The Black Friday Battle

It was almost nine o'clock in the evening when I slowly got up from Lindsay's bed, trying not to make too much noise. The movie we had been watching had ended a few minutes earlier, and although I felt comfortable there, I knew it was time to head home.

"Thanks for the day," I said, smiling as I put on my jacket. "It was… different, but I enjoyed it."

Lindsay returned the smile from where she sat on the bed, still wrapped in a blanket.

"Thank you for joining me. I think we made a pretty good team for our own version of Black Friday."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and saw that it was a group call from Olivia. Lindsay received the notification at the same time because she let out a small laugh.

"Do you think she's calling to brag?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably," I replied, shrugging. "But we should answer anyway. I don't want her to get offended if we don't."

We accepted the call simultaneously, and Olivia's face immediately appeared on the screen. She looked like she had just returned from a full-on battle. Her hair was messy, there was a black smudge on her cheek that looked like dust or maybe remnants of a hastily torn-off price tag, and her tactical uniform was slightly worn out. However, her eyes sparkled with a mix of pride and exhaustion.

"Team! I'm alive!" she exclaimed, raising her arms triumphantly. "How was your Black Friday? Did you get everything you needed?"

Lindsay and I exchanged a quick glance before responding.

"Well, we decided to stay away from the crowds," I said, trying to sound casual. "No lines, no fighting over appliances."

Olivia frowned dramatically.

"No lines? What kind of Black Friday is that? You two are way too chill for this stuff."

"Not all of us are like you, Olivia," Lindsay responded, laughing. "Some of us prefer to survive without facing a desperate mob over a TV."

Olivia made an exaggerated gesture of indignation but couldn't help laughing too.

"Well, let me tell you, my Black Friday was epic. I literally had to fight three people for this baby."

She then held up a super advanced robot vacuum in front of the camera, displaying it as if it were a trophy. It was clear she was proud of her achievement.

"I got it!" she announced, spinning the device around in all directions. "This little genius is going to change my life. I can already picture it cleaning my room while I watch Netflix. It's the future, guys. The. Future."

Lindsay and I clapped theatrically, though Lindsay added with sarcasm:

"Congratulations, Olivia. Now you can delegate your household responsibilities to a machine. What's next? A drone that brings you snacks?"

Olivia pretended to be offended but then burst into laughter.

"That's actually not a bad idea. But anyway, enough about me. What did you guys buy? Or did you just stay home watching movies and eating popcorn?"

Lindsay and I exchanged another glance, this time with a conspiratorial smile. I knew it was the perfect moment to surprise her.

"Actually, we bought something for you," I finally said, leaning a little closer to the camera. "We thought it would make a great Black Friday gift."

Olivia's eyes lit up immediately.

"For me? What is it? Tell me right now, or I'll die of curiosity!"

Lindsay took the lead, extending her arm so both of us could appear on the screen.

"It's a portable 3D printer. We thought it would be perfect for you, you know, for creating prototypes and customized objects. It matches your creativity and love for innovative projects."

For a moment, Olivia fell silent, processing what we had just said. Then her expression shifted to one of pure happiness.

"A 3D printer? Seriously? That's amazing! How did you know I wanted something like that?"

"Well, you're always talking about crazy creative projects," I replied, shrugging. "We thought this might help take your ideas to the next level."

Olivia let out an excited squeal so loud I almost had to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Guys, this is perfect! I love it! It's exactly the kind of thing I would have chosen myself! When does it arrive? Can I start using it tomorrow?"

Lindsay chuckled softly.

"It'll arrive in a few days. But in the meantime, you can dream about all the crazy things you're going to create. Maybe even a robot to help you conquer next year's Black Friday."

Olivia nodded enthusiastically, as if she were already imagining a thousand possibilities.

"I'm definitely doing that. Thanks, guys! This means so much to me."

"You're welcome," I said, feeling a small wave of satisfaction. "Just make sure you don't create something that will attack us at our next meeting."

We all laughed, and for a moment, the tiredness and stress of the day seemed to fade away. Olivia was still the same energetic and eccentric person as always, but it was also clear how much she valued our friendship.

"Well, I think that's all for today," Olivia said, stretching visibly. "I need to rest after my big victory. But thanks again for the gift. I love you, team. See you soon."

The call ended, and I let out a long sigh as I put my phone back in my pocket.

"I think she liked it," I commented, looking at Lindsay with a small smile.

"Definitely," she replied, returning the smile. "That's Olivia: always excited about everything, even after a 'battle.'"

We stayed silent for a moment, enjoying the calm after the conversation.

"Well, I think I should really go now," I said finally, adjusting my jacket.

"Thanks again for the day."

Lindsay nodded, walking me to the door of her room.

"Thank you, Sack. See you soon."

The ride back home was quiet. When I arrived, silence enveloped me immediately. I went upstairs to my room and stopped in front of the old guitar that had been sitting in a corner for months.

I hadn't touched it since that time with Lindsay and Olivia. But tonight, something felt different. I felt a strange urge to play, as if my fingers were longing for the feel of the strings. I sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the guitar, and started strumming.

I began with "Fix You" by Coldplay. The first notes resonated softly in the room.

"When you try your best, but you don't succeed…

When you get what you want, but not what you need…"

My voice was low, almost a whisper, but the words seemed to fill the emptiness inside me. I kept playing, letting the music flow.

"Lights will guide you home,

And ignite your bones,

And I will try to fix you."

I finished the song and set the guitar aside, taking a deep breath. I didn't know what this sudden impulse to play meant, but something inside me felt lighter.