Happy Endings

25. surprise

"I greet you with a battle hero's welcome. I take your indiscretions all in good fun."

☼

Kellin Quinn stared at the wide assortment of glass bottles in front of him. He didn't know much about liquor, not since college anyway. And even back then, he only went along with the flow and never considered learning about these things. It's not like it was going to be that useful, considering his fatherhood future. What should he take to a surprise party anyway? He supposed anything could work. It was just a party.

But it wasn't, was it?

He wanted to make a good impression but wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he would know a lot of people there or anything. But still. He believed it was important.

"So did you pick one?"

At least he'd have his friends.

Hayley grinned at him expectantly but all he managed to do was shrug his shoulders. And his friend laughed and patted his back.

"Come on Kell it can't be that hard, let's see," she hummed as her eyes roamed the liquor aisle. "Vodka? Absolute never fails. Maybe you could take some tequila and us tagalongs the vodka."

Kellin would honestly just grab whatever she told him to so he agreed.

"Which brand though?"

"This," she grabbed a pale blue, rounded glass bottle and handed it to him.

Don Julio Blanco. Silver tequila. Kellin noticed there were box options on the shelf and grabbed that instead. It seemed expensive.

"My man! Gathering the good stuff," Jack reappeared and shook him by the shoulders. Kellin was just a little bit startled by that.

Justin followed behind him and snatched the blue bottle box from his hands.

"Okay, everyone will love you if you show up with this," he agreed.

Kellin rolled his eyes. He didn't want that in reality.

"You mean us." Hayley butted in. "We're extremely good guests. Where's Jenna?"

Both Jack and Justin shrugged and Kellin had to laugh.

"She's probably grabbing snacks," Jack said. "You know that's her pregame."

"Now that's a word we haven't heard in a while," their missing piece finally materialized beside them, and yes, she had indeed been grabbing snacks.

Jenna was holding a variety of potato chips and cookie bags protectively against her chest, a happy grin on her face that didn't go along at all with her dark outfit and makeup.

If anyone were to see them right now, they probably would think twice about approaching them. They looked like a bunch of goths on their way to a metalhead concert or something, and just looking around at his friends, Kellin couldn't believe how this was all Vic's doing.

All five of them were wearing all-black, from the shoes to the hair, and to the girl's (and Justin's) makeup. Turns out, glam rock was an unbelievably genius theme for a party—Hayley's words. Kellin wasn't that into it still, but he let her choose his outfit either way.

He was wearing a vintage black V-neck, with some band he didn't know printed in the front, under a faux leather jacket, tucked into black pants with a silver belt, and a pair of boots he hadn't worn in forever, but that according to Hayley, was a relic from old times.

And Hayley was wearing a silver, sequin long-sleeved dress with dark tights and boots, and Jenna decided on a black long dress draped with metallic shapes all over the fabric. Jack on his part opted to forgo a shirt altogether and wore only a crop top jacket with checkered pants, while Justin wore a black and white patterned silk shirt tucked into leather pants and a spiky belt.