Flickering Reflections

A Celebration (Chapter 9)

Chapter 9: A Celebration

There was no one home. I had the entire house to myself with a few hours left before the family started trickling in from work or school. I had one of two choices: sit around on my butt all afternoon, or go out and do something. I chose to visit Kara at work. I could count on her to be there, and excited for me. This time, I didn't call to announce my imminent arrival.

Keira's funky store set the rest of the white-washed exteriors of other shops to shame. The outside of her store was a purple-pink; a magenta-fuchsia color with a blue neon sign with "Keira's Cupcakes" on it. I opened the door and a bell rang. I stood in line-a very long line-trying to hide my face. After ten minutes, I reached the register. "Welcome." Kara droned, not really seeing me. "What can I-Dylan!" Her smile could put the sun to shame. She leaned over the counter to kiss me. "What a surprise!"

"I thought I would come get something yummy to celebrate." I said, peering at the long line growing behind me. I cut the chit-chat. "Can you give me two...raspberry cupcakes?"

Kara saluted. "Yes, sir." She put two of them on a plate. "I'll come sit with you soon."

I weaved through the small crowd and found a table empty in the back. It gave me some solitude-as much as you can have amidst a large crowd in a small store-and I had a nice view of Kara. I ate my cupcakes slowly and they were as good as the first ones I had had. I waited patiently for her to finish up. When the line had grown shorter, Kara yelled back to the kitchen, "Adelia! Come check!"

A tall, blonde girl came out and took her place at the register. "Aye, Aye Captain." The girl-Adelia-couldn't be more than twenty-five. She wasn't the stunning beauty that Keira was, but no one would dare call her hideous. If she didn't have an it's-Friday-and-I-want-to-get-out-of-here look on her face, she'd look a little less annoyed and stressed out.

Kara plopped down in the seat across from me. "Hey there." I leaned over to kiss her. "How are you doing today?"

"Lovely now." I said. "How're you?"

Kara smiled sweetly, "Awh. I'm splendid."

"So, guess what? I have some news." I told her.

"Oh really?" Kara's eyebrows rose. "What is this big news that you drove all the way out here to celebrate with my cupcakes...and me?" I told her about my interview and how I started my new job on Monday. "Oh, wow, Dylan! That's fantastic!" Kara hopped up and threw her arms around me. "We need to celebrate!"

I shook my head. "No, we really don't."

She slapped my arm playfully-though it still kind of hurt. "Babe. You just got a job at the Denver Post. That's like...huge! We have to!" Without a choice, I grudgingly agreed. "Awesome!" she squealed. "Hey, Adelia?"

"Yeah?" Adelia called back from the counter. It was apparent that she had been eavesdropping. She had been staring at one spot above the wall through our entire conversation, trying not to make eye contact with me.

"Do you want to come? Out to celebrate with Dylan and me? We could make it a party!"

I did not like parties. I did back in the day when I had friends to party with. And now that I thought about it, I really didn't have any friends! How's that for depressing? Twenty five years old, relatively attractive, and a complete loser. Adelia shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright. Not like I have anything better to do on a Friday night."

"You should call up some of your guy friends, babe." Kara instructed. I felt a little sad knowing that I could not invite any of my "guy friends" because they did not even exist anymore. "The more the merrier, as I always say."