It's a Love-Hate relationship

CHAPTER 58: The only trait I acquired was an upgrade on my humor

I gingerly step in, my mind wandering off to various assumptions of what might have gone wrong at the end of this dread-filled day. In a flash, a bunch of people spring out from behind the counter, walls, and the couch as well, shouting 'Surprise!'.

Well, color me surprised.

Caleb and Maddie burst into boisterous laughter as I slowly move my head towards them and I hear the click of a camera shutter. Maddie grins and furiously starts typing something while Caleb winks at me and ushers me forward.

"What...what is all this?" My voice croaks at the end and something is shoved on my head by Aaron.

"Happy birthday, Sumo!" He grins at the Happy Birthday headband on my head and I roll my eyes as Maddie continues Instagramming my apparent surprise birthday party. I look around and notice only close friends and I'm relieved for a second until Jason and Draven engulf me in a huge bear hug. The air is literally knocked out of my lungs as they annoyingly pat my hair like I'm their kid.

"You can let go now."

"Summer! Happy birthday, my beautiful girl." Shawn advances towards me with a party hooter in his hand until Caleb pokes his forehead and deviates his lips away from my cheeks. I chuckle at Shawn's childish pout as he walks away, leaving me a little wrapped gift box.

"When the hell did you get time to do all this?" I ask, looking expectantly at Jason, Caleb, Draven, and Maddie.

"Well, it was initially Maddie's big idea," Caleb says, moving his hands around, "but we toned it down for ya. Consider yourself lucky it isn't a shindig right now."

"Hey! I happen to throw very good parties. It is her 18th birthday after all." She declares and hugs me from behind. "Cannot pass up that opportunity, right?"

"An opportunity to show your Instagram temple how kind of a goddess you are?" Aaron asks and winks at her, biting into a piece of cheesy garlic bread and then walking away towards Shawn. I notice the dreamy look in Maddie's eyes and the small blush creeping up on her cheeks as her gaze follows his figure sauntering away. I nudge her waist and shake my head at her.

"Well, whatever and whoever did it, thank you very much. Glad to be a part of this." I smile and look at the group of real friends I've managed to make all along this year.

"How about some cake now?" Jason asks while dragging me towards the coffee table in the living room.

"Did you bake it?"

"No. I-

"Then, absolutely. My apparent diet," I mumble and glare at Caleb, "and the game have awakened the hunger monster within me."

We advance towards the small table where a chocolate cake sits with a candle on top of it. I grin and practically hop till there.

"Jason, I told you no about the chocolate cake. It has way too many calories." Caleb suddenly says and shakes his head. I whip my head towards him in astonishment.

Is his brain in the right place?

"But-

"Oh, man. I totally forgot." Jason says and my face morphs into something probably resembling one of Picasso's paintings. Out of the blue, everyone bursts into boisterous laughter and in a few seconds, they clutch their stomachs while bending and heaving.

"You...you really can't stay...away from food, can you?" Caleb manages to speak as the laughter leaves him wheezing.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." I glare at them and hit Caleb before sitting down to cut my tantalizing cake.