It had been three and a half years since I had seen or really heard from Jack. He didn’t even come home for the holidays, claiming that he was much too busy. I used to tear me up inside, but not anymore.
I’ve moved on.
When I didn’t hear from him for literally six months, I decided that I probably never would, so I made new friends and started new things. I thought about our good times together and looked at pictures of us together and would smile and miss him. I didn’t think there was any harm in remembering, even though I felt as if he was dead sometimes.
I did very well in school and was graduating in January, right after my eighteenth birthday. After I graduated, I was planning on traveling Europe and see the world before I go to college, get married, settle down, and have some kids.
It was the night of my eighteenth birthday party and I was in my room getting ready. As I stood at the mirror, trying to do something with my curly reddish-brown mane, I was thinking about what exactly was going to happen that night. My parents and friends were preparing the party and I had no idea what was happening, only the fact that there was going to be some sort of social gathering and that it would be at the local legion.
I looked myself over, gave myself a nod of approval, and hurried down the stairs, out of the house, and into my car. As I drove there, my curiosity kept increasing, and the anticipation was killing me! Mom and Dad had been taunting me with knowing something I didn’t know.
As soon as I parked, I practically ran to the door and opened it, expecting some kind of big, huge bang to go off and everyone would be like, “Happy birthday!”, and I would be all like, “Wow! You did all this for me?” and then we would all have a great time, get sugar highs, and then collapse from a sugar coma.
Hey. It happens.
Well, when I walked in those doors, everyone did say, “Happy birthday!”, and then surrounded me, giving me congrats on eighteen years. My parents finally made their way up to me and had me sit down on a chair in the middle of the room. I couldn’t help but notice as I sat down, that it was quite dark in the room, so much so I couldn’t see much in front of me. Mom came beside me and said excitedly, “We wanted you to open your presents first. Here’s the first one.” She thrust a colorfully wrapped box into my hands and looked at me expectantly.
I ended up getting a new laptop, a really pretty necklace, and lots of wicked awesome gift cards to places that I loved to go to. Finally, I looked around and couldn’t see anything else. “Well, I think that’s it.” I said with a sigh of relief.
“Oh, not quite.” My friend Ashlyn said with a sly grin. “Oh boys!” she hollered. “Hit it!”
As soon as she shouted that, lights came on and a guitar started up. It took me a second to realize who exactly I was watching and hearing.
It was All Time Low, with Jack, Alex, Rian, and Zack playing their hearts out.
As I listened to them, still in shock that they were all here, it took me a little while to realize that I was crying. I was so happy to see them, all of them. As soon as the song ended, Jack stepped up to the mic and smiled at me.
“Thanks for coming out everyone, for Ember Rose Lyson’s eighteenth birthd-oof!”
Before he finished his sentence, I had raced up to the stage and tackled him in a gigantic hug, knocking him off of his feet and sending us tumbling to the floor. I lifted my head up and smiled at him. I could faintly hear everyone cheering in the background, but I was focused on Jack, my best friend, who was back. He was back!
(Going to see them in concert soon, pretty fun.) This was well written, I liked it.