A Wonderful Surprise

“Cousin, you home?”

“Yes, what’s up?”

“I heard that you baked some cupcakes today,” John continued, “May I have some?”

“These are for The Kirchs, John. You can’t steal them even just one bite,” Mary could imagine John’s grin on the other line.

“You usually bake some more for us, don’t you? There must be some cakes left,” John still tried his best to get some of Mary’s delicious cupcake. He kept trying until Mary finally sighed and said yes. ”I’m on my way to your place, see you!”

Mary just rolled her eyes as she put down her phone and continued finishing her cupcakes. This time she’s just done making chocolate frosting as the cakes topping and now she’s decorating the cakes. As she’s done with the second tray, she heard someone rang the bell followed by her cousin’s and his girlfriend’s voice.

“Mary! Where are our cupcakes?” John asked as he peeked to the kitchen.

“Ciao, Cousin,” Mary greeted ignoring John’s question.

“Is this mine?” John pointed at a cupcake Mary just done decorating and tried to take it but Mary quickly slapped his hand.

“That is for The Kirchs,” she said. “I haven’t decorated yours yet but you can take it on that tray,” said her again as her eyes directing to the other try.

“Thank you!” John exclaimed as he took two cupcakes and gave one to his girlfriend who was just coming.

“Busy, huh?” Kayla smiled at her best friend. “Where’s Garrett?”

“Uhm, he said he’s going to Jared’s house,” Mary answered slowly.

“I was just there before,” John added. “But I didn’t see him coming,” he quickly added more as he saw Mary glanced at him.

Mary didn’t respond John. She had her mind focused on a cupcake she was decorating. Looking at her, John and Kayla could sense something wrong between them so Kayla just asked it right away.

“Nothing,” at first Mary answered and acted like nothing’s wrong with her or between her and Garrett. But Kayla and John as her best friend and cousin know her more than well that they couldn’t believe her that easy.

John kept guessing if Mary’s having an argumentation with Garrett or they’re fighting. Mary tried to be calm as she answered all John’s question with a no or just shook his head. Until then John asked if she was on her period and having PMS that time, Mary’s face got red making her giving an annoying look to John as that boy got a slap on his head from Kayla.

“I was just guessing! She’s not telling us anything!” John tried to make an excuse.

“Come on, take one cupcake for you and let’s wait for Mary on the living room,” Kayla told John as she gave a code to Mary to follow them once she finished with her cakes.

Mary sighed to see her best friends as she finished her cupcakes decoration. While putting some chocolate chips as topping, Mary’s mind wandered to the moment she just had with Garrett back when he kissed her and told her that he loves her. She remembered how she kissed him back, letting the feelings out but then she told him that it was not the right time for them. Mary could feel Garrett’s hopes on her but she disappointed him by rejecting him.

Mary didn’t know if she was doing the right thing or not. All she knew was she wasn’t ready yet for everything between her and Garrett. Everything seemed so fast for her. Started from Kayla told her about Garrett’s feeling his revealed on the truth or dare game, the moment when Kayla asked her to watch The Maine playing in a bar, the time her high school friend told her that Garrett’s going back with Rachael, and the moment she saw them making out in the bar.

Then it came to her going home quickly after texting John about Garrett and Rachael and cried herself to sleep—she didn’t even know why she cried that bad but she felt a little bit better when she woke up in the morning. And the next day, Garrett came to her place to apologize and speak out his feelings, the one that Mary honestly feels to but she didn’t dare to let it out.

“Mary?” Kayla came getting her back from her own mind. “You put too many chips on that cake,” she grinned as Mary realized how she had ruined her own decoration. She quickly took a little spatula to fix it.

Kayla came towards her best friend and asked her carefully, “Do you have something in mind, Sweetie?”

Mary helplessly turned to see Kayla and nodded. Her little frown showed Kayla that it might mean something big to her. “I’ll see you in the living room,” said Mary gesturing her dirty hands. She took all the dirty tools to the sink and washed her hands before following Kayla.

John looked at her cousin approaching and sitting on the couch. She crossed her legs as she made herself comfortable and looked at him. “How’s the cupcake?” She shortly asked.

“Can I have one more?” He asked back as Mary put her tongue out telling that John had had enough cakes for himself. She threw a can of soda to John and opened a bottle of juice for her own. Kayla herself had a glass of milk tea she found in Mary’s refrigerator.

