k a r r i s

✖

Saturday couldn't have come faster. Just the simple luxury of sleeping in made my toes curl and my mouth to water. The school week was a big pile of poop and I was ready to welcome the weekend with open arms. And when 10:30AM rolled around, I did too. My eyes slowly peeled opened to the sun rays spilling through the cracks of my blinds, as I indulged my appetite for warm blankets and fluffy pillows.

Buzz. Buzz.

With a yawn and a stretch of my arms, I sat up in my bed. I reached over to grab my cellphone from the side table and watched as the screen glowed with an outpour of text messages.

From: Mikey 🍕 - 10:37AM
happy bday. i'd eat weed brownies with you anytime

From: Luke 🍦 - 10:02AM
happy birthday u savage gurl.

From: Mollie Santos 🌸 - 9:47AM
your soul shines from the inside out. happy birthday karris

From: Calum 🌶 - 9:44AM
you mean the world to me. merry christmas... jk

The messages came faster than I can reply, and the Instagram collage dedications were endless— Berkley's was a well thought out video using clips of our best memories together. My heart felt cozy and full from all the kind gestures on the day of my birth. But the one thing I wanted most, was to run into Gabe's room, jump on his bed and share a slice of cake.

I slid my finger down the screen to scroll through my text messages till I landed on a very specific one. I tapped it, watching as the display changed to the last exchange I had with my twin.

From: Righty-Tighty Gabe - 8:53PM
You're right. You don't even go here. ;P Text me when you get here. Thanks. Love you, sis! <3

"I love you too, bro," I breathed. "If you really are my brother... Seems like I don't even know you."

I tapped the empty message bar and began to type.

To: Righty-Tighty Gabe - 11:02AM
Who are you? Literally. Our whole life, I've put you on this pedestal because I've looked up to you. But now, it's like you had some double life. I may never find out the truth about you, but if I had one last chance to talk to you, one last 5 minutes, I'd ask you to tell me who you are. Happy 18th Birthday, Righty-Tighty.

With a sigh, and a less heavy heart, I tossed my phone off to the side and lifted the blankets off of my body. I slipped out of my bed and headed towards my closet, studying the articles of clothing that hung on the black, velvet hangers.

"Knock, knock," my bedroom door creaked opened slightly before mom's head peaked through.

"Good morning," I greeted, my voice cracking from the morning voice.

"Happy 18th Birthday, anak ko," mom pulled me into a tight hug, her signature citrus scent wafting into my nose.

(translation: my child, my dear)

"Thanks," I grinned. "I should be ready to go in about thirty minutes. I wanna brush my teeth, change, and fix my hair."

We separated, "okay good. I'm almost done packing up all the food, and Sophie and your friends should be here soon."

Mom backed out of my room, closing the door behind her. I continued getting ready; picking out my clothes and brushing my teeth till my morning breath was completely gone. Downstairs I could hear the loud laughter of Berkley, plus the random bouts of Tagalog from Sophie. Their happiness prompted me to quickly make the final touches of my birthday look, running a hairbrush through my hair one last time.

"You guys are so loud, New York can hear you," I teased, walking around the corner to the living room where my friends all sat with joyful smiles.

"There she is!" Sophie whooped, clapping her hands with enthusiasm. "Happy Birthday!"

"Give us a 360 one time!" Berkley whistled, grabbing the deck of cards on the coffee table and shuffling it into the air as if it were a rainfall of dollar bills.

I mused my friends with a chuckle, and spun around in the middle of the living room with my arms open wide. It wasn't like I was wearing anything too special— all I wanted was a simple picnic at my brother's gravesite, and therefore wore jeans and a simple top

"You look beautiful, Karris," the sweet words came from the far end of the couch where Natalia sat.

I grinned, approaching the girl I no longer disliked and gave her a hug, "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thanks for inviting me," Natalia beamed. "I just hope I'm not intruding."

"You're not intruding," I assured. "I just wanted to invite the girl that makes my best friend happy."

I glanced over at Berkley whose lips lifted into a sweet smile. She sent me an appreciative wink— no words equating to her gratitude.

