The Game of Seduction
No Invite
It was 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. Kia and her friends, Jess, Rachel, and Chelsea, have been wondering in the mall, looking for a birthday present for Greg. Tonight, their group of friends were going to celebrate at Strikes, an arcade, pub and bowling place in one.
"We've looked everywhere and all we've bought are things for ourselves," Rachel stated all of a sudden, while they walked out of a Bath and Body Works.
"It's so hard to shop for a guy. We should all just go get in on a video game or something," Chelsea suggested.
"Yeah, like we know what kind of game he likes and doesn’t have yet," Kia said sarcastically.
"I can't wait for some cake," Rachel pouted. "Anyone know who's getting it?"
"Cake, called it!" Kia yelled.
"Damn,” Jess sighed.
Kia laughed smugly and pulled out her phone. "I'm gonna ask the guys if they've gotten a cake yet. We don’t' need two cakes."
“Or do we?” Rachel said suggestively.
"Well, you can't leave yet. You're stuck here with us until we all get something for Greg," Chelsea said.
"It's not like I hate the mall," Kia pointed out. "I can enjoy shopping for myself now. You guys can continue to kook at guy stuff.”
Rachel and Jess both roll their eyes at her.
"Maybe we should just get him some booze or a mall gift card. It's more thoughtful than a typical cake," Chelsea stuck her tongue out at Kia.
"Hey! Cake is essential for a birthday," Kia stated. "Just keep looking…" she started walking again.
They stepped into a guy's clothing store.
Jess held up a pack of funky socks, "Maybe I should get him these. He always wears miss-matched socks."
"Really? Maybe that's his style or something," Kia said. "Something to go with his punky look."
Jess thought about it for a moment. "No, he's not fashionable like that."
The girls laughed and continued to look.
"Hey," Rachel came up next to Kia, who was just looking at some guys accessories. "It's Ian's birthday on the 20th, the Wednesday and he's having a party."
"Oh.” It was the first time that Kia heard of it. “Who has a birthday party on a Wednesday?"
"It's spring break. There should be parties all week."
Kia laughed, "True."
"Do you know what you're getting him?" Rachel nudged her with in the arm.
Kia raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, "Uh, no, considering that it’s been 20 seconds since I’ve found out that his birthday."
"So, he didn't invite you?" Rachel looked at her with a furrowed brow. “It’s going to be a big party. Lots of people are going.”
“That’s was implied and plus, why would I get him something even if I was invited. It’s just going be just a big party thrown in his name, right? You don’t expect people to bring presents, unless they are close friends.”
“Aren’t you guys considered close?” Rachel asked with cocked eyebrow.
“No,” Kia picked up a nice necklace, something that she thought would look good on her. “You’re confusing physically close with the friendship kind.”
Rachel didn’t say anything for a moment. “You should still come even if he doesn’t invite you. You know, he’s not even planning it. Jeremy and Mason are planning it so they are mostly in charge of inviting people. Maybe that’s why he didn’t invite you. He probably thought that Jeremy would do it or something.”
If I showed up to Ian’s birthday party without his invite, he might make something out of it. He’s a jerk like that. “I’ll see if I have nothing else better to do that night.”
“I’m going and Mason invited Jess, so you know she’s gonna go. We’re your best friends, so what could you possibly have to do that’s better than hanging out with us?”
“Gee, make it sound like I don’t have a life of my own, why don’t cha.”
"We've looked everywhere and all we've bought are things for ourselves," Rachel stated all of a sudden, while they walked out of a Bath and Body Works.
"It's so hard to shop for a guy. We should all just go get in on a video game or something," Chelsea suggested.
"Yeah, like we know what kind of game he likes and doesn’t have yet," Kia said sarcastically.
"I can't wait for some cake," Rachel pouted. "Anyone know who's getting it?"
"Cake, called it!" Kia yelled.
"Damn,” Jess sighed.
Kia laughed smugly and pulled out her phone. "I'm gonna ask the guys if they've gotten a cake yet. We don’t' need two cakes."
“Or do we?” Rachel said suggestively.
"Well, you can't leave yet. You're stuck here with us until we all get something for Greg," Chelsea said.
"It's not like I hate the mall," Kia pointed out. "I can enjoy shopping for myself now. You guys can continue to kook at guy stuff.”
Rachel and Jess both roll their eyes at her.
"Maybe we should just get him some booze or a mall gift card. It's more thoughtful than a typical cake," Chelsea stuck her tongue out at Kia.
"Hey! Cake is essential for a birthday," Kia stated. "Just keep looking…" she started walking again.
They stepped into a guy's clothing store.
Jess held up a pack of funky socks, "Maybe I should get him these. He always wears miss-matched socks."
"Really? Maybe that's his style or something," Kia said. "Something to go with his punky look."
Jess thought about it for a moment. "No, he's not fashionable like that."
The girls laughed and continued to look.
"Hey," Rachel came up next to Kia, who was just looking at some guys accessories. "It's Ian's birthday on the 20th, the Wednesday and he's having a party."
"Oh.” It was the first time that Kia heard of it. “Who has a birthday party on a Wednesday?"
"It's spring break. There should be parties all week."
Kia laughed, "True."
"Do you know what you're getting him?" Rachel nudged her with in the arm.
Kia raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, "Uh, no, considering that it’s been 20 seconds since I’ve found out that his birthday."
"So, he didn't invite you?" Rachel looked at her with a furrowed brow. “It’s going to be a big party. Lots of people are going.”
“That’s was implied and plus, why would I get him something even if I was invited. It’s just going be just a big party thrown in his name, right? You don’t expect people to bring presents, unless they are close friends.”
“Aren’t you guys considered close?” Rachel asked with cocked eyebrow.
“No,” Kia picked up a nice necklace, something that she thought would look good on her. “You’re confusing physically close with the friendship kind.”
Rachel didn’t say anything for a moment. “You should still come even if he doesn’t invite you. You know, he’s not even planning it. Jeremy and Mason are planning it so they are mostly in charge of inviting people. Maybe that’s why he didn’t invite you. He probably thought that Jeremy would do it or something.”
If I showed up to Ian’s birthday party without his invite, he might make something out of it. He’s a jerk like that. “I’ll see if I have nothing else better to do that night.”
“I’m going and Mason invited Jess, so you know she’s gonna go. We’re your best friends, so what could you possibly have to do that’s better than hanging out with us?”
“Gee, make it sound like I don’t have a life of my own, why don’t cha.”