I. Geoff
The bros had been sleeping for a while, which meant there was only one thing for Geoff to do. He hurled a decorative pillow right at Duncan's face, then threw a second one at DJ.
"Wake up, dudes!" Geoff flailed his arms frantically. "We got, like, an hour until our most esteemed guests show up!"
Duncan startled so badly he practically fell off the couch. From his new spot on the floor, he cursed and said, "You don't have to call 'em 'esteemed guests', man."
DJ, slower on the uptake, rubbed his eyes wearily. "Five more minutes, Geoff, honest."
Geoff totally understood the beauty of an excellent nap, but today was simply not the day. "DJ, man, you're the chef for this whole shebang! How's that turkey coming?"
"I put the turkey in the oven earlier," DJ said. "And most of the other food is was already prepped."
"Are you sure about that?" Geoff pressed. When they'd leased the condo, the dudes had split up all the important activities. DJ's job was always, always cookin' up the most radical meals possible. And as someone who often ate those radical meals, Geoff cared a lot about whether or not they actually got made.
"Fine. Let me go check on that casserole you begged me for." DJ straightened up to his full height and lumbered into the kitchen, clapping Geoff on the back as he passed.
Duncan was still yawning. Geoff pulled him to his feet. "You're not off the hook, brah. We gotta decorate."
"Decorate?" Duncan repeated. "Geoff, man, you gotta be kidding. Why couldn't you have done this while I was passed out on the couch?"
Geoff was suddenly very interested in looking anywhere that wasn't Duncan's face. "You guys were sleepin', and I totally need your help on this one."
Aaaand maybe he'd gotten way too sucked into his online Fantasy Football stuff. After pitting the Argonauts against the Elks (Argonauts were totally gonna win, by the way), he'd glanced at the clock and realized three hours had passed and, oh shoot, Sammy and Gwen would be here soon.
That wasn't the point now. Friendsgiving was a party, and all good parties required decorations. Ask anyone, and they'd tell you Geoff was great at throwing parties. No way were they skimping out on deco tonight.
All the decorations were stuffed into the closet, the same one that hadn't been opened since move-in day in August. Geoff pulled out golden streamers for the walls, then dumped a bunch of plastic pumpkins and cornucopias into Duncan's waiting arms.
Duncan stared at the cornucopias. "Where did you get all this?"
"Um, friend of a friend."
Geoff had no idea where he'd gotten the decorations.
He left Duncan to tape up streamers. One pumpkin went in the living room, and a second went right above the TV. Geoff set up a cornucopia in the kitchen, which already smelled like turkey and butter and bread.
"We totally need candles," Geoff realized. "We got anything in pumpkin spice? Cinnamon?"
DJ didn't look up from meal prep as he answered, "There's the autumn wreath candle my mama sent us. It's in the bathroom."
"Woah!" Geoff sprinted off to retrieve it. This was going right on the table, where everyone could appreciate it. Hopefully, the bathroom wouldn't smell like buttcheek without the candle. Then he dashed upstairs to Duncan's bedroom, where he found a lighter.
By the time he got back downstairs to the main foyer, Duncan was on the phone.
"What are friends for, dude?" he said. "See you in a bit."
Geoff set the candle down on the nearest surface: the table beside the couch. "Who was that?"
Duncan shrugged on his leather jacket. "I gotta run. Don't worry, Geoffy, it'll be a great surprise."
Surprises? Essential to a party! "Cool, brah. You gonna be back in time for dinner?"
As he ran a hand through his gnarled mohawk, Duncan said, "Dude, how far's… okay, I think I'll be, like, a half-hour late."
"Bro!" Geoff dropped to his knees. "We can't start eating without you!"
Duncan was reaching for his car keys from their place beside the front door. "Gwen won't care, and Sammy's too polite to make any comment about it.
"Oh, and Geoff?"
"Yeah, dude?"
"Get that candle away from your hat." And with that, Duncan slammed the door, 'cause he was wat Duncan did. The force rattled the nearest cornucopia, and a faux apple dropped to the floor.
