Chapter Nine

"What is your present this year?" I said.

Lara and I had an agreement since we were young that we won't surprise each other with random gifts, we only get what the other most desire. "I got you what you need," she said and winked at me.

I don't think she could be able to get me what I truly need. Does having Jungkook in my life even a possibility? I wish. "And what is that?" I said and smiled at her.

"Well, I got you a masterpiece," Lara said and left the laptop on the bed and went to her closet and got a red leather notebook and small red jewelry box. She sat on the bed and gave them to me.

"Oh my god!" I said shockingly.

"I knew how much you like those notebooks Happy Birthday T," Lara said and hugged me.

The notebooks were very expensive ones that only made in Paris and considered the most exclusive type of notebook ever; I wanted to have one but never had the chance to get my hands on one. It was immediately sold out. I opened the notebook and found five separated drawing sheets inside.

"Oh my god," I said and laughed. It was five drawings of Jungkook either naked or semi-naked; all drew in a realistic style and colored.

"I wasn't planning to draw you anything but after I heard you masturbating to him, I had no choice," Lara said nonchalantly. I couldn't stop laughing; the drawings were amazing. I was a little bit turned on.

I looked at each one carefully. Couldn't believe how talented she is and how realistic it looked. God! I would give up anything to see him like that in real life. Lara didn't draw him like she did Taehyung; it was more fluff and romantic as I believe he is in real life. I put the drawing back inside the notebook then left it on the bed next to me. I looked at the red box and held it.

"A third present; wow." I opened the jewelry box and smiled widely. "Oh! I love it!" I said and held the jewelry; It was a rose gold bracelet with letter T engraved on it. I wore the bracelet and looked at Lara who was checking something on her laptop. "Thanks, Lara," I said and hit her shoulder lightly.

"You're welcome," she said happily without moving her sight form the screen.

"TIA," someone called from downstairs.

"Coming!" I said and get up quickly.

8:30 PM.

We were at the restaurant; it was crowded by family members and friends. The whole place was loud by music and laughter. Every year Lara throw a crazy birthday party for me with all our friends even my college friends came all the way from London to celebrate with me. The night was loud and filled with food and exquisite amount of red and white wine. No one was really drunk; we were just having a great time at the breath taking view of the sea.

12:05 AM.

People started to leave to get enough sleep for the next day celebration. Birthdays in my town means a whole week of celebration; the first day with a loud party, next day with another party in the middle of the sea and the rest of the week had different planning for each year so I knew tomorrow would be a whole other story.

As the last one left the restaurant; my dad called me to sit next to him. he was sitting at one of the tables on the right side of the restaurant. "I can't believe you are twenty-one," he said happily.

"I know time flies I guess," I said and smirked.

"You know, you look just like your mother at that age."

I smiled at his glowing eyes; I love when he mentioned her; always smiling and happy. "Happy birthday young bunny," he said and kissed my forehead and then gave me a car keys.

"No way!"

"You always wanted the red one, it's outside," he said and smiled.

He bought me a red Mercedes that I dreamed of for years. I jumped into his lap and hugged him tightly. "I love it dad, thank you so much," I said and kissed his cheek then went running to Lara telling her about my glamorous gift.

12:27 AM.

After we went home; dad went immediately to his room to sleep while Lara and I were in my bedroom opening the great number of gifts I got this year.

"This is bullshit," Lara said and throw random gift at the floor. I laughed at her judging attitude; Every year Lara opens my gifts with me and criticize anyone who bought a gift she thinks is trash.

"It's a great blouse," I said and pointed at the gift she threw earlier on the floor.

"And this!" she pointed at another gift next to her.

I smiled happily; I was excited about this one. "What? It's a great one."

"You already have two! I don't know why aunt Lily keeps getting you the same gift every year."

It was a coffee machine in a bright red color. "It's the new edition," I said and held the box happily.

"All of them make the same coffee; what is the point of producing a new edition," Lara argued.

I laughed at her child-like reaction. I was about to say something else but stopped when someone knocked on my door. "Girls," grandma said from behind the door.

"Come in," Lara shouted.

"Really girls; you couldn't wait for tomorrow to open the gifts," grandma said and walked into the room.

"It was a waste of our time really," Lara said and frowned in disappointment.

"Well, you won't say that about mine; I got Tia a magical gift," grandma said and sat next to Lara.

Grandma got a navy jewelry box from her pocket and held it tightly between her long slim figures. She smiled at me then handed me the box. I opened it to find the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen in my entire life. A silver chain merged with blue colored chain and silver dove engraved with blue gemstone and between the dove's beak was a wondrous round pure white pearl that had a red reflection to it.

"Another jewelry? What happened to everyone! No one got her a good gift this year!" Lara said sarcastically.

"Come on Lara all the gifts are great," I said and pointed at the thrown gift all over the floor.

