SEVEN YEARS AGO

“MOM, be sure to be home on my eighteenth birthday, or I’ll be mad at you,” Avie told her mother over the phone.

Her mother was a travel blogger, that is why she was always out of town. But her mom’s escapades went farther now. She went on a trip to Jerusalem.

“Don’t worry, dear. I have already secured a flight for tomorrow afternoon. Of course, I won’t miss my one and only baby girl’s birthday,” her mom said. “Ah, what do you want for your birthday?”

“As I have said, I want you to be home,” she sighed.

“That’s all? Come on, tell me what you want. Don’t be shy.”

Avie understood very well that her mother’s job wasn’t an ordinary one. She had to leave her side, and when she comes back, she gets busy writing the articles for the blog. And her mother thought that any material gift would pacify her. But Avie wanted more than that. What she had been wishing was for her mom to stay by her side. She was not an orphan, but it kinda felt like that. Her mother was away, and her father was madly busy running the family business. If not for Theo, her best friend, she didn’t know if she could survive. It was hard to be alone.

“I don’t know,” she said. Avie almost got it all; some do not even matter to her.

“How about a car?” her mom asked. “You should have a car of your own now.”

“But Dad won’t let me drive.”

“Your father won’t allow you to drive because you are still young, sweetie. Now that you are turning eighteen, you will be allowed to get a driver’s license.”

“Okay, it’s a car then. I want an Audi R8, Mom.”

“Oh… I was not expecting that you’ll demand like that.” Her mom laughed. “Well, your wish is my command.”

She rolled her eyes. As if she wished for that. It was her mother’s idea, after all. And besides, Avie just said it randomly because it was the car model that the fictional character owns in the book that she was reading before her mom phoned her.

“I’m hanging up, Mom.”

“Okay.”

Avie ended the call and opened her book to resume reading. But it only took her three sentences, and she was interrupted again when Theo shout from a distance. She looked in his direction only to look away in an instant. Theo was standing by the shore holding a fish, and for Pete’s sake, he was only wearing his underwear. His chiseled abs seemed to glisten under the sun.

“Look, I caught a fish!” Theo said proudly.

Avie covered her eyes with her hand.

“My gosh, Theo, put on your clothes! Now!”

She could not afford to see him almost naked now. They were both grown-ups with raging hormones and demons hiding at the back of their heads. How could he?

“Eh? What’s wrong with diving on briefs? You could wear a two-piece bathing suit, and I wouldn’t stop you,” he said.

Avie cupped her forehead. Maybe it was indeed true that girls matured earlier than boys. Theo was a living example of an innocent-immature boy at the age of eighteen.

She packed her things and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Theo asked. “We should grill this fish and eat lunch. That’s your plan, right?”

Avie stopped, but she did not dare to look in his direction.

“You are making me a sinner, dumbhead,” she whispered. “I won’t stay here if you are naked,” she told him.

“As if we haven’t seen each other naked,” he said. “Back when we were young, we used to swim naked.”

Her cheeks burn as flashes of those memories flooded her mind. Theo was right, but it was different now. If truth be told, she could no longer stay beside him without her obscene fantasies about him. Avie was just fighting her demons back. Theo was her best friend, and she would never sleep with a friend.

“Come back here. I’m dressed now,” he said.

She turned in his direction. Theo was wearing his shirt and jeans again.

Avie came back and plopped down on the picnic mat. She sat there while Theo was preparing to grill the fish that he caught.

“Theo,” she called.

“What?” he asked without looking at her. He was busy making fire.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Why?” He glanced at her. “You’ll get jealous?”

She rolled her eyes. “Nah!”

Avie was checking if there’s a way for them to separate from each other without her feeling guilty.

“How can I have a girlfriend if we’re always together?”

“So, I am the one to blame.” Avie pouted her lips.

“Not really. I am not interested in other girls, though.”

Her heart skipped a bit. Does it mean that Theo was only interested in her?

“Why?” she asked.

“I don’t want to have a girlfriend. At least, not now. It will cost me a lot of money. And you know I can’t afford that.”

Right, he could not afford a girlfriend right now. Because Theo’s family wasn’t well-off. He was raised by a single mother who happened to be her father’s secretary. Thanks to the scholarship grant her father gave Theo, he was able to go to school. Well, she was relieved that Theo said the right words.

Avie gave herself a tap on her shoulder.

‘Theo is your best friend, Avie…’ she reminded herself.

Then, she remembered something.

“Wait. But you bought me gifts, every birthdays and Christmas’. You are spending money on me. I am not your girlfriend.”

She did not get a response from Theo. He just remained squatting in front of the fire, grilling fish.

“Hey, answer me. Explain yourself! I deserve an explanation—” Theo threw a pebble on her. “What the heck was that for?”

Avie picked the pebble and threw it back to him. It hit his back, but it did not bother him at all. And then, she noticed his ears turned red. She knew it already. But she chose to ignore it.

They were best of friends. They’ve walked that path side by side for so many years. Avie promised herself that she would cherish that because that’s the only thing that gives her joy. She was the happiest person whenever she was with Theo. And she was afraid to lose that happiness. She knew very well that if they ever crossed the boundary, there’s no turning back, and that precious thing that they have could be ruined when something bad happened. Avie could never let that happen. A friend will remain a friend.