Karma is a B(Jerk)

It started out like any other day. I woke up bright and early, ready to take on anything the world would throw at me. I stretched my arms out to the sides and I popped my back on the headboard of my bed. The dim sunlight fluttered through my translucent curtains, giving my room a blueish glow. Most people would describe me as a raptor stretcher, I always laughed at the thought of that.

After fully waking up, I got dressed in some leggings and a large T-shirt, and I then left my room.

I walked down the hallway, the light in the front room becoming brighter with every step I took. The floorboards creaked under my bare feet, and I flinched every other stride at the exposure to the cold against my feet.

Today was my best friend's birthday, and I planned on giving him the best birthday he could hope for.

I walked into the kitchen just past the front room, the light from a few of the open windows lit up the room slightly, but the sun continued to rise, so turning lights on didn't seem like a problem I needed to deal with at the time.

There were large cardboard boxes on the floor filled with party supplies I had gathered the previous day, a large pink punch bowl, white, blue and pink streamers, plastic table cloths, balloons, paper plates and pretty much everything the party stores had to offer.

I poured myself a glass of orange juice and put a bagel in the toaster.

It was a little quiet in my small house, but that didn't bug me. Today was going to be a great day, especially with my expert party planning skills.

I took the entire day setting everything up, the streamers in the corners of the room, which was hard because I'm rather short, then I blew up some balloons, which was also exceptionally hard because I have rather small lungs.

After all the party supplies were set up, I started to set out the food on the table, all while texting everyone to come to a surprise birthday party for the one the only best buddie.

I had already arranged everything ready for that night, and I was prepared for anything and everything.

I would like to point out now, that Karma is a Bitch.

After a few hours of waiting, people showed up, parking their cars down the street so we could surprise Matt.

We all talked for a while before someone yelled that they could see his car pulling up.

Quicker than a colony of rabbits in a rainstorm, we all dove behind couches and coffee tables, behind doorways and in closets waiting for him to come in.

Since we had been friends from elementary school, we just let ourselves into others houses. He opened the door to the empty house, and for a few seconds, none of us knew what to do.

"Kathy?" he asked looking around.

I held up my fingers to some people hiding in the doorway, and they nodded.

I counted down with my fingers.

Three,

Two,

One.

Then we all jumped out, some of us with kazoos and small air horns.

Mat was so startled that he stumbled back, falling down onto my porch.

I quickly ran to his aid and helped him up. We learned later that he had bruised his hip and lower spine.

We all greeted him and then the party started, we turned on some music and everyone was free to mingle as they wished, I locked the doors to every room but the bathroom just in case this party got out of hand.

People went in and out of the backyard, helping themselves to party food and played party games like we were little kids enjoying tag, pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs and bingo.

After a while, people started acting weird. Like- alcohol weird.

I asked in the text I sent out, that alcohol stay away from my house, due to landlord policy and on account of not wanting chaos to unfold during a party for my friend.

but somehow, as I took a sip of punch, I tasted odd.

Had someone spiked the punch?

But I was quickly taken away by another friend who had accidentally set her hair on fire with a lighter they were using for- heaven knows what, and they were now rinsing her hair in the sink.

After we had taken care of that problem- it was back to the punch to figure out what went wrong with it, but I was quickly pulled to the side by some other party guests.

The musical chairs had turned and there where two boys beating each other with the plastic lawn chairs, due to the effects of the punch.

Me and a few other people had broken up the fight and gathered the chair shards to prevent further harm, I reentered my house to figure out what was up with the juice.

I scooped some into my cup and took a large sip

Someone had spiked the punch, and after all my test tasting, my skin was starting to go numb. I picked up the bowl, with a major struggle and I carried it into the kitchen.

I set the bowl on the counter and started to pour it down the drain. "Kathy?" Someone asked and I jumped, scared out of my mind.

I turned around to see my best friend, a cup of punch in his hand.

"What're you doing?" he asked, a faintly distant look in his eyes.

he had already had quite a bit of punch. I stopped pouring the tainted punch down the drain and turned my entire body to look at him.

"I'm sorry this party isn't what you were thinking." I started to say.

"What are you doing?" he asked again, this time not slurring his words. "I'm... Pouring the- spiked punch out... so this party can't go downhill anymore."

He nodded, by now, everyone had come inside, or out in the front yard, so I poured myself a cup, not even caring anymore about all of the crap that had happened and we went out the back door to sit on the steps, in the dim sunlight of the evening.

I drank almost the entire cup before I looked over at Matt.

He looked out at the grass just past the concrete in the yard.

"wow this party sucked." I said after a few minutes of silence.

He laughed.

"A girl's hair got set on fire, someone spiked the punch, and we had a lawn chair jousting match."

he laughed again. "There was also a problem with the pin the tail on the donkey." He said taking a sip of his punch. "All I'm going to say is that I'm glad you weren't in the house while that went down."

I laughed.

"Me too." I said, taking another sip of my punch.

There were a few moments of silence before the alcohol began to kick in. "I'm sorry- this party is a complete mess." I wiped my face trying to keep my cool.

"It's fine." I could hear him say from a little ways away from me.

"no... I don't think it is..." I mumbled rubbing my temples. My head hurt.

"Kath- It's fine." He said again.

"but it's not okay." I said, setting my cup down on the concrete steps.

"Kath- you took it upon yourself to make me a party, that alone is amazing, but to keep the party going for three hours? Dude, that's awesome. You're awesome."

I looked out to the empty backyard full of plastic chairs and party games.

I didn't know what to say.

"Thanks." I said after a few minutes.

"No problem. No matter whatever shit you pull, at the end of the day, were still friends, and we'll look out for each other."

I smiled.

"Happy birthday Matt." I said lightly punching him in the arm.

He chuckled. "Same to you in a few months huh?"

I laughed back. "Yeah."