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Chapter 17 - Surprises- Part One

The weekend is finally here and tomorrow is my birthday. The 28th day of June. The day I become twenty-three. I can no longer sing Taylor Swift's '22'.

I'm supposed to be happy right? I mean I lived to see another year, thank God. But my life isn't what I expected it to be. I'm young. That means I'm supposed to be 'living la vida loca', partying, making mistakes, learning from them, finding love etcetera etcetera. I have found love. And I have partied and made mistakes. I also learned from them. I guess then that getting my heart broken is just another one of life's passages. Well I've accomplished that.

I'd say I lived a pretty okay life so far.

Vanessa has been acting weird all week and I think I know why. Heck, anyone could guess. She and my mother do the same thing every year for my birthday since we've been friends so I have no idea why she thinks it will come as a surprise this year.

But hey, who am I to ruin it for them?

"Lyn! Have you seen my blue purse?" She yells from upstairs.

"Goodness, Nessa. I just walked through the door. Give me a minute!" I yell back as I pull my shoes off. I head upstairs to where she is, throwing my bag on the floor of her room. "Why do you-" I stop talking when I realize she's dressed up. A small smile forms on my lips. "Hot date tonight?"

She turns around from her vanity mirror and smirks at me. "Shut up and go get dressed."

"I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable playing third wheel on a date with you and your boyfriend." I laugh.

"You wouldn't be uncomfortable. You'd be busy getting us drinks and taking our orders. Shut your sarcastic face and go get dressed. I feel like clubbing with my best friend." Before I can open my mouth to protest, she adds. "And I know you have my blue purse. I want it back. It goes well with this dress." She motions to the blue halter top dress she's in. I roll my eyes and tell her to take the black purse instead.

After I take a shower to wash off the day's work, I get dressed and do my hair and even add a little make-up. I didn't know I was in the mood for clubbing until Vanessa mentioned it. Tomorrow is my birthday so tonight all I want to do is party. I wouldn't mind heading over to Hale the Night either. No doubt that's what Nessa has in mind.

"Lyn, are you ready?" Vanessa asks as she entered my room. I get up from the vanity mirror in my room and turn to her. She has this proud look on her face and a wide smile. "Wait," she says.

She makes her way over to my vanity and picks up a necklace. It's​ a family heirloom. Not from my family but Marcel's. She clasps it around my neck and we head out.

Party time! Lord knows I need it.

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"Vanessa, would you step on it? You're killing me here." I say, exasperated. With Vanessa's driving I'll be tired before I got to the club. She's never driven this slow when she's in the mood to party. I don't know what's up with her. But then again, like I said, she's been acting weird all week.

The drive to Granville is two hours on a normal day within the speed limit. Neither of us have ever taken that long. Tonight, however, Vanessa must be experimenting on her driving skills.

"Oh calm down. I'm not driving slowly. You're just excited. Turn on the radio or something."

I do as I'm​ told. When I hear the song 'Classic' by MKTO, I have to turn it up no matter how old it is. Vanessa, apparently, loves that song too since she starts singing along.

"...one of a kind! Living in a world gone plastic..." She sings.

"Baby, you're so classic!" I join in. We laugh. Our singing should not be heard in public. Well maybe Vanessa's. Mine is cringe-worthy.

Vanessa's phone interrupts our singing. I turn the radio down as she answers. "Mr. Brady? Hey." She looks at me showing her uncertainty. I raise my eyebrows. "Yes. She's right here."

Taking the phone from her I answer, "Dad, is everything alright?" I'm​ about to ask why he didn't call my phone instead but then I remember that I turned my it off. Hey, a girl's gotta party sometime. When he doesn't answer after a few seconds, I probe. "Dad?"

Then he says​ the words I dread. "Evelyn, it's your mother...." I don't quite know what happened after that. I freeze in my seat. Everything happened in a blur. Nessa grabs the phone from my hand and the next thing I know she's stepping on the gas and flying pass the speed limit. No doubt heading to my parents' house or the hospital.

The hospital. Oh God.

I think Nessa is squeezing my hand and trying to reassure me but I can't be sure. Everything is such a blur.

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