The Wrong Best Friend

Chapter Twenty Seven: Surprise! Surprise!

CHAPTER 27: Surprise! Surprise!

"Something in you lit up heaven in me."
-Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa.

Birthdays.

Kind of an annual thing that finds it's way back to you every year, a small reminder of your place in this wide world.

Also an annual reminder of how life had been in the past. For me it was a big square princess cake, girly I know but that was me. It were numerous post cards of kisses and love from Grans, favourite breakfasts in the morning, sloppy kisses from Mum, getting barbs from Will for getting old, little cards with a wrong ‘birthday’ spelling from Emma along with a stick figure of me cutting a cake, long crushing hugs and a stupid birthday prank from Lily and finally that smile from Dad when he ruffled my hair murmuring a ‘Happy birthday kiddo’. We always got ice cream together. Just the two of us. A small birthday tradition that allowed me to stuff my face with endless flavours.

There were a lot of reminders of how good life had been but it hardly ever deterred me. I always loved birthdays. I'll never fully grasp the concept of people hating it but eh to each it's own. I think birthdays are good. Nothing really changes that much but atleast we get a shot at it. It's a day we can transform, or even reborn from our past self.

How amazing is it? Out of 7 billion people, 7 wide continents, 195 cultural countries, you come into being? At the exact place, to the exact person, just where you're meant to be.

I think that fact needs to be celebrated, so I loved birthdays whether it was mine or simply someone else's.

“How did you even know it was my birthday? I don't recall ever telling you.” I smile at him as he walks me to the front porch steps of my house. I twist the key in the lock, giving him a side glance before pushing it open.

He shoves both his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, giving a small shrug of his shoulders in response.

“I have my ways.”

“Does your ‘way’ include my----”

I'm cut off when the dark room lights up, illuminating the people in its dim lighting, a stunned gasp falling from my lips.

“SURPRISE!”

I briefly look back at Luke who merely lifts his one shoulder with a small smirk before I'm covered in a curtain of streamers, pulled in a short kiss by Damon, a bunch of all my close friends swarming around me with wishes.

“Finally! I thought I'd never get to eat the cake.”

I hear a distinct smack and a loud groan that follows, in the people.

One guess as to who it is.

I finally look around the room filled with wide smiling faces and notice my family, Luke's family, all our close group of friends and I'm pleasantly surprised to see José and Martha too.

I walk upto others in awe taking in the photos of myself since I was a child leading up to the teen years, clipped on the strings of fairylights lighting up the otherwise dim room.

There were also photos of me, Emma and Will hanging from the strings of balloons that were stuck on ceiling right above the table where a big round cake was waiting for me. I take all of this in holding my breath, in gratification and shock, my eyes jumping to the thoughtfully decorated room.