"Are you girls, ready?" Mom approached us, a large tote bag swinging from her arm.

I nodded, and together, we began my birthday festivities.

The November air was crisp and cool despite the sun that peeped through the bouquet of clouds scattered through out the baby blue sky. We laid blankets down on the grass before Gabe's tombstone, taking a seat on top. Mom began pulling out the array of glass tupperware from the tote bag and displayed them in the center of us. Potato salad, grilled veggies, and homemade Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches were just a few of items my mom prepared for my birthday picnic.

Here's a secret: those were all of Gabe's favorite foods.

"Sophie, how is school?" Mom asked, handing her a paper plate.

"It's so stressful Tita," she began with a groan, reaching over to grab a sandwich. "I can't wait for the semester to be over!"

(translation: aunty)

As my mom and Sophie were captivated by academic discussions, and discourse on their favorite Filipino soap operas, I took the liberty of decorating my brother's tombstone. I draped a plastic birthday banner across the intricately designed stone, and laid fresh flowers at the foot of it. I ran my fingers across the engraved patterns that adorned the tablet, and tried my hardest not to shed any tears.

"We brought your favorites," I mentioned, gazing into the sky as if speaking straight to my twin.

I sat back down, my mother already preparing me a plate. She prepped one for Gabe too, sitting the plastic plate next to the bouquet of flowers— a food offering for my brother's 18th. After saying a quick prayer, we dove straight into our meal.

The picnic was lovely. We shared funny stories— keeping things light and simple. I almost forgot we were in a cemetery as we threw our heads back in laughter. The food was delicious, of course. It was a picture-perfect birthday picnic to say the least. We packed up our belongings after an hour and thirty minutes, my mom finishing up an embarrassing story about me.

"Okay, so I know all you wanted for your birthday was a picnic," Berkley began, a mischievous smirk forming on her face, as she folded one of the blankets.

"Uh huh," I eyed my suspicious friend with pursed lips.

"But we're about to kidnap you for some afternoon merriment," Sophie wiggled her eyebrows, shaking her body into a happy dance.

"Wait, what?" I was speechless, bolting my startled eyes from Sophie, to Berkley, and then to Natalia.

"Don't look at me like that," Natalia raised her hands up in defense. "I had nothing to do with this."

Berkley let out a small gasp and nudged Natalia who sprung in her boots.

"Okay fine," Natalia surrendered. "I had a little to do with it."

"The point is, I have a connection at The Soleil Luxury Spa," Sophie informed, an animated glimmer in her eyes. "My former big sis from Kappa Iota is one of the managers, and hooked us up with day passes."

"Which is where we're taking you," Berkley pointed at me with a grin.

"Isn't The Soleil in San Diego?" I recalled, remembering my mom spending a weekend there after Gabe's funeral to regenerate.

"Yes, which isn't even that far of a drive. Come on Karebear, we'll get massages, facials, jump into the mud bath," Berkley painted, each activity causing a crescendo of excitement.

A smile lurked onto my face as I stood there reflecting on the day ahead of us. The more I thought about it, the more adrenaline rushed through me, and suddenly, I was extremely excited to partake in a day of lavish pampering.

"Well, what are we doing still standing here?" I jumped in glee. "My skin is dry and I'm in dire need of fresh cucumbers on my eyelids."

A slew of giggles escaped the girls as they grabbed my hand and pulled me towards Natalia's car.

"Behave girls!" My mom called after us, waving her hand in the air. She laughed us, her chuckles carrying into the wind as I ran through the grass.

The four of us joyful chicks slid into Natalia's blue Subaru, myself in the passenger seat. Because it was my birthday, Natalia passed me the auxiliary cord and suddenly, I was DJ Karebear for our trip to San Diego. I had the musical power at the tap of my finger, and I knew, as a levelheaded young adult, I had to select tunes of major sophistication.

"This could be the start, of something new! It feels so right, to be here with you!"

