I checked my list one last time, after classes I have to keep Ozwald busy for 5 hours, Niko is going to come to the apartment alongside some other friends of Ozwald and mine, Ozwald birthday is tomorrow, and I have set my mind to make it the best one he has ever had, so good in fact that he won’t be sad for spending it without his family, I will take him to the town´s mall, Niko suggested that we go to the ar…arcade and to watch a movie, that should do the trick.

It was still one day away, so I went to his room to see if he was not suspecting anything, I knocked on his door as he requested “Ozwald, may I come in?” I heard his sewing machine being turned off and the door opened soon after, “hey Higen, what’s up?” his bangs were tied up with a headband I pointed at it, he blushed and quickly took it off “have you only come to mock me, Banna?” “n… no haha sorry, you just looked funny, so how is the future seventeen years old doing?” he looked to his side a little bit saddened “Well… I’m a little bit bumped about not being able to see my family... I wonder what am I going to do?”

I flashed him a big smile and framed my chin with my fingers, “Well so glad you ask, I’m taking you to this place of entertainment at the mall known as the arcade and then we are watching a movie at the cinema” he looked surprised at the declaration “you know you don’t have to take me anywhere we can just buy a… I wonder if they make my favorite cake here…” blast it I didn’t think about his cake, but of course, we must have cake for this celebration “say… what is thou favorite cake? I as your best friend simply must know” he laughed, he sometimes laughs at the way I talk with property I flicked his forehead so he would stop “aww you are not supposed to hit the birthday guy, I don’t think you have it on Elysium Higen” I was offended by his declaration, “I will have you informed that my paladar has tasted every food Elysian or otherwise”

“Okay Mr. Culinary Palette, my favorite is Molock´s Temptation, I’m sure you know it Your Highness” “But of course, I know what that is… however we need to put it on Human terms if we want to get it” he doesn’t suspect that I actually have no idea what that is, “let’s see, it has an almond bread base, filled with chocolate  pudding, and covered with whipping cream” I took notes on my phone “I´ll ask Niko if we can get it here I´ll just play dumb when he ask me for the name” “oh that’s your favorite game, right?” I picked up a pillow that was on the floor hit him with it and left his room, his antics never cease to bring a smile to my face.

“That sounds like a Misérable cake dude” Niko sent me a message, but why does Ozwald want a miserable cake? “Right, right, I forgot the name, can we get one for the party?” “yeah, I can go and look for one when I go to decorate the apartment” “That would be great Niko, and thank you for showing me the arcade beforehand” To be honest I don’t know what a normal birthday party looks like, let alone a surprise one, “I’m not surprised you have never went to one before, listen tomorrow I´ll pass you my arcade card so you can go straight to playing”

“Niko do you know if amongst the prices are stuffed dolls named monster capsules?” I saw the three dots moving for a moment until my phone made a noise “Last time I checked, there was one or two, but they were costly, why?” “Ozwald has been buying some of them maybe I could win him one and if you say that they are difficult to get that will show how much I care!” I added a new thing to my list, “… Higen you know you can just buy like twenty at the Monster capsule park at the mall, right?” “Nonsense anyone can buy a doll, but I will win it for him” “Just don’t get discouraged if you can’t do it, okay pal?”

The next day I woke up early to prepare birthday breakfast for Ozwald I cracked open eggs and began frying bacon, normally Ozwald does breakfast for the two of us, he is quite skilled at cooking, not to toot my own horn but I’m also quite a good chef in my humble opinion, the flame grew in size and engulfed the pan, Ozwald ran from his room and use the fire extinguisher to put it out, “Higen are you okay? What happens?” he asked while panting form the surprise cardio, “… I was making you breakfast, and the flame ate it… Happy birthday?” I said as I was partially covered in the extinguishing foam.

