Benicio Montgomery was a trust-fund kid, so of course, his birthday bash was extravagant.
When the three of us arrived at the party, Benicio and Adalynn Watson quickly became the center of attention, swarmed by guests. Meanwhile, I was swept away by the crowd, unnoticed and unmissed. For the first time, I felt the glaring divide between our worlds.
I had known Benicio since middle school but only met Adalynn in high school. Her warm personality made us fast friends, and she often sought me out. Over time, her familiarity extended to Benicio as well. It was only then we realized that Adalynn lived in the same neighborhood as Benicio. They were neighbors. Even though they met later than I had with Benicio, it seemed fate had its way of bringing them together.
Looking through the throng, I watched Benicio and Adalynn being nudged closer by the crowd. As everyone teased them about being a perfect couple, Adalynn blushed while Benicio smirked. At that moment, I regretted tagging along; it felt like I was setting myself up for heartache. Without having brought a present, I slipped out of the ballroom.
Once home, I turned in early. But in the dead of night, I was awoken by a knock. Thinking it was my mom, I groggily opened the door, only to find Benicio standing there.
He looked serious. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"
I couldn't fathom the irritation in his voice. Did my presence really matter to him? Everyone was posting clips from his party in our class chat, and he didn't seem the least bit upset.
"And where's my birthday present?" he suddenly asked.
I remembered the gift I'd been working on for months and then thought of the video where Adalynn had given him a pricy scarf worth thousands. I felt a pang of embarrassment. It wasn't just that our gifts were different, but hers was lavish, while mine was a simple, amateurish scarf.
"I forgot. I didn’t have one ready," I said.
Benicio inhaled sharply. Just when he seemed about to say more, footsteps echoed in the hallway. I stepped back and shut the door.
