Kith and Kin ♥

Things have turned back to normal in my world. 

I was back ‘home’ in Ridge Rock with my best friends, back at Cragright to finish off my sophomore year, and I was back at Rejavanate, reconnecting with regulars I had formed bonds with and meeting new students. 

It was the best. 

Having been able to talk to Avery on Wednesday had also brought me so much joy. I hadn’t seen her in what felt like forever, and it cheered my heart to hear that she and Chase were now a couple. I had hoped it would happen, especially for Avery’s sake. She needed someone like Chase in her life as someone close, someone who could protect her and take care of her. She deserved that. I knew she was strong on her own, but I also knew she still had rough days like yesterday. Chase had said she hadn’t come in and he had left early to go check on her, which I heard from Christina when she texted me and asked if I could come in and cover. Even before I had left for Oxford, I had noticed she was changing. She was more quiet, less like herself, and I knew my leaving hadn’t helped. 

I had left for Oxford a year ago in the summer, and had studied there for the fall semester. I decided to stay to travel around more, which is when I had visited Germany and Ireland, and then I returned home in March and stayed through spring break so I could have time with my parents and little brother, Lucky, who had deeply missed me. His name is actually Lucian, but he has always been Lucky to me, nicknamed that for his happy-go-lucky personality, which was similar to my own. I had missed him, too, and being able to hang out with him for spring break and overall be back home in Oregon was nice.

However, Ridge Rock had my heart. So, I returned following spring break to round out my spring semester and sophomore year as a whole. I needed to debrief for my courses and do finals to earn my credits, and then I was hoping to stay in Ridge Rock for a part of the summer to keep working at Rejavanate and enjoy being with my friends. It was a developing possibility that I would be staying with Marie and Avery since Cragright closed up their housing for the summer. I was super excited about maybe staying with them, especially since it would also provide me with the opportunity to watch Avery’s relationship with Chase grow, and I was all about that. I could truly be the little brother who got to bug his big sister into spilling the details of her relationship with my other best friend. It was going to be an awesome summer for sure. 

But for now, it was Friday, April 11th, and I was done for the day with my courses. It was a little past noon, and Jade was taking her break while Christina washed dishes in the back. Chase didn’t work Fridays, so it was just me and the two girls, and I was really enjoying the day so far. We were all going to be hanging out later that evening to celebrate Elliot, Chase’s roommate’s, 23rd birthday. 

I liked Elliot. I had met him a few times before when he had come to the coffee shop to finish up designing the Rejavanate logo and also to hang out and work on his graphic design projects for school and as his hobby. He was prim and seemed kind of snooty and snotty, but deep down, he was a softie. It was kind of the same thing with Chase’s other roomie, Jackson, who was massive and buff as hell. That dude could probably easily snap my spine in half if he hugged me too hard. However, despite his menacing appearance, he was incredibly gentle and sweet. Chase had a habit of attracting people who couldn’t easily be judged based on their immediate appearance and quirks. They were much more complex than that. I think I was that way, too. 

Chase was going to be bringing Elliot here later under the impression that Chase was going to ask him to design some more logos and whatnot for Rejavanate. I wasn’t sure how well it was going to work trying to surprise Elliot with a party, especially since he was very good at reading people, but it was worth a shot anyway. We had balloons in the back, ready to bring out when the time got closer, and Avery had baked a cake for the occasion. It was lemon cake with lemon cream cheese buttercream frosting. It was a mouthful to say, and I couldn’t wait to have a mouthful to eat. I had practically drooled when she had lifted the cake lid to show off her handiwork, and she had eyed me warily. 

“Grayson Giles, you better keep your hands to yourself,” she had said with a teasing warning tone in her voice.

I had looked at her with a confused expression on her face and innocently pointed to my bad ear. 

“I’m sorry miss, I couldn’t hear you. Could you repeat that?” 

She had swatted me as I giggled and ducked, scuttling away from her as she replaced the lid and put the cake in the back on a shelf. She then shook her head, sighed, and smiled at me. I knew she loved me and my teasing. 

