Songs info:
"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri
"Here's To Us" by Halestorm
"When You Find Me" by Joshua Radin
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The clock needle stroke twelve, and we chorused over the phone,
"Happy Birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear daddy
Happy birthday to you"
That's what Neall and I sang, of course not granny or mom. Dad's posted in another state for work. He was a deputy manager as a mechanical engineer in a multinational firm. He often had to be shifted at different working sites. He usually came home monthly.
Our date of birth was consecutive. Mine and dad's. How cool! Neall used to say, "Why didn't you delay few hours? You and Dad would celebrate birthday on the same date!" He didn't understand the fault was not actually mine. It was my mom who had to delay a bit more. Uh I don't mind.
Next day was Thursday. Many a lot too wished me at school belatedly. Last year I treated every fellow in the class with a snicker each. My mind time-traveled to the past - the corner desk in the first row was occupied by... Shawn Dewken. While I was handing him the chocolate bar, he had asked me, "Birthday?" As I said, "Yes", he pulled forth his hand for courtesy. We shook hands. And there was most all over the place, I was singing in my mind,
"I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more"
None of those hustle and bustle this year. I chose my fancy group to give treat. I had brought dad's another credit card, during break, we'd have some titbit at the café, Dakswary's, since Baldwin, Pam, Angelina would go back home. They did not have class afterwards, some of us had. Mr. Decker's Physics.
Anyways, just after the recess, happened the incident.
The bell rang. Break over. I came to the locker section with Pam. As I unlocked mine, I felt something unlikely. There were many a things - books, wallet, band-aid, lip-balm, school ID, sometimes hankie, pen-pencils etc. I opened my locker.
I found two pens. Unfamiliar. I used to sometimes borrow pens from others. But I didn't remember of writing with someone else's pen today that I would keep that here.
Wait! Another thing caught my eyes. This was getting out of hand. A pretzel! The mystery was condensing. What's all this? Taking one of the two pens, I was eyeing here and there. I was about to ask Audrey, "Is it yours?", a voice trailed off, whispering softly in my ear,
"That's for you."
As if after a millennium I was hearing the same, familiar voice. Nellsea! Each three word kept echoing. For an instance the floor underneath was vanished. Loosening the grasp, the pen almost fell dropping!
"Here's to us, here's to love
All the times, that we messed up
Here's to you, fill the glass
'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass"
That meant, nothing changed. Last year and this year - July 6 - I knew the date. Still I forgot to wish her "Happy birthday" on time. How forgetful was I! I remembered all of the expected ones, except hers...
Looking into my locker I would find pretzels, Nellsea would leave there stealthily. Quite a few of us were usually known to the code of our lockers. I would buy her snacks and drinks as gift later. Still, the pangs of not being able to wish her timely had stayed.
YOU ARE READING
Confessions of A Different Teenage Dream
Teen Fiction"...Marlow was so in love. He loved something worthy. I looked up at his glinting eyes. They said it all. He was unaware of my hand holding his firm grip. He was already full of love." _______________________________________ If you are familiar with...
