A surprise for a friend

Hello, my name is Liam. I just turned 19 and my life was relatively perfect. I couldn’t complain. But this was still to be proven. If I only knew earlier that my life was about to be changed by my best friends.

It was the day of my Birthday-After-Party. Some of my friends wanted to surprise me with a special day just for me because they couldn’t be there on my birthday. Just us, beers, and those primitive and absurd and embarrassing party games that should be forbidden but for once I was glad to have them since they lead to one and another. Thinking back about that day this was the best day I could have never dreamed of. Filled with delight, excitement, passion, and a lot of pain.

2 weeks earlier:

After many years of friendship, I pretty much knew my friends by heart and noticed when they were lying or hiding something for me. Alex, one of my friends since 5th grade, came over for a beer after work when I noticed that something was wrong. He did say that he needed to talk with me about something certainly important but that was even for him a strange behavior. Whenever he is lying or at least not telling the total truth he has got it written in his face, like literally. His eyes are looking down, his hands hiding in his pockets and the forehead shows the first few sweat pearls. But hats up for that he keeps trying to hide it.

When he arrived, I offered him a beer and we sat down on the crappy couch standing in the middle of the living room. After some chatting, I asked him about what was bothering him. It was rather a rhetorical question though I actually expected an answer. Still, I cannot force him to talk. He started stammering nonsense until something slid through his lips. In the first place, I wasn’t quite sure whether I understood it correctly or not but whatever I understood was a Surprise for a friend. Well, that was not a piece of helpful information for me but after a while, I kind of figured that this anonymous friend was supposed to be me. Regardless, I did not know when and if this surprise even really had been planned for me. So, all I could do was waiting.

The special day:

Almost 2 weeks passed and there still hasn’t been any surprise, besides not being surprised. I already kind of lost hope and almost forgot about it when the doorbell rang. My pulse raised; the joy was written into my face. I slowly walked onto the door reaching out for the doorknob. At that moment, the time felt like on pause. I turned the knob and pulled revealing inch by inch more of who was standing outside. However, to my disappointment, it wasn’t any of my friends, and yet it was another familiar face. It was my neighbor Joe and his wife Martha bringing back the lawnmower I lent them and a cake in addition. I guess a cake was better than nothing after all. I thanked them and I was closing the door when I heard someone yelling my name. It was Nick. He was my best friend right after Alex. I have known him for about 6 years now and we had spent most of our time with each other. As he was coming closer, I noticed the great smile with a decent smirk on his face. I could not tell whether he was just happy to see me or if there was more behind it, but I was about to find out.

Whenever I and my friends met, we hugged each other. We thought that was a lot more personal than a primitive handshake and so this time we hugged once again. Nick spread his arms and got ready to hug me and so did I. As we were hugging, he whispered in my ear: “If I were you, I would cancel any plans for today and meet me at 6.00 pm in the Dunkinstreet. Don’t even think about bailing on me and better wear some clothes you do not like as much. They eventually get dirty and damaged.”, he whispered. I felt like I was frozen. I did not move when Nick made a step backward although I couldn’t anyway. I managed to mumble that I will be there. But did I mean that, or should I have said anything else or even questioned what he was whispering in my ear? Maybe. But I did not. Nick was leaving and I was still standing there like a statue. What Nick told me both shocked and confused me. I just was not expecting this besides, I don’t know what I had anticipated either. When I finally managed to move again, I strolled back inside to sit for a moment and calm a bit down. My thoughts were killing me.

What just happened? And what was he talking about? Maybe this is what Alex was talking about. Maybe today is my special day and they want to surprise me, but I cannot think of what they have planned. Why are clothes eventually getting dirty or even damaged? Also, why does he want to meet me in the Dunkinstreet? There’s nothing there but elderly people living in old small houses and a rundown cinema which only shows movies that have been produced before the 90’s. I mean they do know that I like the old kind of movies but those they show are like cheap-produced Spin-Offs of the originals. They better not ruin my day by watching movies there. There are various other things we could do in the city. I would say that I know my friends well but whatever they have planned for me, I have no clue what it is about. Looks like they certainly did a good job at keeping this a secret even after Alex told me by accident. Maybe that is why it took another 2 weeks. I guess I will have to be patient and wait for what is going to happen in the evening.