Comfort Zone

First Love

"Hey, Hen. Thanks for picking me up," greets Violet as she steps into my car.

"No problem," I shrug, pulling out of her driveway and speeding down the road towards my parent's bakery where Violet and I have decided to pull a shift today to earn a little extra cash.

We haven't worked much the past few weeks so my parents had been a little confused as to why I wanted to start back up today of all days, being that it is November eighteenth. Otherwise known as my birthday.

I'm not sure why they were so surprised. I've never really been one to make a big deal out of my birthday. It's one of those things where if I let my expectations get too high I know I'll be let down. I usually just have a quiet dinner with my family, eat cake, and get a lot of texts from my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Violet, of course, thinks this is crazy. Her birthday is always a huge spectacle. She reminds everyone it's coming weeks before it arrives and insists on having a party. She doesn't understand why I refuse to even remind her when my "big day" is coming up. Every year when she realizes that she has, once again, missed it, she throws a fit and claims that next year she'll throw me a huge party and invite everyone from school. She's never remembered, though.

Last year when December rolled around and she suddenly realized I had aged another year without receiving a party, she told me that next year, no matter what, she would remember. However, judging by the fact that she agreed to work with me today and that she's been in my car for this long without saying anything, I'd say she forgot again.

I can't say I'm surprised. That girl's head is a jumbled mess. It's a miracle she remembers anything.

I'm not upset. In fact, I'm actually a little glad she forgot. I'm always a little afraid that one year she'll really throw me a party, and that's the last thing I want. I'm perfectly content simply spending my day at the bakery.

Violet lives relatively close to Cassie's Corner so we arrive there in no time. I pull into the parking lot and we head towards the entrance.

"Oh, I just remembered something," says Violet as we enter the building.

"What?" I ask.

I turn to look at her just as she reaches into her purse and pulls out a small party popper and shoots confetti straight into my face. A second later a group of people are jumping up from behind the counter and screaming the words "happy birthday" as loud as they possibly can.

I jump back, completely surprised.

"You thought I forget again," Violet laughs smugly. "I told you I was going to make sure I remembered. I wrote it down in around ten different places and set about seven reminders on my phone."

I shake my head at her and turn to look at the rest of my friends. Rhett, Davin, Harrison, Grant, and Ben are all smiling at me, wearing ridiculous, matching party hats on their heads.

A cake has been placed on the counter in front of them with the words: Happy 18th Henley, printed on it. I recognize my mother's handy work and glance over at the kitchen entrance to see her and my father grinning at me.

I stare at all of them, not quite knowing what to say.

"Were you surprised?" Asks Ben.