Chapter 1 : Bumbly Bumbly Birthdays

1

Bumbly Bumbly Birthdays

  My best friend Jerri gave me a look as I bit down hard on my fist. We were sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor, surrounded by my posters from J-14  of various boy bands and celebrities, my soft pink mat underneath our butts.  Jerri was here first, as it was her duty as a best friend. I'm pretty sure it's in the handbook

  "What are you doing?" She asked in a tone that clearly meant she was way too cool to be talking to such a weirdo, but she smiled in spite of herself.

  "I'm trying to contain my excitement!" I explained gleefully, bouncing up and down against the soft, fluffy material. "It is my birthday."

  "Yeah, it is. So what?" She picked at a cuticle on her ring finger, which made me shudder. The thought of all the germs on those things freaked me out. Over the 7 years of our best-friendship, I'd bought her several tubes of cuticle gel. Cuticle gel that clearly went unused.

  "Think about it! My birthday's in September!"

  She rolled her eyes, obviously thinking I was a lunatic who needed help.

  "Yes it is, Amber, as is 1/12 of the worlds population."

  "But do you know what that means?"

  "Um.. that September babies moms dropped them a few times during their childhood?"

  "Quit being such a smart a*s. It means that this is my last birthday as a high school student. My last birthday living at home. My last birthday before the rest of my life!"

  "You're such a loon!" She laughed, but I could see some sadness behind those big blue eyes of hers. She drifted off for a moment, staring out my bay window at our old tree house. Ah, the things you came up with when you were 11.

  "Hey! Earth to Jerri!" I turned her head to face me. "What's wrong?"

  "Oh nothing.."

  "Hey, don't give me that bs. What's wrong?"

  She stared down at her feet and started picking at a hole in her Puma ankle socks. Jerri often did this when she was answering a question that bothered her. 

  "It's just, you've already been accepted to RISD, and I'm hoping to get into NYU.. I feel like we're never gonna see eachother."

  "We'll make time," I assured her. "We can go to the Saturday Lunch Buffet at Boston Pizza!"

  "And you can pay!" She joked wearily.

  "Oh, some friend you are." I muttered.

  "Love you too, Ambie!" she sing-songed, giving me a big bear hug.

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  "Don't you just love it?" Jennifer squealed. "I seen it and it screamed you."

  I looked down, awestruck, at the new purse Jenny had gotten me. It was an over the shoulder bag with a funky tribal print and golden tassels. She was right. This did scream me!

  "I love it!" I exclaimed. "You guys are the best friends ever!"

  "Beat that b*****s," Jenny whispered under her breath.

  "Gladly," Jerri smiled ear to ear, presenting me with a small, rectangular envelope.

  I raised my left eyebrow questioningly. Jerri and I always bought eachother gifts, always. We'd always agreed that money was to much of an easy out for such good friends. She seemed like she could almost read my mind.

  "Just open it," she urged.

  I opened the envelope carefully, trying not to rip the cute balloons she'd drawn on the front. I was weird like that. As I opened the card (that was infact adorned with a monkey in a party hat holding a gift) it wasn't a few crumpled bills that slipped out the bottom. It was a ticket.

  "What's this for?" I asked dumbly, not bothering to look at it.

  "Well," Jerri started. "I knew this year I wanted to get you something memorable. Something better than any of my gifts before."

  "So.." I pressed.

  "So, this means that you, me, and all of these lovely ladies," she gestured royally to each one of my friends, "will be taking a Spring Break trip to California! And you, my friend, get to go free."

  My mouth hung open and my arms went limp. California? 

  "No way, that's way to expensive!" I squeaked.

  "Payback for that Coach purse!"

  I didn't buy that one bit. I knew that this cost way more than any purse. But I knew that there was no changing her mind. When Jerri set something in motion, there was no stopping her. 

  "Well thank you!" I squealed, giving her a huge hug. "And I don't want any more birthday presents for the next 5 years!"

  "Done," she said, even though I knew that was total bull.

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  “Cheers to being Seniors!” Bailey toasted, taking a deep sip of the whiskey we stole from my parents liquor cabinet. 

  “And to California!” Eliza piped in.

  I smiled. I had the best friends a girl could ask for. We were all huddle around a big flashlight we had inside the tent we set up in my backyard. Okay, it wasn’t officially camping, but it was close enough for us. We roasted marshmellows, told scary stories, and caught fireflies in a jar. Sure, it was a little immature, but since this might be the last time we got a chance to do this, we didn’t want any wasted opprotunities.

  “Cheers to friendship!” Katie hiccuped, then giggled up a storm.

  “And whiskey!” Kyla added drunkenly. 

  “Don’t forget Cheetos!” Jerri quickly reminded us, gesturing at the bowl of chips.

  I loved them. I loved them with with every inch of me. And I hated the prospect of in less than a year, I’d have to let them go

  Stop that! I scolded myself. This is your birthday! Don’t think about that stuff.

  “Ladies, here’s to being fabulous!” I proclaimed, and tipped back my glass.