We're Twenty-one

Happy 22nd birthday to my loves :-)

Sharing a birthday with someone you hated wasn't exactly the best thing in the world. It always felt like a competition, who's going to get the most 'happy birthday's' and attention.

Of course no one ever made it feel like a competition, our friends always showed us equal amounts of love. Okay, maybe Amber and Fabian gave me a bit more birthday love, but it's fine.

Never in my high school years did I think that on my twenty-first birthday I would be going out to a bar with all of my housemates from high school. I thought I would be somewhere in Liverpool writing, Amber would be somewhere for fashion, like Paris or Milan, and I thought Fabian would be studying medicine at some top of the line university. But the second that it was revealed in the middle of our junior year that Amun University was opening in September of that same year, Joy made applications for all of us. It wasn't a shock to find out we had all been accepted. Mick even came back to go to University with us, mainly because Amber kept sending group texts to everyone saying, "It's time to get the gang back together!" And now the gang was all back together, just like old times, which was bittersweet. We all even ended up up rooming together, just like we had at Anubis.

The gang decided that for my birthday, our birthday, that they were going to take us to Bridgestone, their favorite pub in Liverpool. Even though in England the legal drinking age was eighteen, I decided to wait until I was twenty-one. There wasn't really a particular reason, I just wanted to.

Over the past six years, I had grown close to everyone in the house, even Jerome. Everyone except for Joy that is. Ever since prom sophomore year, things had always been rocky. I remember the look of disgust on her face when she had found out Amber had crowned Fabian and I had prom king and queen.

"Damn, you disappear for a whole school year and you missed a lot. Who even is she anyways? What kind of scholarship did she even get?"

"Oh, Joy, lighten up. You'll probably like her once you get to know her."

"Doubtful."

It's safe to say that Joy didn't exactly give me a chance once she returned to Anubis House. I could though understand where she was coming from. I didn't blame her for feeling replaced and for the anger she must've had coming back to something she knew so well only to find out things were completely different. Then again, it's crazy to me how someone can go six years either completely ignoring someone, or doing everything they can to make their life miserable. Especially considering the fact that we lived together, and have for the past six years. Not that I have been holding a slight grudge or anything.

Since we had all completed our junior year of college, Amber invited us all to stay at her family's estate for the summer. We thought, "Why the hell not?" since we would be graduating from university next year, and really moving on with our lives. Let me tell you, this place was huge. Fifteen bedrooms, thirteen bathrooms, four living rooms, two kitchens, a game room, a theatre, an in-door sauna and a huge infinity pool and a hot tub in the backyard, as well as a gazebo and a small vineyard. You would think the Queen of England lived here. I had lost track of the amount of times I had gotten lost.

I woke up on my birthday to the sun shinning bright in the bedroom window I was staying in, the house completely peaceful. As if on qué, Amber came barging in my door with a tray full of pancakes and eggs.

"Happy twenty-first, Nina! This is going to be your best birthday yet!" Amber was basically squealing as she gave me a hug.

"Amber, you didn't have to do all of this! Thank you though, you're the best."

Since today was Thursday, the gang just decided to take us out to the bar tonight, but then would have an actual party for us on Saturday.

As I ate my birthday breakfast, Amber was walking around the room giving me all the details of tonight and the party.

"There's going to be loads of people, Neens. Like, loads. I've already got everyone's outfits planned out-"

"Amber, I thought it was supposed to be somewhat of a surprise? I don't think Joy would be too pleased with you spilling all of the deets of our party." Amber rolled her eyes.

"Oh who cares about what Joy thinks." Amber continued to ramble as I finished my eggs. She proceeded to follow me downstairs as I took my tray to the kitchen. I could hear Patricia talking to someone in the other room, it sounded like she was talking to Joy, and Amber and I made our way to one of her many living rooms.

"Why are all the lights off?" I asked Amber as I flicked on the switch.

"SURPRISE!" Confetti was blasted and balloons were all over the place as Fabian, Mick, Alfie, Eddie, Mara, and Jerome all jumped out from behind the couches. I was standing in between Joy and Amber, with Patricia next to Joy, a huge smile on my face.

"I think we got 'em good," Patricia said with a smile as she high-fived Amber.

"Happy birthday, babe." Fabian said as he came over to me, giving me a kiss with roses in his hand.

"Fabes! You're so sweet, thank you," I smiled from ear to ear, he knows roses are my absolute favorite.

Mick went over to Joy, giving her flowers and a kiss as well.

"Happy birthday, birthday twins." Jerome raised his water glass to us, still in his pajamas.

"Thank you, Jerome!" Joy and I said accidentally in unison.

"Now that the two youngest are twenty-one and Nina will finally drink, let's go get drunk!" Mick exclaimed excitedly as everyone cheered, while Amber dragged me upstairs to get ready.

