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Leilani Morales rang the doorbell to Mali Hood's house, shaking eagerly in her heels. She held a multicolored birthday bag between her fingers that rattled with each movement, banging against the skin of her calf on occasion. A bottle of champagne resided in the other hand, ready to be popped open and served. Leilani couldn't wait to indulge in the beverage considering she hadn't had a fun night out in months. The studio and writing took up most of her time lately, leaving little for friendly encounters and excursions. She had to work hard to get her debut album out, otherwise her fan base would lose interest. They remained loyal through her occasional single drop, but the Lovers, as she called her fans, itched for the album.
Leilani and Mali met through the music industry. About a year ago, the two double-booked the same studio at the same time and had an awkward encounter while trying to sort it out. That awkward encounter turned into them enjoying each other's music and becoming fast friends. They hung out often considering they both resided in LA to further their careers, though Mali usually ended up going to Leilani's house because the lazy girl didn't want to leave her bed. Lani didn't know how she would handle the abrupt shift in her life when touring time came. Her manager already spoke of going out of the country since she had such a broad fan base due to her heritage and general likeableness. Hotel mattresses would never compare to her large, king sized bed that swallowed her whole when she rested in it.
Although Leilani longed to be atop the secluded oasis now, she wanted to attend Mali's birthday party more. They hadn't hung out over the past couple of weeks because of conflicting schedules, so tonight would be an enjoyable experience for both of them. The agreement was no work talk or complaints of exhaustion, just lots of alcohol and fun.
The door swung open to reveal the beautiful blonde in all her glory. Mali grinned at her close friend, arms opening wide as she squealed, "Lele!"
"Happy birthday, my love!" Leilani exclaimed and stepped into the embrace, inhaling her lovely scent. She attempted to keep the gift bag from hitting Mali's back by holding it away from her body, knowing the heavy object would hurt. "How does it feel to be one year closer to thirty?"
Mali pulled back with a frown. "Tosser."
"Be careful of any bending tonight. If you drop something, I'll get it," Leilani joked, smirking as she played with a curl of the blonde's hair. She loved to tease Mali about their age difference—her having turned 26 today while Leilani was 22. Mali never took it to heart, mostly because people often said they both looked younger than they were. The Lovers claimed that Leilani was a teenager pretending to be 22 because of her childlike personality and appearance. To that, she responded that she would've picked a much more exciting age than 22.
"It's not too late for me to send you home," Mali remarked, slapping the haughty girl. "But I see you brought champagne, so I'll give you another chance. Come in, come in. We're all out back."
"Where should I put this?" Leilani inquired, gesturing to the present in her hand.
Mali snatched the bag up and placed it on the kitchen island as they passed through. "I'll open it later. I want you to meet everyone first. Grab a few more cups over there, will you? We'll need something to put this champagne in and there's none left outside."