I smiled to myself at the memory and then turned my attention back to the present as I saw two students outside approaching the doors. One of them, a lanky guy with blonde and black streaked hair, pulled open the door for the other, a girl wearing a red-and-black flannel with ripped black jeans, her long dark brown hair in a fishtail braid over her shoulder. 

“Hi, welcome!” I called out, positioning myself behind the register and getting ready to take their order and chat them up. 

They both smiled and ambled over, the guy throwing his arm over the girl’s shoulders when they stopped in front of the register. As I took their order - a hot dirty chai for the guy and an iced honey cinnamon latte for the girl - we talked about the weather, about our classes at Cragright, how our days were going, and whatnot. I complimented the guy, Daniel, on his hair, and the girl, Jess, on her super comfy-looking flannel and the intricacy of her braid. They both smiled and thanked me for the compliments, and then Daniel triggered my trap card by asking me about my tattoo. I grinned big and told them my spiel as I made their drinks, explaining my hearing loss and the connection to the meaning behind my tattoo. They listened and nodded, laughing when I made my classic comment about it being an Uno reverse card move, and Daniel told me that was pretty badass. I just laughed and thanked them for listening, and Jess asked if she could look at it more closely. I slid their drinks towards them and turned my right ear towards her, and Jess leaned in to examine my tattoo.

“It’s so simple, yet so cool!” she said, her voice soft and pretty. “So, you got a hearing aid, too?”

“Yup!” I crowed, lightly tapping it. “It took awhile, but it helps a ton for sure. I still kind of like trying to go throughout my day without it, but it’s becoming a part of me that I don’t mind.”

“Do you know any sign language?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “That’s actually what I’m studying on the side. I want to be a speech pathologist.”

“Yo, what!? That’s so awesome!” I exclaimed, grinning. “I don’t know too much since it wasn’t exactly necessary for me to learn it, but I wish I did just because I think it’s hella cool and it would allow me to talk to more people,” I said, smiling sadly. 

“It’s not too hard to pick up some basic signs for everyday words!” she replied, smiling at me sweetly. “Just look on YouTube, or there’s some free apps out there.”

“I will! Thanks for the tip. Enjoy your drinks!” I said, nodding at them both with a smile. 

“Thanks, dude!” Daniel said, picking his mug up off the counter and walking with Jess over to a free table. 

I noticed later that he had stuck a few bills into the tip jar by the register, and it made me feel good. I had also noticed how he had smiled lovingly at Jess as she had looked at my tattoo and had asked me about my hearing aid and knowledge of sign language. It was super cute. I wondered what their story was, and I hoped I might see them again so I could ask. I seriously loved hearing other peoples’ stories, as well as people-watching. It was all so fun. 

Strangers were fun. 

Life was fun. 

I giddily bounced on my heels as I made my way to the back, where I found Christina finishing up the dishes from the morning and Jade was making her way back in from her break. 

“Hey, is it cool if I take my break now?” I asked, glancing up at the clock on the wall. 

It was about 2 PM, and Chase wouldn’t be here with Elliot until around closing at 5. I felt impatient. I loved parties and I wanted some of that darn cake. It was calling my name. 

“No problem, go ahead!” Christina smiled at me as she dried her hands, and Jade took her apron off of its hook and put it back on, smiling at me too. 

“I’ll take over for you,” she said as she went to make her way out to the register. 

I suddenly felt an urge to talk to her, so I followed her back out as she took up her position behind the register. She turned a bit, noticing I had followed, and looked a little confused.

“Hey, what’s up Gray?” she asked, looking up at me.

“Oh, I just wanted to ask you how yesterday went,” I said, smiling. 

She looked a little hesitant before she smiled softly and let out a little sigh.

“It…it was actually really good,” she murmured, glancing behind me to see if Christina had followed too. “She seemed to truly recognize Jasper and I, and it sounds like she’ll be getting adjusted in her schedule and medications soon, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Even though Chase and Christina didn’t yet know, I knew Jade’s mom, Meiying, wasn’t in the best of shape as of late and that it weighed heavily on Jade. Jade had confided in me about it one day when she had come to class, trying hard not to cry. I knew she was normally a bit secretive about her home life, but she had told me, and I had promised her I would keep it private between us. It was her story to share with others, not mine, and I would never want to betray her trust for sharing it with me. 

