Other side

Ch 7// A surprise

Finally, when she really woke up, the girl opened her eyes. No one was there. She was in her room and everything was as usual. It just seemed to her that what she had heard before was a dream. Stretched, Kerry slid down on the carpet next to the bed. The carpet was like fluffy cloud. It was cream in color and very fluffy. With her arms outstretched, she reached for the blanket and wrapped in it, continuing to sleep on the floor. Kerry took a nap for about five minutes until someone exclaimed:

- Oh! So who is sleeping on the carpet once again? - it was the girl's mother.

The young girl reached out with a hint - as always your sleepy daughter Kerry Shadowy. The mother barely laughed audibly. Kerry always slept the longest in the mornings. When others were already eating breakfast, the girl was just still trying to get away from sleep. Struggling to go to the shower, where only the cold water could free the girl from her sleep clamps, Kerry thought and jumped back into bed.

- Well well! Who then had to learn a lot? But she is now sleeping. Don't forget that today will be guests at 2.p.m., - cheerfully looking at Kerry, said her mother.

"Mom," the girl began in a calm tone, "do you know what I like most about the morning?"

"Well, what is it!?"

"NOTHING!" saying this, the girl took the blanket and wrapped it in such a way that they could not see the head or legs.

Mom, of course, tried to get the blanket off, but she failed. Anyway, but later Dad came to the rescue. And then the cover was harder to hold. The father began to tickle his daughter. 

"Stop! Stop it!" laughing Kerry objected "please stop! Okay, okay, I'll get up. But first..." saying this, she jumped to her feet and hit the side of her father with a pillow.“Oh then!” The man replied grimly with a counterattack.

And then the pillow battle began. At the end of the fight, of course, Dad won.

"Okey, now really stop! Enough to have fun and go back to work!” mom exclaimed. Close to her, quietly, the woman put her hands to the sides. The daughter looked at her father and, standing next to each other, bowed down, saying at the same time:

"Yes, master!"

The mother left the room with her head raised. Kerry and her father continued to laugh for a while, then Dad, blushing his daughter's red hair, left the room. Although the girl's hair color looked more like brown, they looked red only in sunlight. Kerry went to the bathroom. The girl enjoyed the cold water of the shower, the stream of water flowed over the girl's body like soothing caresses. The cold revived the girl, she was fully awake, her sleep seemed distant and unattainable. Dressed she went for breakfast. She finished her homework by 12.00, so there was time to help mom make a salad. After a while, the guests gradually started to arrive. The doorbell rang and Kerry's aunt, her husband and children, Diana and Edmund, entered. Kerry welcomed them. Greeting her aunt and her husband, she hugged her cousin. Aunt lived in the city center. They owned two apartments, in the second, just a few blocks from the Kerry's home, lived grandmother of her, Emilia, Edmund and Diana, Kerry's father and aunt Melania's mother. Grandma had arrived at the same time as Melania and the others. Kerry invited everyone further to the room where the table was beautifully set. The other guests arrived later. The party lasted until six in the evening. Then the guests gradually began to get home. When everyone was gone, Kerry and Emily helped her mother take the dishes off the table and clean the living room. When all was done, the girl finally took a breath. 

A few minutes later, Lisa called her. She asked Kerry to go out because she and Edwin wanted to show her something. Immediately after that, she asked Kerry to give her phone to her mother. Calling her mother, she handed the phone and sat down calmly on the couch. Her mother listened to the speaker, gradually began to smile, until she hung up and handed the phone back to her daughter. After receiving it, the girl asked:

"What did she say?"

"You need to go down. Have fun!" said mother and went back to the kitchen to wash the dirty dishes.

She didn't understand what exactly her mother meant by that, but she didn't mind to get out. Kerry put on a windbreaker, a wooly hat, put a scarf around her neck, put a purse and a phone in her jacket pocket. She walked down the staircase to the exit without hesitation. There Kerry was greeted by her friends - Lisa, Edwin and Eloise. She was her best friend. Kerry was a little surprised to see Eloise here too, because they hadn't been in touch all week, Kerry thought she was sick. Kerry ran and hugged her. Eloise barely held her feet. But there was no need to worry about it, although Eloise was a little shorter than Kerry, but strong enough. 

"Oh... Eloise! What are you doing here? I thought you're sick!” saying that Kerry released her friend.

"I was, at first. But I recovered, and how could I miss my best friend's 17th birthday? Happy birthday!!!" said Eloise and stabbed her in the nose," and if you have an anniversary, we have to celebrate it! Let's go!"

"Where?"

"You will see!"

"It's a surprise!" Lisa whispered in her ear.

Kerry was a little shocked, as she very rarely had any surprises, especially in recent years. She always liked surprises. She has been known for Eloise for many years, since childhood, because they once lived opposite neighbors. The Eloise family left because there was a contract and they moved when Kerry was thirteen.

"Now you have to close your eyes, we'll tie them with a scarf to make sure you don't look," said Eloise.

Kerry closed her eyes invisibly and allowed Edwin to tie them with a scarf. He carefully closed the girl's eyes. Kerry didn't see anything, everything was dark. The young girl went with those who held her by the elbows. Edwin and Eloise led Kerry, following themselves to Lisa. At first, Kerry sensed that she was continuing to walk on the asphalt. It took about seven, eight minutes for the smooth road to change uneven. It seemed to the jubilee that they were following a dirt road, there were many in the neighborhood, so it did not help Kerry to remember the location, even its direction. Because Kerry's eyes were closed, they walked slower. It took probably ten minutes for the anniversary to hear someone whispering. Unfortunately, she could not tell the words because the speaker spoke too quietly. They walked and then turned about ninety degrees to the right, continuing on their way forward. As she walks, Kerry stumbles behind the root. Strong hands, most likely Edwin's, put her back on her feet and continued the walk. On the one hand, Kerry wanted to see where she was going, but on the other hand she didn't want to see, because it was intriguing and exciting. She still saw nothing, everything was dark. 

