January 15th was one of those rare cold mornings in LA, the kind where you could see your breath as you walked. It was Andre's birthday, and the group had been planning a small surprise.
Cat was practically bouncing with excitement as she entered the school with Jade by her side. She held a neatly wrapped gift bag, the shiny paper reflecting the soft winter sun. Jade, her usual cool exterior intact, had something tucked under her arm too, though she was far less enthusiastic about the whole ordeal.
"You think he'll like it?" Cat asked, her voice just above a whisper as they walked toward Andre's locker.
"He's gonna love it, Cat," Jade replied, rolling her eyes but smirking. "You've asked me that like five times."
"I just want it to be perfect," Cat said, grinning. "It's his birthday!"
Jade nodded, shifting her gift under her arm. Andre had been their friend for years, and while Jade wasn't big on sentimentality, she knew today was special. Andre was one of the few people who really knew her, and he'd always been there for the whole group.
They turned the corner, just as Tori and Beck arrived from the opposite direction. Tori held a small cupcake box, complete with candles ready to light, and Beck was holding a bag with Andre's name scribbled on it.
"Ready?" Tori asked, eyes wide with excitement.
Jade raised an eyebrow. "For what? It's not like we're throwing him a parade. We're just giving him some stuff and saying 'happy birthday.'"
Tori rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, I think he'll appreciate it. Especially since I got him these cupcakes. I had to special order them from that bakery he loves."
Just then, the man of the hour himself walked down the hallway. Andre was wearing one of his signature stylish outfits, and he had that easygoing grin on his face that made him seem like nothing ever rattled him.
"Hey, man!" Tori called, waving him over.
Andre jogged over, his grin widening when he saw the group gathered near his locker. "What's this?" he asked, looking around with mock suspicion. "Y'all didn't plan something, did you?"
"Who, us?" Beck said, leaning against the lockers. "Nah, we wouldn't do that."
"We totally planned something," Cat squealed, unable to hold it in any longer. "Surprise!"
Tori handed him the cupcakes while Jade and Cat passed their gifts to him. Andre took the boxes, looking genuinely touched. "Aw, you guys didn't have to do this."
"Duh, it's your birthday," Jade said, though her tone was more begrudging than anything else. "We're not monsters."
Andre chuckled as he opened Cat's gift first. Inside was a set of limited-edition guitar strings, the kind that Andre had been talking about for weeks. "Cat, this is awesome!" he exclaimed, giving her a quick hug.
"I knew you'd like it!" she giggled. "You keep saying you needed new strings."
Next, he opened Jade's gift—a sleek leather journal with a note tucked inside: For writing your future Grammy-winning songs.
Andre looked at Jade, touched. "This is perfect. Thanks, Jade."
Jade shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's no big deal. You've been using the same old notebook since Junior Year, and it's falling apart."
Beck's gift was next—a retro vinyl record of one of Andre's favourite jazz artists. "Man, you found this?" Andre said, his eyes lighting up.
Beck grinned. "Had to pull some strings, but yeah. Thought you'd like it."
As Andre opened the final cupcake box, Tori quickly lit the candles. "Make a wish!" she sang, holding the box out in front of him.
Andre closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew out the candles. "Thanks, guys," he said sincerely, looking around at his friends. "This means a lot. You all really made my day."
"No problem, man," Beck said, clapping him on the back.
"Oh!" Cat said, her eyes widening. "We should totally celebrate tonight! Maybe we can all go out and do something fun after school!"
Andre smiled, clearly liking the idea. "I'm down for that. What do you guys think?"
Jade sighed but smirked. "Fine, but only because it's your birthday."
Beck and Tori agreed, and just like that, plans were in motion for a small birthday hangout later that night. As the bell rang, signaling the start of their first class, the group started to head in different directions.
After the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day, Andre gathered his stuff, still riding high on the wave of birthday vibes from the day. They had all agreed to meet up at a new bowling alley that had just opened in town, complete with neon lights, retro vibes, and a snack bar. It was casual, and that's exactly what Andre wanted. Just good friends, good music, and maybe some extra birthday surprises.
Andre was the first to arrive. The bowling alley had a lively atmosphere, with music pulsing through the air and the sounds of pins crashing echoing around. He grabbed a pair of bowling shoes and reserved a lane, then pulled out his phone to text the group.
