(Sophia's POV)
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It was a perfectly average afternoon. The kind where you almost forget how strange your life is until someone reminds you.
We were at our usual table in the café—me, Ava, Ethan, and Leo—each of us with our preferred drink and the illusion of normalcy. Ethan was fiddling with a sugar packet like it was a puzzle box. Ava was sipping her iced latte with the quiet menace of someone expecting things to go wrong. And Leo… Leo was sipping tea like he belonged in a Victorian novel.
I stirred my coffee, trying to keep us on track. "So. We have a plan for Ava's birthday, right?"
Ava raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a plan, or are you just hoping something miraculously falls into place?"
I gave her my best unimpressed look. "Excuse you. I am extremely organized. I've got everything mapped out."
Ethan looked up, already grinning. "Okay, let's hear it."
I cleared my throat dramatically. "Step one: We get a cake."
Ethan nodded solemnly. "Strong start."
"Step two: We eat the cake."
"Groundbreaking."
"Step three: Surprise!"
Ava blinked at me. "That's not a plan, Sophia. That's just… existing in the vicinity of baked goods."
I was ready to argue—because rude—but then Leo spoke.
"I could always ask the guy who owes me a giraffe. If you want something different that is."
The entire table went still. Even the clinking of Ethan's sugar packet stopped.
I turned toward Leo slowly, like maybe I'd misheard. "I'm sorry—what?"
He took another sip of his tea, utterly relaxed. "For the party. He still owes me a giraffe. I could call him in."
I exchanged a glance with Ava. Her face was somewhere between horrified and resigned. Mine was just tired.
"What do you mean—someone owes you a giraffe?"
Leo leaned back, as if we'd just asked about the weather. "Oh, yeah. Helped a guy out of a tricky situation. In return, he promised me a giraffe."
Ethan gawked. "What kind of tricky situation warrants giraffe-level gratitude?"
Leo shrugged. "Eh. Normal stuff."
Normal. Right.
Ava, bless her, tried to regain control of the situation. "Wait. Are you telling us that, at any moment, you could just… summon a giraffe?"
Leo nodded. "Pretty much."
I stared at my coffee like it might offer answers. It didn't.
Ethan leaned in, eyes wide. "Have you ever… used this power before?"
Leo tilted his head. "Not yet. But it's nice to know it's there."
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Nothing made sense. "I… I don't even know where to start."
"I'm officially done asking Leo questions," Ava muttered.
"Agreed," I said. "Let's just… move on."
Leo set his cup down. "So, about the cake…"
I swear, the man has the emotional footprint of a cloud.
---
"No giraffes," Ava said firmly, rubbing her temples. "Just cake."
"But imagine," Ethan said, practically vibrating with mischief, "we walk in with a giraffe. Legendary."
"No." I glared at both of them. "We are not bringing a giraffe to Ava's birthday."
Leo, naturally, had other ideas. "Technically," he said, "it would be the giraffe bringing us to Ava's birthday."
I closed my eyes. "Guys. Focus."
Ava sighed. "Fine. No giraffes. Just cake. What kind are we getting?"
Leo glanced at his phone. "Depends. Is the bakery still standing?"
I froze. "Why wouldn't it be?"
Leo didn't even look up. "Last time I checked, Mr. Patel's place is right next to that building that always catches fire on Tuesdays."
Ava stared at him. "What?!"
Leo nodded thoughtfully. "You know the one. Right across from that shop that refills itself every night."
That did it. "Leo. What do you mean, mysteriously refills itself?"
He took a sip of tea. "I mean exactly that. Every morning, shelves full. No owner. No deliveries. Just… snacks."
Ethan was wheezing. "Have you ever asked anyone about it?"
"Yeah," Leo said. "They just say, 'It's always been like that.'"
I threw my hands up. "I give up. Officially. No more questions."
Ava groaned. "Let's just pick a cake and pretend this conversation never happened."
Leo scrolled on his phone. "We could try the place that makes armadillo cakes."
Ethan lit up. "Okay, that I'm into."
"Fine," I muttered. "As long as there are no giraffes, spontaneous fires, or cursed snack stores involved."
Leo just smirked. "No promises."
---
Fast forward to three days later, the party was in full swing. Balloons. Music. Lights. A suspiciously large box in the corner.
Naturally, my anxiety went straight to red alert.
"What… is that?" I asked, eyeing the box like it might explode.
Leo, mid-bite of cake, answered casually, "Oh. That's the giraffe."
I felt something inside me die. "You actually called in the giraffe?"
He nodded. "Figured he might as well make an appearance."
The box twitched.
Ava paled. "You put a giraffe in a box?!"
Leo nodded again. "He's very flexible."
"What kind of training do these giraffes go through?!" Ethan shouted, absolutely delighted.
Leo shrugged. "Dunno. The guy just delivered it."
Ava started backing away like the box had teeth. "I don't want to be here when this thing breaks loose."
"He's friendly," Leo said. "His name is Geoffrey."
Of course it is.
The box burst open.
We all jumped—only to find a plush giraffe about three feet tall sitting peacefully in the center.
Silence.
Leo beamed. "What? He never specified it'd be a real one."
Ethan started clapping slowly. "You mad genius."
Ava groaned. "I hate that I was actually expecting a real giraffe."
I sat down. "I need to lie down."
Leo just kept eating his cake, totally unfazed.
Honestly? For Leo, this was just another Tuesday.
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End of Chapter 23.