Something About Someone

"I swear this is the one"

"You said that the last 7 times James, it is getting late and we have to get this party set up for tomorrow morning"

The snow starts to fall in even faster over the small local party store, with every snowflake more and more weight gets added to the feeling of needing to get home.

"Ah ha", James says with delight like he just found hidden treasure.

"Here we go, finally some luck is bending our way".

James pulls a giant 8 by 8 roll of sky blue/pastel pink paper from behind a multitude of other randomly named rolls of paper.

"Ashely loves this paper, she wraps everything in this stupid color, and honestly it makes it easy when we are handing out gifts because everyone knows where the presents came from".

"And you really think it was worth spending almost 2 hours going from store to store trying to find this paper for her presents". "I have known you for 10 years and I don't get treatment like that".

"You don't know Ashely like I do Marcus, she is all about the small details. Plus that is the best part about knowing you for so long bud, I don't have to try and be with you, I can just be your friend". James quickly runs up to the store counter, 5 minutes before they close and purchases the roll of paper with his friend Marcus. The two walk out the store with paper in hand and are ready to head home, until James realizes he forgets something quite important.

"THE CAKE", James proclaims as he rummages through all the plastic bags in the back of his car hopping that the cake magically appears out of thin air.

"Did you really forget the most important part"?

"I was so busy, I literally didn't even think to stop by the bakery, the store is closed now how are we going to get a cake ready by tomorrow morning?"

"Well we could always just make one", Marcus says with a question behind his voice.

"Well we have no other choice I guess, can you bring everything by 10 AM tomorrow"?

"100 percent, my grandmother and mom have baking supplies for days, I am pretty sure I can find everything we need."

James starts to walk around the car with his hands behind his head like he just ran a marathon, he knows that he has to make this birthday party work. After being with Ashely for over 3 years, things are starting to take a turn for the worse in the relationship and he wants this party to be amazing so he can make Ashely happen and hopefully stay with him.

"Lets do it then"

James and Marcus hop in the car and take off in the snow, hopping tomorrow goes off without any problems.

THE NEXT DAY AT 9:30 AM

"You actually got here early", James says to Marcus as he lets him in through the door, but notices something quite shocking.

"You made the cake already?"

Marcus lifts up the chocolate velvet looking cake and exclaims, "I got up extra early with my grandmother and mom so I can get this done so you didn't have to stress out about baking".

Out of the 10 years James has known Marcus he has never seen Marcus go so above and beyond but knows how much he has been sulking to him about Ashely and their relationship.

"Thanks my guy, means a lot actually"

"Don't sweat it bud", as Marcus hands the rich looking chocolate cake over to James.

2 HOURS LATER AT 11:30 AM

As the friends and family of Ashely, the 26 year old birthday girl, start coming in the tension James felt for getting the party together starts fall off his shoulders and starts to partake in the festivities. In the middle of the party he finally gets to have some alone time with Ashely.

"You know I did this all for you"

"Yheah I know James... and honestly I thank you for it, I really needed this."

James can feel the happiness take over his exhaustion as he talks to Ashely for the next half hour about their plans tomorrow and what they are going to do next week. For once in a long time, things seem to be going good for James and Ashely.

TIME FOR CAKE!

The voice of Ashely's mom echoes through the hallways of the house as she and everybody starts to gather in the living room to sing Ashely, Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday dear Ashely... Happy Birthday too you!

As cheers and claps make its way around the household, pieces of the amazing chocolate cake start to flow throughout the crowd of about 20 people. One by one they start to indulge on the velvet like cake, asking one another who made the cake.

"My mom, my grandmother, and I made it", as Marcus starts to let everyone know who made the impeccable dessert with a smile on his face.

James quickly grabs his plate with fork in hand but decides to go bathroom first since his hands are dirty.

As the minutes pass by and the forks start to cling on the glass plates to signal the last bite of cake, something starts to happen.

"Mom are you okay"? Ashely quickly runs over to her mom as she starts to fall down with plate in hand and mouth still smeared with chocolate.

Ashely's mom hits the floor with all of her weight and starts gasping for air like she is choking on something solid

"Quick! My mother is choking! Please someone!" As James comes around the corner quickly he starts to realize the horrific scene that is unfolding.

One by one people who ate even a quarter of the cake start to fall with the force as the mom and quickly start holding their throats like they are choking on something. James quickly realizes that Ashely's mom has green foam coming out of her mouth and is convulsing. As he runs over to check her pulse, he feels her last breath exit out of her chest.

"What the fuck is going on"!

James screams as slowly everyone starts to succumb to the same illness as the mom with the same terrifying convulsions and green foam dripping out of the mouth. As he turns around on the other side of the table, he sees Ashely shaking and throwing up green foam.

"Stay with me babe, come on look at me... please don't close your eyes"!

"I... can't..."

Ashely tries to say something else but falls to the floor face first. She is dead before her head even hits the wooden floor.

James looks at his slice of cake with tears in his eyes, with throw up and foam every where along with dead bodies pooled up all next to each other, he asks himself one more time.

"What the fuck happened, why did this happen", James all of a sudden hears a couple of foot steps behind him, still sitting on the floor with Ashely in his arms, he turns around. It is his friend of 10 years Marcus, with a slice of cake in hand.

"Marcus! Was this you! You made the cake man, why..."

Marcus with a slice of chocolate cake in one hand and a fork in the other hand he says in a very low but happy voice.

"I need you to love me like you loved her... I needed you to understand that"

James stands up but with little strength due to all the tears leaving his body. "So you did all of this just for yourself"!

Marcus sets down the plate slowly and clears his throat so James can hear what he has to say clearly.

"You know... I did this all for you"

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