The Black Friday Awakening

It was 5:00 a.m. when the shrill sound of my phone abruptly pulled me out of a light sleep. I blinked several times, trying to focus on the screen as Olivia's name flashed insistently.

"Who calls at this hour?" I thought, rubbing my eyes with one hand while accepting the call with the other.

"Olivia?" I muttered, my voice hoarse from sleep. "Do you even know what time it is?"

Before I could finish the question, Olivia's energetic and overly enthusiastic voice flooded my ears like an uncontrollable torrent.

"Happy Black Friday, team! I hope you're already ready because today is the most important day of the year after Halloween!"

I frowned, completely disoriented.

"Ready for what? What are you talking about?"

I heard a small laugh in the background before Lindsay joined the call. Apparently, Olivia had made a group call.

"Sack, did you get the call too?" Lindsay asked, her tone equally confused but with a hint of amusement. "I thought I was just being victimized by one of her early-morning energy bursts."

"Exactly!" Olivia exclaimed, completely ignoring our questions. "It's Black Friday, guys. The one time of the year when you can get amazing stuff at ridiculous prices. And don't tell me you're not excited, because I literally just sent you a selfie to motivate you."

I looked at my phone and saw that, indeed, Olivia had sent a picture. In it, she was standing in front of a Walmart, dressed in what looked like full tactical gear: black boots, a vest with multiple pockets, elbow pads, and knee pads. She even wore a military cap tilted to one side, as if ready to lead a military operation. Behind her, there was an endless line of people who had clearly arrived much earlier.

"Olivia… what on earth are you wearing?" I asked, unable to contain my disbelief.

"My official Black Friday outfit!" she replied proudly. "I'm not going into that battlefield unprepared. This isn't a game, Sack. There are unwritten rules and a lot of competition. You have to be ready to fight for what you want."

Lindsay let out a small laugh on the other end of the line.

"Fight? Olivia, do you really think you're going to have to fight someone over a discounted TV?"

"Of course!" Olivia shot back, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "People lose their minds during these days. I've seen videos of fights breaking out in stores on Black Friday. It's better to be prepared. Plus, this is a family tradition. My siblings and I always do this together."

Before we could respond, Olivia sent another selfie. This time, she appeared alongside her two older sisters and older brother, all dressed similarly to her. It was like seeing a small army of tactical shoppers, each with serious expressions and poses worthy of an action movie.

"Family tradition?" I repeated, still processing everything. "I thought your family was one of the wealthiest in the country. Why do you need to stand in line at a Walmart?"

Olivia let out an exasperated laugh, as if I'd touched on a sensitive topic.

"It's not about the money, Sack. It's about the experience. My grandfather always said that Black Friday is an opportunity to remember what truly matters: spending time with family and appreciating the small victories. Plus, buying something on discount makes you feel like you've won an Olympic medal."

Lindsay chimed in, her tone laced with friendly sarcasm.

"So, are you telling me that your entire family gets up at four in the morning to stand in line at a Walmart, dressed as if they're about to invade a country, just for… fun?"

"Exactly!" Olivia responded, as if she'd just validated her point. "Well, that and because this year I want a super advanced robot vacuum that will only be available in limited quantities. I'm willing to give it my all for it."

I leaned back in bed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to understand how Olivia managed to turn even something as mundane as Black Friday into an epic adventure.

"And… what exactly do you expect us to do?" I finally asked. "I don't think we're going to Walmart at this hour."

"Oh, of course not!" Olivia quickly replied. "You can do your own version of Black Friday. For example, Lindsay could hunt for online deals from her computer, and you, Sack, could… I don't know, research some innovative medical gadget on sale. The important thing is to participate!"

Lindsay and I exchanged glances through the video call, but I knew we didn't need to say anything. We lived in the same city, so we could see each other in person if we wanted. I knew exactly what Lindsay was thinking because her expression said it all: "Here we go again." Olivia had a unique way of dragging us into her plans, even when we clearly had no intention of joining.

"Alright, Olivia," I finally said, surrendering to her enthusiasm. "We'll make sure to do something… within reason. But I'm not promising anything epic."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, clearly satisfied. "I'll keep you updated on my progress. If I get the robot vacuum, I'll send you a video of me dancing with it. See you, team!"

The call ended as abruptly as it had begun, leaving me in silence with the echo of her energy still resonating in my mind. I glanced at the clock again: 5:10 a.m.

"Do you think she ever sleeps?" I asked, addressing Lindsay, who was still on the call.

"Probably not," she replied, laughing softly. "But that's Olivia. Without her, our mornings would be too quiet."

We said goodbye shortly after, and though I knew I wasn't going back to sleep, I couldn't help but smile.

When I woke up again, it was almost 9:00 a.m. The sun streamed through my window, lighting up the room. I vaguely remembered the conversation with Olivia and Lindsay and thought it might be a good idea to meet up with Lindsay later to do something relaxing, like browsing online deals or just grabbing coffee.

As I got ready, my phone buzzed. It was Daniel. I answered curiously.

"Daniel? What's up?"

"Hey, Sack! Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. How's Black Friday going?" he asked, his tone casual but friendly.

"I haven't even started," I replied, smiling slightly. "Olivia woke us up at five in the morning with her enthusiasm, but here I am, just trying to survive the day."

Daniel burst out laughing.

"That girl is something else, huh? Well, I hope you find something interesting. Maybe some gadget to upgrade your tech collection or something."

"I doubt it," I said, shaking my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "I'll probably just meet up with Lindsay later to do something low-key."

"Sounds good," Daniel replied. "Alright, I won't take up any more of your time. Have fun today, and try not to let Olivia's madness rub off on you too much. You know how she is."

We said goodbye, and I hung up feeling a little more awake. After showering and changing, I decided it was time to head out. I sent Lindsay a quick message:

"Want to meet up in a bit? We could browse some deals or just grab coffee."

Her response came almost instantly:

"Sure, sounds good. See you in half an hour at the Starbucks near the plaza."

I grabbed my jacket and left the house. Though Black Friday wasn't exactly my style, spending time with Lindsay always made things more bearable.