A short story by Erika M Szabo
Sixteenth
birthdays are special, but something they find in Grandma’s attic will make
sure they’ll never forget this party.
It was Mia’s sixteenth birthday. Before, her birthdays were
always celebrated with her parents, two brothers, grandparents, aunts and
uncles, and cousins. But after a long discussion with her parents, they
hesitantly agreed to let her have a house party with only her friends and
celebrate with the family the next day. She invited half of her classmates and
friends from the neighborhood, and they had a blast in the small cottage in the
back of the property where her grandmother lived before passing away two years
before. Ever since, the cottage stood unoccupied with her grandmother’s things
still intact.
Mia looked around the living room, watching as her friends
danced, and nibbled on snacks she prepared with her mom and with Kati, her best
friend. Everyone seemed to be having fun. The music was loud, she felt the
thumping of the bass beneath her feet. It was hard to believe that just a few
short years ago, she had been a tomboy whose wardrobe included only a few
T-shirts and jeans. Now, here she was, an outspoken, confident teenager,
blossoming into a young woman. She loved beautiful dresses, feminine shoes, and
accessories, and she took special care of her long, shiny chestnut hair that
she usually wore in a ponytail.
As she scanned the room, her eyes fell on the old family
photos lining the walls. Her grandmother had been capturing every moment of her
family's lives. Mia felt a pang of sadness as she reminded herself that her
grandmother was no longer there in the house that held so many fond memories.
The party was in full swing, the music blaring through the
speakers, the smell of pizza and cake in the air, and her friends laughing and
dancing around the room.
Suddenly, the front door burst open, and a tall, dark-haired
boy named Jake walked in uninvited. He had his usual charming, devilish grin on
his face that made girls around him feel desirable and alive in a way that no
other boys their age could.
“What is he doing here?” Mia rolled her eyes and looked at
Kati. “He’s such a troublemaker and gets into fights all the time.”
“I know he’s unpredictable and unreliable, but he’s so damn
good looking…”
“Yeah… I know you have a crush on him,” Mia laughed. “I
don’t want to interrupt the party and throw him out right away. But as soon as
he puts one toe over the line…”
“Okay, I admit. I have a little crush on him, but Jake is
definitely not boyfriend material. He’s like a butterfly. Goes from flower to
flower and never settles down. You can’t even have a normal, relaxed
conversation with him. All he wants is to get into your pants while his eye is
on the next girl to conquer,” Kati sighed.
“You didn’t… did you?” Mia’s eyes grew wide, and she took a
sharp breath.
“Of course not! I’m not stupid,” Kati indignantly replied. “But
I can look and daydream,” she giggled, winking at Mia.
Mia wasn’t immune to Jake’s charms either, but her steady
boyfriend, Collin, was different. Not as charming as Jake, but she liked him a
lot and loved spending time with the quiet boy who had solid plans for the
future. He’s so steady and predictable, and he treats me with respect.
Mia could never forgive Jake for the embarrassing incident when they were
fourteen. He yanked her bikini top off in the pool and grabbed her breast. He
laughed and told his friends that they were not ripe yet, not even a handful. He
made me feel dirty and violated, I wished I could’ve just died, she
thought, shuddering.
“Why are you so gloomy? It’s your birthday!” Kati whispered
as she hugged her best friend.
“Oh, I just miss Collin.”
“Why didn’t he come? You didn’t break up with him, did you?”
Kati asked, concerned.
“No! Of course not. His little sister had an emergency
appendectomy in the afternoon and he’s in the hospital with her.”
“He’s a good guy,” Kati said.
“Yes, he is,” Mia replied watching Jake as he pulled a vodka
bottle from his pocket and started pouring it into the punch bowl. “Now he did
it!” Mia shouted and with a few strides reached Jake and yanked the bottle out
of his hand. “Out!” she yelled. “Everyone knows how much I detest alcohol, and
you weren’t even invited.”
“Just a little something to get your boring party going,”
Jake chuckled.
“Boring?” Mia shouted when she saw the sarcastic smirk on
Jake’s face. “Get out! Now! Have fun somewhere else.”
“Okay,” Jake shrugged. “Who wants to come to my house and
have a real party?” he asked, looking around.
The majority cheered and when Jake headed toward the door,
they followed him. Some of her classmates, whom Mia thought were her friends,
gave her a sheepish, apologetic look, and others just left without showing any
remorse.
“Just go!” Mia said, fighting back tears.
“At least you found out who your real friends are,” Kati
pointed at the two girls who were shaking their heads in disappointment as they
watched the others leave.
“He ruined my birthday,” Mia turned to her friends, sobbing.
“Thank you for staying, but I think you better go home too. Suddenly, I lost my
happy mood.”
Kati gently slapped Mia’s shoulder. “What are you talking
about? Are you going to let that scoundrel ruin your day?”
Mia wiped her eyes and sighed. “He did that already.”
“Come on, cheer up!” Cloe, a chubby blond girl hugged her. “I
don’t feel like music or dancing either, but we can still have loads of fun.
Old houses like this are usually full of treasures. Let’s look around.”
“That’s gonna be fun!” Donna, their shapely red-headed
friend clapped. “I love looking at old photo albums. People back then looked so
elegant. I especially love the 1930s dresses and hairdos.”
“Yes!” Kati exclaimed. “Remember?” She turned to Mia. “When
we were little, we spent hours in the attic rummaging through boxes of stuff
and trying on your grandma’s fancy dresses and shoes.”
“I haven’t been up there for years,” Mia gazed at the
staircase that led up to the attic. “She did have a lot of old stuff up there,
and my parents left everything as it was when Grandma was still alive.”
The four friends climbed the stairs and from the small
landing tiptoed into the attic. Pushing aside the cobwebs, the stale air that
had collected in the rafters made them sneeze. The spacious room was dimly lit
by moonlight that filtered through the slanted windows at the apex of the roof.
Mia turned the lights on and gasped. Everything was as she remembered. In the
center of the room was a large table littered with forgotten, dusty relics of
decades past. Boxes and old suitcases filled the space by the walls, leaving
only a narrow path around the table.
“Wow!” Cloe shouted, and
when she heard Donna’s wheezing breath behind her, quickly turned and asked her
friend, feeling concerned. “Are you okay?”
Donna, reaching into her
pocket for her inhaler, managed to say after pushing the pump and inhaling the
medicine, “Just my… asthma. I’ll be okay. I just need to sit down for a minute.”
Mia quickly pulled out a
small ottoman from under the boxes, and Kati helped Donna to sit down. “Are you
sure you’ll be okay?” Mia asked, worried.
“I’m fine, don’t fuss!”
Donna snapped, giving Mia a quick smile, her breathing already calmer and voice
clearer. “I’ll sit here for a minute. Go, find some fun stuff!”
Continue reading the story in the Anthology
What if you think the known world isn’t strange enough? Embark on a journey that pushes the boundaries, challenges your perception, and questions reason, logic, and established beliefs.
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