𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᴹᵃᵈᵈʸ'ˢ ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ¹⁶

The room was lit with string lights that cast a warm glow over the venue.

Gold and blush-colored decorations adorned every surface, giving the space an elegant yet youthful vibe.

Elena adjusted the hem of her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles as she walked into the party.

Madeline's sweet sixteen was in full swing, and the birthday girl herself was at the center of it all, radiating energy.

Elena spotted her near the dance floor, chatting with a group of friends, her black dress sparkling under the lights.

"Elena!" Madeline's voice rang out the moment their eyes met.

She waved excitedly, breaking away from the group to rush over.

"Finally sixteen, huh?" Elena teased with a grin as she opened her arms. "Coming up the rest of us."

Madeline laughed, pulling her into a warm hug. "Took me long enough, right?"

"You look amazing," Elena said sincerely, stepping back to take in Madeline's sparkling gown.

"Thank you! You do too. I swear, you always look so put-together," Madeline said, gesturing at Elena's outfit.

"Well, happy birthday my baby," Elena said, smiling warmly. "I hope you're ready to soak up all the attention tonight. You deserve it."

"I'm trying," Madeline said, beaming. "But it's not just my birthday—it's Aidan's, too. You should go say hi. He's been asking about you."

Elena laughed. "He would. Where is he?"

Madeline gestured toward the snack table, where Aidan was chatting with Violet.

Elena made her way over, and as soon as Aidan spotted her, his face lit up. "Elena!" he called, opening his arms.

"Happy birthday, Aidan," she said, giving him a hug. "I missed you! How's 16 going for you so far "

He laughed. "Feels pretty good, I'm not gonna lie. But it's not every day I share the spotlight with my sister. How about you? Are you finally relaxing, or are you secretly plotting your next chance hit me"

"Hey I'm trying to be nice today ," Elena said. "Though I'm this close to slapping you in the back"

"Sounds about right," Aidan teased.

Before their conversation could go any further, a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"El! There you are!"

Elena turned to see Mason weaving through the crowd, his signature grin lighting up his face.

He was dressed casually but still managed to stand out, his relaxed confidence making him impossible to miss.

"Mason!" Elena said, her face breaking into a smile as he approached. "Hi oh my gosh "

"Of course I did," Mason said, pulling her into a quick hug. "Wouldn't miss Maddie's big day—or the chance to see you guys."

"Smooth," Aidan said, smirking.

"Happy birthday, by the way," Mason said, giving Aidan a quick hug.

"Thanks, man," Aidan replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Violet before she ropes me into one of her random plans."

As Aidan walked off, Mason turned back to Elena. "So, how's it going? Are you surviving ?"

"Barely," Elena said with a laugh. "But it's a good kind . Everyone's here—it feels like a reunion."

"Yeah," Mason said, his expression softening. "It's nice. Makes me miss the set days a little."

Elena nodded, feeling a pang of nostalgia. "Same here. But hey, at least we've got nights like this to catch up."

Mason smiled. "Exactly. It's been too long since we all hung out like this."

She smiled back, letting the warmth of the moment settle over her.

Parties like this were hectic, but they reminded her of how lucky she was to have this group of friends who made everything feel effortless.

Elena walked alongside Mason, their steps falling into an easy rhythm.

The buzz of the party filled the air, but Elena's attention was focused on weaving through the crowd.

As they passed the snack table, Mason nudged her lightly.

"Hey, there's Jacob and Mickey," he said, gesturing toward the corner where Jacob and Miguel stood chatting.

Elena's face lit up, and she quickly changed direction. "Let's go say hi."

Jacob spotted them first, his grin breaking wide as he waved them over. "El! Mason! Took you long enough to find me."

"Blame Mason," Elena said with a laugh. "He's terrible at directions."

Mason rolled his eyes. "I'm literally right here."

Miguel turned to face them, his familiar, easygoing smile spreading across his face. "Elena! My sister !"

"Mickey," she replied with mock innocence, giving him a hug. "How've you been, Miguel? It feels like forever."

"Good, just busy," Miguel said. "But I've gotta say, seeing all of you tonight feels like stepping back in time. It's giving me major Black Phone nostalgia."

"Same here," Jacob chimed in, nodding in agreement. "You guys were the best. "

Elena gave him a playful shove. "Don't get too sentimental on me, Jacob. I know I was "

"I wasn't talking about you dumbass." he said with a grin. "But you were my best friend on set, after all."

Mason raised an eyebrow, glancing between them.

"Oh I'm so telling Brady you like me more than him " Elena said with a laugh.

"Sure," Jacob said. "But you were was always there to keep me grounded. Honestly, if it weren't for her, I might never have started talking to Maddie."

Miguel perked up, glancing between them. "Wait, you mean Elena played matchmaker for you two?"

Jacob nodded, his smile softening. "Pretty much. Maddie and I barely said two words to each other during filming. But then at Elena's sweet sixteen, she dragged me over to Maddie and told us both to stop being awkward."

Elena laughed, shaking her head. "You two were impossible. I just gave you a push—you did the rest."

"Well, it worked," Jacob said. "Now we're here, and I couldn't be happier."

Mason smirked. "So Elena's not just a movie star—she's a professional matchmaker too?"

"Don't give her too much credit," Miguel teased, earning an eye roll from Elena. "

Mason leaned in slightly, his voice low enough that only Elena could hear. "You've got a knack for this, you know—bringing people together."

She glanced at him, her smile softening. "I just like seeing my friends happy."

The group lingered there for a while, the conversation flowing easily as they shared stories, joked, and reminisced about the past.

For Elena, this moment was everything—a reminder of the friendships she'd built, the memories they shared, and how their lives had intertwined in ways she could've never predicted.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —