"Surprise!" The voices, in unison, were deafening as Rob and I entered Roosters at noon. 

I stopped in the doorway and took in the sight. It hadn't been our room that Lark and Tricia were decorating. Instead, the balloons, streamers, and presents littered a table at Roosters. People from my swim team, some of my classes, and most of our residential floor were standing around drinking and eating, laughing, and talking.

      I turned to look at Rob. "Did you do this?" I asked.

      He shook his head. "Tricia and Lark," he clarified. His dark eyes were bright and clear. I just wanted to sink in and forget the rest of the world even existed.

      The sound of squeals turned my head into the thick of the crowd. Tricia and Lark rushed me, scooping me up in a big hug shouting "Happy Birthday" over and over while shaking me around. I laughed, watching Rob's back as he sidled up to the bar to get us some drinks.

      "Oh my God. How were the puppies?" Lark asked. She shared my love of animals and, almost against my better judgment, I'd introduced her to Aaron and the guinea pigs a few weeks ago.

      "Best birthday gift ever. Who thinks to call a breeder and ask to come play with their puppies – no hope of a purchase, just play with them," I said, still in awe that he'd taken me to a little farm on the outskirts of Ottawa that bred Labrador retrievers in all their gorgeous shades.

I'd almost stopped at a pay phone on the way back to campus to see whether my parents missed me enough to let me buy a puppy that I'd keep at their house. I was pretty sure they'd say no, but the temptation was almost more than I could handle.

      Lark grinned. "He came up with the idea. Me, the yellow pages and a roll of quarters found a breeder who didn't mind having you come just to play. Was it amazing? I'm so jealous right now."

      "It was amazing." I gave her a hug and squeezed her a little tighter. 

Whenever I seemed to think there was no way that I was going to be able to handle Lark for a whole year, she did something really thoughtful, and it crushed all my anger. When she wanted to be, she was an expert anger crusher. I wondered if that's how she and her boyfriend had survived their long distance. I guess we'd know in a few days.

      "We got you a couple presents. We have no money, so it's nothing amazing like playing with puppies," Lark said, taking my arm and steering me towards the table.

      "How'd you get the swim team here and my friends from class?" I asked.

      "You and Tricia have a lot of classes together, so she just handed out invites on the sly. Then, we used your team contact list posted by the phone in your room to call everyone on the swim team list. Even your coach is coming later to buy you a drink, I think."

      "Later? But, I have practice later," I said, wondering if she meant late tonight. I wasn't sure how long I'd last if we were starting at noon. Tricia loved her shots a little too much sometimes.

      "He canceled it when it seemed like everyone was coming here," Lark said. "Everything's just shitting glitter today."

      Another classic Lark expression. I laughed and surveyed the table in the middle of the room, surrounded by all the people I was coming to love. I felt an enormous swell of gratitude. I looked over and saw Jill talking to Tom.

      "You have to go to your meeting soon," I said, thinking out loud.

      "I know – don't worry – I'm not drinking yet. I can't wait till this bullshit is done, though. Of all the days for them to pick, it would have to be the day you're finally legal!" Lark pulled me into her side as we looked at the table.

      Just then, the lights went out, and I looked around in confusion. An uneven tune started as everyone pitched in to sing "Happy Birthday" as Rob delivered a giant slab cake to the table, decorated with the number nineteen in candles in the middle.

      Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to push them away. As birthdays went, this was one for the record books.

      "Josh and Anil took the bus to the supermarket to get you the cake," Lark whispered in my ear as Rob approached. 

I took Josh and Anil grocery shopping with me now whenever I went because they hated taking the bus there so much. I searched for them in the crowd, but I couldn't see them.

      On the cake, was a sea of blue with some lane ropes and a diving board. On the cake were the words, "Happy Birthday, Liz. We can't wait to dive in." I laughed and looked at Rob through my shining eyes. Then, I looked around at all my friends who'd come to make this birthday one of the most memorable of my life so far.

      I let the candles burn for a moment as I took a deep breath. I blew them out in a puff. The lights came back on, and Tricia passed me a shot.

      "Let's start the party how we intend to end it," she said.

      "Puking over a toilet?" I asked, throwing back the shot.

      "Just remember to get all the strands of my hair, okay? Nothing worse." Tricia grinned and tossed back her shot as well.

      I laughed and hugged her. "Thank you for all of this. It's amazing – like, really amazing. I can't believe you and Lark did all this."

      "Oi, I helped too," Rob said, sipping his beer behind me.

      I grinned and turned to grab his face, planting a quick kiss on his lips. I whispered in his year, "If I'm not too drunk later, I'll give you a proper thanks." I pulled back and winked at him. "And, if I am too drunk, just make sure you get all my hair as you're holding it back, okay?"

      He was in the middle of another sip of beer as I finished my sentence, and he started choking and laughing at the same time. "Don't you have one of those elastic thingys for your hair?" he asked, wiping his mouth.

      I pointed to my wrist, where I always kept one handy. "I do, indeed." I grabbed my drink off the table and took a big gulp. I was giddy with happiness. I couldn't imagine a better day.

      Before Lark left for her meeting, she pulled me over to the table and presented me with a small square wrapped box. I gave her a quizzical look and she said, "Open it."

      I pulled off the paper and opened the box to reveal a white mug. Removing the mug from the box, I could see writing all over it. Across the mug were things people had said to me around residence over the last few months and catch phrases we'd started using as a shorthand to get a laugh between the three of us. The biggest words on the cup? Brilliant, superb and kiss the girl.

      I pulled Lark into a hug and then stepped back to read the mug again. "How'd you do this?"

      "My parents' friends' have a pottery shop and a couple weeks ago I went there. I knew I didn't have a lot of money to get you a gift. So, I made this. I figured you could drink your tea out of it, and it would always remind you of me, of this year, of Rob..." she trailed off, looking at the cup, more than at me.

      When she looked up to meet my eyes, I hoped that mine shone with the sincerity I felt. "Thank you – I mean it – thank you so much," I said, giving her another side hug.

      "Tricia got you some stuff, too. But, I wanted to give you this before you were too drunk to read it." She laughed and grabbed her coat off a chair. "I gotta go, but I'll be back to drink you under the table later."

      I laughed. "I might already be under the table at that point. You'll be welcome to join me. I might be passed out." 

I watched her leave Roosters without looking for Jill, and I wondered how their meeting was going to go.

###

      By the time Faith and Paul showed up, I'd been drinking for a while. Despite my resolution to pace myself, it was hard with everyone in the place buying me drink after drink.

      "Faith!" I yelled, running over and enveloping her in a hug. "You made it!"

      She laughed and squeezed me tighter. "Sorry – I had class. Exam review, so I had to go. Man, you are already so drunk."

      I pulled back and gave her a lopsided smile. "I know; it's so hard with so many drinks." I gestured to the full table behind me. "Can you guys take a couple? I won't tell anyone. At this rate, I'll be passed out on the floor by four and that's no fun."

      Faith looked at Paul and he shrugged his shoulders, taking one of the beers off my table. "Happy Birthday. Thanks for inviting us," he said, raising the beer in a cheers motion.

      "Of course. Though, I think technically someone else invited everyone. I thought it was just me, Lark, Tricia, and Rob getting drunk today. I'm amazed so many people came."

      "Well, once Coach Burton canceled the practice, it seemed like a no-brainer to anyone who might have been on the fence." She winked at me, picking up one of the drinks off the table. "This looks interesting," she said, taking a sip. "Mmmm. You might want this one. It's good."

      "No, it's okay," I said as Tricia came over with yet another shot. "My roommate is going to bankrupt herself on shots today." I grinned at Tricia and after a silent count to three, we both tipped back our heads and downed the drinks.

      "Is Lark's boyfriend here yet?" Faith asked, looking around.

      If I hadn't known what happened the last time Paul and Lark were in the same room, I wouldn't have known why she was asking. But, I knew all too well.

