There's a small crowd of people outside the door, holding a huge cake, and grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Surprise Alia!" They all yell again. I am really shocked. I can't believe they are here- Tanvi, Shruti and Sayali (the twins and my friends from college), Nishita (an old friend from school), Mayank, Saurav (my cousin) and to my surprise, Ayush and Siddharth.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask stupidly.

"Standing in line and singing the national anthem", says Saurav, rolling his eyes. "What do you think we are doing?"

"Can we stop grinning now; my jaw is really starting to hurt", says Nishita, rubbing her chin.

"Happy birthday sweetie!" says Tanvi, hugging me. "I hope you liked the surprise."

"Did you organise all of this?" I ask her, to which she nods. "This is fantastic! I've never celebrated my birthday like this before! You guys are great!" I exclaim ecstatically. "I'm so happy all of you are here, for me!"

"Who says we are here for you? We are here to meet Elsa", says Siddharth, sitting next to Elsa, and rubbing her belly and scratching behind her ears. I realise I have stopped refering to her as "the thing". Maybe it's a birthday bonus. Elsa looks as if she is enjoying herself, wagging her tail and licking Siddharth. I actually find it cute.

"Here, take this tissue before you start getting all emotional", says Mayank laughing. I laugh too.

Everybody hugs and wishes me happy birthday.
"Hey Alia, happy birthday!"
"Wow, can you believe you are already seventeen?"
"Happy birthday babe! Where's my return gift?"
"Hey Alia, can we cut the cake please? I'm starving."
"So what sort of ageing cream do you use, Alia?"

Although mom has let my friends inside the house, she doesn't join in the celebration. Neither does dad. I guess they want to give me and my friends some privacy.

I can see that Elsa and Sid have instantly become friends. She is already following him around, and to my utter disbelief, I find that I'm a little jealous. Well she's supposed to be my dog, for crying out loud!

"So Alia, I didn't know you have a dog", says Mayank, conversationally.

"Don't worry Mayank, I didn't know either until yesterday", I reply.

I walk towards Tanvi and hiss in her ear, "I can't believe you invited Ayush and Sid."
"Well they wanted to come", says Tanvi, innocently.
I glare at her, but I am secretly glad that Ayush came. I find myself blushing a little and playing around with my hair everytime I catch his eye.

"You could spend time with us too Alia, you know", say Sayali and Shruti, feigning hurt. "We know you have a new pet now and you are it's new mommy and everything.."

"I am not a mommy", I say, gritting my teeth.

"Well I can tell you one thing, sis", says Saurav, smirking. "Your hair is shaggier that Elsa's. Which doggie shampoo do you use, again?"
Everybody laughs loudly, and I throw a pillow at him. "Jerk", I say. He seriously cannot crack such jokes in front of Ayush. It's so embarrassing!

"Hey, Alia..." says a soft voice behind me. I turn around to face Ayush, stumbling a little. I blush. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure." Through my peripheral vision, I can see Saurav narrow his eyes. He is an overprotective brother. But I wouldn't want anybody to mess with him. He is huge.

I lead the way into my balcony.
Once we stand near the railing, Ayush speaks again. "You look beautiful."

"I'm in my pajamas, Ayush", a thrill goes through my heart as I say his name. "But thanks anyway." I smile at him.

He grins and says,"I hope it's not uncomfortable for you to have me here, since I actually barely know you." He smiles sheepishly.

"No, no", I stutter. "I'm- I'm glad you came-"

"Really?" he says with a wide smirk.

"Well don't give yourself too much credit", I slap his hand. I should really control my tongue in front of him. I say things which are said in movies and plays when he talks to me.

"Don't worry, I'm glad I came too."

I laugh. He frowns a little and says,"So are you, and that guy in glasses- Shaunak something-"

"Siddharth."

"Yeah him- are you guys like a couple?"

"Nope."

"Oh, okay", he says. He pauses a minute before asking the next question, but I cut him off saying,"And neither do I like him."

"Well I'm officially hurt", says a voice. Sid is standing at the entrance to the balcony, leaning casually, with one hand in his pocket, and the other holding Elsa.

"Have you been eavsdropping the whole time?" I ask him furiously.

"No not the whole time", he says grinning. "I don't want to listen to Romeo and Juliet declare their undying love for each other, because let's just face it, that's disgusting."

"That's funny, coming from a nerd, who wouldn't know the difference between Romeo and Juliet, even if they stood naked in front of you", says Ayush. His jaw tightens. Surprisingly, Elsa barks at him. Sid rolls his eyes and mutters in Elsa's ear, "Don't worry Elsa, he's just being a drama queen", before continuing, "Anyway, I came to call you love-birds inside. People are waiting to eat the cake."

I feel guilty now, as I have already forgotten my friends inside, waiting for me. I follow Sid quietly into my bedroom, blushing furiously, as I catch Tanvi's glinting eyes and Saurav's what-the-hell-were-you-doing-out-there-alone-with-him look.

I cut the cake as everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to me. Everybody feeds me the cake. With the exception of Sid, who paints my face with a whole piece of cake. Ayush gets irritated because of that, and grabs a piece, aiming to throw it at Sid's head, but is stopped by Elsa barking at him again. Oh boy...

"Now it's time to open the presents!" says Nishita, jumping up and down.

I get seventeen gifts, in reference to my seventeenth birthday, each of them more unpredictable and crazy than the other.

"A Barbie doll.. Yayy.. I'll make sure I carry this around to all my fake tea parties."

"Awww, air purifier.. You guys are so sweet. May you all burn in hell."

"A pregnancy test? And a- ohhh you guys are so thoughtful- a condom!"

"I'm so proud of you, baby sister", says Saurav, gritting his teeth and shaking his head. He shoots a furious look at Ayush, who throws his hands up in the air and says, "Hey, I just met her man."

"Wait-you guys got her a pregnancy test and a condom?" laughs Mayank. "That's a little...late, don't you think?" He guffaws. Son of a bitch.

"Don't worry, precaution is better than cure", says Sayali, smirking. Shruti snorts.

"An adult diaper? Really?" I sigh, opening my next present. "How did you guys know I have leak issues?"

"A chocolate box.. nice.."

"Just so you don't go hungry", says Shruti.

"A skipping rope?"

"So that you exercise after eating a box full of chocolates", says Shruti.

"Wait what's this-? Ooooh it's from Sid", I say. "It looks nice, like a book." I open the present and groan. It's a poster, with my photo on it, which says in bold letters "ESCAPED FROM THE MENTAL HOSPITAL. IF FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT THE ANIMAL POUND."

"Thank-you for your concern, Sid", I say.

"Just don't forget to take your meds", he says grinning. Elsa barks as if agreeing to Sid's statement. She has been sitting on Sid's lap the whole time. She wags her tail, and licks Sid's hand. She bites him affectionately.

"Elsa, get up from there", I tell her. "Sid is spoiling you."

"C'mon Alia, she likes me!" says Sid.

"You're not her type", I tell him, coldly.

He just smirks widely, and whispers in Elsa's ear, "I would never leave you for any other dog, Elsa. Al is just jealous 'cause she knows I'm into you, and not her."

"Shut up man", says Ayush.
"Don't call me Al", I tell Sid threateningly.

"Okay okay guys, enough!" says Tanvi. "Lets eat the rest of the cake."

Everybody starts digging into the cake, making a huge cream and chocolate mess. Ayush is still glaring at Sid, who says, "Hey Al.. Something's wrong with Elsa, she's gone into super-still mode."

I glance at Elsa. Just as Ayush reaches out his hand to grab a piece of the cake, she jumps into it.

"NOOOO!!"