If Only

Chapter 1 - Boom

Mariella

I often wondered how many penguins it would take to screw in a lightbulb.

Because obviously, they didn't have hands or fingers. And they probably wouldn't be able to climb the step ladder to reach the lightbulb, but they had this exceptional talent for remembering things.

They could navigate large amounts of space with ease, creating a mental map of wherever they had to go. I felt like if they watched a person screw in a lightbulb enough times, they would be able to memorize what they had to do, and after years of being kept in a lab for this experiment, maybe one day they could pull it off.

This was what consumed my thoughts while I was trying to study for my exams. A week from now, I would have to sit in a quiet classroom that smelled like unshowered students and pencil sharpenings, trying my best to get good grades like my mother. She was always just smart. She barely had to try. I had to work my ass off for two days straight just to remember one piece of information from the slideshow.

My phone buzzed, and I couldn't resist the temptation to look at it.

Miro:
Happy birthday, princesa.

Me:
Don't call me that.
And my birthday isn't until tomorrow?

Miro:
I know, but I wanted to be the first one to say it.

Casimiro.

I hadn't seen him for almost a year, since he was working and I was focusing on school. Although we talked almost every day, so we were always caught up. Our families were close, and on every holiday we would go to America or they would come here. I spent a lot of time with him as a child, training and being friends.

Everything was always competitive between us. Whoever could punch harder, shoot the most accurately, or was better skilled with a knife. We had this ongoing feud about who was the superior soldier. Obviously, it was me.

I only ever got like that when I was with him.

To say I was excited to see him would be true. Despite the pet name and all of his annoying comments. I cared for the boy. I had known him forever, and he could make me laugh like nobody else.

Me:
Will you be there tomorrow?

Miro:
I wouldn't miss it for the world.

I knew he would. Tomorrow's party had been planned since I was born, but I wanted to make sure. Just in case he randomly got sick and changed his mind at the last minute. Even then I think he would still come. He was probably too excited to call me princesa a bunch of times and tease me because I was still wearing the friendship bracelet he made for me when we were eight.

A soft knock started at my bedroom door. I yelled for them to come in.

Turning around, I saw that it was my uncle Lorenzo. He placed a pink gift box on the bed beside him as he sat. the dark brown curls on his head were messy like he was just woken up. "Come sit, stellina."

(little star)

I took the seat beside him, looking into his tired green eyes. "You look rough."

"It's seven in the morning." he groaned, noticing the scattered papers on the desk in front of my open laptop. "Are you actually studying?"

"Early bird gets the worm," I said, inspecting the box. "Do birds even sleep? I don't think I've ever seen a bird sleeping before. Do you think they stay up all night?"