Black Friday Our Way

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as Sack and I sat at a table by the window in Starbucks. Outside, the plaza was unusually quiet for Black Friday, but I knew that calm was just an illusion. In other parts of the city, stores were being invaded by hordes of eager shoppers, led by people like Olivia.

"So… what are we doing?" Sack asked after taking a sip of his coffee. His tone was relaxed, though I could notice a faint glimmer of curiosity in his dark eyes.

I shrugged, smiling slightly.

"Olivia gave us some extravagant ideas, but I don't think any of them really suit us."

Sack let out a small, dry laugh.

"Browsing deals online from home? That part sounded reasonable. But the other stuff… going to Walmart dressed in tactical gear? No thanks. I'd rather stay away from places where I might end up getting crushed by a desperate crowd fighting over discounted TVs."

I nodded, fully understanding how he felt. Though there was something amusing about the frantic energy of Black Friday, it wasn't exactly my thing. Or Sack's, clearly.

"We could do something simpler," I suggested, playing with the edge of my cup. "Something we can enjoy together without having to fight strangers over appliances."

Sack looked at me with a thoughtful expression before nodding slowly.

"That sounds better. Maybe browse deals online. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, just something that makes us feel like we're participating in the spirit of the day."

I smiled at his suggestion. It was so typical of Sack to propose something practical and calm.

"What if we do it as a gift for Olivia?" I suddenly suggested, feeling a spark of inspiration. "You know, something she'd really love. After all, she's the one who woke us up so early with all her energy."

Sack raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"A gift for Olivia? What do you have in mind?"

I thought for a moment, recalling the things Olivia always mentioned when talking about her interests.

"I don't know… maybe something tech-related, like that robot vacuum she wanted so badly. Or something fun that matches her personality. If we buy it today, we can tell her it was part of our 'Black Friday adventure.'"

Sack nodded, visibly pleased with the idea.

"I like it. It's a way to include her without having to face endless lines at Walmart. Besides, I doubt Olivia expected us to follow her instructions to the letter."

We both laughed at the mental image of us trying to imitate Olivia's tactical style and joining the Black Friday battle. It wasn't hard to imagine how absurd it would have been.

After finishing our coffees, we decided to take a walk around the plaza to see if we could find any local stores with interesting deals. However, we soon realized that most small businesses were already closed due to competition from big chains.

"Maybe we should go to Walmart after all," Sack said half-jokingly, but his tone had no trace of surrender. Instead, it was a kind of dry sarcasm, as if he knew perfectly well he wouldn't give in to that idea.

I looked at him with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Don't even think about it. I saw your face when you mentioned the crowd. You wouldn't last five minutes in there."

Sack simply raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

"Alright, you're right. Let's stick to the original plan: buy something online and call it a day."

With that decided, we headed to my house. When we arrived, Amelia, my mom, greeted us at the door with a warm smile.

"Sack! What a joy to see you," she said, giving him a quick but affectionate hug. "Thanks for keeping Lindsay company. Why don't you stay for lunch?"

Sack seemed a little surprised but nodded politely.

"Thank you, Mrs. Grove. It would be a pleasure."

As we went upstairs to my room to use the computer, I noticed Sack curiously observing every detail of the house. It was his first time visiting, and though he didn't say it, I could sense his initial discomfort at being in a new place.

"I hope you don't feel uncomfortable," I said, trying to break the silence as I turned on the computer. "My mom can be a bit intense, but she's good people."

Sack smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. Everything's fine. Besides, your house is… big."

I chuckled softly.

"Yeah, well, my parents have this obsession with spacious areas. Sometimes I feel like I live in a museum."

We sat in front of the screen, sharing ideas about what Olivia might like. I remembered that during the group call, Olivia had mentioned wanting something "epic," but not necessarily a robot vacuum. Finally, we found the perfect thing: a portable 3D printer, designed to create small prototypes and customized objects. It was exactly the kind of thing that matched her creativity and love for innovative projects.

As we completed the purchase, I couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in my chest. Even though we hadn't followed the conventional Black Friday traditions, we had found a way to make it our own. And most importantly, we had done it together.

When we went downstairs for lunch, my mom served us plates full of homemade food. The conversation flowed easily between laughter and anecdotes.

"Today I took advantage to buy a lot of things online," my mom commented as she passed us a tray of rolls. "You know, new furniture for the living room, curtains, even some Christmas decorations. Black Friday is perfect for that."

Sack smiled slightly.

"It's amazing how Black Friday has changed so much. Before it was just for physical stores, but now it seems like everyone shops online."

My mom nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly. I don't even have to leave the house to get good deals. Plus, that way I avoid the crowds. Though I admit I miss the festive atmosphere of the stores."

We finished lunch chatting about future plans and family stories. When we were done, Sack and I went back up to my room. We sat on my bed while browsing for something to watch on my laptop.

"How about a movie?" I suggested, scrolling through my list of favorites.

"Sure, you pick," Sack replied, settling back against the headboard.

Eventually, we chose a light comedy that we'd both been wanting to watch. As the movie progressed, I felt the atmosphere become even more relaxed. Without thinking too much about it, I leaned a little closer to Sack, and he, naturally, put an arm around me. We stayed like that, cuddled without pretense, enjoying the moment.