The Fountain of Youth

Marina

 "I don't really get why we celebrate birthdays," I confessed to Orion.

"Marina, is this another one of your rants?" Orion sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, but you gotta hear me out this time," I insisted. "'Cause this is actually relevant. It's your birthday today."

"Go on," he said, without a hint of interest.

"Nobody, like, nobody is looking forward to death."

"Hold on, first it was about birthdays, and now it's about death?" Orion sputtered. "That escalated real quick."

"Save all side comments to the end of the rant," I said. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, no one prefers death over life. And technically, with every birthday that passes, you get closer to death. So, maybe we should mourn every birthday that we pass because it brings us a year closer to death."

"Oh, that was a short rant," Orion said. "Plus, I got a counterrant for that one."

"Please, proceed," I said, with some genuine interest.

"Every birthday you pass signifies another year you've survived and lived. So, while you think birthdays should be mourned as a sign of closeness to death, I think they should be celebrated. You have to remember that back then, death was always close, regardless of age. So every birthday was like a celebration of another year you've cheated death."

"Hm, true," I mused. "Although now, no one wants to be, like, really old."

"Don't say that," Orion said. "I bet growing up is going to be great."

"Why do you say that?" I wrinkled my nose. "There's just going to be more responsibilities, more stress, less room for mistakes. Not to mention wrinkles and dark circles and stuff."

"More freedom," Orion added thoughtfully, pushing up his glasses at the bridge with his signature middle finger. He didn't even do it piss people off anymore, it was more of a grown in habit. "More opportunities. We'll be able to drive, and then we'll be able to vote and then drink and the rest follows."

I nodded absentmindedly, but I my mind wandered. I did that a lot. My dad, whenever he caught me daydreaming, he used to call me "Princess of La-La land." I wondered when did Orion start pushing up his glasses with his middle finger. I'd been friends with him so long, that I couldn't exactly pinpoint when he developed that habit. It might've been a gradual thing. I think he started doing it as a joke, to get away with flipping people off without being noticed, or if noticed, not seen as intentional. It would be the closest Orion would get to actually cursing. Orion is one of the most innocent people I know. He never understands sex jokes or drug jokes that our classmates make at school. He never asked us to explain them, fortunately. I wouldn't have been comfortable telling him about sexual intercourse or describing female genitalia. Probably not qualified either.

"Hello? Earth to Marina, Earth to Marina, come in Marina," Orion waved his hand in front of my face. I blinked and took a step back to avoid getting hit. "Did you even hear my question?"

"Hm? I'm sorry, what?" My cheeks burned despite the chilly December air.

Orion sighed. "My two best friends: one always forgets, and the other is never present."

I knew the forgetful friend he was referring to was most definitely Val. God, Val and her forgetfulness. It's a little bit like being friends with someone who has Alzheimer's disease. Only, Val kind of chooses to be forgetful. She'd remember everything if she put effort, which is what maddens me. Why can't she try to remember plans she makes with friends?