Operation Surprise: Freen's Fabulous Birthday

Becky paced around the café, her arms flailing dramatically as she addressed her audience: Lingling, Orm, and Suzy. "Ladies, we are gathered here today for a mission of utmost importance. A mission so critical, it will go down in history as the greatest surprise party ever thrown. Freen deserves nothing less."

Lingling raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly are we trusting you to lead this?"

"Because," Becky said, tossing her hair, "no one knows Freen better than me. She's my girlfriend, my muse, my favorite headache."

"Emphasis on headache," Orm quipped, earning a snort from Suzy.

"Rude," Becky shot back. "Now, let's focus. Suzy, you're in charge of snacks."

Suzy groaned. "Why do I always get the boring job?"

"Because the last time I let you handle decorations, you bought inflatable aliens and said it was 'avant-garde,'" Becky replied. "This time, stick to chips and drinks. And maybe don't bring back anything that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi convention."

Suzy rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine, but I'm not promising anything."

"Lingling," Becky continued, pointing dramatically, "you're handling logistics. Venue, timeline, all the boring details you love."

Lingling sighed. "I'll make sure this doesn't turn into a circus."

"It's a party, not a board meeting," Becky shot back. "Orm, you're on decorations. Think glitz, think glamour, think... Freen!"

Orm smirked. "So you're saying I can make it as extra as possible?"

"No glitter explosions," Lingling warned. "That's where I draw the line."

"Buzzkill," Orm muttered under her breath.

The next few days were pure chaos. Becky took her role as party dictator seriously, barking orders and vetoing anything that didn't meet her "Freen-tastic" standards.

"Becky, this centerpiece is ridiculous," Lingling said, holding up a vase stuffed with fake diamonds and feathers.

"It's fabulous," Becky countered. "Freen deserves fabulous."

Orm, meanwhile, had taken her job of "extra" decorations to heart, hanging disco balls in every corner. "She'll feel like she's walking into a movie premiere," Orm said, grinning.

Lingling pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to give me a migraine."

Suzy returned from her snack run with a cart full of mismatched items, including dinosaur-shaped chips, a 10-pound gummy bear, and a suspiciously large jar of pickles.

Becky gasped. "Iconic. We're keeping all of it."

"Why pickles?" Lingling asked, eyeing the jar with disdain.

Suzy shrugged. "Why not?"

On the big day, Freen strolled into the venue with Becky, blissfully unaware—or so Becky thought.

"Why are we going to some random hall for dinner?" Freen asked, side-eyeing Becky.

"Shh, it's a secret," Becky said, her voice pitched suspiciously high.

As soon as they stepped inside, confetti cannons exploded, and the room erupted with cheers. "SURPRISE!" Lingling, Orm, and Suzy yelled, waving sparklers.

Freen raised an eyebrow but couldn't hide her grin. "Wow, I had no idea. Totally didn't see this coming."

Becky gasped, clutching her chest. "You knew?!"

"Babe, you've been acting sketchy all week," Freen replied, smirking. "But I appreciate the effort. It's cute."

"Cute?" Becky repeated, offended. "This is a masterpiece!"

As the party got into full swing, Becky grabbed the mic for her "tribute."

"Ladies and gentlemen, and Suzy," Becky began, earning a loud "Hey!" from Suzy, "we are here to celebrate the birthday of the most fabulous, most infuriating, most perfect person in my life: Freen."

Freen leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, a smug grin on her face. "Go on."

"You are my rock," Becky continued, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "My muse. My ultimate reason for overdrafting my credit card this month."

The crowd burst into laughter. Suzy fake-sobbed, shouting, "Becky, I wish someone loved me like this!"

Freen stood, taking the mic. "Thank you, babe. That was... touching, in the most Becky way possible. And thank you all for being here. I feel loved, and also mildly embarrassed, which is exactly how Becky operates."

"Alright," Becky declared, "before I cry and ruin my makeup, I'm passing the mic to someone who may have something less embarrassing to say—Lingling!"

Lingling stood, reluctantly accepting the mic. She cleared her throat, her expression stoic as always.

"Freen is... tolerable," Lingling began, earning a collective gasp and laughter from the crowd. "I mean that as a compliment. She's competent, witty, and occasionally helpful—when she's not being a complete pain."

Freen smirked. "Wow, I'm blushing, Ling."

Lingling continued, undeterred. "She's also one of the few people I can rely on, both professionally and personally. Her loyalty and sense of humor are rare. And while she often tests my patience, I wouldn't trade her for anything."

The room fell quiet for a beat, everyone momentarily touched by Lingling's sincerity.

Then Orm shouted, "Wait, did she just call Freen annoying and heartfelt in the same sentence?"

Becky jumped in. "Classic Lingling. That's the most emotion we've seen from her in years!"

The crowd erupted into laughter, and Lingling handed the mic back with a faint, amused smirk. "Happy birthday, Freen. Don't let this go to your head."

Freen raised her glass, grinning. "Thanks, Ling. That was almost sweet. I'm framing this moment."

The teasing continued as the party rolled on, everyone still chuckling over Lingling's uniquely "heartfelt tribute."

Lingling and Orm, after much persuasion, ended up performing a karaoke duet to an overly dramatic ballad. Lingling's deadpan delivery paired with Orm's exaggerated theatrics left everyone in stitches.

Suzy, fueled by wine and gummy bear-induced energy, decided to perform an impromptu interpretive dance to a pop song. Halfway through, she tripped over a balloon, sending herself sprawling onto the floor.

"Graceful as ever," Becky quipped, helping her up.

Becky and Freen shared a romantic slow dance, which was, of course, interrupted when Becky accidentally stepped on the gummy bear Suzy had left on the floor.

"Is this... sticky?" Becky asked, looking down in horror.

Suzy snorted. "The bear claims another victim."

As the night wound down, Freen pulled Becky aside, away from the noise and lights. "Thank you for this," Freen said softly, her usual sass replaced with sincerity. "It's insane and chaotic, but it's so... you. And I love it. And you."

Becky grinned, wrapping her arms around Freen. "I'd do it all over again for you. You're worth it."

The group gathered for a final toast, Becky raising her glass high. "To Freen! The best girlfriend, the sassiest pain in my ass, and the reason we're all here tonight!"

Freen smirked, clinking her glass against Becky's. "And to you, for being the most extra human I've ever met."

The night ended with laughter, love, and a group photo featuring Suzy holding the gummy bear like a trophy while Becky and Freen shared a kiss in the background.