Andre: "I'm here!
Tori: "On our way! Just picking up something."
Cat: "Coming!"
A few minutes later, Tori, Robbie and Beck arrived at the lane, holding a small box in one hand and her phone in the other. She spotted Andre and waved, heading over.
"Hey! Happy birthday again," Tori said, smiling brightly. "Sorry we're a little late. I had to stop by and get this."
She handed him the small box, which Andre took with a curious expression.
"Another gift?" he asked, surprised. "Tori, you already got me cupcakes this morning!"
"I know, but this is something extra. Open it!" Tori insisted, sitting down at the bowling table.
Andre opened the box to find a sleek pair of new headphones—high quality, the kind he'd been eyeing for months but never got around to buying. He looked up at Tori, his grin wide.
"Tori, these are awesome! You didn't have to get me these."
"Consider it a thank-you for all the times you've helped me with music stuff," Tori said, shrugging. "You deserve it."
Before Andre could respond, the bowling alley door swung open again, and Cat burst in, dragging Jade behind her.
"We're here!" Cat exclaimed, a bit breathless. She was clearly excited, her hands gripping Jade's arm.
Jade rolled her eyes but smiled at Andre. "Happy birthday, again," she said, slipping into a seat next to Cat. "This place is kinda cool. Never been here."
"Thanks, Jade," Andre replied, genuinely happy to see his friends.
"What did I miss?" Cat asked, bouncing in her seat as she glanced between Tori and Andre.
"Just Tori being over-the-top with birthday gifts," Andre teased, holding out the headphones to her
"These are so cool!" Cat said, putting them over her ears and pretending to be a DJ for a moment before handing them back.
"How did you afford those Vega?" Jade asked, they were a pretty expensive pair.
"I have my ways." She tapped the side of her nose in a way to try and look mysterious. In reality, her Mom had gotten a big discount on a pair along with her new phone, so Tori took the opportunity to use it. Without Andre she wouldn't have even been at Hollywood Arts, so it was worth buying him something really nice.
"Alright, who's going first?" Robbie asked, bringing the attention back to bowling.
"I think the birthday boy should start!" Cat announced, clapping her hands together.
"Okay, okay," Andre laughed, stepping up to the lane. He picked a bright blue ball and took a deep breath, concentrating as he rolled it down the lane. The ball curved perfectly and knocked down a solid nine pins.
"Not bad!" Jade called out, her voice teasing but with a hint of genuine praise.
As the night wore on, they took turns bowling, cheering each other on and making a friendly competition out of it. Robbie, always a bit of a wildcard, started off awkwardly, struggling to find his rhythm with the ball, but as the night went on, he improved and even managed a couple of strikes. Tori was surprisingly good, her competitive streak shining as she consistently knocked down spares and strikes. Cat, all enthusiasm and no precision, sent most of her balls into the gutter but kept laughing through every throw. Andre held his own with solid form, though he cared more about the fun than the score. Beck, laid-back as ever, threw a few strikes without much effort, while Jade, competitive but annoyed at near-misses, alternated between skillful throws and sarcastic complaints.
As they all gathered around the table with pizza and sodas, Andre felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It was the perfect mix of fun and friendship, and he couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate his birthday.
After several rounds of bowling and a mountain of pizza, they decided to cap off the night with a few rounds of arcade games nearby. The group raced against each other in driving games, with Cat's competitive side coming out in full force.
"Not today, Tori! I'm winning this one!" Cat shouted, her eyes locked on the screen.
"Not if I can help it!" Tori laughed, trying to catch up.
As the evening wound down and they finally headed back, Andre felt completely content. With friends like these, birthdays would always be a joy.
"Thanks for the best birthday, you guys!" Andre said, as they stood outside the bowling alley, the night air crisp and clear.
"Don't thank us yet! We still have to sing you 'Happy Birthday'!" Cat said, suddenly very serious.
"Oh, great," Andre groaned playfully.
With Tori and Cat leading the way, they broke into an fully harmonised rendition of "Happy Birthday," drawing amused looks from passersby. But as Andre watched his friends laugh and sing around him, he couldn't help but feel the warmth of joy and love enveloping him.