Deception

About two hours before Alex's party, Lori picks out a plaid skirt, stockings, and a turtle neck for me. I feel like I was Alicia Silverstone as Cher in "Clueless"; I even have the blank stare down when I look into the mirror. I do a little twirl for Lori, and she gives me the thumbs up. "Alex will totally love it; you look cute," she compliments, grinning.

"I feel like I came out of a generic teen movie," I reply, pulling down the skirt.

"Hey, don't do that!" She slaps my hand away, scowling. "You gotta show some leg. You know, to keep his eyes on you."

Once Zack rings the doorbell, we sprint out, wrapped boxes in hand. Lori and Zack hold hands all the way to Alex's house, and I sit in the back, feeling very much like the third wheel. We arrive at a cookie-cutter neighborhood, stopping at a house with reindeer and colored lights wrapped around all the bushes. I knock on the royal blue door, and within seconds, I'm being lifted off the ground by someone. We spin in circles, entering an elegant living room not adorned in red cups this time, and Alex finally sets me down.

Jack and I'm guessing his girlfriend, Miranda, stare at us from the brown leather sofa. "I'm so glad you're here!" Alex exclaims, arms still around me. Lori sits on Zack, their hands still clamped together as Alex leaps over the couch and motions for me to do the same. I walk around to sit next to him. He stairs at my black, stocking-covered legs; Lori was right.

"Kaleb, Lori, this is my amazing girlfriend, Miranda. She saves humpback whales from poachers," Jack says as Miranda stands up and sticks out a hand. We shake it, laughing at her boyfriend's introduction.

"So, birthday boy, what are we going to do first?" Miranda asks, sitting back down. "And where are Rian and Kara?"

"We're going to make snow men, and eventually, Rian and Kara will join us. He has to shovel his driveway first." Alex jumps up and opens the sliding door to his backyard. "C'mon, guys!"

We slip on our gloves and exit, grabbing handfuls of snow and molding them into spheres for snow men, or for throwing at each other. In Lori's stockings and skirt, I can hardly bend over to scoop up snow. "Don't be scared, Kaleb!" Lori shouts, throwing a snowball at my back. I shake my Salomon coat, grabbing a handful of snow myself. I smash it together and get ready to throw, but another one hits my face.

"Oh, it's on!" I yell, chucking my snowball in Lori's direction. I'm hit with more snow, this time by Alex and Zack. Jack and Miranda come join me in the middle, pelting snow towards the other three. "I hate you guys!" I scream, feeling the melted snow seeping into my stockings after a good half hour.

"Oh, grow up," Lori says, laughing. We all go back inside once we hear shouting from the house. Rian and Kara come over, and for the most part, we're a tightly-knit group of people. Mrs. Gaskarth gathers us all up around the fireplace to let us dry our coats and socks off. Unfortunately for me, I have to go to the bathroom to take off my stockings. Mrs Gaskarth offers me some spare socks, but I refuse politely.

It's around six, and we head up to the kitchen, where pizza's been laid out for us. Within minutes, five pizzas disappear, and we sit down, waiting for the cake to appear. Mrs. Gaskarth brings out an ice cream cake that reminds me of a mini winter wonderland. Jack holds up three fingers and counts down. Three, two, one:

"Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Alex
Happy birthday to you."

Alex sucks in some air and blows out his eighteen blue candles, and then plucks them out delicately, trying not to ruin the dark blue icing that reads "Happy Birthday, Alex!" in cursive. He cuts the cake with much difficulty, and once everyone has a slice, we dig in.

"So...when are we opening presents? I got you the coolest thing you'll ever set eyes on," Miranda says, fighting Jack's fork after four attempts of stealing her small icing snowman.

"After I finish eating," Alex replies, looking at me. "Does your present rival Miranda's?" he asks innocently, trying to weasel out a hint.

I shrug.

After several brain freezes among the guys, we move on to presents in the living room. Rian goes first. "I swear, I tried really hard to wrap it," he says, motioning to the sad, lumpy box. "It wouldn't cooperate!" Kara tries to hold in her laughter as she consoles her boyfriend.

Alex could care less; he rips off the shiny blue gift wrap to reveal a plastic version of Godzilla, complete with motion and roaring sounds. Batteries included.

Next, Kara's pretty powder blue bag. Inside the tissue paper is a video game along with two CDs. Rian helped her pick them out. They exchange hugs and he continues.

Lori and Zack are up next with their perfectly wrapped box. After ripping it open, Alex discovers Guitar Hero. Lori and I roll my eyes as Alex and Zack high-five.

Miranda's present is the cutest thing I've ever seen. It's an adult fox costume, big enough to fit Alex. He stares at it. "Oh, c'mon, you know you love it," she says with a serious look. "You always said you wanted a fox."

"Yeah, but not a fox costume," Alex retorts, holding it up in shame. "Jack, what'd you get me?" Jack hands Alex a green party bag who pulls out a black man thong. "What the fuck?" He laughs and flings it back to Jack. "You can keep that." Again, his hand searches into the bag and fishes out another video game. He reads the name, smiles, and hugs his best friend.

Finally, it's me.

I hesitantly hand over my box, and Alex rips it open, prying the lid up. "I know it seems a little..." I bite my lip as Alex reads the engraving on the dog tag:

Never forget who you are and what you stand for.

"...A little what?" he asks, slipping the silver necklace around his neck. Alex's lips part into a smile, his fingers tracing the engraved words.

"I like it."