It's Never Too Late

"Do you guys always do this during summer?" Ameera asked me when we went to take the trash out to the recycling shed.

"We try to." I smiled as I used the sanitizer beside the large bin where I dumped our plastic bag.

"Thanks for letting me join you guys. It was really fun." There was a hint of sadness in her voice that bothered me.

I peered at her. "You should join us more often if you want to. It's also really fun having you around."

She beamed at my words and latched her arm around mine. "I'd love that!"

When we got inside, I was surprised to see Mia struggling with a suspicious-looking wooden box. "What's that?"

"Oh! You're back!" Mia grinned and motioned me to sit beside her. "Can you figure out how to open this thing?"

I took the box that she handed over and heard moving liquid when I tried to shake it. "What's inside?"

"I have no clue." She shrugged. "Nanny Celia wanted me to give this to you. It's her birthday gift."

My eyebrow rose. "Birthday gift?"

Ameera's eyes rounded as she turned to me. "Is it your birthday?"

"Is it?" I frowned as I tried to remember what date it was today and failed. So I turned to Katherine to request for help and she just rolled her eyes.

"Are you being serious, Zee? Your birthday was on the 19th of March." Trixie scratched the side of her eyebrow.

"It already passed right? I'm already 17, right?" I slid down from the sofa and straight to the soft makeshift bed on the floor, feeling so confused.

Mia's jaw dropped. "Just because you can't have parties doesn't mean you should forget the date of your birthday, silly!"

I pondered about it for a while and thought that Trixie was right. My birthday has already passed. So I looked back up at Mia with confusion. "Then why are you giving this to me now? You're confusing me!"

"I was supposed to give it to you on your birthday. But because we have been so busy until the end of the school year, I lost my chance to give it to you." She pouted with puppy dog watery eyes.

I chuckled. "You could have just given it to me after class. It wasn't a weekend, right?"

"I didn't want to." She folded her arms across her chest defiantly. "Because I know that you will just put it in your bag and go home without letting us witness you open it."

"Do you really have to see me open this?" I fumbled with the wooden box that didn't seem to have a lid or a latch.

"Of course we do! What's the use of giving you a gift if we don't get to enjoy seeing you open it?"

My head tilted to one side, feeling uncertain after listening to Mia's words. "I have a feeling that there's something crooked with that reasoning but I can't put a finger on it."

Katherine chuckled. "Just open it, Zee. We're all dying from curiosity."

After much struggle, I was able to find the gap on the edge. I pulled it up and the box opened to reveal an egg-like glass with blue sparkling liquid inside. There's something on its end that made me want to press it, so I did.

That part of the glass sank in with a click and I put it near my nose to sniff if it was perfume. But as soon as I took a whiff, my face distorted from the strong pungent smell of some kind of herbal medicine. "What the heck!"

They all got curious so I passed it over for them to see for themselves what was inside the mystery box. And they all had the same reaction except for Trixie. "Oh. It smells like rum even though it looks like a blue curacao."

Ameera wrinkled her nose as she looked at Trixie with amusement. "You seem to be pretty knowledgeable with alcohol."

My nose was finally able to recover from the shock. "Her Dad runs a chain of high-end bars in Cape Hallows. He trained Trixie and her brothers from a young age so that they can manage the business someday."

Ameera nodded and she had that same expression that I had when I first learned about it too.

Respect.

The egg-like glass came back to me. "Why would Nanny Celia give this to me as a gift? Did she think it was my 18th birthday?"

"I think that's exactly the reason." Katherine took out a paper from inside the box and gave it to me.

I unfolded the card and saw the bold and neat scribbles.

[Happy 18th Birthday to Our Dear Zeanne!]

Trixie looked over my shoulder and giggled. "I guess you were not supposed to open this until next year?"

I smiled. "It's fine."

[I know I've told you many times before but you really are one charming and sweet girl even if you try to hide it with your roughness. But just like this pretty looking liquor, I hope that you continue to grow and mature into a fine young lady that does not fear to be different from her peers. Thank you for always being there for my dear Amelia whenever she needed you.

Happy 18th Birthday again my Dear Zeanne!

With much love,

Nanny Celia]

I closed the card and put it inside my wallet after reading it which left a warm tingling sensation in my chest. "I think I'm good for the next ten years with just this gift."

Mia carefully placed the bottle back inside the box. "Let's open it again on your birthday next year. By then, we will all be allowed to drink this."

That's right, although Mia acts more like it, I was actually the youngest amongst the four of us.

Even with Ameera added to our little circle, nothing would change.

"Okay. Let's get wasted on that day." I winked at them and they laughed.

Later into the night, as we lay down quietly on our backs after three hours of nonstop chatting, I suddenly had the urge to make a confession.

"Are you guys sleeping already?" I asked while feeling nervous despite myself.

Katherine rolled to her side and hugged me with both her arm and long leg like an octopus. Mia also did the same from my other side and mumbled sleepily. "I don't plan on sleeping tonight."

"What is it?" Katherine asked as she carefully moved the strands of my hair away from her face.

"I wanted to ask something." I started, cowardly beating around the bush. I was afraid how they would react to my news. "What do you think is that right age for someone to start dating or enter a relationship?"

I heard Trixie heave a sigh which made me smile.

She then spoke quietly with a serious tone. "I don't really think it's about the age. If you think that you are old enough to be responsible for your decisions then I see no problem with you entering a relationship even if you're just 12 years old."

"For me, I believe that you should hold off romance until you graduate college." Katherine contradicted just as seriously. "It's better to not get distracted by romance during this important phase of your life. Like the elders always tell us, True Love Waits."

Mia pushed herself up on one elbow and looked down at Katherine. "What if you lose a once in a lifetime chance by making it wait? Timing is everything."

Ameera chuckled. "I think I've heard that somewhere before. But I believe that if it's meant for you, it will find its way back no matter what."

Trixie turned to Ameera. "You believe in destiny?"

"I do." She nodded. "That's why I agree with Kath when she said it's better to hold it off until you're a lot more mature and it won't put your studies in jeopardy. Because I believe that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

Studies…

Timing…

Destiny…

Girl's really do complicate things a lot.

"I can just do better with my studies from next school year." I started while keeping my head blank and I felt Katherine stiffen beside me.

Then I added carefully despite feeling their hot gazes fall on me. "And timing is really something that I'll never be good at. You guys know that I've always been the type to just rush forward."

"What are you talking about?" Mia's eyebrows furrowed.

"And lastly, how the hell would you know if it's destined or not? Although, I don't really like the idea that my life has already been predetermined." I turned to look at Katherine who already understood what I was talking about.

"Am I the only one who feels like you're talking in riddles?" Mia let out a sigh.

I took a deep breath and declared without hesitation before I could change my mind and question my decision. "I'm dating Craige."

***

Dear Diary,

I told my friends today about me dating Craige.

And their reaction was very... violent.

Literally.

Rated SPG.