"Okey, we're here. Now Kerry, be careful, because we're going up the stairs, okay?” said Eloise.

"Got it."

He was taken to the stairs. And for every next step someone said - up. Slowly, without incident, they had reached the required height and walked forward. If Kerry's hearing didn't disappoint her, she heard someone try to open the door. In the end, they squealed and surrendered.

"Careful, the threshold," said Edwin.

Stepping over it, Kerry saw the light through her scarf. Then they went a bit forward. She was stopped. Lisa helped her take off her jacket because it was quite warm in the house. She continued to be led forward, then turned left and released. When the girl felt that she had been released, she almost fell, but still kept her balance.

"Okay, everything is done, we're here. You can untie your eyes," Eloise said from a short distance.

Pinning the knot open, the girl stood still. After taking it off, she blinked her eyes, Kerry looked to the side where her friend's voice came from. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KERRY!” everyone applauded and smiled at her.

The girl saw her friends. Some of the school, her classmates - Tony, Grace, Kurt, Jennifer and Philip. And also former music school students - Austin and Rose. They all, including Eloise, Lisa, and Edwin, stood in a semicircle at the table on which stood the cake, drinking, chips, cookies, salad, various fruits, and other treats. Kerry couldn't believe it, they all were here.

It was so touching that the girl almost cried. She couldn't hold on and threw herself in the arms of her friends. She hugged everyone. Everyone, of course, gave her something. Classmates, including Lisa and Edwin, all presented a dance floor together. Kerry was thrilled. Rose presented Natasha Mostert's book Dark Prayer. Kerry's favorite writer. Austin presented a package containing seven finely crafted glasses. 

"Austin... you know I don't drink."

"Well, anything can happen in life, you know. Maybe it will be useful," Austin made a hint with eye.

Eloise presented her gift last. It was well packaged, she added quietly to better open it at home. Kerry obeyed and placed it on the table under the mirror, then turned and said:

" Okey guys, let's cut the cake and start the party!?

The others responded with confirmatory cries. The girl, passing by the edge, called her mother. She asked if she could stay there overnight. The mother doubted at first, but eventually agreed. 

Tony turned on the music and the party began. Everyone had fun. And then Kerry came up with the idea.

"Does anyone have a computer here?

"I have" Edwin responded.

"Can I borrow? I thought that we could hold a competition on the dance floor here, but we need a computer to put the disc on."

"Yes of course! Here!" saying this, the guy pulled the laptop out of his bag and handed it to the girl.

"Did everyone understand? We will hold a dance competition. Everyone is participating! The first place winner will be able to stay here overnight with me, Eloise, Edwin and Lisa. If one of them wins, then the winner of the second place," saying that in the room could hear both sighs and confirmatory cries.

After connecting everything, Kerry inserted the disc into the computer, put on one of the offered songs, everyone started dancing in turn. Philip did the best. No wonder he engaged in modern dances from childhood. Everyone had fun. The whole evening was spent laughing, dancing and feasting on food and drinks. Shortly before eleven in the evening, Kerry announced the winners of that evening's dance competition.

"Grace won 3rd place! Congratulations," everyone applauded and Edwin gave her chocolate, "Austin won the 2nd place," everyone applauded again, Edwin also gave him chocolate, - and finally the winner of the 1st place, who will also stay overnight, is Philip."

And again everyone applauded, greeted him with chocolate and gradually went home. Some stayed until midnight, but later the last ones left until only Kerry, Edwin, Lisa, Eloise and Philip were left in house. Philip had dark brown hair, peculiar facial features, which made him extra attractive. And no matter how strange it was, Philip had green eyes too, not quite like Kerry. To him, they were dark, with a gray tinge, looking like a dark jungle. Although Kerry didn't like him too much because of his character, they were good friends. It was always fun with him, but he was always a little rude. The strange thing is that never against Kerry, but against others. Although Kerry always tried to provoke him specifically, he never went beyond witty statements. For a moment, it might have seemed to her that Philip liked her, but the idea was immediately abandoned because she knew the guy well, almost everything seemed like a joke to him.

They made the popcorn and watched a movie. After that they decided go to sleep. Kerry and Eloise decided to sleep in the big bed by the wall, and Lisa on the couch at the opposite wall. The guys pushed the glass table into the second room, and Kerry and Lisa showed where the mattresses and bedding were. When everything was covered, the light was turned off, they were still talking for a while but soon everyone fell asleep and Kerry wished everyone a good night, the others answered the same. 

Kerry was very happy with the day, she was happy with the surprise, and for a while forgot all the intense events of those days. She turned to the side and closed her eyes. Suddenly her head ached and someone spoke to her mind.

'Sorry about being so late, but this was the only time I could reach you and say something not to disturb you.'

Kerry quickly opened her eyes to the unexpected guest. Everything around was dark and she remembered where she was. The girl wanted something to say, but then remembered that it was not necessary, so she responded in thoughts.

'You're bothering me... to sleep! Okay, what did you want?'

'Wanted to say happy birthday!'

'Thank you!'

'And that we need to talk tomorrow morning. Seriously! See you behind the house tomorrow at 7 o'clock.

'Are you kidding me? Do you even know what time it is? I will definitely sleep at seven!' she protested.

'Well, then at eight. I will wake you up!'

'How?'

'Like now, with thoughts. Okay, till tomorrow! Good night!'

And again, before Kerry could answer him, James was gone. The mind, with the disappearance of the boy, was freed and stopped in pain. It wasn't even two minutes before Kerry was asleep.