|| Officially a Seventeen Year Old Child

I was dreaming about Marshmallow’s, so fluffy and sweet…

Suddenly I felt like I was flying and then landing on something soft, maybe a giant marshmallow, and again I went up in the air and down.

I let out yelp as I realize I was actually being thrown in the air,

“Wake. Up.”

My bed gave in as someone jumped on it and I bounced on, I forced my heavy eyes open and while I was being thrown in the air, I somehow managed to check the time,

5:07

Are you kidding me?!

I groaned, “Not today, please.” and cover my face with a pillow.

“Wake! Up!” the feminine voice yelled again, this time more violently jumping on my bed. Hmm, I kind of liked being thrown like this in the air, it's not something you experience everyd- sharp pain shot through the side of my head,

I wince, as I realize I’m on the floor, “Oh my Gosh, Adria!” I realize it's Vivi’s voice as she rushes to me. Vivi jumps on me and tickles the hell out of me, and i laugh so hard that I forgot the shooting pain on my head

“Sto- stop, im- im awake” I say while breathing hard.

“Happy Birthday!” she screams and gives me a hand to get up.

“Yes, happy new year to you too” I mumble as sleep slowly takes over me again.

“This girl.” she grunts. The next I know is I’m standing away from my precious warm bed.

“What the hell Viv!” I snapped, slightly wincing because of the throbbing pain at the side of my head, “It's five! Five in the morning! Not even Queen Elizabeth wakes up this early!”

“Sometimes it's good to wake up early.”

“Sometimes. but not today!” I waddle towards my life, my bed.

She grabs the back of my shirt, stopping me from going back to bed, “Shut up and get dressed”

“No.” I snapped, attempting to strangle her free from her strong grip.

“Yes,” she says, “I’ve got a surprise for you,”

Suddenly every single brain cell is alive and working, “What?”

“Yep,” she hurriedly goes through my clothes. What a great morning.

“Wait a minute. Is-” she holds out a black funky top with white strips “-this mine?”

I slowly make my way towards the bathroom, “No?”

After I freshen up, I wore the outfits she picked for me, of course it's black, the world is going to end if she wears a colored outfit. I quickly head over to my dressing table to put some makeup on, “I swear if my birthday surprise is some orange you managed to gift me last year, I will freaking show your baby photos to Eugene”

“Don’t you dare,” she warned while lazily lying on my bed, “Trust me this year it's going to be different” she says, emphasizing the last word.

I stopped mid-away applying my mascara, “Is the world really ending?”

I managed to annoy her back and we had a mini pillow fight until dad called us. I rushed downstairs and saw dad leaning on the counter table, holding something behind his back and smiling at me. He definitely has no idea what happened last night. Lucky me.

“Happy birthday sweetheart,” he smiled, “I did not forget it this time.” He walked towards me, still hiding something behind his back.

“Hey, see you out!” Vivi yells over her shoulder “Bye!” and slams the door shut.

“What’s that?” I asked, trying to take a peak.

“It’s a gift,” he replied, “from your mother”

My mother?

He read my expression and chuckled, “Close your eyes,” he murmured. I didn’t reply back and obeyed. He took my hands in his and placed a soft velvet box.

I opened my eyes, and saw a deep blue velvet box in my hands. “Open it!” he whispered eagerly. I don’t know why but my eyes started to glisten, I’ve never seen anything that belonged to my mom- only some faded memories.

I opened the box and saw a shimmering silver necklace, it had a bright green gem which showed a million shades of green. The gem itself looked dazzling, it was surrounded by small deep yellow stones which reflected the gorgeous morning sunshine. I carefully took the necklace from the box, he then took it and tied it around my neck.

I turned to face him, I could feel a tear escaping my eyes but he quickly wiped it with his thumb, “She made it for you,” he uttered, “told me to give it to you when you turn seventeen.”

“Did she say anything else?” I asked, hoping to find something about her.

He took a sharp breath and replied “She wants you to wear this always.” He looked in my eyes “Promise me.”

I promised him, I really missed her. He never talked about her, just avoided the topic. He pressed a kiss on my forehead. “Now go,” he added, “And come home early” and pushed me out of the house.

-x-x-x-

It took me a while to realize that we were heading towards the coffee shop Vivi worked at- also known as my favourite coffee shop. We entered the shop and the smell of coffee filled the air. I’m not a fan of coffee- no I’m not. I watched as Vivi ordered to the employee she hated the most.

“Two chocolate Sundae, with fresh slices of strawberry and vanilla ice-cream, with Choco flakes and marshmallows, I think there is a fresh stock of blueberries, add that too in both of them and add cherry on one and no cherry on other and oh! Add a lot of whipped cream and sprinkles. Make it ice cold and fast.”

“Yes ma’am,” he gritted.

The rest of the school day passed by like a blur, meeting annoying people then getting assignments to do and submit on some stupid day. I reached home yawning.

I slumped on my soft precious bed that I missed the whole day and dozed off. The dream started with a thick haze then its slowing became more clear and vivid,

“Hey! I’m going to tell father!” a voice of a toddler screamed.

I was in a green forest, filled with sweet chirps of birds and insects. A young boy with blonde hair ran towards me, he seemed to know me because he protectively wrapped his arms arounds me. “Let’s go,” he mumbled, his wild green eyes looking down at me. I pointed towards a black thing on the grass, He noticed it and walked towards it.

To my surprise it was an injured raven. He picked it up gently, it moved uncomfortably in his hands but then stopped when he slowly caressed its feathers. I watched him as he stood up, carrying the little raven in his hands. A group of ravens on the tree screamed at us.

“What are you going to do with it, brother?” I mentally asked him.

“It’s injured,” he sighed in my mind, then spotted a nest and placed it in it. “We have to go.” I told him hearing faint footsteps coming towards us.

“Your highness!” yelled a group of stomping royal guards.