The Eighteenth Year

Chapter 3

5:01 p.m.

I pulled into Julia’s driveway right on time. I knocked on the door and she answered it with open arms. This was going to be fun. She led me into the living room where she had set out all of our favorite movies and TV series’. She also laid out all of my favorite snacks. The floor was covered in Orville’s Popcorn, Hershey’s Chocolate, Nutella, Swedish Fish, M&Ms, and Jolly Ranchers. In the places where there wasn’t candy or movies, there were blankets and bean bags, and a huge gift wrapped box. I didn’t acknowledge that it was there until she left the room. I picked up the card and it said, “DO NOT OPEN until exactly 11:59pm!” Strange. Guess I’ll have to wait until then.

5:36 p.m.

Julia returned with a gallon of cookie dough ice cream. Funny, everything in this room has built our friendship.

We started with watching a whole season of The Fosters, our favorite show. And once we were done we started the movie Mean Girls. During the movie we ate Fettuccine Alfredo, my favorite dinner. Bye the time we were done with dinner it was almost time.

11:30 p.m.

I figured it was now okay to ask about the big box standing in front of me.

“Julia, what is that?”

She smiled, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

I smiled back, this was going to be a long 30 minutes.

11:43 p.m.

The minutes felt like hours. Every minute longer then the last. We turned on White Chicks to pass time, but it was no use.

11:51 p.m.

Is this ever going to end?

11:53 p.m.

“Oh my god, Julia I’m not getting any younger!” She smiled.

“Precisely.”

11:56 p.m.

Dear god, this is killing me.

11:58

Now she brought me over and placed my hands on the lid of the box. My hands were shaking. My legs were tingling. My body felt dry.

“Why are you nervous?” She asked.

I didn’t know. I wasn’t nervous. I had never felt like this before. I felt like I was going to fall over.