A Wonderful Surprise

It’s been two weeks since Nick’s flight back to his hometown in Massachusetts. Everything was back to normal like before Eric Halvorsen brought the ginger boy to Mary’s house on one of those movie nights, except everyone now were getting busier with their own stuffs. Mary and Kayla’s days were filled with classes and tasks and their job while Garrett, John and the other boys now getting more focused on their band preparing for a new album. They still hung out together, though, but it’d be only once or twice per week.

Mary closed her room’s door and immediately pushed her own body down to the bed once her knees touched the edge of her bed. She took off her shoes without using her hands as she tried to make her head comfortable on her puffy pillow.

`Oh my Goodness, I’m so tired,` she huffed as she closed her eyes for several minutes, trying to relax. Not so long after that, she sat on her bed, taking her cardigan off and throwing it near her dresser as she made her way to the bathroom for a long relaxing shower.

It took about 35 minutes for Mary to finish her stuffs inside the bathroom. She stepped out from shower stall while she was drying her hair as she heard her phone ringing a unique ringtone which made her didn’t need to read the caller’s ID before picking it up.

`Hi, Kayla,` She greeted, `what’s up?`

`What’s up?! I missed you so much so I called you and all I got just a ‘what’s up?!` Kayla shouted from the other line making Mary rolled her eyes as she pushed her phone away from her ear. `Mary? Are you there?`

`Yes, Kayla,` she answered. `I met you this morning, we were in two same classes and you already missed me now?` Mary smiled as she could imagine Kayla’s pout. She then chuckled as she heard Kayla mumbled ‘whatever’.

`Don’t get upset, Kay, I missed you too,` Mary giggled as she made her way to the dresser to get a shirt and pajama short.

`No, it’s okay. You don’t have to say it if you missed me, I could just find out about that by myself,` Kayla said annoyed. `But anyway, the boys miss you. Especially Garrett.`

Mary didn’t say anything back. She stood in front of her dresser with a short in her hand, feeling her cheeks getting warmer. She could hear Garrett groaned annoyingly before everyone else there started to tease him.

`Tell the boys I miss them too, Kay,` Mary said finally. `And do not tease my best friend.`

`Guys, Mary said she doesn’t want you all to tease her boyfriend!` Kayla shouted before she came back to her phone, `Sorry Mary, I couldn’t help to not say that.`

Mary just rolled her eyes. She had finished dressing so she made her way back to the bed and took a pillow to her lap. `Whatever, Kayla, whatever.`

There’s no answer from Kayla but Mary could hear someone took her phone and talked to her before talking back to the phone. `Ciao, Maria Rebecca,` he greeted.

`Hello, John Cornelius,` Mary greeted back. `Your Italian accent is terrible, if I may say.`

`Ouch, that hurts, Cousin,` John let out some chuckles. He always had fun of teasing his dear cousin, especially about the Italian blood she got from her mother, but that didn’t mean John liked to make fun of Mary. She’s one of his favorite younger cousins he’d always protected and loved.

`We’re going to have pizza and some other Italian food here,` John said as he invited Mary to Pat’s house, where he and the boys were at that time.

`I can’t, sorry. I just got home, John.`

`It’s not like Pat’s house is in another part of this state, Mary. He lives right a block from your house!` John protested making Mary sighed. `We missed hanging out with the full team. Halvo’s on his way here so you should come to.`

`Oh, make me,` Mary laid to her bed, stroking her own hair. `I’m so tired and already in my pajama, I don’t feel like going out tonight.`

`Are you going to sleep now?` John finally asked after he went silent for several minutes. As Mary answered him a no, John immediately said, `we’re going there, see you, Sweetheart.`

`What-?` Mary said to herself. She threw her phone before snuggling a little in her bed and getting up to go downstairs. She didn’t change her pajama because she knew it’d take a lot of time since she was really lazy to do that. Pat’s house was really near and she was sure all of her friends still had a lot of energy to get their asses to Mary’s house quickly. And anyway, it wasn’t like her friends never seen her in only a shirt and pajama short.

