"I would like to make a toast!" Elin shouted, standing up a little too quickly and making a couple of empty plastic cups fall on the table. "Wooooops, sorry about that!" she said, slowly hitting her wine glass with the end of a spoon still covered in cheesecake, calling for attention from the rest of the table. "Clink, clink, clink", it echoed over the loud voices of the drunken friends. Someone lowered the music and in a few seconds the 22 guests sat silent waiting for Elin's speech.
"I am so happy to be able to be here with all of you! So many lovely faces, all together celebrating the beginning of this yet-to-be amazing summer" she said loudly. "I can't believe we have all graduated and now have the rest of our lives ahead, on this rocky road to success! It feels spectacular, don't you think?" she seemed so happy but also rather drunk. "I would just like to thank all of you for being here, even if I don't know or have met all of you before; I would also like to thank Erik specially much for letting us all be here and preparing some delicious food and finally, I want to wish you all a fantastic summer! Glad midsommar, skååååål!"
The 22 guests toasted and clapped after Elin's short speech. Someone asked to put the music back on and everyone got back into their small conversations with the people they sat next to.