Grandma hit Lara on her shoulder and faked an angry face. "Do not compare my gift to others; mine will bring a whole new world into her hands," grandma said loudly.

"It's just an old looking necklace," Lara said and looked at her without blinking.

Grandma smacked Lara on the back of her head. "You talk a lot without knowing anything just like your granny," grandma said to her then looked at me. "Do you like it bunny?"

"I do! It's beautiful," I said and held it between my fingers to wear it. Grandma got closer to me and lifted my hair up.

"You know this necklace had been worn by all the women in our family," grandma said and moved my hair behind my ears. "It has a great story and magical powers every woman in our family get to use it until she gives it to her daughter."

"An ancient heirloom with magical powers," Lara echoed.

Grandma stared at her. "Don't make me drag you outside the room little girl," grandma said and pointed at Lara. "From all your granny good characteristics; you inherited the most annoying one."

Lara laughed and held grandma's finger. "No please; I'm sorry I will shut up."

"Did mom wore it too?" I asked grandma.

"Yes bunny," grandma said and moved to sit further to face me and Lara. "This necklace has a great meaning to our family; it was gifted to our ancestry from a beautiful and divine goddess," she said and looked at me.

"In ancient time our ancestry Telesilla was of the prettiest women in her time; she was blessed with great life since the day she was born yet she was unfortunate with her heart, she fell in love with a warrior that serviced the kingdom, their love was a pure passionate love but before they wed he sacrificed his life saving the kingdom from a sudden attack," grandma said and took a deep breath and looked at our concentrated faces.

"When he died, Telesilla was heartbroken and couldn't believe that her true love was gone so soon; she cried herself to sleep for a whole year; her beauty faded away, she was driven into despair day by day, till the day of her twenty-first birthday," grandma said calmly.

"What happened on her birthday! She died?" Lara said loudly with her eyes wide open.

When it comes to someone telling a story; Lara was always the one get hooked immediately. On the other hand, I was listening carefully to the story to know how it landed into my mother's hand; having something she had when she was alive made me feel more connected to her.

Grandma started at her and quickly Lara put her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from talking. "On the early morning of her birthday; Telesilla went to the beach and sat on its soft sand remembering all the moments she had with her lover before he died, she was crying weakly and in rhythm with the sounds of the waves, when suddenly she saw someone rising from under the clear blue water of the sea, she wiped her tears and saw a beautiful and divine woman wearing a silky white dress fitting her curvy body like a clear cloud and had a breathtaking long red silky hair; she got closer to her and sat next to her. The divine woman told Telesilla that she has been watching her and wanted to give her something to repair her broken heart and soul; she gave her a necklace she was wearing and placed it on Telesilla's neck," grandma said and pointed at the necklace I was wearing.

"This necklace," I said shockingly and held it tightly.

"Yes, sweetheart this very necklace, goddess Aphrodite appeared to Telesilla to give her that necklace that changed her life forever. she told her that it is a gateway for her desires and needs; another reality where she could be and do whatever her heart desires and before Aphrodite left she told her that every female from her blood will be blessed with great luck, beauty, and love from the moment they were born till their last breath," Grandma said and looked at our confused faces.

"So, Aphrodite; the goddess Aphrodite appeared to your ancestry and gave her a magical necklace that grantee wishes?" Lara said trying to understand.

"Not wishes but a gateway to a whole new world."

"I don't understand," I said and frowned.

"The necklace create a gateway to a different world where anything we want can happen there like," grandma paused for a second. "Like eating a tremendous amount of food and not gaining weight or flying in the air; anything that comes to your mind can happen in that magical world, you can say it's a world by your own creation."

"Wow! That definitely a great gift!" Lara said surprisingly. "But somehow doesn't make sense."

What grandma said sounded epic but somehow, I couldn't believe any of it. Grandma noticed my steady reaction. "Aren't you excited bunny?"

"I don't really believe that this necklace can do magic," I said and looked at them.

"You don't believe in magic?" grandma asked me.

"Not really."

"I believe you should see by yourself to truly believe; when I got it from my mother, I didn't believe it either but Sofia was the one who forced me to believe."

"Granny?!" Lara said.

"You both shared many things; Sofia was the one who helped me create my world, we created a beautiful world, you can take Lara with you she would help you," grandma said and stood up heading to the door. I looked at both of them who exchanged smirks and winks. "You know your friend isn't that good with dealing with her desire," grandma said to her.

Lara laughed loudly knowing exactly what she meant. "Hey! I can deal with my desires!" I said.

"Can you? Do you have an idea of what you want to do in the magical world? But first how we're going to get there? And how she's going to create that world?" Lara said fast.

"You're really believing this story!" I said and looked at Lara bewildered.

