The Girl Who Wrote The Dating Manual

chapter thirteen

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            Dedicated to @footprints- for the help with this chapter. Means a lot :) x

 

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The lights snapped on in Joe’s, and I let out a scream so loud I’m pretty sure I punctured the ozone layer. I fell back into the wall and clapped a hand over my heart, which was now bursting wildly in my chest.

            I looked around, and spotted the faces of all of my friends standing around. Some were standing behind the pool table and hiding under tables and chairs, and Callie was even poking her head out from behind the jukebox, a wild grin on her face.

            Tessa stood by the wall, a hand clapped over her mouth as she stifled giggles. Jamie was standing behind the bar, bottles lining the available wooden surface, and Chance leaned close by, grinning at me with a heart-stopping smile.

            Even Seth stood amongst them, grinning so wide I was certain his face would split in two. How he had gotten there, I’d never know.

            There were more people that I was close friends with standing around laughing, and as I canvassed the friendly scene, I felt tears welling in my eyes; partly from shock and partly from being flattered. “Oh, my God, Ava, did you plan all this?”

            She shrugged. “Chance came up with the idea to do this for you. Jamie helped by renting out the bar and I just got everyone to show up.”

            I turned to her and engulfed her in a huge hug. “Ava… thank you.”

            She smiled. “Happy birthday, Candi. You deserve it.” She kissed me on the cheek, and suddenly people surrounded me.

            “Happy birthday, Candice!” Rose cheered, one arm looped around Ava’s waist and the other around mine.

            “How long has this been planned? Did you know last night?” I asked her, thinking back to our conversation in the stairwell when she had been on her way up to meet Ava.

            She grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “Apparently Chance thought it up over the Christmas break. Last night Ava and I called everybody to get them together.”

            I was so touched by the fact they’d spent their welcome-home date phoning my friends to get them here that I clutched them in a bear hug so tight I’m pretty sure I cut off their circulation. Rose laughed, and I stepped back. “Thank you guys for everything,” I said sincerely. “But now… we drink.”

            I made my way to the bar and sat on one of the unoccupied barstools. Jamie was standing there like the dutiful bartender he was, and he grinned at me. “What can I get you, birthday girl?”