I hadn’t had much of a chance to catch up with her since I had gotten back and also because she was always busy, trying her best not to miss shifts despite her heavy class load and taking care of Jasper at home. I know she used her paychecks to not only stow away savings for herself, but also to put towards her mom’s treatment and to help take care of Jasper. I knew her dad made quite a bit of money as a military police officer, but I also knew Jade wanted to help him. It was how she was: caring, kind, worried about her family, and wanting to help as much as she could. She had also been saving up some money to put towards Elliot’s birthday gift, which we were all so excited about. I couldn’t wait to see his reaction. It was something else I felt impatient about.

“Well, I hope that will work out for her,” I replied gently, touching her shoulder lightly. “I’ve been thinking about her a lot. And you. You’re doing okay?” 

“Honestly, Gray, I’ve been doing better than I have in…a very long time,” she said quietly, a small smile on her face. “I think things are getting better at home, and here, too. I’ve gotten close with Avery, and I don’t feel so…jealous of her anymore.” She blushed with embarrassment. 

I continued to smile and listen. I knew how much of a crush Jade had on Chase. 

“So, it’s really nice to feel accepted and know people care about me. And I’m excited to spend time with all of you today for Elliot,” she finished, now looking me in the eyes. 

“I’m excited, too,” I replied, moving in for a brief hug, which she returned. “I can’t wait for a slice of that cake,” I said, looking longingly towards the back room where the cake was stored. 

Jade giggled and lightly rolled her eyes.

“Ah yes, Grayson, the bottomless pit,” she teased, lightly punching my arm. 

I laughed and shrugged, raising my hands in a gesture of surrender. 

“Ya got me, I haven’t changed there,” I grinned as I backed away to go take my break. 

I was a bit of an infamous eater. I loved food, and a lot of it. I had endowed with the blessing of remaining skinny despite my copious consumption of calories, and I was very pleased with that fact. 

I slipped out of the back room with my lunch in tow: a thick ham-and-cheese sandwich with pickle, mayo, and lettuce. This would have to tide me over until I could sink my teeth into that butter-creamy goodness. Avery was such a good baker, and I knew Elliot would be happy with the result of her skill. 

I ate my food and scrolled through my phone as I did while also sneaking glances at the people around me. I made up stories in my head about them, jotting down my thoughts in my notes app as I did for future writing, which I also enjoyed. Writing, reading, making up scenarios and stories. Peoples’ histories. The history of the world. It was all fascinating to me. I loved learning as much as I could about anyone and anything. It was fun. 

I continued to munch away at my sandwich and write, and soon my break time was up. I stuffed the remains of my sandwich in my mouth, swallowed, and then returned to the work area, switching back with Jade. She worked the espresso machine as I took orders, and Christina did inventory, cleaning, and dishes. 

“Hey Christina, are you excited for tonight?” I asked as she was bent down looking under the register and noting down our amount of cups, lids, and straws on a clipboard.

“What, for Elliot’s party? Of course I am!” she said cheerfully, smiling up at me. “It’ll be fun. Maybe it will help him relax a little, too. He’s always so uptight,” she said, rolling her eyes lightly. 

“Aw, c’mon, you know that’s just Elliot,” I grinned, shrugging. “He can’t help it.”

“True, true,” she sighed, standing back up. “I hope he’ll have a good time.”

“I think he will! We all will,” I nodded eagerly, smiling big. “I’m excited to spend time with everyone again.”

Christina smiled fondly at me and reached up to pat my head as she passed on her way to the back.

“I’m sure you are. We all missed you, too,” she said before she disappeared through the double doors once more. 

