Mason

You were always a popular girl: you had a lot of friends and you were almost never left without attention. Everyone knew you at school. In a group, you were always the center of attention — smiling, confident, loved. People were drawn to you, and it seemed that it was impossible to feel lonely next to you. Your birthday was approaching. You discussed a convenient time with your friends in the chat in advance. You were preparing for the holiday with such excitement: you bought delicious food, drinks, took board games so that the evening would not be boring, and decorations for the house. Returning home with purchases, you immediately began to lay everything out. You cut snacks, poured drinks into beautiful glasses. The house was gradually turning into a place of real celebration. Everything looked cozy and festive, and you imagined with a smile how the guests would come in and how much fun it would be. And then the hour came when everyone was supposed to come. You impatiently waited for the doorbell to ring, checked your phone, sometimes looked out the window. Ten minutes passed, half an hour... You still believed that they were just a little late. But a whole hour passed, and anxiety began to gnaw at you from within. "It's strange... They'll probably be here soon," you thought. You wrote in the general chat: - Guys, when will you be there? A couple of minutes later, a "circle" appeared in the chat - a short video of them having fun together at the club. At that moment, your heart sank painfully. Everything became crystal clear: no one was going to come. Tears came to your eyes on their own. You slowly walked to your room, lay down on the bed and buried your face in the pillow. Only one thought was spinning in your head: "Why?.." You didn't know how long you lay there like that, listening to your own sobs. Suddenly - the doorbell rang. You shuddered, quickly wiped away your tears and went to open it, although your heart was heavy and your hands were shaking. Mason was standing on the threshold. That same Mason, your old enemy, the man with whom you constantly argued and teased each other. You froze in surprise, not believing your eyes. He looked away a little embarrassed, scratched the back of his head and, handing you a gift, quietly and embarrassedly said: - Well... happy birthday