Purposefully Accidental

Chapter Eleven

The first surprise is that my friends got me a ticket for a sold-out Jesse Miller show.

Now, you see, Jesse Miller is one of my biggest celebrity crushes, ranking top three. I was really bummed when I heard that he was performing a show at a local venue, on my birthday no less, but that the tickets completely sold out in minutes. Turned out my friends already secured tickets for all of us and kept it a secret from me.

My mood lifts easily once I spot the place that Freddie is driving us to. I'm completely in a high once the handsome singer-songwriter all but jumps out onto the stage, and I'm already screaming-singing along in delight with the rest of the girls while Freddie pretends like he's not interested although I can see him nodding along to the beat and sometimes even mouthing the words of the songs.

The second surprise is that, in the middle of the show, Jesse Miller does a little speech and then calls out my name and wishes me a happy birthday, getting the whole crowd of people to sing for me. I can only stupidly nod from where I'm standing as he waves at me and dedicates the next song for me—Tammy obviously records every single moment of my dumb moment and then posts it on her Instagram story, the little shit. I don't know how I haven't completely passed out, but I manage to keep myself together until the end of the concert. I found out, as we walk out of the venue, that Jesse Miller is a friend of a friend of Freddie's (or something, it's apparently just some kind of rich guy, son-of-a-multibillionaire thing) and that's how Freddie managed to bag the concert tickets for us and tell Jesse Miller to wish me a happy birthday on stage at very last minute.

You know what? Best. Fucking. Birthday. Ever.

It's not yet over. Soon as the concert's over around ten, Freddie drives us back to his "humble" penthouse in the busiest part of the city, and what's greeting me on the rooftop is that my friends have set up a small birthday party, inviting some of the kids in our classes who all yell "SURPRISE!" as soon as I arrive.

They bring out a giant cake—a cute five-layered ombre cake, coated with thick frosting in a white-to-dark-blue gradation of colors, with Happy 20, Hannah! written on top of the cake. It looks and tastes amazing, and what's more amazing is that Sarah and Keith baked it themselves—Keith's parents own a family bakery that's been passed down for generations, apparently, and he's been baking cakes since he could reach the kitchen counter. Knowing that makes the cake taste so much better for me.

Everyone's circling around me as I close my eyes and make my second chain of wishes, and I smile before blowing out the candles. I give the first slice to Tammy, since she was the one who arranged everything and kiss her on both cheeks as a thank you, and she replies by shoving the second forkful of the cake into my mouth.

Tammy hosts the party, guiding us all through the various party games and ensuring minimal chaos once Freddie brings out his parents' collections of liquors. I don't drink, because I'm not of age yet and I don't ever plan to start drinking, knowing what it's done to my brother all those years ago, so I just sit by and watch in amusement as half of my friends take a shot whenever Bella Swan touches her hair and/or bites her lip during the first Twilight movie, which is playing on the giant screen that was set up at the rooftop garden.

I slip out from where I was sitting, on the couch between Sarah and a guy from a class I attended last year who's been trying to hit on me but always backs out when Freddie steps into vicinity, just before his hand manages to rest somewhere at the crook of my neck—which I frankly hate since I'm ticklish.

The drinking game still rages on when I find myself standing outside, just near the edge of the rooftop, staring at the beautiful skyline in front of me. I can't help but smile to myself.