After what felt like hours of Amber teasing my hair to the Gods, we were all ready to go. My hair was in big, loose curls, my outfit was up to par. Amber dressed me in a white tank top with a gold necklace, a black blazer, ripped jeans, and strappy, 3-inch heels. I must say, Amber did exceptionally well with everyones outfits, we all looked like a million bucks.

Once we got to Bridgestone, Amber requested that the waiter push a few tables together to make room for all of us to sit and eat together, like the big family we were.

The night consisted of us just chatting and drinking, Patricia getting a bit more tipsy than the rest of us.

A little while later, as Patricia was attempting to get up on the table and dance, while Eddie and Jerome tried to get her down.

"That girl sure knows how to have a good time," Fabian laughed at our friend as we watched the two of the struggle to get her to chill out a bit.

Then, I heard an unexpected voice from behind me.

"Hey. Can we talk?" I turned around to see Joy, standing behind me with a soft look on her face. She almost seemed upset.

"Uh, yeah, sure." I gave her a smile and Fabian gave me a strange look but I gave him one back that said, "I'm just gonna go with it." I followed Joy around the bar and outside to the street.

"Listen, this is something I've wanted to get off my chest for a while now. I know that today probably isn't the best day to do this, but I wanna start off by saying I'm sorry. Like, really, really, really sorry. It's been six years and I never gave you a proper chance. Yes, after I came back and saw how much had changed around the house, I was hurt. I felt like I didn't belong anymore ever since you came, even though everything that happened wasn't your fault at all. I didn't want to put the blame on my dad, so I put it on you, and that was wrong of me. As far as the whole Fabian thing, yes, I liked him. I had had the biggest crush on him since we were thirteen. Everyone in the house knew that, but they also knew that it never would've worked out. We're too different. Even though I had wanted it to work out more than anything, I knew deep down that it never would have, but once I found out you two were an item I wanted him more than I ever had. But, that wasn't a reason for me to hate you.

"I was so jealous of your relationship with everyone, I felt like you had taken over my life. I know that it's lame of me to do this today of all days, but I want you to know how truly sorry I am for everything I've done to you, from just blatantly ignoring you to writing that Jack Jackal article. And I hope that one day you can forgive me and we can start over." My jaw dropped to the ground and Joy looked as if she was about to start crying.

"Oh my god, Joy, I do forgive you. I forgave you years ago, I just always thought you still didn't like me. And I didn't ever want to cause any drama in the group so I just never really addressed it. At the time some of the things that went down hurt, a lot, but we've grown up and I'm over it now. We all make mistakes and have done things that we aren't proud of. I would love nothing more than to just start over and be friends." I could tell that she thought I was going to be pissed at her bringing this up on our birthday, even though I wasn't, and I had never seen her smile so much after I had finished.

"Good," It was then that Joy hugged me, yes hugged me, to which I gladly hugged her back. And to be honest, it felt really, really good.

"Now shall we rejoin our friends before they think that we were out here fighting till the death?" Joy said with a smile.

"We shall," I smiled back at her as we linked arms and walked back into the pub.

As we walked in, we got very different looks from our friends.

Patricia and Mara looked very confused, Amber's jaw dropped, while Fabian and Mick were both smiling.

"Woah there, who are you two and what have you done with Joy and Nina?" Eddie was the first one to make a remark on Joy and I's obviously new found friendship.

"Maybe aliens abducted them and made clones to take their place! It would make sense seeing as they were gone for so long just now." Alfie said as he held a spoon in front of him, clearly a great choice as a defense mechanism.

"It's called being mature and moving on from your past. You should try it some time, Eddie." Joy said with a very matter-of-fact tone, but we all knew she was just messing around.

After a while, Amber had gotten us all back together at our table, and Joy and I started opening our gifts.

"Thank you guys so much, today has been so lovely." Joy said as she took a sip from her gin and tonic.

"Yeah, you guys, really, you do too much. Thank you."

"You guys are so very welcome. And now...cake time!" Mara said as a waiter brought out a huge birthday cake, two "21" candles topping it for Joy and I, as the gang proceeded to sing us Happy Birthday.

"Make a wish you guys!" Amber exclaimed as she held her phone, taking picture of us.

Joy and I smiled at each other as we blew out our candles, truly a picture perfect moment.

"Happy twenty-first birthday, Joy."

"Happy twenty-first, Nina."

Sorry for the kind of abrupt ending, I really wanted to get this up before their birthday was over & I've had writers block (obviously, since I started this over two years ago) ! ALSO, keep an eye out for updates on two of my stories, How It All Started and The Reality of It, I'll be updating very soon! Review and let me know what you think :-)

Xoxo, Em