Lara nodded her head and looked again at grandma. "It doesn't have a certain way; Whatever Tia wants to go through will appear in front of your eyes," grandma said and opened the door. "Enjoy! Good night." Before we could even reply, grandma left the room shutting the door behind her. Lara looked at me then at the necklace.

"Come on T; show me your great imagination," Lara said and stood in front of me.

"What?"

"You heard her! Think of some way for us to go to that new world," Lara said and jumped a little.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Lara magic does not exist," I said and stood up looking deeply into her eyes.

"Why would grandma lie? What if this necklace really creates a new world? Just move your ass and think of something!" I sighed. "Come on!"

"I don't have anything in my mind now and I think we're drunk to do anything."

"For god sake!" Lara looked around searching for something. "I will go make two cups of coffee and we will start this shit," she said and left the room.

We were both indeed kinda drunk after the whole day drinking. I knew for a fact that she was drunk, she believed grandma immediately without using any logic. I didn't realize that she came back and handed my a cup of hot coffee. "I believe grandma and I'm not that drunk," she said and took a sip of her cup.

After we finished our coffee. I began to feel more focused and not dizzy like before. Lara stood up searching for something. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for my phone, I keep losing that bastard," Lara said and moved a pillow on the bed that hid the phone under it. "Look." Lara handed me her phone where it has the first episode of her successful comic 'Remember You'. I looked at the screen not fully getting her point. "You have read the whole series, right?" Lara asked slowly.

"Yeah."

"Great! You can use this story as your world."

"Huh?"

"The comic is based on a fiction city with cool settings and places," Lara said proudly. I nodded. "Just create a life version of it." Lara looked at me then sighed. "Just use it as a base for that world and we will go from there," Lara said then threw her phone on the bed.

"Really Lara! You still on this! Magic doesn't exist," I said and looked at her frowned face.

"Why not?! maybe it's true, maybe we could have a magical world of our creation! Do I really have to be like granny and convince you to go there?" she paused and looked at the closed door of my room. "Use the door; create another one as a gateway to the other world," Lara said and pointed at it.

I sighed again then walked to the door. I stood in front of it. The door was a white colored wooden door with a a silver doorknob. "Close your eyes and imagine it." I did as she said. I looked at it for a couple of minutes then closed my eyes. "Good, say it out loud." I opened one of my eyes and looked at her frowning. "I have no idea… just try."

"Okay." I said and closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath. " The door will be a navy blue huge one starting from the ceiling to the ground and it has a red doorknob," I said then paused for a moment to think. "And on the other side the same city of your comic 'blue tales city' and what else?" I said then moved my head toward Lara's direction. "What else?" I waited for her respond without opening my eyes.

I heard her holding her breath. I opened my eyes to look at her. I frowned a little when my eyes laid on her face. Her eyes were wide open in clear shocking look and her mouth parted. "What?" I asked her without moving my eyes from hers.

She didn't answer; she just pointed her finger at the direction of the door. I frowned more and moved my eyes from hers and looked at the door. "Oh my god," I said, and my own mouth parted in shock. The bedroom door changed. It became like what I precisely imagined. Huge navy-blue door with red doorknob replaced of my white bedroom door. "How?" I whispered.

"It faded into this one while you were saying it! It's magic!" Lara said and finally moved and looked at me.

"It really happened," I said and looked at her in equal shock and surprise.

"Let's go!" Lara held my hand and opened the door. When Lara opened the door, strong light hit our eyes; for a second there I only saw whiteness mighty light coming from the other side. "Shit!" Lara said and covered her eyes and so did I.

Seconds later.

The mighty light disappeared, and I opened my eyes, Lara left my hand and took a few steps further. "Oh god!" Lara said and looked around. "It's Blue Tale city! Just like I draw it!"

I couldn't believe my own eyes either. It was the exact city Lara created for her comic; it was a mixture between London, Mykonos, and Paris; Lara favorite cities. The city was dead silent and empty. We walked for a few minutes eyeing everything in shock and excitement.

"What should we do now?" I asked her.

"Make it a normal one with people just like our world, make it real," Lara said and spread her arms.

I closed my eyes. "This city will be real and filled with people just like the comic," I said loudly. The place suddenly sounded different. I opened my eyes and saw Lara covering her mouth in excitement. I looked around and saw how the city changed. It became crowded just like any normal big city. With people walking, talking, laughing and even fighting.

"I can't believe this is happening," I said and held Lara's forearm. "What else?"

"I have an idea," Lara said and smirked.

"What?" I asked and crossed my arms.

"Let's get you a date."

"A date?"

"I have someone in my mind."

"Don't tell me, Manos!" I said and pointed at her.

"We already have Manos in the real world! No T, another one," Lara said and narrowed her eyes in a mischievous look.

"Who?" I asked without blinking.

Oh. God. Is she thinking of what I'm thinking? "Jungkook," Lara said and smirked.