Gemotions

He glared at the calendar, the red circle around June 15th mocking him. Mark, the supposed best friend, and his party. It was always like this, a battle of wills. This year's competition was over who could have the coolest party. A sigh escaped him.

"You really think a laser tag arena is better than a bonfire?" his dad asked, trying to be calm. "Yes," Leo replied, his voice flat. "It's the only option." He knew his bonfire party would be epic. But he wasn’t going to back down.

The setup was brutal. He'd envisioned the bonfire near the lake, but as soon as he heard of Mark's plans, he moved everything to the woods, far from any hint of friendship. He even instructed his mom to order pizza without pepperoni, because Mark loved pepperoni.