Geoff looked at the candle. Duncan'd been right. His cowboy hat teetered on the edge of the couch, inches away from the flame. He snatched up his hat and dropped it back onto his head. Problem solved.
Then Geoff reached for the fake apple and took a bite out of it instinctively. Yuck. Tasted like cardboard.
"Hey, DJ! I'll give you ten dollars to eat this apple!"
II. Zoey
Even after wiping her sopping wet hair out of her eyes, Zoey still couldn't see. Tears and rain blurred the corners of her vision, and her runny eyeliner stung her eyes. She couldn't even remind herself to breathe because she was freaking out so bad. Where was she walking? She didn't even know at this point. She needed to find somewhere safe from the yelling and clamor of the airport.
And then someone's wheeled backpack steamrolled over her shoe.
"Ow!" Zoey blinked.
The backpack's owner, a burly man with a thick black beard, glared at her. "Watch out, kid!" he snapped. His snarl was the last straw. The tears spilled over.
Zoey cried in earnest as she broke into a sprint, but just as quickly the sobs turned into sniffles. Think positive, Zoey. Please.
Again, she wiped stray hairs from her vision. There, by that magazine stand. She'd be safe there for a little while.
Still sniffling, Zoey parked herself under the kiosk and withdrew her phone from her hand-dyed backpack.
You're not gonna die in this airport, she reminded herself, even though her hands shook as she scrolled through her contacts list and tapped on the first name she could think of.
"D-Duncan?" Her voice wobbled dangerously, partly from the rain chill and partly from the just-finished-crying nerves.
"Hey, Red. Get home yet?"
Inhale. Exhale. Her stomach was tied in knots.
"Hardly." Zoey took another steadying breath. "Um, so my flight got canceled."
"No kidding. 'Cause of the rain?"
"Yeah," Zoey sniffled. "I called my parents and told them, obviously, but there's no way I'm getting home today."
"Youch. Lemme guess: you need a ride back to campus?"
Relief shot through her system so fast Zoey almost burst into tears again. She did her best to keep her composure.
"Y-yes please. If you're not busy. I know you and Geoff and DJ are doing that get-together." In their sculpture class the other day, Duncan had explained the friend group's Thanksgiving plans to her, but she'd had to decline his invitation.
"Pfft, you're giving me an excuse to get out of decorating. I'll head out right now."
Oh my gosh, she was saved. She'd be getting out of this awful place in one piece.
"Thank you so much, Duncan. Love you!"
He snorted. "What are friends are for, dude? I'll see you in a bit."
When the call ended, Zoey shoved her phone into the driest pocket of her backpack. Duncan was coming, yeah, but she had another forty-five minutes to kill here. She couldn't risk using all her phone's battery before Duncan arrived.
So after taking a moment to breathe, wipe the hair from her face again, and make sure that her eyeliner wasn't too dread-fully smudged, Zoey did what any sensible college student would: she parked herself in the nearest coffee kiosk and ordered a pumpkin spice latte to nurse while she waited.
The thunder continued to rumble overhead, and Zoey shivered in panic. Duncan was driving in this weather because of her. What if he got into an accident? He was such a reckless driver sometimes… Maybe she should've called Gwen, or waited for the rain to stop.
No no no. Don't catastrophize, Zoey, she told herself. Then she got up and ordered a slice of cranberry bread to make herself feel better. Was this awful for her wallet? Yes. Conversely, she'd been refunded for the canceled flight, so everything evened out.
When she got the long-awaited 'im almost here' text from Duncan, Zoey ordered a final item: an iced espresso.
The 'im here' text sent her sprinting back out into the rain. Her hair and clothes got soaked all over again. Yay. Zoey cradled the espresso in her arms so it wouldn't be ruined by the rain.
She tumbled into the passenger seat of Duncan's beat-up, kinda-rusted car.
"Long time no see, Red." Duncan's left hand relaxed lazily on the wheel, and he stared at her with his usual subdued interest.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Zoey gushed, sliding her backpack to the backseat and into the company of Duncan's junk. "I was literally crying in the airport and—"
"Why am I not surprised?"
