The week had slipped away faster than I anticipated, melting into the weekend before I even caught my breath.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUN!" Mom's enthusiastic voice sliced through the soft cocoon of my dreams.

My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the bright morning light flooding my room. I blinked toward my phone on the nightstand: 7:45 a.m. Already?

"Couldn't you have waited until, I don't know, at least 10:30 to bother me?" I grumbled, pulling the thick comforter over my head in an effort to reclaim a few more moments of sleep.

"Fine," Mom teased from the doorway, "then I guess I'll just have to eat this vanilla frosted lemon cake all by myself."

With a reluctant grunt, I peeled the blanket away, rubbing the sleep crust from my eyes and swinging my legs off the bed.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs," she called cheerfully.

A faint smile tugged at my lips as I tossed on a sports bra and a pair of shorts, grabbed my phone, and shuffled down the stairs.

Mom's breakfasts were legendary in this house—cheese-filled scrambled eggs, fluffy pancakes piled high with fresh fruit, and crispy maple-glazed bacon that always made my stomach rumble.

Speaking of bacon...

The scent hit me the second I stepped into the kitchen, rich and mouthwatering.

"Mmm," I murmured, nearly drooling.

Anxious to dive in, I pulled a chair up to the kitchen island and plopped down opposite Mom. My phone buzzed against the polished marble countertop; I picked it up and answered.

"Hey! What're you up to?" Keisha's voice bubbled through the speaker.

"About to eat breakfast," I said, glancing down at the plate Mom had just set before me.

"Well, hurry up! I'll be there in an hour to pick you up."

"Wait, what? Where are we headed?"

"To the mall. You need an outfit for tonight—something to celebrate your birthday right." Her excitement was far more intense than mine.

"Okay, I guess that sounds alright," I said, a little hesitant.

"Why the lack of enthusiasm?" she pressed.

"I'm not really a fan of shopping," I admitted.

"Well, that's why you have me—to do all the shopping for you! Now move it, birthday girl."

"Alright, alright. Bye," I said, trying to sound more interested than I felt.

"Bye!" she chirped before hanging up.

Shopping was never my thing. Most girls my age thrived on it, but I was more of a grab-and-go kind of person. Still, with Keisha, I knew this trip was going to be anything but quick.

"Mom, I'm going shopping with Keisha," I told her after finishing my breakfast, sliding the plate into the sink.

"Have fun. I need to be at the office early today," she said, already reaching for her ringing phone.

********

By the time I had showered and dressed, Keisha was already waiting outside in her car. I said my goodbyes to Mom and hurried out the door.

"Hey," I greeted as I climbed into the passenger seat and clicked my seatbelt in place. Considering her...uh, aggressive driving style, I figured it was better safe than sorry.

"Took you long enough, slowpoke," Keisha teased with a grin.

"Shut up, let's just go," I shot back, rolling my eyes.

The mall was a short fifteen-minute drive—long enough to listen to Keisha's nonstop chatter about fashion trends and birthday plans.

Once inside, we hit nearly every store: Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Forever 21, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and a handful of other places filled with everything from perfume to jewelry.

Still, nothing caught my eye as both cute and comfortable.

"What about this one?" I held up a red, ruffled dress that fell just to my knees.

"Oh, hell no," Keisha said without hesitation.

"What? It's adorable!" I protested.

"Yeah, adorable for my mom. Put it down," she said firmly, then pulled out a tight black dress that stopped mid-thigh. "Now, this is hot."

"Umm... no," I said, rifling through the rack, not ready for something that revealing.

"What's your problem?" she asked, genuinely baffled.

"I just don't think something like that would suit me," I replied.

"Are you serious? You have an amazing figure—hips, thighs, slim waist... and, yeah, the tits," she added with a teasing pinch to my chest.

I laughed, shaking my head at her ridiculousness.

"At least try it on, please?" she begged.

"Ugh, fine," I groaned, grabbing the dress and ducking into the fitting room.

Slipping into the dress was a revelation. It hugged every curve, tighter than anything I'd worn in a long time, making it hard to breathe but impossible to deny its allure.

Steeling myself, I stepped out to face her verdict.

"So? What do you think?" I asked, scanning my reflection from multiple angles in the mirrors lining the room.

"YES! Get this dress!" Keisha exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes.

"I don't know," I muttered, still unsure.

"Come on, try something different. It's your eighteenth birthday—go all out!" she encouraged.

After a moment, I nodded. She was right—I was turning eighteen, a milestone many eagerly awaited. "Okay, I'll get it."

"Yay! But let's get it in white," Keisha said, holding the dress up excitedly.

"White? Why?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because I'm tired of seeing you in dark colors. You'll really stand out tonight," she said, pouting with big, sparkly eyes that made me want to cave.

"Fine," I sighed, mentally cursing her puppy-dog face. "Does that work on your boyfriend too?"

"Actually, it does—" she started, but her phone rang before she could finish.

"Hello, honey..." she said in her sweetest voice, instantly transforming into the perfect girlfriend. "Relax, I haven't even been gone that long."

I hadn't met Keisha's boyfriend yet, but his constant calls whenever she was out longer than an hour had become a running joke. One time, he sounded downright furious, but Keisha just ignored it like it was nothing.

"I'll be home soon, crybaby. Leaving right now," she said before hanging up and flashing me a mischievous grin. "Okay, now let's find you some sexy shoes to go with that dress."

"I thought you were heading home to your boyfriend?" I asked, surprised.

"He'll survive. He's just a little overprotective. It's, well... a guy thing," she said quickly, brushing it off. "Now, shoes!"

We moved through a few more stores, picking out shoes, makeup, and accessories. The mall's lively hum surrounded us—the chatter of shoppers, the soft thud of hangers, the sweet scent of candles in boutique stores.

Later, we climbed back into Keisha's car, bags in hand, ready to head home.

"I'll come by to pick you up around eleven tonight, okay?" she confirmed as she started the engine.

"Sounds good," I replied, buckling up.

She shot me one last playful glare. "And Aniyah? Make sure your slow ass is ready this time." With that, she sped off, leaving me to anticipate what the night would bring.