“So,” Kayla started a conversation, “What has bothered you, Maria?”

Mary glanced to the couple in front of her back-to-back. She had this ‘are-you-guys-here-to-interrogate-me?’ look on her eyes as John grinned and Kayla showed her a simple smile. She mentally counted if she had to tell them or not, but just like the usual Mary, she came to one answer: “It’s nothing.”

“You sure?” Kayla asked as she starred at Mary’s eyes.

“Uh, yes?”

“Alright, tell us what it is,” Kayla demanded with a reassuring smile following.

“Promise me you guys won’t tease me or him,” Mary said carefully. She frowned when she looked at John grinning like he had a plan of teasing her. “John!” She exclaimed and pouted.

“What? I didn’t do anything!” He defended himself when both Mary and Kayla glared at him. “Alright, alright, I promise I’ll have my mouth shut.”

Mary sighed before she started talking. “Garrett came here before, he wanted to apologize for what happened on the bar last weekend.”

Mary stopped to see her friends’ reaction. But they just looked at her, waiting to hear more from her. Mary then took a deep breath before she continued her story.

“I played dumb, pretending that I didn’t know anything about what happened but he got mad because I did that. I told him I just wanted him to be happy so it’s okay for me to be upset because he’s going back with Rachael.” Mary had his face down. Kayla came closer and rounded her arm around Mary and gestured Mary to go on.

Mary sighed, she came to the hardest part of the story. She slowly told Kayla and John how Garrett suddenly kissed her and confessed that he loved her. She also told them the rest of the story until she broke down and a single tear fell down from her eyes.

No one gave a comment but Mary could feel how suddenly John and Kayla gave her a group hug and John said that he’s proud of Garrett for finally making a move, even if it was in the wrong time. Kayla glared at him as she let go from the hug and caressed Mary’s hand. John kept his arm around his cousin just in case she needed a cuddle.

“To be honest, I’m glad that you both already spoke up about your feelings,” Kayla grinned. “But Garrett probably did it too fast, don’t you think so? It’s so his typical, saying something without being mind about the situation. And also, he was upset because you kept playing dumb with him.”

“I was afraid of my own feelings, Kayla,” Mary said as she sniffled. She took a sheet of tissue John handed her and wiped her teary eyes and nose. “I never thought of us becoming a couple like you two,” she sheepishly said.

Kayla and John looked at each other as they blushed. John asked if he’s allowed to speak and said, “I honestly think you two are great together. Even Jason Mraz said he’s lucky to be in love with his best friend. And in my opinion, you rejected him because you’re afraid he’d cheat with Rachael like he did last weekend, am I wrong?”

Mary didn’t respond him and John took it as she’s agreed with him. He then continued, “I’m gonna be honest now, okay? I was there when Garrett came to Jared’s house, right when I was about to leave to see my girlfriend. He was a real mess and I couldn’t just let him be. So I stayed to hear his story.”

John then told Mary and Kayla about what Garrett said back in Jared’s house. Garrett was really upset about what happened back in Mary’s kitchen before. He was upset to himself for making a move too fast which made Mary rejected him. But he couldn’t handle himself because he didn’t like it when Mary thought he’d be happy with Rachael. Garrett was beyond afraid that Mary wouldn’t like to see him ever again. Jared told the lover boy to calm down but there’s nothing that could make him calm.

At first John teased Garrett for what happened, but then he volunteered himself to help fixing the problem. Garrett again being afraid that Mary would be mad because he told Jared and John about what happened. But John made him sure that everything would be alright because he knows his cousin so well.

“So here I am with Kayla, trying to help you two. Fortunately Kayla said that you’re baking cupcakes right now so even though I couldn’t talk about this with you, I still get some cakes to eat.” John grinned again making Mary stuck her tongue out.

“So what should I do now?” Mary asked as they continued talking.

“See him, tell him you love him, kiss him like there’s no tomorrow,” John quickly suggested making Mary’s eyes widened. Kayla slapped John’s leg saying that it wasn’t time for jokes.

“I think you both need to calm yourself down and have some alone moments. We’re going to have a movie night this Friday and you know he wouldn’t ever miss it, right? There, you may talk if you want to.” Kayla gave a better suggestion. Mary smiled and thanked her and John, they were such a hero for her that day.