“I… pfff” he started to laugh “Ha-Ha-Ha! I’m sorry but you… oh man it hurts” I whipped the foam off my face and body as he laughed, well at the very least he is not upset about breakfast like I said before I don’t have any friends my age, I´m never sure if I’m doing it right but if he smiles and laughs I think I´m doing a good job as his best friend “sorry, sorry, I’m better now, I appreciate the thought if you want a retry how about cereal” I pulled two bowls and served his favorite cereal and milk, “Happy birthday I made this myself” “and I hope you didn’t burn the house down” we started to eat and then we made our way to school.

“So did you tell anyone else besides Niko that today is your birthday, Ozwald?” I asked him as I opened the entrance door to the school building, the school was busy as usual, people running to the library to finish work, some others were just hanging in the halls a few couples were kissing or fighting, which appeared to be the norm here, “yeah, I told a few friends form the running and track team, we are having cake tomorrow after practice… now that I think about it when is your birthday Higen?”

The question caught me by surprise “October 28^th so it’s far away from today” “And how do you usually spend it?” I forced myself to keep smiling, but the truth is that they are quite dull, Ekaterina and the rest of the staff sing Happy Birthday to me I get a slice of cake, a few gifts, and then I go and perform my knightly duties, I don’t have a party nor can I say no to meet with people that day, “oh you know the usual thing, singing and cake”  “then I´ll be sure to make something very special for your next birthday” is heartwarming knowing that I have someone else that cares for me.

“Right Niko here is the key to our apartments, are you sure you got everything?” Niko nodded, I looked for him before classes ended to pass him the key so he could decorate the apartment, “relax dude this is not my first fiesta sorpresa, nor will it be the last” I have to guess he meant a surprise party with that, “alright just remember don’t go into our rooms, especially not Ozwald´s he banned me from his room a week ago and I don’t want to be banned again” “okay, okay I will not go snooping around in anyone’s rooms, by the way, I checked and I can get that cake for him” I started to clap happily, now all I have to do is keep Ozwald busy, wait for the surprise and to win his present, Ozwald started to walk toward us, Niko and I nodded and he ran away to prepare the party.

“Did… did Niko just run away?” he asked me confused “Yeah his abuela called him so he had to run, but he said he would call you later for your birthday” “Wait if it’s my birthday… I can ask you for anything right?” I nodded “Ask and it shall be yours as long as it is within my capabilities Ozwald” he scratched his cheek and looked away “Well, I mean, if I can ask for anything… would you call me Ozie for today?” my eye started to twitch, I understand, that is his nickname and all of the people that are close to him call him that but I was told and teach that I should always refer to anyone by their name, never make it short or different.

But now… I must try to do it “O…O…Oz…” I started to blush this is so embarrassing!!! We are in public and he requested this?, he was looking expectingly at me “Ozi…Ozzzzzzzziiiiiii” “Come on you can do this big guy just one more letter” he is having way too much fun with this, I swallowed and tried again “Oz…i…e” I covered my face with my hands, now people would think I’m bulgar, a heretic, a deviant but if that’s what he wants I have to comply “see it wasn’t so hard, so we are going to the mall right Higen?” “That is correct Oz… my friend” I started to laugh I don’t think I can call him Ozie again without suffering mental damage.

The mall was not too full all thing considering, we arrived at three maybe later it would get more crowded, “Okay Higen you can call me Ozwald again, I think you are running out of words to refer to me” I was able to breathe a sigh of relive now that I was able to call him Ozwald “yeah our first stop is the arcade!” I pointed to a big establishment where neon lights and the humming of music and machines surrounded us “Wow… it’s amazing but… how do we play?” I started to laugh “Oh my sweet naïve Ozwald fret not, for I the great Higen know how to use this place.”

“… when did you start to call yourself great?” he poked my side as he said that, “Behold!!!” I produced from my wallet a plastic card Niko had given me earlier it had the red neon signature of the arcade and seemed to be well used, “that is not your credit card but it does have a band like that one” like any experienced knight I made some recon before coming here with Ozwald and by that I mean Niko brought me a few days ago and teach me how to use it, I went to the clerk and asked him to transfer funds to the card, and after the payment was done I returned to Ozwald.