Chlaughan

Just for you

CHIARRA

Tuesday, 1:00pm

Two days. That's how long I have until facetime becomes my best friend. Until my car can't take me to her house in just a few minutes. Until I have to walk into our thrift store alone, and see Jenna's face as she registers that the thing we have been talking about for months has happened.

My mind races with these thoughts as I set out the rest of the decorations for Ella's goodbye party. It's a surprise, but I'm sure she knows something now; I mean, all of our friends are blabber mouths if I'm being honest.

I hang photos of our friend group on the wall. Pictures from the first day of school, our beach trips, our sleepovers, even the pictures we took on our school chromebooks, hang along the fireplace in the living room. We have all grown up so much, and I'm just now realizing it. Looking at these pictures, I can tell that we have all changed so much, yet stayed the people we were when we all met each other at the same time.

I want everyone to have a good time tonight. I'm expecting lots of tears, saying as though it is almost everyone's last time seeing Ella. But there is never a moment with this group of people where I want to leave them. We always find a way to have fun, no matter what.

We have no real plan for tonight. However,  Avery made videos for us to watch at some point during the party. A week ago she asked us to film videos of ourselves answering a few questions about Ella. She said she was going to put it all together for us to see, so, that will be exciting. I think there is another video too, but I'll have to wait and see what that one is.

I pick a few things up around the house, trying to make it as clean as possible before anyone shows up. A knock at the door stops my cleaning, and I skip off to answer it.

I open the door and invite in Hailey and Christina, both of which are early, which is unusual for them. They set down gifts that they brought for Ella, and make themselves comfortable.

A few minutes pass and everyone has arrived. Brigid, Carli, Emily, and Avery all show up around the same time.

"Okay, so does everyone know the plan?" I ask, sitting down on the couch next to Carli.

"Not at all." Hailey says with a smirk.

"Well then, I will go over it. Ella thinks she is coming over just to hang out with me. Everyone will hide behind the wall, and when she walks in, we will jump out and yell surprise. Got it?" I refresh their memories, knowing I told them the plan the other day.

They collectively nod and I take a breath.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening. Can you repeat that?" Christina jokes, and I throw a pillow at her.

We sit and talk for a bit before we get close to Ella's arrival. My mom runs out from the kitchen in a rush.

"Mrs. Harry texted me! They are almost here." She says, panting as if she just ran a mile.

We get up and sit behind the wall, squished together in the small space. I try to get everyone quiet, but Lord knows we can't be serious for more than a minute.

"I see their car." My dad says, looking out the window.

Brigid squeals and Emily smacks her in the arm, causing me to laugh.

A knock at the door silences everyone's whispers. My dad opens the door and greets Ella and her mom. I look back and the group and countdown from three.

"Three. Two. One." I mouth.

"SURPRISE!" We collectively yell as we jump out from behind the wall.

Ella's hand flies to her chest and her jaw drops. We all gather around her as she processes what is happening.