I felt a bubble of happiness pop in my chest at her words, sprinkling contentment into my heart. I let it carry me forward as the day cycled on peacefully, and soon, 5 PM drew close. Our patrons made their way from the coffee shop and off into whatever their respective Friday evenings held. I wished them all a good weekend as they left, and then I helped Christina wipe down the tables and stack the chairs. Jade cleaned the counters and espresso machine, and we made sure everything was neat and orderly for the party. We were going to be using the couches for all of us to sit on, and we had a stack of board games on standby for us to enjoy. For food, we were ordering takeout from King’s Peak Pizza, and we also had coffee, juice, and of course, the cake. The balloons were in the back along with a sign that spelled out ‘Happy Birthday, Elliot!’ and there were some presents tucked away in the back as well, especially the main one we had all pitched in for. 

I was practically vibrating by the time I saw Chase’s Jeep pull into the parking lot. They were here. 

I clapped my hands with glee as I saw Chase exit his driver’s seat as Elliot clambered down from the passenger side. I was so pumped. 

We had planned that Avery would be here not long after Elliot’s arrival so that it would be more of a surprise. The same would go for Jackson, who was probably finishing up at his dad’s mechanic shop. I hoped he would have the time and memory to take a shower before he came. 

Chase now was outside the door, pulling it open and slipping inside with Elliot on his heels. 

Chase winked at me as he made his way up to the register, and Elliot joined him. 

“Hey, guys!” I chirped, trying hard to not burst with excitement. “How’s life?”

“Good, can’t complain,” Chase replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow slightly at me. 

I almost giggled out loud. I knew he was trying to signal to me to cool it and not be so obvious. 

I grinned innocently at Chase as Elliot sighed lightly. 

“It’s going,” he said in response to my question. “What’s got you so excited?” he asked, arching his own eyebrow at me.

“Oh, you know me, Eli, I’m always excited,” I replied breezily with a semi-coy smile. 

“Don’t call me Eli,” Elliot sighed, casting his eyes skyward in exaggerated exasperation. “Call me Elliot or don’t refer to me at all.”

“Got it, Elliot,” I said, just warming up in my teasing spree. I switched into high gear. “Hey, by the way, isn’t today important or something?”

Elliot eyed me.

Chase looked like he was inwardly groaning.

“Like, uh, I swear something big was happening today,” I said, scrunching up my nose and putting my hand on my chin. “Geez, I don’t know.”

“It’s just a Friday,” Elliot replied impatiently, tapping his fingers on the counter and shooting Chase a look. “What am I here to design?”

“OH!” I half-shouted, startling both Chase and Elliot.

Elliot glared at me as Chase’s cheeks puffed out - he was trying not to laugh. 

“What are you shrieking for?” he asked me, pushing his round glasses up his nose. “So damn loud.” 

I looked fake-hurt.

“Sorry, Eli, I can’t help it. I just remembered why today is important! Isn’t it your birthday?” I asked, widening my eyes. 

Elliot groaned while Chase continued to try and hold in his laughter. 

“Yes, it is,” Elliot resigned himself. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” I yelled, splaying my hands on the counter and jumping up and down. 

“What are you, a five-year-old? It’s just a birthday, it’s not important,” Elliot said, looking mildly disgusted by my antics. 

“Aw, come on, I’m almost a junior in college now, Eli,” I said, puckering out my bottom lip in a pout. “I’m not a baby.” 

“That doesn’t help your case,” Elliot replied, gesturing to my expression, a half-smirk on his face. “And once again, don’t call me Eli, shorty.”

“But you’re only just a sophomore,” I retorted playfully. “And I’m not short. I’m average height, so you’re the weird one here,” I said, gesturing to Elliot’s six-foot self. 

“Yet I still have you both maturity and age,” he said, crossing his slender arms and grinning. “And no, six-foot is actually the average height for our age. Five-foot, nine inches to be exact.” 

There it was. That smile.

The real Elliot had arrived. 

“But I’m not in my twenties yet, so you can’t count me in that,” I replied, waggling my brows, somehow not surprised that Elliot knew random facts about height averages. “And you’ve got me bested on both of those? Darn, and here I thought I was almost as cool as you,” I sighed sadly.

