“…Happy birthday, dear Farrah, happy birthday to you!”
Farrah closed her eyes and blew out the candles on her cake while her friends clapped and cheered. Courtney’s camera flash lit up the room, so bright Farrah saw it behind her lids.
Twenty years old. She was officially no longer a teenager.
Farrah had been dreading this day for years, but twenty didn’t feel so different. She had the same dreams and worries, the same tastes in food and music and clothing. The world didn’t come crashing down.
In fact, she was excited. She had a whole new decade to live and explore, and she was starting it off in the best way possible: surrounded by people she loved in one of the greatest cities in the world.
Twenty could be worse.
“What’d ya wish for?” Luke asked.
“Nice try.” Farrah sliced into the cake, a massive chocolate affair with cream cheese frosting courtesy of Sammy. Her mouth watered at the sight. Knowing Sammy, it’d be delicious. “If I tell you, it won’t come true.”
“That’s a myth,” Luke scoffed. “I tell people my wishes all the time. For example, I wish you’d cut that cake faster.”
“Don’t be rude.” Olivia loaded the slices onto paper plates and passed them around. She saved Luke for last, which earned her a disgruntled glare.
“Maybe what you wished for is in one of those bags.” Courtney nodded at the pile of presents on the table. She perched on the arm of the student lounge couch, camera in hand and at the ready. “There’s only one way to find out!”
“Subtle.” Nardo laughed. “Farrah, Courtney will combust if you don’t open your presents soon.”
He was acting like a normal human being. It freaked her out.
Leo leaned against the wall on the other side of the room with a smirk. He was on speaking terms with Courtney again, thank god. They weren’t dating—that relationship was over for good—but at least things were back to normal with the group. Farrah wouldn’t have been able to take another second of tiptoeing around Courtney and Leo, trying to avoid saying the other’s name.
“I love presents, even when they’re not for me.” Courtney shoved a medium rectangular box into Farrah’s hands. “Open mine first. Pleeeease.”
“Ok, ok.” Grinning, Farrah unwrapped the present and opened the box to reveal two framed prints. One was an architectural sketch of Shanghai, the other a photo of the group at the Bund last semester. They were on a post-midterms high and had spent the night eating, drinking, and laughing their way through the city. It must’ve been four, five in the morning by the time they circled back to the Bund. By then, the lights were off and the city quiet. Farrah didn’t remember what they did there, but she remembered how she felt—like she’d never been more in love, with a city or with the people around her.
Like anything was possible.
Like the moment would last forever.
In a sense, it did.
Farrah skimmed her fingers over the frame. There she was with her friends, their grins immortalized for posterity.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.” Farrah hugged Courtney, breathing in her friend’s familiar Tommy Girl perfume. “Thank you.”
“Any time, babe.” Courtney squeezed her tight.
Farrah pulled herself together and finished unwrapping the rest of her presents, which included a beautiful monogrammed sketchbook from Olivia, delicate gold-and-aquamarine earrings from Kris, a fun tote from Sammy, and a silk scarf from Leo. She saved Blake’s for last.
Farrah shook the large box. It rattled in response.
“Ooh. What’s this?” Jewelry didn’t make that noise. Maybe a book? No, there were definitely multiple objects in there.
“You’ll see.” Blake’s dimples flashed. The sight eased the tension in Farrah’s shoulders. He’d been acting off these past few weeks—more so than at the beginning of the semester—but he seemed in a better mood tonight.
Stop overthinking. He’s stressed about the bar. That’s it.
It was her twentieth birthday. Farrah wasn’t going to sabotage her own celebration with her doubts.
“Open it,” Blake encouraged. His eyes twinkled with anticipation.