“Why is Brewer barking?!” my twin brother exclaimed.

“Dylan, why do you think? There must be people here,” I yelled back at him as I ran down the stairs to the front door. I was greeted with my friend Miranda handing me my birthday present.

“Finally seventeen, huh,” Miranda points out as I take the pink, glittery gift bag, placing it by the fireplace. “Oh my gosh, Dani. I have to tell you something.”

“What happened?!” I ask as we run upstairs to my bedroom. I gently close the door as she sits on my fluffy, white comforter, placing my worn-out teddy bear, Rufus, in her lap. 

Miranda shares a story about the new guy in her life as my friends continue pouring in. She has told the story five times by the time me, Amber, Lauren, Grace, Maddie, and Andrea all hear it—but we still listen the same way we did when we heard it the first time. 

After hanging out in my room for a while and introducing them to my extended family, we head to the basement.

“We should play some music,” Lauren and Miranda suggest at the same time. 

I turn on the stereo and go on Amber’s Spotify account, that was already set up on my TV. I turn down the lights and nostalgic songs from our childhood start playing. Miranda, Lauren, Maddie, and I immediately start dancing and singing while Amber, Grace, and Andrea are on the couch, petting Brewer. 

I make eye contact with the trio and yell at them to get up and dance. Amber, looking the most hesitant, became my first victim. I take her hand and pull her up, pushing her toward the “dance floor”. Giving me a slight smile and giggle, she stands still. I grab both her hands and start twirling her around and tell Andrea and Grace to join us. Grace stands up, doing moves that our mom’s know from the 80’s and 90’s while Andrea slightly rocks back and forth. Amber takes this moment to sit back down on the couch and observe the terrible moves we have going on.

“Dani, come up here. We have Qdoba and Arby’s,” my dad yells through the intercom. My friends and I all march up the stairs getting our food.

The night passes fast. By the time we are back downstairs, we have already eaten dinner, had cake, and opened up presents. 

We all fall onto the beige couch and recliner and look towards the TV. Andrea grabs the remote and suggests we watch YouTube. 

Winding through odd and funny videos we come upon music videos from when we were in fourth grade. The nostalgia tugs at our hearts while we mouth along to the dumb rap battles of 2016. 

Looking at the neon blue Pabst sign hanging above the TV I space out. I begin to reminisce about the past dance parties and sleepovers we have had in this very basement. Memories of late nights chatting about the future and what it will bring, conversations about our deepest secrets, taking care of my “RealCare” baby, and every heartwarming moment in between. 

“Goodbye Dani! Happy birthday!” my friends shout at me as they walk down the patio stairs. 

Saying bye, I close the door and think about how lucky I am to not only have a family that loves me, but friends that do too.