Nothing said sophistication more than all three of the High School Musical soundtracks, and my friends seemed to agree with me because they commenced the massive sing-a-long. To put it simply, our trip to San Diego was fun, and it was only the beginning. When we pulled up to The Soleil, I was thankful for two reasons.

1. I had friends who cared about me enough to plan a girls day.

2. Sophie Torres was the best sorority girl to have ever lived.

The Soleil Luxury Spa was three floors of, excuse my language, holy shit. The monumental, beautifully designed building was pristine as it loomed before us. Palm trees decorated the front entrance and a large, rectangular fountain was embedded into the stone tile.

"Remind me to send your sorority sister an Edible Arrangement," Berkley stood with her mouth agape as she stared at the upscale edifice.

"I second that," Natalia chimed with. "This place looks Kardashian-approved."

"Ate, you really outdone yourself," I gave Sophie a hug, which she happily returned.

(translation: older sister)

The four of us walked into the building, immediately getting sucker punched with the strong scent of eucalyptus and fresh citrus. The lobby was clean, bright, and decorated with a simple palate of beige tones. Employees wore smiles on their faces while clad in matching uniforms.

"Sophie!"

Our heads turned in the direction of the blissful squeal. A few feet away stood a stunning, blonde-haired woman in a coral tweed dress. Pearls embellished her neck, and a gold name tag was pinned on the right side of her chest.

"Imogen!" Sophie danced her way over to the woman, and pulled her into a tight hug. "You look so good! I guess life after graduation is treating you very well."

"With your remarkable networking skills, trust me, you'll do just fine after your graduate," Imogen motivated. Her vivid blue eyes glanced over at us and smiled, "you girls must be Sophie's friends."

"Yes," Sophie confirmed with delight. "This is Berkley and her girl, Natalia. And this right here," she paused to drape an arm around my shoulders, "is my little sister from another mister, Karris."

"Ah, the birthday girl," Imogen guessed with a grin. "Well, I don't want to keep you ladies from enjoying your day. So if you will just follow me, I'll take you to the changing rooms and guide you through the experience."

And that's exactly what we did.

Imogen gave us complimentary bathrobes, which were probably hand sewed by Zeus himself because those robes were made with the softest material to have ever touched my skin. Then, we were taken into a private room where the four of us received high quality massages, undoing any stress-induced knots in my body.

My day was utterly relaxing. I eluded the worry of my reality, and dove into a magical land of detoxifying clay masks, bamboo pedicures, and not to mention the unlimited tropical smoothies in cups made of coconuts. This day trip also consisted of getting to know Natalia, and of course, being a witness to my new relationship goals.

"Oh my gosh, delete that," Natalia challenged with a giggle, reaching over in attempt to grab the cellular device from Berkley's hands.

"Darling, no," Berkley leaned away from Natalia, before taking a gander at her phone. "You look so cute sitting there getting a pedicure."

"I don't believe you," Natalia stuck out her tongue. "But thank you, sweetheart."

The two girls leaned towards each other to hold hands, and I couldn't help but to lift my lips into a smile. Berkley and Natalia were undeniably cute together, but what was more heart-gushing, was the fact that they were able to be themselves. Without any judgmental classmates, or strict parents, the two pretty girls could dish out the affection perpetually.

"Update me with Ashton," Sophie brought up. "Anything new happened?"

I groaned.

"Wow, that bad?" She haphazardly guessed with a lifted eyebrow. 

"We got into an argument a few days ago and haven't talked since," I explained, a frown on my face.

"Was this argument about something little? Like video games or weird socks?" She suggested. "Or, was it something worth arguing over."

I mulled over her words, recounting the memory of last Thursday afternoon when Ashton had a drunk meltdown, all before barfing chunks on Luke's white, canvas-made shoes. I grinned at the memory.

"Holy shit Karebear," Sophie blurted with wide eyes.

"What?"

"You really, really, really like Ashton, don't you?" Sophie speculated breathlessly.

"Yea," I nodded. "I do. I really do, damnit."

"Well then, ading," Sophie began. "You and Ashton should try to patch things up. No matter the scale of your argument, you should take the time and care to talk things out with him."

