Chapter 1: Making Invitations

One unseasonably warm second Saturday of January 2020, I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at Pittsburgh's Perfect Parties client Hailey Thomson's house in Oakmont. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Can you believe how warm it is outside today?" James asked. "Yeah, it's weird," Henri agreed. "It's so crazy," Sarah agreed. "Remember that this is supposed to be like the winter of 2005-2006," I told my friends. "Do you remember that winter, James?" "Oh yes, it was unusually warm," James agreed. "Hopefully, we will have the same stage win for 2 years in a row, when Sarah and James both went to the same school together from 2004-2006," I explained. "How long have you known Sarah, James, and Henri since, Angel?" Hailey asked. "Since 2002 when Sarah and James's parents got married at the Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church," I explained to Hailey. "Henri would have been in your grade during the winter of 2005-2006!" "It's been almost a year since we moved to the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh," Sarah explained. "James, Henri, and I live out in Forest Hills leading up to the Parkway East!" "This has actually been your first spring season since 2006 not living in the city of Pittsburgh since James graduated from high school," I pointed out. "You guys moved here in May." We then sat down to lunch, which was cobb salad. "Is this the salad that you ate at your high school banquet, Sarah?" I asked. "No, I believe that it was just a regular tossed salad with our spaghetti," Sarah pointed out. "I remember not liking the food at first," Henri agreed. "Wait until tonight, Henri," James stated. "I have some delicious potatoes to eat for dinner tonight." We then went over the guidelines for the work project, including what to wear, when to meet, job duties, and final slumber party attendance and supervision. Then, we helped Hailey make her invitations out of eye masks, and included all the details on the front. "You know, Hailey," Sarah stated. "Your 2 big sisters, Mia and Erin, remind me of me having 2 younger friends, Carly and Alex." "Are they your sisters?" Hailey asked. "Nope," Sarah replied. "Just my friends." "Sarah didn't meet her stepbrothers until the fall of 2002 when their parents got married," I explained. "When did you start to like banquet food?" Sarah asked. "At 10 years old," Hailey replied. "I think that you have a few of Henri's qualities, Hailey," I pointed out. "Your appetite and your sense of humor." "I originally wanted to throw an out-of-this-world slumber party back in the fall, but decided that a traditional slumber party was a little bit better for me," Hailey explained. "I also think that Mia is like Sarah and Erin is like James." "True, but James is a senior in high school this year, not a junior," Sarah pointed out. "It is still a great family that lives in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, although further north and east than Forest Hills," I remembered. After Hailey was done making the invitations, we drove Hailey to deliver the invitations to her 4 guests Serena, Zoe, Grace, and Ella. After our shift was over, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to my mentor, Jill's apartment in Point Breeze. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"