"—it felt like the end of the world!" Zoey considered herself level-headed under normal circumstances, but this afternoon had been a special kind of stressful. But now they were driving away and leaving the airport behind them. Everything was alright. She set the iced drink in the cupholder between them. "Ordered this for you. You like espresso, right?"
"I can dig it." A sly smirk spread across Duncan's face. "You have no idea how often I broke speed limits on the way here.
"I don't think I want to know." Zoey wrapped herself up in her own arms. Later she'd apologize to Duncan for soaking his passenger seat. For now, she just wanted to forget the cold.
Duncan turned up the heat and the radio. "Anyway, guess what."
"What?"
"You're coming to Friendsgiving. No questions."
III. Sammy
Sammy arrived at Geoff's five minutes early, just in case they needed extra help setting up dinner.
"We're all good, Sammy-dude!" Geoff told her as soon as she offered. "Check out all the stuff we got!"
He spread his arms, welcoming her into the condo. Sammy smiled at the plastic cornucopia on the table.
"I like what you've done with the place," she said. This was actually her first time at the boys' condo—mostly when they hung out, it was on campus. Tonight felt like she was finally cementing her newfound friendship with everyone.
"Thanks, brah. Duncan helped, too, but he skipped out early." Geoff rolled his eyes in the most exaggerated way Sammy had ever seen; he was definitely joking.
DJ emerged from the kitchen and offered Sammy a nice, warm hug.
"Nice to see you, DJ!" Sammy smiled up at him. "Happy Thanksgiving!"
"Friendsgiving!" Geoff corrected.
DJ frowned at him. "Dude, put an actual sweater on before you free to death."
Geoff was wearing his usual unbuttoned pink get-up. He stuck his tongue out at DJ but ran upstairs anyways.
"I bet living with him is fun," Sammy commented.
"He does his chores, at least. You know he's thoughtful when it counts."
Sammy nodded. She did know.
Geoff bounded back down a minute later. On the fifth step, he jumped all the way to the landing.
"Boo-yah!" he yelled.
Sammy clapped. "You could totally be a cheerleader if you wanted to."
"I'd rock the team, yo." Geoff dusted himself off. He'd changed into a burgundy sweater with a turkey on the front. Judging from the way it hung off him, Sammy was ninety percent sure Geoff had nabbed it from DJ's closet. How sweet they could share clothing. That was the hallmark of a solid friendship.
If DJ noticed, he didn't say anything. "All the food's ready except the turkey. Which is fine, since we're still waiting on Gwen and Dunc."
Sammy stepped around DJ and peeked into the kitchen, but from her vantage point, she couldn't see any of the food. "Oh! Are we having cranberry sauce?"
DJ shook his head. "Nope. We've got gravy and stuff, though."
"Oh, okay. Cool."
Geoff's eyebrows arched. "Do you like cranberry sauce?"
"I love it," Sammy admitted. She and her twin sister had very different tastes in food, and cranberries had always been Sammy's defining thing.
"We can get you some!" Geoff declared. He looked to his roommate. "Is that cool, brah?"
"Go for it, man," DJ said. "I, uh, put the turkey in a little late, anyways."
"Dope!" Geoff had already hopped over to the front door, and he beckoned Sammy to follow.
"Uh, okay!" She waved goodbye to DJ and followed Geoff. Sammy grabbed her raincoat, which she'd left to dry on the porch. As Sammy pulled the hood over her head, Gwen arrived.
"Where are you guys going?" Gwen asked, a quizzical expression on her face. "I like your overalls, Sammy."
"Thanks! And we're just going to the store for a minute. We'll be back soon."
"Cranberry sauce!" Geoff hollered like it was a touchdown cheer. Then, in a calmer voice, he added, "Duncan's out, too, but Deej is inside finishing up the turkey."
Gwen shrugged, clearly used to it. "I'll keep him company, then." She disappeared into the house.
Rain slid down the windows as they drove. The radio was already playing generic holiday music, and Geoff belted out the lyrics as they drove. Sammy sang, too, but his voice easily dwarfed hers.