(translation: younger sibling)

"Thanks," I smiled.

"You glow when you talk about him," Sophie noted. And yea, she was right.

My birthday afternoon was slowly turning into a birthday evening as the sun was gradually setting. The girls and I were on our last spa activity at The Soleil getting the locks on our head washed with luxurious blood orange shampoo, and our faces smeared with makeup. It was wonderful, to say the least, with how much fun I was actually having. When this day was all over, and it was time to lay my head to rest, only the sweet memories would devour my dreams.

In the midst of my hair getting curled, and high-end lip color being carefully dolloped on my lips, I realized that Berkley was missing from the chair next to me. I assumed she went to the bathroom, until she sauntered from the back room with yet another mischievous grin on her face. She held two turquoise paper bags, each embellished with sparkly tissue paper.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Don't tell me you still got me presents after you did all this for me."

"Bitch, these are for the lady that brought us those little macarons," Berkley sassed before throwing her head back in laughter. "Of course we got you presents."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's your birthday," Sophie stated matter-of-factly. "These are from all of us."

Berkley handed me the bags, which I took with a shy smile— my friends were crazy and incredible and nurturing all at the same time. I dug my hand into the first bag, pulling out a very beautiful black dress. Fitted bodice, a scallop trim, and a short, flirty, flowing bottom. It was a stunning dress to say the least, and I wasn't sure when the occasion would pop up for me to wear such a playful ensemble.

"I know what you're thinking," Berkley hinted. "When the hell are you going to wear a fabulous dress like this?"

"Your psychic Abuela is starting to influence you," I joked.

"The point," Berkley continued. "Is that you don't have to wait much longer to wear that dress, because you're wearing it tonight."

"Why?" I squinted my eyes in curiosity, sensing the sus exude from my best friend.

"Because you're eighteen now. And we're taking you to your first club," Sophie declared.

My face fell and my insides plummeted down to Hell. Clubbing certainly wasn't my thing, at least not now. Just the thought of dark, steamy spaces with random gross boys trying to touch you, didn't exactly appeal to me.

"This is the part where I come in," Natalia pipped up. "My older sister is dating this dude— or maybe he's her fuck buddy... anyway, the dude is a promoter for Omnia Nightclub, which is normally 21 and over, but for us, he can get us in, no questions asked."

"I appreciate all of this, I really do. But a club? Really, guys?" I let out a nervous chuckle.

"We get it, not really your thing," Berkley commented. "But what if you just put the dress on, and the other things in the second bag, then decide if you wanna go out."

"You're a swell negotiator," I complimented.

"So what do you say best friend? You down with the plan?"

With a reluctant groan, "yes, let's try this thing out."

"Yes!" Sophie whooped, leaning over in her chair to give Natalia a high-five.

After the woman doing my hair gave it one last gentle brush, she led me to one of the private dressing rooms where I slipped off the soft robe and stepped into my new dress. The second paper bag had new jewelry in it— earrings and statement pieces like a silver cuff bracelet. I smoothed out the sweet dress that adorned my body and smiled to myself. My friends had really outdone themselves, and though I appreciated every little gesture, going to a nightclub in the middle of downtown San Diego was certainly not my thing.

"Oh my gosh!" Berkley gasped as I walked out of the changing rooms.

"Someone lock you up in a cage and tame your ass," Natalia praised with bewilderment weaved in her tone.

"If you weren't so in love with Ashton, I'd pimp you out at the club tonight," Sophie expressed with a wink.

"Wait a minute," Berkley twisted her head to eye me with a smirk. "You're in love with Ash?"

"I'm not in love with Ash," I argued.

"Oh girl, yes she is. She has it bad," Sophie confirmed at a low whisper.

"Guys stop. You're embarrassing me," a light blush creeped onto my cheeks.

"Okay, okay," Sophie waved her hands in the air. "We'll stop harassing you. The dress is on, how do you feel? Are you up for clubbing?"

I cringed, "honestly, no. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Berkley wondered.

"You all seemed like you were all excited to go," I shrugged.

