Page 51 of When Darkness Calls

Time for Birthday Plan Part Two.

I walk a few feet back toward the stairs, pausing beneath the attic door, pulling on the string.

Please, God, don’t creak. I do NOT need it to sound like the whole house is falling apart right now.

The universe must be on my side because the door swings down with a slight groan, but nothing ear-drum bursting.

I’m going to take it as a good sign today’s going to be amazing.

sixteen

Dani

Yeah, it’s official. I miss Grayson when he’s not around. It was my first birthday party without him in my entire life, and I could tell. I just hope he’s okay.

After he left last night, rather abruptly to be honest, we all moved into the kitchen to finish making the brownies. Cade regaled what Dad had told him about the business and the guys all sang their praises. When Cay pulled the brownies out and the edges had all been a little too close to burnt, we sat them on the counter to cool, and Nick had walked out to his car.

When he came back, a box in one hand and a bag in the other, the guys all began to sing Happy Birthday, pulling out their own gifts from various hiding spots around the kitchen and living room.

It was…almost perfect, if only he had stayed. I didn’t even care the brownies had burned, or that the candles we had weren’t the right numbers and I was blowing out the flames on a “1”, “5”, and “4”, or as Alex had so graciously put it, “Fifteen plus four, ‘cause the icing is a plus sign.”

Then one by one, each of the guys came forward with their gifts, wearing those goofy birthday hats in different colors.

First was Cade, holding out a heavy box covered in a spiderweb wrapping paper. I almost felt bad tearing into the paper because I could tell he took time making it look nice with the large bow tied around it. As I flipped the top of the box open, an excited squeal burst from my chest.

“You didn’t!”

“I did,” he said with a wide smile. “It’s not the exact one we had when we were kids, but I think it’ll do. We’ll work on the TV later alright?”

“Deal!”

I pulled the VCR out, setting it gently on the table. It might not have had the DVD player too, but that’s fine, I can just get one separately.

I’ve moaned and groaned for a while over how upset I was our parents had gotten rid of the one we had and the collection of physical media we had accumulated over the years.

Over the summer, I found a handful of VHS tapes at a thrift store in Tennebris when me and Liz had taken a trip into the city. As soon as my eyes landed on them sitting on a shelf, I vowed to start my own collection and since then have scoured every thrift store, secondhand shop, and pawn shop between Ashwood County and Tennebris with zero luck finding a working VCR. Not even the video store in Pinehaven had one in stock.

And there one was, sitting on our kitchen table.

“Thank you so much, Cay.”

He shrugged. “It’s my brotherly deed for the year, so enjoy it.”

I rolled my eyes, packing it back into the box so I can carry it to my room with my other gifts a lot easier later.

“Alright, alright, my turn! Here you go, Dani Doll. Not to brag or anything but I definitely have the best gift here.” Alex nudges Cade out of the way, sliding the gift bag across the table. The light blue bag looked to be nearly bursting with the amount of tissue paper he had stuffed inside it.

“Are you sure there’s actually something besides paper in there?” Keegan snickered as he pointed at it, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Alex.

“Yes, smartass, I’m sure. I didn’t want any of you assholes to see the awesomeness that I got her and feel bad for how inferior your gifts were,” he declared, looking down his nose at each of them.

Nick snorts, saying, “We were with you when you bought it.”

Alex slashes his arm through the air in Nick’s direction. “Silence, young grasshopper. Behold greatness.”

Skeptically, I reach out, dragging the overstuffed bag closer, and begin the tedious task of pulling out dozens of pieces of tissue paper.

“Alex…did…did you use the entire pack of paper?” I glance up at him standing there bouncing on the balls of his feet.