She always felt especially small around the guys. DJ, though a sweetheart, naturally towered over all of them. And though she'd learned bit by bit that Duncan did indeed have a heart, from afar he'd always seemed dark and broody. Geoff, however, put her at ease. Sure, he had at least a foot on her, but his upbeat, earnest, and easy-going demeanor made her feel at home.
It's a good kind of small feeling, she thought. It was knowing she now had friends who were looking out for her.
After splashing through the parking lot puddles, Geoff's first order of business was hurling himself at a shopping cart. Sammy traipsed after him as quickly as she could. Where'd this guy get all this energy? She'd never seen Geoff drink a single coffee. It was a mystery.
"Okay, I haven't been to this store, but I'm guessing—" Sammy paused. "Wait, Geoff! Wrong way?"
He'd made a beeline for the frozen food section, which was definitely not where one would find cranberry sauce. Unless he thinks I asked for frozen cranberries. That would make more sense.
Before she could figure out the right way to say any of this, Geoff hollered, "Sammy-dude, catch!"
Out of nowhere, a box of frozen pizza hurled towards her face. Sammy yelped. At the last moment, she caught it against her abdomen, saving it from certain doom.
"Nice catch!" Geoff flashed her a thumbs up.
Sammy's gaze ping-ponged between the frozen pizza and her friend. "Are we buying this? I thought DJ already cooked the main course."
Geoff laughed. "Nah, brah, I know that. I was just gettin' in a little extra frisbee time."
"Oh." It made sense now. Sammy prepared to throw: she bent her legs and curled her arm. "Well in that case…" She gently tossed the box back to Geoff, and he returned it to its freezer shelf.
"While we're here, we must address a very, very important question," Geoff said. He solemnly placed his hands on her shoulders, and Sammy thought, What is going on?
"Pineapple on pizza," Geoff said gravely. "Bodacious or rank?"
Sammy panicked. If she said the wrong answer, would she be kicked out of the group? Banned from Friendsgiving? Left to freeze to death in the frozen pizza aisle?
"I—I've never tried it," she said. "No opinion."
"Bro, it's bodacious," Geoff declared. "Okay, I can't buy you one right now 'cause I don't wanna disrespect my man Deej, but first chance we get, I am introducing you to pineapple pizza."
Phew. I still have friends. Sammy relaxed. "Sounds like a plan!"
"Now that I think about it"—Geoff rubbed his chin—"I know Duncan and Gwen hate it, but I dunno if Zoey's tried pineapple pizza. I'll call and ask when we get back to the condo."
Sammy nodded along.
"Wanna go for a ride?" Geoff gestured to his shopping cart.
"Heck yeah!" Sammy hopped in. Despite her short stature, the cart still felt cramped. Her knees pressed against her chin as Geoff paraded her around the store. With Geoff, Sammy realized, everything became an adventure. Or a mini-party. If she'd come with someone like Gwen, they would've grabbed the cranberry sauce and checked out immediately.
At last, they reached the canned fruit section. Geoff helped her out of the cart and allowed her the honors of choosing the sauce. Sammy picked out a can and held it up triumphantly.
"The holy grail," Geoff whispered reverently. Then they were off to the checkout line. As Sammy giggled at one of Geoff's jokes, the old couple in front of them turned around.
"What a cute couple," said the old lady. She nudged her husband. "You could take a lesson from him, Frank."
Almost immediately, Sammy and Geoff were shaking their heads.
"Oh, oh no! We're not together," Sammy said.
"Just bros bein' homies." Geoff offered Sammy a fistbump, which she gladly accepted. They weren't lying to the couple. Sammy had come to college looking for friends, not a boyfriend.
And anyway, Geoff was almost like a brother with the way he'd taken her under his wing and introduced her to his friends. Is that too weird to say? I mean, it's true. He was like the caring older sibling she'd never had.
IV. Gwen
"Where exactly is Duncan?" Gwen asked.
"Dude left without a word," DJ said. "According to Geoff, he'll be here in a half-hour."
"Nice." She'd been looking forward to roasting him, but apparently, that would have to wait. Honestly, Gwen couldn't say she minded. There was something poetic about being curled up on the couch, watching rain patter against the windowpane.