Someone knocked on Mary’s front door. She immediately made her way to open the door, as anticipation if Pat couldn’t wait for her and start to bang the door. But actually, it wasn’t Pat—he hadn’t arrived yet. It was only Halvo with a big plastic bag filled with beers and juice for those who didn’t drink.

`Hey, long time no see you, Mary,` Halvo greeted as he gave the girl a quick hug.

`Yeah, have been really busy lately. Let’s come in.`

Mary and Eric Halvorsen made their way to the kitchen as they’re talking some light topic. Mary told her friend about her college life and jobs while Halvo told her about the progress of music project he was having with Nick Santino. Mary couldn’t help but feeling her heartbeat got faster at the time she heard Nick’s name. As she was putting the drinks Halvo brought in the fridge while listening to his story, she stopped to make sure what’s she’s feeling at that moment. Halvo looked at her as he thought he made a mistake by talking about Nick, so then he apologized to Mary.

`I didn’t know if you don’t wanna talk about him, sorry,`

`No, it’s fine. It’s just I haven’t heard his name for weeks so it’s just weird to hear about him again,` Mary tried to make an excuse. She made a reassuring smile just so Halvo would stop apologizing and continued his story.

`So I guess I’m going to Massachusetts in two weeks, Nick said he has talked to some of his friends about this band so they can help to find a drummer and probably another guitarist. He even already talked about our EP!` Eric Halvorsen told Mary in excitement. He was going to tell the girl about some songs he and Nick already had but they heard Pat banging the front door as he yelled for someone to open the door loudly.

`Mary! Open the door now! I’m hungry!` Pat yelled as he banged the door loudly. Kennedy tried to calm him down so the neighbors wouldn’t be disturbed but it seemed useless because Pat couldn’t be stopped. `Mary! Are you already sleeping?! Ding, dong, ding! Ding, dong, ding!`

Everyone burst into laugh when Pat started to sing. They hoped Mary would open the door soon so Pat could stop doing crazy things in this late night. Fortunately, Mary opened her front door right before Pat sing his song again. She rolled her eyes to Pat in annoyed but then she chuckled and hugged the little boy tight. John then shouted for a group hug as everyone else opened their embrace to make a big group hug. It was so adorable as how everyone realized they had missed each other.

`Are we disturbing you, Mary?` Pat innocently asked as Garrett looked at him annoyingly and pulled his silky hair. `Hey! Mary, your boyfriend hurts me!`

`My—what?` Mary looked at Pat, making sure of what she just heard.

`He said nothing,` Garrett simply said, making his way to the kitchen to get some drink and to meet Halvo.

`What’s actually happened before?` Mary couldn’t keep her curiosity.

`Nothing,` Kayla answered shortly as she gave Mary a mysterious smile.

`Come on, Kay, you have to tell me!` Mary ordered. She sat beside Garrett on the counter while the others took their seat around the dining table.

`Alright, alright,` Kayla giggled as she gave up keeping a secret. `We were in Pat’s house, just hanging around. Then we got bored, so I suggested us to play truth or dare.`

`Kayla, are you telling Mary about what happened this afternoon?` Garrett asked, answered by Kayla’s exciting nods. `No way! Shut the fuck up, go get your pizza and leave!` He immediately shouted. Mary could see Garrett’s reddish face as she could felt it was an embarrassing story of Garrett. Since she was curious, Mary told Garrett to shut up and let Kayla continue her story.

`Garrett chose to take the Truth, so I asked him if he’s in love or not. You know this lover boy can barely hide his feelings; his face was red even before he answered my question. I haven’t even ask him who!` Kayla let out some giggles. She turned to Garrett and grinned widely as Garrett gave him a deadly look. He was sure he’d be so embarrassed if Kayla continued her story. He chose to pick a slice of pizza and went out from the kitchen to the living room.
`Why’s he leaving?!` Kayla pouted but she continued her story anyway, `wanna know who has made our Garrett fallen in love?`

Mary didn’t immediately answer Kayla. She felt another fast heartbeat inside her as then warmth came around her. She was curious, but somehow she’s afraid she’d disappointed by what Kayla was going to say later.

`Who?`

`His best friend who lives next door by his house.` Kayla happily answered and hugged her best friend.