      "Two more days," I said, picking up a beer off the table. I was mixing so many different drinks and levels of alcohol that there was no way I was going to be sober before late afternoon tomorrow. My poor liver was in for a workout, and my brain cells were rapidly vanishing.

      "That's cool," Faith said, smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I hope you don't mind – one of Paul's friends from home is coming for the weekend. He's meeting us here later."

      "No, that's great," I said, scanning the bar for Rob. "I'm just going to go find my boyfriend," I said, walking backward a few steps. "Come introduce Paul's friend later."

      As I was searching the crowd for Rob, Tom stepped in front of me. Or I weaved in front of him. I wasn't sure I was walking straight anymore.

      "Happy Birthday," he said, taking a drink of his beer.

      "Thanks," I said, smiling at him. "Is Jill back yet?" I tried to check my watch, but it was a little fuzzy.

      "Not yet, no," Tom said, his eyes serious.

      I hesitated, still scanning the crowd for Rob. "Is – I mean – I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm too drunk to be talking to you about this, probably. Is she okay?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

      "I know you and Lark are mates. I don't want to get in the middle," Tom said, taking another drink of his beer. "This is a great party."

      "Have you seen Rob? I can't find him with all these people," I asked, scanning again, wondering if I was really that drunk that I couldn't find my own boyfriend in the crowd.

      Tom looked uncomfortable as he gulped down more of his beer. "I expect he's out in the corridor consoling Rachel, actually. She's been a tad upset to see you two together. She's had a bit to drink." Tom shrugged.

      "Oh," I said. I turned on my heel, heading for the exit. As I neared the door, Tricia grabbed my arm.

      "Hey, where are you going?" she asked.

      "Rob's out in the hall. Apparently, Rachel is crying or something? I don't know. Tom just told me," I said, gesturing towards the door in annoyance.

      "So, why are you going out there?" she asked, taking a drink of her beer.

      "To see what's going on," I said as though she was dumb.

      She frowned and her well-tweezed brows pulled together. "You don't trust him?" she asked, clearly surprised.

      That stumped me. Did I trust him? I think I did. He'd never given me any reason not to – at least not in the last couple of weeks. We'd pretty much spent all our free time together. He sometimes even walked me to class when he didn't have a class or picked me up from class just to grab a quick bite to eat. 

I frowned and said, "I don't think that's the point."

      She looped her arm with mine and started pulling me back towards my table full of drinks. "Come talk to some people. Anil and Josh should be here soon and," she checked her watch, "hopefully Lark and Jill are both still alive after their meeting." She pulled me closer to her side and whispered in my ear, "You can pounce on him when he comes back in, just to show her he's with you."

      I was almost back at the table when someone grabbed my arm on my other side. I turned and grinned. "You're back!" I said, squeezing Lark. "How'd it go?"

      "Like Hiroshima." She made an exploding noise. "Let's get drunk." She walked away towards the bar. Almost immediately, she turned back and said, "Oh and I told Mishti that Cal would be staying in Rob's room. We'll have to tell him that later."

      Rob and Tom's room. Why would she do that? It wasn't really any better than Cal sleeping in her room with her. I caught up with her and pulled her arm. "Wait. What? Why'd you do that?" I asked. I was too drunk to think through my tone.

      She turned on me sharply, clearly still a little wound up from whatever happened in her meeting. "I did it because Jill said he couldn't stay in our room. So, I agreed to compromise by having him stay in Rob's room. If she wants to stay with Tom, she'll have to let Cal in our room at least a couple times. Besides, I didn't think Rob would tell you no."

      "Whoa, whoa," Tricia said, coming up beside us. "It's Liz's birthday – we can fight about this tomorrow – probably tomorrow night. Let's just let it go, okay?" She looked at me and Lark with bulging eyes. "I want to have fun – roommate code – no drunk arguments. It's in the code." She slapped one hand on top of the other for emphasis.

      "Whatever," I said, shaking my head and heading out to the hall to find Rob.

Author's Note:

What do you think is going on with Rob and Rachel? Why is Lark's sleeping arrangement for Cal surprising? What do you think Tom doesn't tell Liz more about Lark and/or Jill?