The absurd squawking noise echoed through the room, sending everyone into fits of laughter.

Azzi leaned in closer, her smile softening as she rested her head on Paige's shoulder. "We wanted to start your day off with something fun, but trust me, the real surprise is coming later."

Paige tilted her head, looking at Azzi curiously. "What are you guys planning?"

"Can't tell you yet," Azzi said, her grin widening. "But just be ready around 6 p.m."

"Yeah, and wear something cute," Ice added, winking. "Tonight is going to be special."

The day went by in a blur of light-hearted teasing, surprise snacks delivered to practice, and random team pranks as the girls tried to keep Paige in the best mood possible. Despite her attempts to act unbothered, Paige couldn't deny the excitement buzzing inside her.

By the time 6 p.m. rolled around, she stood in front of her mirror, dressed in a sleek, all-black outfit that Azzi had helped pick out. She couldn't help but wonder what her team had in store.

Just as Paige was putting on her sneakers, there was a knock on the door. Azzi peeked in, smiling from ear to ear. "You ready for part two?"

Paige nodded, trying to keep the suspense from driving her crazy. "Okay, spill. What's the plan?"

Azzi grinned. "No spoilers, but you're gonna love it." She took Paige's hand, pulling her toward the door. "Come on, everyone's waiting."

As they made their way to the common room, Paige noticed that the place looked suspiciously empty. She was about to ask where everyone was when they entered the room, and the lights suddenly flickered on, revealing the entire team—and a few close friends—surrounding a table piled high with cupcakes, presents, and decorations.

A massive banner hung across the back wall: "Happy 23rd, Birthday Queen!"

The room erupted in cheers as Paige stood there, momentarily speechless.

"Surprise!!" Kk yelled, jumping up and down like she'd been holding in the excitement for hours.

Azzi wrapped her arms around Paige from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder. "Happy birthday, babe."

Paige shook her head, laughing in disbelief. "You guys are ridiculous. I love you all."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the mushy stuff!" Nika shouted, grabbing one of the cupcakes from the table and throwing it directly at Paige.

Paige dodged it just in time, her eyes wide. "Are you serious?!"

Kk grinned mischievously, grabbing a cupcake of her own. "Food fight in 3... 2..."

Before she could finish, cupcakes were flying across the room, and Paige found herself dodging frosting missiles while laughing uncontrollably. This might not have been the quiet birthday she'd imagined, but with her team around her, it was perfect.