"The weather is so dreary," she said. "I love it."
DJ shifted on the other side of the couch. "Rain in Canada is way different from rain in Jamaica. Definitely more depressing up here."
"Everything's depressing up here." Gwen pressed a sweatered hand to her chin. Her thoughts drifted like the thunderclouds in the sky.
What was Mom up to? What was Max up to? He'd stayed at his college for Thanksgiving break, too. That meant Mom was at home, probably cooking a small little dinner just for herself. She'd eat it at their dining room table, surrounded by empty chairs.
The thought made Gwen's stomach ache like a rotting tooth.
"So what made you stay here for Thanksgiving this year?" she asked DJ.
"Plans with Mama fell through."
"Rough."
DJ nodded, accepting her simple affirmation. "There's a lot of stuff on both our plates right now. I promised her I'd call her later, though."
That wasn't a horrible idea. Maybe I should call Mom, too.
"You flew home for Thanksgiving last year, right?"
It was Gwen's turn to nod. "My mom and I decided it'd be easiest, y'know, financially, if I stayed at school this year." She stared at the plastic cornucopia on the table. "I mean, why waste a few hundred dollars on plane tickets for a four-day vacation?"
"I'm sure it wouldn't be a waste," DJ said. "Not if you're with your family."
He was right.
"My mom made the best cornbread," Gwen said. "And my brother and I spent the whole day goofing off."
If she had been home right now, she and Max would probably be playing a video game or laughing through the blinds at their neighbors—if Mom hadn't already roped them into a game of family charades. Gwen curled herself in further, pantomiming a rock, a black hole, a bottomless pit of despair.
"Want a hug?"
Gwen's head snapped up. She was no longer a black hole. "What?"
"I just figured I'd ask." DJ's expression clouded with discomfort, and Gwen wondered how much chivalry Mama had drilled into him. "It ain't right to be sad on Thanksgiving."
I love this guy, Gwen decided. Duncan, for example, would've offered a frickin' fist bump as a consolation, but DJ knew what was up. "Yeah, I'll take a hug."
They met in the middle of the couch. DJ smelled like pumpkin and gravy and stuffing, all the goodies he'd been cooking earlier.
"I miss my mama, too," he murmured into her ear.
Gwen just hugged him tighter. "Maybe we can invite our moms to Friendsgiving next year," she muttered, and DJ chuckled at the quip.
She wasn't a glass-half-full person. But maybe tonight she could pretend she was. It was okay her mom was a few hundred miles away, because Geoff was definitely gonna make a joke that would send seltzer straight out of Gwen's nose. Because Zoey was going to braid her hair. Because Duncan was going to make a fool out of himself, as usual. Because Sammy had interesting stories to tell. Because DJ gave the best hugs.
Friendsgiving isn't so bad, Gwen thought.
And then the fire alarm went off, shrieking in their ears. Gwen winced; her hands flew to her ears. Stupid freaking fire safety!
"Oh no!" DJ scrambled off the couch and into the kitchen. With her hands cupped against her head, Gwen barreled into the room right after him. Smoke billowed angrily from the stove. Gwen cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Is that the turkey? Deej, get it!"
"I am!" He'd yanked the oven door open and reached a mitted hand inside.
Gwen grabbed a hand towel and whacked it above her head, trying to do something about the smoke. When it became clear that wasn't working, her next thought was to open the window. Rain pittered into the sink below, but hey, at least the smoke was dissipating.
At last, the fire alarm tired itself out. The smoke was mostly gone. Everything was under control again. Gwen found herself at DJ's side, peering over his shoulder at the main course.
"Is it… edible?" The turkey was the same shade of charcoal black as her favorite eyeliner.
"Hopefully." DJ poked it with a pair of tongs. "Maybe if we peel off the burnt outer layer, everything else will be fine. That'll work, right?"
"Hey, don't look at me. You're the chef here." Gwen smiled wryly as DJ got to work fixing the dead bird.