“You’ll get there one day. Maybe. Probably not,” Elliot teased, smiling at me kindly now, his guard down. “And hey, you’re not a junior yet, so don’t go acting all cool.” 

“Okay, okay, fine,” I sighed, looking at Chase for help.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Chase said, putting his hands up. 

“Aw, you’re no fun, Chase,” I muttered, frowning at him. Chase smiled apologetically, playing into my teasing.

I stuck my tongue out at him and then turned my attention back to Elliot.  “Do you want a drink, Elliot? It’s on me.”

Elliot smiled appreciatively.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it’s your birthday! I want to give you a drink,” I said, clapping my hands together and awaiting his request. 

“Alright then,” he agreed. “I’ll take a cold brew.”

“Plain?” I asked, retrieving a cup from beneath the register.

“Plain,” he affirmed, smiling still. “You know me, Grayson. Boring.”

“You’re not boring! Well…maybe just a little,” I replied, holding my index finger and thumb super close together. “Maybe that much.”  

He rolled his eyes and laughed, smiling at Chase.

“Can you believe this kid?” he asked, sighing and shaking his head.

“I’m no kid,” I retorted. “You’re just old, especially for a sophomore!”

“Don’t make me come back there and show you what this old man can do,” Elliot warned, fake-glaring at me. 

I giggled and ducked behind the espresso machine as Chase laughed at our antics.

Chase led Elliot off to the couch to carry on the ruse that Elliot was needed for design purposes, and I delivered a freshly poured cold brew to him before returning to behind the counter to ‘clean.’ Christina and Jade had been in the back getting the sign and balloons ready, and I popped back there to hang with them as we waited for Avery and Jackson.

As we chatted and Christina checked her phone for any text from Avery, I reflected on my relationship with Elliot. I was now 18 years old and Elliot turned 23 as of today. I was finishing my sophomore year, and Elliot had finally racked up enough credits to cross over from his freshman year into his sophomore. It wasn’t too unusual - not everyone started ‘on time’ when it came to life and school. In his story, Elliot had decided to not immediately start college right out of high school. He wanted time to ‘drift,’ as he said. As studious as he appeared, Elliot wasn’t one who loved school. 

I had found out that Elliot had a bit of a tough past from Chase. Then, as I spent time getting to know him myself, I had learned more details from Elliot himself. 

Elliot used to get teased when he was younger, mostly based on his looks and likes. He would get called names, the most notable offensive one being ‘Effeminate Elliot’ and the most unoriginal being ‘gay boy.’ 

He suffered these insults simply because he liked baking, he was a softer-spoken guy, and he dressed very preppy. And, of course, he did theater, dancing, and was into art on top of it all. He had many sketchbooks ripped from his arms and tossed into trash cans and toilets, so if he was itching to draw or paint while at school, he found a safe haven in some of the teachers’ classrooms. There he was tucked away from prying eyes and snatching fingers, and he could freely express himself. 

Despite this, the relentless bullying is what caused him to develop his seemingly prickly personality. In order to seem like less of a target, he sharpened his tongue, feinted being short-tempered, and seemed like, pardon me, an arrogant asshole. 

When I had first met him, I won’t lie that his antics made me nearly cry. I was smiling as usual and had cheerily greeted Elliot, ready to take his order. Elliot had been cold and steely, and it had shaken me up. I had quickly bustled off to the back and had gotten Chase to take his order. I didn’t know at the time that Elliot was Chase’s roommate, and that Elliot was Rejavanate’s logo designer as well as part of the reason Rejavanate had been such a success. I had just met Chase myself, and was still learning about him. Chase had comforted me once he had taken care of Elliot and explained to me that Elliot acted irritable so people would leave him alone, but he’s actually very friendly and likes helping people. I had been a little bewildered and questioned how Elliot could see that as an acceptable manner of making his way through the world, but Chase had told me it was what Elliot believed would protect him, but that he was actually a nice guy, which is why Jackson and Chase really enjoyed having him as their roommate and they don’t see him as a jerk. I trusted Chase’s judgment, so I had returned back out to the front to find Elliot waiting for me at the register with a genuinely apologetic look on his bespectacled face. 