"Don't worry about us. This is your big day. We want whatever you want," Natalia assured. She reached a hand forward to grab mine, giving it a supportive squeeze.

"I'm with Natalia," Sophie agreed. "So let's ditch the club and go back home. We can order pizza and watch movies then call it a night."

"Sounds like the perfect plan," Berkley stated.

"Let's do the sleepover at my house," I offered. "I really don't want to leave my mom home alone tonight— it's still Gabe's birthday as much as it is mine."

So that's what we aimed to do. We said goodbye to the wonderful employees at The Soleil who pampered us, and gave a group hug to Sophie's former sorority sister, Imogen. The girls and I hopped back into Natalia's car and as we made our way back to the small coastal town of Arden Heights, we screamed the lyrics to Disney classics. A sleepover with my closest friends was the perfect ending to a perfect 18th birthday.

Initially, at least.

The warm glow of the yellow lights beamed through the upstairs windows as we pulled up to my home. I fished out the house keys from my purse before sliding out of the passenger side seat and following the girls down the concrete pathway to the front porch.

"Our Moana sing-a-long got me in the mood for something Disney," I stuck the key into the knob of the main door. "How do you girls feel about watching Princess and the Frog or maybe The Lion King."

"I'm cool with either," Berkley answered as I swung open the front door.

The four of us entered the warm home, hit with the welcoming scent of food. I guessed my mom knew we'd be back soon with empty stomachs and ordered sustenance for us. I strolled through the foyer, heading for the kitchen. When I took one step into the living room however, was when my night morphed from simplicity, to one insane celebration.

"SURPRISE!"

The entire house erupted into a cacophony of elated cheers and joyful shrieks, as my hand shot to my heart. I jumped slightly from the shock of seeing my home brimming with people. Almost all of my classmates from both Willowridge and Brampcrest invaded the living room, while the hockey team threw confetti and glitter into the air upon my arrival.

"Oh my gosh! What are you all doing here?" I let out an excited shrill, grinning from ear to ear at the scene before me.

"It's your birthday, duh!" Michael blurted, poking my cheek.

"How did you... who planned... I'm confused," I blubbered.

"It was your mom," Sophie revealed, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "She invited Berkley and I for lunch where we devised this plan."

"But what about the whole, 'lets go to the club' thing?" I questioned.

"Karris, I've known you for most of our lives. There was no way in Hell that you'd actually want to go to the club," Berkley reasoned. "That's how we got you to wear the dress for your surprise birthday party."

"Clever," I giggled. "But one more question... where the heck did you all park?"

My friends bursted in chuckles at my inquiry.

"We either took an Uber here or parked two streets down," Luke informed. "Now, if your done with the questions... let's party!"

Once again, the crowd exploded into enthusiastic hollers. My friends surrounded me, giving me hugs and greeting me with birthday salutations. I rounded the living room to address my friends who decided to spend their Saturday night with me. As I circled the downstairs to greet everyone, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders from behind. I turned my head upwards to find Calum grinning down at me.

"We have a surprise for you," he hinted.

"Do you now?" I eyed the dark-haired boy with curiosity.

"Come on, follow us," Luke gestured for the back patio, sliding open the glass door.

My entire backyard was filled with several plastic tables, more of my friends surrounding them with red Solo cups atop it. Of course, Michael explained that the contents of the plastic vessel were juice, despite his attempts to sway my mother to let a bunch of underaged teens engage in alcoholic games.

When I took a gander at each table participating in some kind of challenge— juice pong, flip cup, or kings cup, I noticed a familiar figure tossing a ping pong ball into a red cup.

"Dad!"

✖

I watched all three High School Musical films as I wrote this chapter. I haven't watched them in a long time & I wanted to indulge. :)

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter -- please give it a like if you did!

Also, I've received messages throughout my time writing here on Wattpad telling me that I've inspired them to write too, which is heart warming to say the least. So, I wanna know: how many of you all are authors? And if you are, let me know in the comments, so I can't check out your work too. It's the least I can do for my wonderful readers! ❤️