V. Duncan
"Okay, here's the plan," Duncan said once he'd parked his car. "We're gonna sneak you in just in time for dinner."
Zoey's eyes lit up. "Wait, that's a great idea! They're gonna be so surprised!"
It was pretty dope when Zoey went along with his schemes, honestly.
The rain was still pouring as Duncan opened the front door as quietly as he could. Why does the house smell like smoke? But Gwen and DJ were talking in the kitchen, so clearly they were alive and he didn't need to worry about it. He gestured for Zoey to follow him up the stairs and to his bedroom.
"Is it just you in here?" Zoey whispered, peering into the room like it was some sacred space and not just a place where he slept and kept his dirty clothes.
"Yeah. Geoff and DJ drew the short end of the stick." Duncan smirked to himself. Juvie hadn't done anything to improve his slobbish nature, and neither of the bros had wanted to deal with that.
"Wait, Duncan." Zoey was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. "You should've taken me back to my dorm so I could get a change of clothes."
"Don't worry about it." Duncan was already rummaging through his drawers. He found a pair of sweatpants that he hadn't worn in a while and threw them at Zoey.
"Duncan!" She looked scandalized. "I can't wear your clothes!"
And here was a long-sleeved black shirt from his high school days. Why had he bothered packing this thing? Whatever, it'd work.
"Would you rather be soaking wet all night?" Instead of throwing the shirt at her, he crossed the room and handed it to her directly. They both looked at the puddle pooling at Zoey's feet.
I should mop that up. Later, of course.
"Well, when you put it like that." Zoey gently set her bag down and met his gaze. "Thanks, Duncan. You're really—"
"Don't say it."
"—sweet." Zoey smiled impishly the way she did any time she insinuated he was a good person.
He scoffed to himself. "Whatever. I'll be downstairs."
Duncan shut the door behind him and left Zoey alone to change. His own clothes were damp with raindrop splatters, but what was he gonna do, cry about it? It's not like it mattered. Food was food, no matter how dry his shirt was.
In the kitchen, DJ and Gwen were turned away from him. Already they were tearing up the turkey. Duncan came up from behind and wrapped an arm around each friend. "Save some for the rest of us, ya pigs."
Gwen wrinkled her nose fondly. "Dude, be our guest." Under his nose, she shoved a plate of…
Duncan grimaced. "What is this?"
"The outer layer of the turkey." DJ at least had the decency to sound apologetic that he'd turned the main dish inside out.
"This is rank, dude." And then Duncan stuffed the turkey skin into his mouth. Gross, but well worth the reaction.
"Duncan!" Gwen shoved him away. "Gross, bro."
Before he could say something witty through a mouthful of turkey, the front door slammed open. "Cowabunga, dude!"
Now the party's really taking shape. Duncan swallowed his turkey and held up a hand. "Geoffster, where'd you screw off to?"
Geoff high-fived him. "Found out Sammy-dude needs cranberry sauce for her Thanksgiving feast."
"I don't need it," Sammy clarified. "I just like it. A lot."
Sammy had good taste, Duncan had to admit. "I dig it. Hopefully that sauce makes up for the screwed-up turkey."
"What happened to the turkey?" Sammy asked, blue eyes wide.
"It just got a teensy bit burnt," DJ said. "Nothing to worry about. Still edible."
"Good, brah, because I am starving." Geoff rubbed his stomach. "And now that we're all here, Friendsgiving can officially begin!"
Duncan cleared his throat. "Actually, guys, we're not all here."
"Lemme guess," Gwen said dryly, "you invited some chick to eat with us."
"More or less. But while I did bring a girl, I wouldn't call her 'some chick.'"
"Yeah, because you're so good at respecting women." DJ elbowed Geoff, and the two dudes chuckled. Gwen rolled her eyes in good humor, and Sammy looked as startled as an inmate at her first prison recess.
Footsteps bounded down the stairs, and suddenly Zoey was there in the doorway. "Hey, guys!"
Gwen gasped and practically tackled her in a very un-Gwen-like hug. "Zoey! What gives?"
"You told us you were going home for Thanksgiving!" DJ said.
