A Wonderful Surprise

"Ugh, finally", I said as I walked into my apartment.

I had just finished my night shift. It was already 9:00 pm and I was exhausted.

"All I want to do is relax tonight and enjoy some Netflix." It is a bit lame to just stay home, especially on a Friday night, I thought as I slumped onto my couch.

I remembered that I had promised myself at the start of the year to be more socially outgoing. Being an introvert, it was quite easy for me to find excuses to not go out or avoid plans altogether. The thing is, I do enjoy outings, but it really depends on my mood and the people I will be surrounded by. If the vibe is even a little off for me, it will put me off going out the next time. It’s a rubbish excuse, but it works for me.

It's okay, I'll just relax for tonight and next time I promise I'll go out. I assured myself with this declaration.

I switched on my TV and made my way to the kitchen. "There has to be something in this fridge I can warm." I sighed. I hated having to cook, especially after working at night.

My phone suddenly vibrated as I rummaged through looking for anything edible.

Hey girl, what's up? Just got back in today.

You coming out with us tonight? Really want to see you.

"Oh no," I whispered. My hand instantly clasping my forehead as I read the text message.

I completely forgot that Destiny would be back from visiting her family this week.

Of course, she will want to go out. Destiny was my crazy, outgoing best friend. We had been friends since middle school and now even attended the same university. It's amazing how we're friends because we are complete opposites, but I guess that's what makes our relationship work. Opposites attract as they say. She was the one that approached me first, obviously. She told me that she loved my shoes and well, it all started from there, over a decade of friendship.

I sighed. I did not know why I was acting so surprised. Destiny had already informed me of her plans prior to her departure. She had to go out of town to visit her parents back home, but most importantly to check in on her grandmother who had fallen ill recently. The family was worried and feared the worst, so Destiny rushed over as soon as she could. Luckily, her grandma was able to pull through and is in a much better condition now.

I stood still for about a minute, contemplating my next move. Hmm maybe I'll just ignore it, I thought. How would she even know if I had seen her message or not. Thank God for Android phones.

Just as I gained my sense again, my phone started ringing. Oh whatever, let me just go because I know I’ll be nagged over it.

“Hey Destiny, how are you? What’s the plan?”

.....................................

Destiny pulled up to my apartment in her blue Honda civic. Melody and Ashley were also in the car with her.

I frowned and puffed as I entered the car. I greeted them all with the fakest smile I could pull. Although I was grateful that we were not going to a club tonight, I still would have much preferred my alone time. Destiny had not told me much over the phone about the plan for tonight, she said it was a surprise. I was curious about what we could all possibly do together on a Friday night that did not involve the regular bar hopping these girls loved.

Now, don’t get me wrong, these are my girls and I love them to death. I would do anything for them, even sacrificing my precious me time.

As I brought myself back to reality, I noticed that it looked like we were headed towards Melody’s house. I was slightly confused and looked at Destiny. She turned back and smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll like the surprise.” We chatted and played our favourite songs for the rest of the ride until we pulled up to Melody’s beautiful home. I always called her home the castle because it was that amazing.

Once we entered, Destiny proceeded to cover my eyes and lead me up the stairs into the living room. As soon as we reached the top, she told me to open my eyes and I was so happy at the sight before me. Sprawled all over the living room were different memorabilia of our friendship. Posters and flyers of significant events like prom, concerts, and birthday parties. Also laid out were all our favourite snacks and movies.

“Awww what’s all this for,” I asked.

“Well,” Destiny said. “We know that things have been difficult for you lately, so we just wanted to do something together. Just something nice and cute like the four of us used to do when we were younger. Nothing too crazy because we know you’ll run away,” she laughed.

“We just wanted to show that we love you and will always support you,” Melody said.

“Yep, we’ve got your back girl!” Ashley chimed in. We all laughed.

I took a moment to glance around and realize how sweet the gesture was. It was true. Things had been quite difficult for me lately. I had just been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and it caused me to reflect on my life. I thought of my personality, my past struggles, my future worries, and my current behaviour. I guess I become more withdrawn, and they were just worried about me.

However, I reassured them that I would not let it hold me back. I had vowed to overcome this condition and evolve into the strong, confident woman I knew I was. Deep down, although I had felt isolated from my friends and family, I realized that they had their own personal struggles. We all have challenges in life, whether similar or different. It was up to us to decide how to react to those obstacles. Either we succumbed to failure due to excuses or we persevered and developed in our lives.

We all hugged each other, and I felt so safe and secure. In that moment, I knew that everything would be okay.

This really was a pleasant surprise, and I was so grateful and thankful for having such amazing friends!