“Hey, Grayson, right?” he asked me, smiling a bit. 

“Yeah,” I replied shortly. 

“I wanted to apologize if I hurt your feelings. I’m not actually so…mean,” he said, looking down. “Sorry if I seemed short with you. Can we start over?” 

So, we had. 

And now here we are, over a year later, and look how wonderfully things have played out.

“Ah, she’s here!” Christina suddenly said, standing and poking her head out the back door. 

I snapped back to the present moment and eagerly bounced up.

I followed Christina’s move and poked my head out the door beneath hers, and Jade mimicked us both by putting her head out beneath mine. 

Sure enough, the brown-redheaded girl was heading towards the doors, a smile on her face. She was wearing her hair down today and a loose blue dress. I was amazed at how long her hair had gotten - it was nearly to her freakin’ butt! Was that weird to notice? Someone else’s girlfriend’s butt-length hair? Or butt? I don’t know. 

She reached to pull open the left door, but before she did, she paused and turned. I saw her mouth move and she gestured with her free hand, making the sign for ‘come on!’ Along with her gesture came another figure jogging up to meet her at the door. A thick, hulking figure. 

Jackson. 

Everyone was here!

I giggled excitedly and pulled my head back, and Christina and Jade followed. Christina grabbed the sign, Jade gathered the balloons, and I finally put my hands on the coveted cake box. We then filed out, me taking up the lead. I was greeted by the sight of Elliot looking up from his place on the couch, appearing bewildered by Avery and Jackson’s arrival. And then he noticed me, proudly marching up and holding the cake, Jade with the multicolored balloons, and Christina holding the sign. 

As if we were all on the same cue,  we all said: “Happy Birthday, Elliot!”

Elliot had a startled expression on his face, his gold-circle glasses sliding down his nose as he looked between us all in surprise. Then, he broke out into the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face, and he pushed his glasses back up as he laughed.

“Are you guys serious?” he asked, sighing as if he were exasperated. “You know how I feel about my birthday.”

“Well, we feel differently,” Chase replied, smiling gently. “And we wanted to celebrate you.”

“You deserve it, Elliot!” Jackson crowed, grinning. “Are you surprised?”

“I genuinely had no idea you guys were planning this,” Elliot said, still smiling. “Thank you, guys.” He turned to Chase. “So, I’m guessing I’m not actually needed for design?”

“Oh, actually, that wasn’t a complete act,” Chase replied airily. “I do need new designs for our cups and whatnot, but let’s not worry about that now. It’s party time!”

We all dispersed: Christina hung the sign on the wall behind the couch Elliot and Chase were occupying, Jade scattered the balloons about the space, and I put the cake on the counter near the register. We set out the juice and coffee, and about a half-hour later, our pizza order arrived. We set out the four boxes of gooey, cheesy goodness and chowed down. We played board games, laughed our heads off, and nearly ate our individual weights in pizza. 

Finally, the time came for cake.

Avery removed the lid, carefully placed 23 candles into the frosting, and then lit them all up. We all began to sing as she gently picked up the cake and maneuvered it in front of Elliot, who looked genuinely happy. Once we had finished our final ‘cha, cha, cha!’ Elliot closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment. Then he took a big breath and blew out his candles, and we all cheered. As Avery began cutting and serving the cake, Christina and Jade slipped to the back and brought out the few presents we all had gathered.

“Aw guys, you didn’t have to get me anything,” Elliot said, blushing a bit with embarrassment. He then took a small bite of his slice, and then his eyes shot wide. “Avery, did you make this?” he gasped, gesturing to the cake with his fork.

“Yup, I did! Lemon is your favorite, right?” she asked, looking a bit shy. 

“It is, but I’ve never had one this good,” Elliot replied, staring at the cake in wonder. “How did you make it?”

Avery casually explained her process, how she had combined regular cream cheese with sugar and lemon buttercream to make the frosting, how she had made the cake batter itself, and so on. Elliot hung on her every word, and when she finished, he looked incredulous.

