𝐄𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝟰

The tension in the room was palpable as we pondered over Evie's upcoming birthday. Sitting on Fox's bean bag chairs, we debated the best way to celebrate our enigmatic friend.

"What's one word that describes Evie?" Micheal probed, breaking the silence.

"Pointdexter," Fox replied with a smirk, earning an eye-roll from Micheal.

"Noah?" Micheal turned to him.

"I have many... Geek, dweeb, and..." Noah trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Dante, what about you?" Micheal redirected the question to me.

"Resilient?" I suggested, meeting Micheal's gaze. "Or introspective..."

"Great thought!" Micheal nodded in approval. "Now, what kind of celebration would she like?"

"I heard she's a big fan of the Hunger Games," Fox said.

"Does she have those books?" Crissie inquired.

"I'm not sure," Fox admitted. "Finding a gift for Evie is like solving a complex math problem."

"Then what about history?" Micheal proposed.

"We do not talk about history!" Fox retorted with a frown, evoking a round of laughter from the group.

"What happened in history?" Crissie's curiosity was piqued.

"Fox failed miserably..." Noah chuckled. "She even had Mrs. Catz questioning herself after being asked which Greek goddess the Parthenon was dedicated to."

"What did she say?" Crissie pressed, her eyes widening with anticipation.

"Artemis..." Fox admitted sheepishly, curling into a ball.

"Ma'am has been teaching that chapter for years now!" I interjected. "It's the goddess Athena!"

"OH!" Fox's eyes widened in realization.

"Okay, enough everyone!" Micheal stopped. "We know Fox is the dumbest person to exist in this universe, but that's not important right now!"

"Fox is heartbroken," Crissie replied, embracing Fox in a hug. "It's okay, Fox..."

She let go of her almost immediately. 

"We only have one thing on our list: a Hunger Games collection.." Micheal replied. "Anything else?"

"Nothing?" Crissie said. "It's just books, Micheal..."

Micheal sighed. Just then, Mrs. Laurier entered the room with a knock, bearing a tray of freshly baked cookies.

"I baked cookies for you guys!" Her mother smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Mom," Fox replied, grateful for the interruption.

"I heard you were discussing about Evie's birthday..." Mrs. Laurier spoke. "How is it going?"

"Evangeline is the most mysterious person to get a gift for," I admitted, feeling flustered by the challenge.

The rest nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, I've known her for years, and she always keeps her interests under wraps."

"It's like trying to solve a puzzle without any hints," Noah added, grabbing a cookie.

Mrs. Laurier chuckled understandingly. 

"Well, I'm sure whatever you decide, she'll appreciate the thoughtfulness behind it."

"We just want it to be special," Fox said earnestly, her eyes reflecting determination. "She deserves that."