If No One Else

ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ¹²

12. f o r e v e r r i g h t n o w
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-———————— c h a n d l e r ————————-

"SURPRISE!"

My mouth falls open and my steps halt in the doorway as my eyes lock onto everyone paused in a gesture of celebration.

They're all wide smiles as they throw golden confetti at my feet, getting the loose pieces everywhere but where it's supposed to.

I take a tentative step inside the house as I blink everything into focus."W-What?" I croak out.

My eyes turn, taking in the entire place as I give it a once over. Balloons bounce around the ceiling, littering the room with colorful shades of metallic and pink.

There's clutter of more shimmering confetti spread around the floor, which I can't help but to think about how much of a nuisance it'll be to clean every piece up.

There's red cups spread about the tables, cigarette butts, emptied bottles of various kinds of liquor, and a horde of vaguely familiar enough faces. They were just familiar enough to be considered a friend if I was feeling nice.

The crowd begins to part and Val comes walking out holding a two-tier pink unicorn cake. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Chandler, happy birthday to you!" She sings, wearing a bright smile on her face as she draws closer and closer to where I stiffly stand.

"What is this, V?" I whisper when she finally reaches me.

She chuckles, then that bright smile is plastered back onto her red painted lips. "I thought it was pretty obvious once I started singing the birthday song..."

When my only response is a blank stare, she laughs again and pushes the cake in my direction.

I cross my arms over my chest as my eyes narrow. "My birthday passed months ago, Val."

"Well, we're celebrating it now," she says. "Now make a wish before the candle burns out, Chandler," she instructs, her eyes silently prompting me to accept the weirdness of everything around me.

I roll my eyes, but ultimately end up bending at the knee, so that I can easily blow out the golden '20' flaming atop the colorful cake.

Once I finally pull away— the gray smoke from the previously flaming numbers following me— the crowd erupts into a fit of cheering again, and before I know it, the corners of my lips are lifting and I feel a smile forming.

My attention shifts away from Val and towards the girl walking up behind her holding two bottles of alcohol in her hand.

"You want a drink, sexy lady?" She shouts, twisting open the bottle before I can even agree. "Open wide, mami!" She yells again, tapping the base of my chin.

I do as I'm told and tip my head back and open my mouth wide enough for her to be able to drop the liquor in without spilling.

"Yes, now let's party!" Val shouts from the side of me as the girl finally stops pouring and wipes the droplets of liquid that made it past my lips.