Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

The sponge is soft and fluffy and the fudge is thick and sticky. It’s perfect. Not that I expected any less from Tina.

All the women help clean up the mess and wash the dishes to help out.

Mom and my sisters take their leave and Max puts Ceecee to bed over an hour after her bedtime. Cricket had a total ball tonight.

The rest of us move outside and we lounge on the outdoor patio drinking beer and joking around.

I look out to the yard and think about tonight.

I don’t regret it. It’s the first birthday I?

??ve celebrated in nineteen years and all that matters is that I’ve been surrounded by all the people who are important to me.

Splat

I have no idea which direction it came from.

I stand and cake falls off my face onto the floor.

What the heck?

I wipe icing off my face and look around at my friends.

The girls have their backs to me with shaking shoulders. They’re trying hard to contain their laughter. The guys don’t try so hard. Max is pointing and laughing at me. Ghost and Trick chuckle into their beers.

Happy Birthday to me.

I notice one person missing.

The goddamn slip of a woman is trying to give me the slip!

Game on, amiga…You just wait.

***

It’s getting really late and my friends start saying goodnight. But I haven’t seen Tina in a while.

In fact, I haven’t seen her since I got a face full of cake.

I seek out Nat and she explains, “She told me she was putting your present in your room. I don’t know what’s taking so long. ”

Mimi and Lola say goodnight and Nat tells me she’ll get a ride with them so she won’t have to wait.

And then everyone’s gone.

I walk down the hall to my room and open the door. And there’s Tina passed out on my bed.

Well, it might not have been what you had in mind but you got your wish.

The poor thing looks exhausted. I think for once in her life, baking has drained her.

I walk quietly over to the bed and look at her.

She’s gorgeous. Lying on her side, her knees drawn up to her chest with an arm under her head as a pillow, her hair long dark hair sprawled out on the covers. Not a stitch of makeup on her face and still beautiful.

There is a blue bag resting slightly under her. I have to lift her hand by the wrist to get it out. I empty the contents lightly on my bed so as not to wake her.

When I pick up the first item, I have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud.