A Season of Firsts

Chapter 14

Goodbye, teenage years. Hello, scary adult life.

I try to muster up some enthusiasm for my birthday as I sit up in bed and stretch out my aching muscles. None comes, though. It feels emptier than it did last year.

That is, until I enter the living area, and I am attacked from both sides.

"Happy birthday!" Hallie and Cara scream in unison, and I start laughing as I see that they're both wearing brightly coloured paper party hats, and laugh harder when Cara forces one onto my head.

"Thanks, guys. I'm so old!" I wail.

"Oh, shut up, 20 is nothing. Both of us are already 20, so you can't complain," Hallie reasons with me.

"That's true. Oh my god, what smells so good?" I ask as I pick up an amazing scent wafting over from the kitchen area.

They grin at each other, and drag me over to the counter to present me with my birthday cake. It's heart-shaped, with pale blue icing, and 'Happy 20th A' scrolled across it.

"Adelaide was just too damn long," Hallie shakes her head ruefully as she looks at her creation.

"It's perfect, thank you," I say, laughing, but I am genuinely touched by their thoughtfulness.

"You are so welcome," Cara replies with a grin, "Want to try some?"

"Who could say no to cake for breakfast?" I ask incredulously.

"Not me," Hallie says as she passes me a knife, and I cut into the soft cake, grateful that they didn't make me stand there awkwardly while they sang Happy Birthday to me. I'm sure they'll embarrass me at some other point today, though.

We tuck into the cake, and it's still slightly warm from the oven, which makes it taste even better. I go back for a second piece, because it's not often you get a free pass to eat all the cake you want for breakfast.

"What do you want to do today?" Cara asks me, her words muffled because her mouth is still stuffed with cake. She's got a line of icing down her cheek, so I graciously wipe it off for her, then lick it off my own finger, before I say, "We could go out on the slopes this morning, then just chill, and drinks later on? Have you invited people round, Hals?"

"Yep, plans have been arranged. I told them they won't get past the door without a birthday gift."

"No you didn't!" I gasp in horror before I realise she's joking and smack her on the arm. "Don't do that to me, that would be awful. Imagine me stood there awkwardly while people I've only known for a month give me birthday presents. I'd rather spend my birthday alone."

This cracks Hallie and Cara up, and they giggle as they picture that scenario in their head. Eventually, I have to join in, because it is funny, if not horrifying, to imagine.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," she replies, not sorry in the slightest.

"We're giving you your presents tonight by the way. We just have one final thing to put in place," Cara says, and looks at Hallie conspiratorially.

"Ugh, the suspense is going to kill me."

"That was the whole idea," Hallie grins.

"I bet it was, you just live to torture me," I say, and I'm not far off the mark.

It felt surreal being out on the slopes today, as it sometimes does when I stop and take a look around when I'm on top of the mountain. It felt right, like I belonged there, with two of my best friends there with me.

They're still here with me as we are getting ready for my birthday celebrations. Apparently, our flat isn't big enough for the amount of people that want to celebrate with us, though I didn't realise I was that popular. I think Hallie just used the excuse so that she doesn't have to clean up after everyone tomorrow.