E.C.H.O.

Stage 22 "Good Times"

Lucas' fingers were inches from the door when he made up his mind. A human shield...His eyes darted to Nathan, if it's an attack they won't hurt a student...too much explaining to do. He retracted his fingers.

"Sorry, dude," he apologized ahead of time. Quick as a flash he grabbed the unsuspecting Nathan.

"Wait!" Nathan's cry fell on deaf ears. Lucas threw the door open and pushed Nathan through while taking cover behind.

Noise erupted, lights turned on, and toilet paper streamed through the air.

A yell of "surprise" was cut short as the whole room froze.

Lucas peaked out from behind Nathan to see a room full of boys armed with toilet paper, water guns, a few streamers, and what looked like a huge cake. Noticing them all staring at one person, Lucas turned to see pie dripping down his roommate's stunned face.

"Why did you get in the way?" A boy who held the remains of the pie asked.

"Yo, Lucas."

Lucas looked up to see Auden walked over, hand behind his back.

Realizing there was no real danger, Lucas had already began to relax.

Auden grinned. "Happy Birthday." The second pie was smashed in Lucas' face. Noise resumed, toilet paper flew, the lights flashed on and off as someone played rapidly with the switches.

The roommates stood next to each other, pie covering their faces. Speechless, Lucas reached up to wipe his eyes free. Someone pressed tissue into his hands.

"What took you so long?" Peter slung an arm around both Nathan and Lucas as they tried to clean their faces. "We could barely keep the football team from the cake."

"Why didn't you say it was your birthday earlier?" Banster asked as he popped out from the crowd.

"Oi!" Auden yelled, shooing guys away from the cake. "We need the candles!"

Lucas didn't say a word as he cleaned his face. Have fun tonight! Amber's voice echoed in his mind and the pieces clicked.

"How does it feel to be a year older?" Brian asked as he appeared from the side of the room.

"Candles!" Auden bellowed above the noise of most of dorm three, the hockey and football team who were all shouting above the other as they tried to approach Lucas and congratulate him.

Birthday... the date flashed through Lucas' mind. Ah...the day ECHO put on my forms. He didn't know when his real birthday fell. In fact, he hadn't celebrated one in as long as he could remember.

"It's just like..." Lucas froze as something in his mind rattled.

"Happy Birthday, champ!" A familiar hand ruffled his head. Gentle lips pressed against his cheek.

"My boy is growing so big!"

"Where are those candles?" Auden's booming voice brought him back.

Lucas blinked. What was that?

"Rick!" Auden was storming after a guy who darted out of reach.

"Congrats, man!" A hand thumped Lucas' shoulder.

"Was it a surprise?" Nathan asked eagerly.

"Uh..." Lucas wasn't able to respond as another hand slapped him on the back. Suddenly he was being ushered towards a giant cake. It sat in the middle of the coffee table usually filled with gaming devices. They had all been shoved under a couch to make room. The cake itself was covered with green icing and white lines to form a football pitch. A goal stood on each end