“Can you show me sometime? Maybe send me the recipe?” he asked, taking another bite, this one much bigger than the last.

“Absolutely!” she said sweetly, a big smile on her face. “I’m so happy you like it.”

“Oh, I love it,” he said, grinning big with a few stray crumbs on his face. 

I had never seen Elliot so child-like and relaxed. It was really cute. 

“Well, enough about that, let’s get to the gifts!” Avery clapped her hands together and looked around. “Who wants to go first?”

One by one, we each presented Elliot with the presents we had gotten. Elliot got a new drawing glove from Chase (his other one was falling apart), a super nice watch with a leather band from Jackson (who knew Jackson could pick out such a classy gift?), a book on drawing anime characters from Avery (we all know Elliot is a not-so-secret weeb), a brand-new glasses case from Jade (it was really nice-looking!), a fresh sketchbook from Christina (he could always use another one), and a new set of calligraphy and fancy writing pens from me. 

Elliot looked stunned at all of our gifts and had a soft smile on his face, thanking us each profusely and looking shy. He wasn’t used to this much attention.

“Wow, guys, thank you so much,” he finally said once he had finished opening mine and thanking me. “This…this really means a lot to me.”

“Well, we’re not done quite yet,” Chase said, pulling out one final present. 

 

Finally, it was time for the big gift. The one we had all pitched in for. 

I held my breath with excitement as Elliot took it from Chase and began to carefully tear off the paper. 

“This one is from all of us,” I blurted, vibrating in my chair with excitement. 

Elliot nodded at my comment and finally got all of the paper off. We all exchanged eager glances. Elliot turned the box over in his hands and let out a gasp. 

It was a brand new drawing tablet. We had all chipped in order to get him the best one we could with high graphics, a quality screen, and other such features. Chase had mentioned how Elliot’s current one was out-of-date, glitchy, and was only getting worse, and it would sometimes cause him to lose work and he would get incredibly frustrated. So, we all decided collectively to get Elliot a new one, knowing it would make his day. 

And judging by the tears in Elliot’s eyes, we were right. 

“Oh my gosh…are you guys for real?” he whispered, staring at the box in his hands in disbelief. 

“I think we are,” I replied, grabbing at my chest and then reaching around and lightly poking Avery and Jackson, who were the closest to me. “Are you guys real? I think I am.”

Christina lightly rolled her eyes at my antics and Chase chuckled. Avery giggled from my touch because she’s ticklish and Jackson laughed. Jade was quiet, but smiling. 

Elliot smiled wide and set the tablet down on the table carefully and then got up. He made his rounds, hugging us each tightly. 

“This is seriously the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” he said when he had sat back down. He looked at us with gratitude shining in his eyes.

“We’re thankful for you, Elliot,” Chase said, smiling and laying a hand on Elliot’s shoulder. “Happy birthday.” 

“Best roomie, ever!” Jackson crowed, fist-pumping the air. 

We all laughed happily. 

The festivities continued from there for a while longer before we all cleaned up and headed off to our respective homes. For me, it was back across campus to my dorm.  I stepped out into the cool April evening and waved as everyone went off across the parking lot and to their cars. I stood and watched as they did: Chase walked Avery to her car and said goodbye. I even saw him sneakily give her a quick kiss. Christina and Jade had parked near each other, so they walked side by side and were talking. It made me happy to see them appear closer. Jackson was laughing and gesturing about with his hands as he talked to Elliot, who was waiting by Chase’s Jeep with all of his gifts in his hands, smiling at Jackson. 

Those were my friends. A bit chaotic, from vastly varied walks of life, each with their own unique quirks, experiences, and stories.

It made me feel warm inside. I was so beyond lucky to be part of their group and to be back in the place where I felt I truly belonged. 

They were all my little family. My ‘kith and kin’ as I had heard was said in Old English. 

My best friends in the whole wide world. 

I couldn’t wait to see what memories we had yet to make. 

♥

Image source: Sweet Trap by Bbong