Life of the Party

{2} Surprise!

For some reason, Sara asked to go with me to Mandi's. Maybe because Mandi has a really cute new puppy, or because her younger sister is in Sara's class. Anyway, I got dressed into my normal outfit of skinny jeans, sneakers, and a somewhat dressy top with my silver hoops.

I grabbed my keys off my dresser, shouted to Mom that I was taking Sara to Mandi's, and then Sara and I hopped in my car. I turned on Spotify on my phone, plugged it in, and shuffled my playlist. I never let Sara choose music. If it was her car, fine, but I was in charge for once.

About 10 minutes later. I pulled in the driveway. The house seemed very quiet but I had a sense of what might be happening. Was Mandi really inviting me over to study or did she have all my friends in the house, hiding in ambush so that they could shout SURPRISE! as soon as I burst through the door. I acted normally pretending I wasn't expecting anything, and I walked slowly to the door. I peeked in the window. All the lights were off.

I put my hand on the brass door knob. I turned it slowly, and the silence was almost loud. The door creaked open, and all the lights flipped on, and familiar faces popped out from behind the couches, the tables, the kitchen island. I was still happy that after so many years of surprise parties, and them probably thinking I already knew, they still planned one for me this year.

"HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY EMILY!!!" About 20 girls surrounded me, including the ones I graduated 8th grade from. We continued to have reunions even after I split apart from them and went to a different high school than they all did. My smile was bright, and so was the wrapping paper on a gift box someone was handing to me.

"Calm down, Stella, it's not gift time yet," I chuckled, speaking to one of my old friends from middle school. I took the gift from her, set it down on the nearest table, and walked into the kitchen, where there was food EVERYWHERE, including a giant bowl of chocolate chips in the middle with little cups to scoop them up with. Yum.

The TV was on a music station, my favorite one actually, Top Hits of This Year. There were zebra and blue everything - all the paper plates and cups, the wrapping paper and bows on most of the presents, the streamers, the balloons, the HAPPY BIRTHDAY EM sign over the fireplace.

We started with a game of truth or dare, and that ended with most of us in just our bras and underwear and having told all our dirty secrets. We passed around fruit punch and took shots like it was alcohol. We laughed so hard the punch came out our noses. Then came gift time.

My best friend, who you all know is Mandi, spoke up. She stood up, holding her cup of punch, and tapped it with her plastic fork.

"Attention everyone! It is time for the gifts! Mine is last, because it's the best," and she sat back down.

"One gift at a time please," I said, hoping everyone wouldn't just hurry to the pile in the corner and chuck their boxes and envelopes at me.

~ ~ ~

Nearing the end, I had a new phone case, a brand new set of Beats headphones, someone even bought me an apple TV for my bedroom, and another friend bought a TV to go in my room with it. Some of my other friends just gave me cash so I had about $1,000 to spare.

"Thank you all soooooo much guys. You know you didn't have to go all out..." I hugged everyone individually. This was the second to last birthday party before most everyone headed out to college and I started my YouTube career.

"Emily, I still have my present," Mandi said, handing a thick envelope to me.

I took the envelope, stared at it for a few moments, and then began to tear at it. What I pulled out of it almost made me pass out. Not only were there 2 tickets to a Shawn Mendes next month, but there were 2 BACKSTAGE VIP passes as well.

I think I did fall unconscious for at least a minute or two because when I opened my eyes next I was on the floor and all the girls were looking down on me, half worried, half extremely excited.

I got back up, looked at the tickets again, and blinked extra hard to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

"OMG THANK YOU ALL HOW WILL I EVER REPAY YOU GUYS!??" By now I was crying, just imagining meeting Shawn Mendes and hearing his beautiful voice live in concert.

**A/N sorry for the somewhat short chapter, will update more frequently :P - EmForLife22