Duncan held back while the others crowded around the final arrival. Not that he'd ever admit this out loud—he'd rather die, to be quite frank—but it was satisfying to see all his friends light up thanks to his great idea.
And on an unrelated note, Zoey looked extra dorky tonight. For whatever reason, she'd redone her pigtails as braids. His shirt, which had been small on him, was oversized on her. He chuckled at the sight.
Zoey debriefed the gang on the whole 'my flight got canceled' debacle. "…Duncan bailed me out, and now I'm here."
She flashed him a grateful smile, and he simply nodded back.
Geoff ruffled Zoey's frazzled hair. "Dude, just lettin' you know: we're totally getting pineapple pizza next weekend."
Zoey's eyebrows rose. "Uh, sure, okay?"
Duncan didn't even want to know what that meant.
"Alright, everybody." DJ clapped his hands, and everyone turned to him. "Now that we're all actually here here, let's get Friendsgiving started."
VI. DJ
It had been a tch embarrassing to accidentally burn the turkey. DJ was certain that no one present would ever let him live it down—disregarding Zoey and Sammy, of course, both of whom were living angels. Everyone else, though… By next weekend, DJ knew Duncan would bring up the "Turkey Incident" at least three times.
But the turkey had been salvaged, and everything was right with the world—as long as no one told Mama, who would no doubt scold him for his carelessness.
What remained of the turkey was delicious. They passed food around the table: gravy, cornbread, corn cobs, corn soup, Geoff's casserole, and Sammy's cranberry sauce. DJ helped himself to an extra portion of turkey. After all this cooking and prep, he welcomed a second nap.
Friendsgiving was lively from the get-go. Gwen and Duncan argued about arson laws over mashed potatoes. Geoff spilled his gravy, and Zoey was the first to offer help. Sammy tucked into the cranberry sauce until Duncan demanded she split it with him. DJ made sure Gwen got the first pick of the cornbread, and under the table, she squeezed his hand in thanks.
During his grade school days, Mama had drilled into DJ that he'd know it when he did the right thing. And right now, DJ's heart glowed with the knowledge that this felt right. He was so grateful to be in this kitchen with his friends, a roof over their heads and a good education awaiting them.
"DJ"—Zoey looked up from her corncob—"are you crying?"
He sniffed and wiped a residual tear from his eye. "No!" The squeak in his voice betrayed him. "The turkey's just really good, man."
"That's what they all say," Duncan said.
Geoff clinked a plastic spoon against a plastic punch cup. "Alright, bros! I think it's time for the best part of Friendsgiving: talking about how awesome we all are!
"Here's how it's gonna work: we're gonna go around the circle and say our favorite memory about the person next to us. I'll go first." Geoff took a swig of his punch and turned to his left. "Zoey, I thought it was radical when those emotional support dogs came to campus and you literally wouldn't move from their sides until they left."
That day was fresh in DJ's mind. He, Sammy, and Gwen cooed over the memory of the cute little golden retrievers. Duncan just laughed.
With a smile, Zoey looked at DJ. "My favorite memory of you is probably that one time when you and Geoff and Duncan had that pie-eating competition after dinner."
Geoff and Duncan air high-fived across the table.
"And then after you lost," Zoey continued, "you spent the whole time complaining that the cafeteria wouldn't cook a good pie if the ingredients hit them in the face."
Everyone laughed at that, DJ included. "It's true!" he said. "Those pies were the blandest thing I'd ever tasted." A dash of Mama's homemade spice would fix them right up.
"You didn't even finish yours." Geoff rubbed his stomach. "How do you think I felt?"
It was DJ's turn to reminisce about Gwen.
"Do not say today," she warned. "That's such a cop-out."
"Okay, okay. My favorite memory of you is…" He paused to think. He'd known Gwen since high school, and while they'd only become friends during senior year, there were countless memories from which to choose. In the end, he couldn't figure out his favorite favorite, so he picked one that he could recall off the top of his head. "When you sang 'You Belong With Me' for all of us."
"Are you kidding?" Gwen slugged his arm. "That was at three in the morning and I was totally sleep deprived!"
