Better off Friends

“After you!” Stacey said as she and Danielle opened up the double doors.

I put a scowl on my face to let them know how much I didn’t appreciate this situation as I began to walk into the room.

“SURPRISE!!!” A loud shout echoed in the large ballroom. It took me a second to figure out what was going on as I saw the faces of friends and family greeting me. Then I saw a HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN BIRTHDAY, MACALLAN AND LEVI! sign.

The secret meetings between our parents had been for a birthday party.

I turned to look at Macallan, who looked as shocked as I felt. So she hadn’t been lying to me about not knowing what was going on. But she was lying about something else.

Mom came up laughing. “Did we pull it off? Were you surprised?”

I don’t think I’d ever been so shocked in my life.

Talk about being oblivious.

I know, they got us so good.

I was referring to our parents. How could they not have figured out we weren’t even talking?

Yeah, we weren’t speaking and they threw us a joint surprise party.

I’m more shocked that Danielle didn’t say something to my dad. She doesn’t hold things in.

Like you do?

Oh, yes, I was the one who was being irrational.

Man, I was being such an idiot.

I’m sorry, I don’t believe I heard you. Could you repeat that?

Yes, I was being an idiot, a total idiot. Even I wouldn’t have wanted to hang out with me.

And people think girls get emotional.

Again, I was really confused after you abandoned me.

And you wondered why I had to leave the country?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I was shocked at first by the unexpected group of people cheering “SURPRISE!” And the evening got even more surreal from there.

Dad came over and gave me a big hug, followed by Uncle Adam.

Dad beamed. “Here I thought you were too smart for your old pops to get you.”

I looked around and saw about fifty people, from all over my life. There were mostly people from school rounded out by some family members and a few of my cooking class friends.

It wasn’t hard to pick out who was for Levi and who was for me. It was like this one wedding I went to the summer before. Mom’s friend from college was marrying a guy Mom didn’t approve of. Everybody on Suzanne’s side was dressed in suits or dresses. The groom’s side was completely different. I heard Mom “tsk-tsk” a few times as people walked in dressed in khakis and jeans. Someone even had jorts on.

“Who wears jeans to a wedding?” Mom had asked under her breath.

I’d shrugged. I was only ten at the time, so I didn’t have that great an answer.

Six years later, I still didn’t have the answer for a lot of things.

Levi went over to the jock contingent. It was then I noticed Emily was there. I was pretty sure Levi’s mom wouldn’t have invited her. I scanned back in my head to see if I’d ever officially told my dad that we weren’t really friends anymore. She hadn’t been to our house in years.

Emily gave me a little wave and approached cautiously. “Happy birthday, Macallan.”

“Thanks,” I said as we embraced uncomfortably.

“Great party!” she said as she scanned the room.

“Yeah.” It was a great party.

“Anyway, I know it’s been a while, but it’s a big day, so I got you a little something.” Emily handed me a small wrapped box.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” I protested. She shrugged in response. I didn’t know if I was supposed to wait to open presents, but since I hadn’t even known this party was happening, I figured I could be excused for not following protocol.

I slowly unwrapped the box to find a silver necklace with a delicate flower pendant.

“It’ll go with pretty much anything,” Emily offered.

“Thanks so much.” Emily knew I was awful at accessorizing. It was a gene that wasn’t passed on to me. I unlatched the necklace and put it around my neck.

“Here, let me help.” I held up my hair as Emily latched the necklace. It fell right in the middle of the scoop neck shirt that I was wearing. “Perfect!” she declared.

I gave Emily a grateful smile. She was looking out for my girly well-being even though we were no longer close.

We looked at each other, neither of us really knowing what to do now. It was so odd to be standing across from someone who had been my best friend for nearly a decade and yet have nothing to talk about. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was what was going to happen to me and Levi. We already didn’t speak to each other.

I looked across and saw him laughing away with his friends. My anger at Levi wasn’t that he had friends. It was that he’d filled my head with thoughts of love, then took it away from me. I tried to guard myself from getting hurt — it was an automatic reflex. But I’d let Levi in as a friend, then as a best friend. By the time I’d landed in Chicago, I’d been ready to open my heart fully to him. To love him the way I thought he loved me.

But then he’d taken it away. It was torture to be around him those first few days back.

My attention was brought back to the party as our parents were asking for everybody’s attention at the front of the room. Dread filled me, because I knew something embarrassing would probably come next.

“Okay, everybody!” Dad was clinking a glass with a fork. A sharp whistle came from Uncle Adam and the place quieted down. “Thanks so much for coming tonight. And for keeping our little secret.” There was some laughter in the audience. “Can the birthday girl and boy come on up here?”