The post had gone viral faster than I had expected—just an hour after posting it. It was a dreary night; the kind where the sky felt heavy and full of unspoken things. We were all bored and had nothing planned. I had a day off work, so I called up the gang, and they were eager to hang out.
Joe had brought the board games, James came with drinks, and Rachel showed up with Finn since they were neighbors and "friends." Looking back, I can't believe I fell for that charade. They always looked at each other like dogs in heat, like they were just waiting for the right moment to pounce.
"Take a shot if you've cheated on your ex with her tutor," Joe declared, grinning as he took a shot himself.
"That's oddly specific... and kinda suspicious," James commented, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, dude, sounds illegal as sh-t," James added, laughing.
"Nah, she was fifteen, and I'm seventeen, so we're cool," Joe shrugged.
"Your ex didn't think so, apparently," I chimed in, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
"Wait, wasn't your ex the same age as you? Why did she have a tutor younger than her? That doesn't even make sense!" Finn exclaimed, clearly confused.
"Oh, yeah dude, there's a story there. So, the thing is—" Joe started, but I cut him off.
"Okay, as much as I'd love to hear about Joe's dubious love life, I have something to share," I announced, seeing the notification popping up on my phone. Oh sh-t, how could I ever forget?
"It's Kiara's 12th birthday this Sunday, and we're celebrating it with everyone," I announced, feeling more enthusiastic than I had expected.
"Oh? Congrats, I guess," Rachel muttered, barely looking up from her phone.
"Cool, we'll throw a party or whatever," Finn said nonchalantly.
"Sick, I'll bring the cake. And some 'special brownies,'" Joe winked, his mischievous grin making me roll my eyes. How was he still part of this group? He was voted most likely to be in jail by graduation in our high school yearbook. Joe was trouble, and I didn't want that around my sister.
"No, Joe! You are not bringing weed to my 12-year-old sister's birthday party! None of you are invited if you're not dressed appropriately and sober. I don't want any drama or your bad influence ruining her big day," I said, channeling my inner mom. It's funny how much alike we are, even if we don't admit it.
"Man, why are you such a buzzkill? I don't even want to come anymore," Joe scoffed, crossing his arms.
"I'm not a buzzkill; I just care about my sister, unlike you heartless freaks!" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but it fell flat.
"Nah, man, you've become so boring lately. Your job's turned you into an uptight buzzkill!" Joe laughed, and James joined in. Even Rachel smirked a bit. Finn, however, remained quiet, his expression unreadable.
"Fine, what do you want me to do to prove I'm not a 'buzzkill'?" I asked, irritated.
"You know, Trish, you don't really need to-", Joe cut Finn off with a snort.
"Okay, here's the deal. You have to text someone and tell them you're dying. And you've gotta be serious with your wording, man," he challenged, his eyes glinting with mischief.