"I remember it fondly."
"Gwen knows pop songs?" Sammy asked in disbelief.
"Oh right, Sammy wasn't there for that." Duncan grinned wickedly. "Guess Gwen'll have to treat us to another performance."
Gwen glared daggers at him. "Shut up before I pick an embarrassing memory for you."
"Me? Embarrassed? Never."
DJ and Geoff exchanged a glance across the table. We're venturing into dangerous territory now.
Meanwhile, Gwen was still thinking. "Okay, I've got it. My favorite memory of Dunc here was right after he dyed his hair for the first time. His parents got so upset with him that they buzzed his whole head. And…" She pulled out her phone.
Duncan sat straight up, alarmed. "Gwen, don't you dare."
"Do you have a picture?" Zoey asked gleefully.
"Heck yeah." Gwen leaned closer to DJ as Duncan tried to knock her phone out of her hand. "Found it!"
She held up the screen for the entire table to see. Zoey and Sammy yelled in delight. Geoff cackled. "Dude, you look like a total nerd!"
DJ laughed, too. Fifth-grade Duncan was scrawny and scowling at the camera, like a dog that'd been tricked into going to the vet. His hair was so close-cropped that he almost looked bald.
"How did you get that?" Duncan groaned, drowning his sorrows in a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
"Don't worry about it." Gwen tucked her phone away. "C'mon, it's your turn to say something nice about Sammy."
Everyone looked at Sammy, the youngest, newest, and quietest member of the group. DJ said a silent prayer that Duncan wouldn't be a jerk. Out of all of them, Sammy needed the most reassurance she belonged.
"Sam, Sam, Sam," Duncan said, stalling as he mulled it over. "I will never forget last week when you made the mistake of letting Gwen touch your face."
"O-oh." It was clear Sammy wasn't sure how to interpret that.
DJ groaned internally. He knew what Duncan was talking about: last week, Gwen had offered to do Sammy's eyeliner and eyeshadow. The result had been a distinctly gothic look. Duncan's answer, however, was the most tactless thing DJ had ever heard.
Luckily, his legs were long enough that he could easily kick Duncan under the table.
"Ow!" Duncan yelled. DJ shot him a look.
Meanwhile, Gwen jumped to Sammy's defense. "Hey! Sammy looked great in black lipstick!"
"I didn't say she didn't!" Duncan was hunched low, rubbing his injured leg. "Yo, that was meant as a diss at Gwen. Sammy, I thought it was great you were trying something new out. Go goth more often if it makes you feel comfortable about yourself."
The last bit got through to Sammy, judging by the way her frown morphed into a bashful smile. "Thanks, Duncan. That means a lot."
"Just trying to create a punk army to overthrow the system." Duncan drummed his fingers on the table. "Alright, now say something about Geoff before the guy's head explodes."
DJ looked at Geoff, who was indeed bouncing in his seat. Maybe it was the sugar from the punch, or maybe it was from the high of throwing a party. Probably both, DJ figured.
Sammy cleared her throat. "Okay. For Geoff, I guess meeting you for the first time? Oh, for everyone who wasn't there: it was the very first frisbee team practice and Geoff came up to me and showed me how to throw properly. You always made me feel welcome, and you were like my first friend here at college, and now I've met the rest of you! So yeah, meeting you at frisbee. That's my favorite memory."
DJ couldn't help but clasp his hands over his heart. "That was so sweet," he murmured as Geoff gave Sammy a side-hug.
"You're radical, Sammy-dude! I'm glad we got to be friends!"
Duncan raised his cup in the air. "I say we do a toast. To Geoff and Sammy joining the frisbee team."
Zoey held hers up. "To my flight getting canceled!"
"To DJ burning the turkey," Gwen said. DJ made a face at her.
"To Duncan and Geoff and DJ for hosting us," Sammy said, hastily raising her cup.
Geoff went next. "To whoever gave me those radical Thanksgiving decorations. You rock, random person!"
Last but not least, DJ joined his cup with theirs. "To all of us!" he declared.
"Cheers!" everyone chorused.