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My friend Heath had set up a Friday night drink fest at Crate & Barrel (also known as Cat & Fiddle). It promised to be a really fantastic night. A few friends had mentioned that they couldn't make it but even more said they could. My sort of boyfriend Cast couldn't stop mentioning how much he was looking forward to it. I had even (mostly) forgotten about the quiet murmurings from friends about how they thought he may have a thing for our mutual friend Adorable. I had a new pair of pants for the evening and was feeling tan and skinny. It was going to be awesome!!!!

I should have known that it would end badly...

I got a call from Cast saying that he was carpooling with Adorable (who lives FAR AWAY FROM HIM AND NOT ON THE WAY) and that he'd meet me there. That was my first moment of Huh?. Seeing as how we were dating and doing Other Stuff, I kind of figured that we'd head over to the place of party together (and of course, leave together). Not to even bring up the Adorable shit. I had to scramble for a ride to my own birthday party an hour before it started. I had to crack open a bottle of wine at home just to keep my spirits up.

I will say, however, that upon arrival, everything started to go well. There were a ton of my friends there and more and more of them trickled in. People were buying me drinks and I was absolutely touched at how many people were there to celebrate my getting older.

Now, Cast did come with Adorable in tow, and... managed to barely talk to me all night. Which sucked. But honestly, at the time, I really didn't care. I was having a blast! SO MANY friends came! Even friends who'd told me they were going to be out of town surprised me! My best friend showed up with a cake and people sang! Honestly, it was SUCH a good birthday for that time that I was at Crate & Barrel. I have the best circle of friends in the whole wide world. I want to hug all of them and tell them how awesome they are and apologize if I didn't get to talk to everyone and also for incredibly, INCREDIBLY inebriated they got me. Because y'all? Got me tore up. And that's how you're SUPPOSED to be at your birthday party.

Of course, as the evening wound down, I started to feel slightly shitty. Not so much in the sense that I was going to puke (that would come later), but that my sort of boyfriend had said two words to me all night. In response to my asking him "Do you even LIKE me?" And then he LEFT WITH Adorable. Yes, you read that right. I don't really remember much after that. I know that I got a ride home and that I was sobbing the entire way and continued to sob for a good hour after I got home and fell into bed.

Yes, I broke up with the shitheel.

And yet, still, after the all day PukeFest had ended and the breaking up had occurred (several days later, mind you, because Cast IS a shitheel) I will still look back on this birthday was one of my best ones. Weird. But, dudes. I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!

Hate shitheel Cast, though.