Sweet Sixteen

“Let’s go, Blaine…” Dad calls. I’m sprawled on my bed. I sit up, then run over to my closet.

As I go out the front door, I grab my crocheted sash Grand Ariana made for me. I check the contents in it:

-a mini notepad and pen,

-a few rubber bands to tie my hair,

-my used phone,

-a flashlight.

It’s the bag I bring with me about everywhere. It’s one of the reasons Grand Ariana is the best grandmother in the world.

“Blaine!” Dad calls again, a little more sternly. “I’m coming!” I yell back, rushing down the stairs. I pull on my sneakers and Dad smiles, pulling out a waterbottle. I stash the waterbottle in my sash and we climb in Dad’s motorcycle.

He hands me my helmet, which is spray-painted fiery red, and everything becomes instantly darker, with a blackish tint.

“Ready?” Dad says. He’s always careful about my motorcycle safety. Grand Ariana says we shouldn’t even ride on it at all. Stacey and Mom agree, too.

But what should Stacey, of all people care? All she cares about is makeup, her friends, partying, and boys. Ugh.

My older sister, Stacey, is a total crush-up. I absolutely hate her and she hates me back. Oh, please. We’re practically opposites. She’s so…girly, even though we’re both girls.

She takes about half an hour to get ready…even on the weekends…and I take about a minute…in fact, that’s my record today.

Since I have handles on the front and sides of me, with a cushioned frame in the back, the right side handle is adjustable, so I can climb into the motorcycle.

The motorcycle putts to life, and zooms about regular car speed carefully. “DAD,” I yell over the highway after fifteen minutes.

“YEAH,” Dad says after a minute of me repeating my words. “WHERE ARE WE GOING TODAY?” I ask him.

“THE ALTAR OF THE TWELVE GODS,” Dad yells back.

“BUT…THAT’S ALL THE WAY IN ATHENS!” I say, hesitant.

“YEAH…WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A PLANE.”

Double what???

“JUST IN TIME FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY!”

First off, we live in Santorini, Greece. Athens is nine hours away from here! And…I’ve never taken a plane in my life.

Dad is super obsessed about the Greek gods. He has started a business…not a well known one…called BOREAS. Him and his Greek God friends are in it. Mom earns most of the money in our house. That’s why we get to go to the beaches every summer and take a ferry to Turkey every winter, too. I don’t think we could do those things with only Dad’s profit.

He travels everywhere looking for Greek mythology evidence. I tag along with him on weekends, too. He’s trying to get an award for it. But…

We’ve never traveled this far before.

I’m getting worried. What if something goes wrong? I’m afraid of heights. “DAD…” I grumble, and grasp the side handles now.

After about half an hour, we arrive at JTR Airport. Dad grunts as he takes out four backpacks out of the trunk. With us not having a car and with money tight, Dad prefers not to call a taxi and use his own motorcycle instead. With that, it’s hard to fit suitcases into a motorcycle trunk.

It’s all we need, anyway. One backpack is for my essentials—clothing, I guess, with my homework too—another for my dad’s, and the other two for his equipment, I believe.

“Blaine…will you help me with this, please?” Dad says. “Sure,” I shrug, then I grab my light blue JANSPORT backpack with about a million keychains, color faded. I move my sash to the side and put another backpack, one with Dad’s equipment, to the front of me. I look ridiculous.

Later

“Dad…” I say, tugging his sleeve. “Are we boarding now?” I whisper, after about half an hour. There’s a line of tourists waiting at our gate. “Yeah, Blaine. Aren’t you excited?” He says, sounding excited himself. I shrug. “Sure…” I say, even though I’m feeling nauseous already.

When we board the plane, I take the aisle seat. There’s a loud drumming in the airport and I keep looking at the barf bag in front of me. I sigh and clutch my stomach. I don’t know how I’ll survive. I take out my phone from my sash, which has a teal phone case with a small charm and a phone bracelet. Even though I can’t text, I go over the conversation my best friend, Margot, and I had.

Suddenly, the drumming becomes louder and the airplane starts shaking. I yelp and drop my phone in the process. It slides over and through the seat. No!

Then a finger taps me on the head while I’m closing my eyes in despair. It’s the person right behind me. Hope flickers in my chest while I unbuckle and turn around. It’s a boy about one year older than me, a tourist, with flaky brown and blonde hair, with a skittish sideways smile and blue eyes. “Is…this your phone?” He asks.

My jaw has already dropped. With shaky hands, I nod and take the phone from him, fingering through the phone chain, with beads and charms through it. “Hi.” I muster.

It looks like he’s alone. He laughs and shakes my hand. Dad’s already asleep, snoring next to me. I don’t think he’ll mind anyway. “You’re…alone?” I say.

“Yeah. I’m traveling alone to attend Santorini School of Arts.” He says. I gasp in surprise.

“I go there too! That’s my private school!”

“Heh…what a coincidence. You must be pretty smart to be invited to Santorini School of Arts.”

“Well…my mom works there. She’s a teacher. That’s how we got tuition there. But, yeah, I’m not struggling or anything…I could say the same about you. You could be talented too.”

The boy smiles at me. “Thanks. Hey—I’m Emmett. I’m from Turkey.” He shakes my hand again. I blush. I think Stacey’s having a thing on me.

“I’m Blaine.” I giggle, sounding girly. Maybe he likes aesthetic girls. Just in case, I act like so.

“Hey. Here’s my number, just in case we could be friends.” He writes it on his barf bag in a pen and hands it to me. I tuck it in my sash. “Thanks.” I say. “No problem.” He returns, then slips his headphones on and closes his eyes. I blush again, then return back to my own seat.

We land. The plane wasn’t so bad, to be honest. Me and Emmett kept talking together as Dad slept through the whole ride. It was amazing. The view, too.

When we get off the plane, Dad laughs when I whisper about my crush on Emmett. He doesn’t mind me tagging along to his expeditions, but he’s always said I should be more enthusiastic and try new things. Emmett just lugs around his suitcase as I keep talking to him.

“Why are you here?” Emmett asks me.

“Oh…because of my Dad’s expeditions.” When he looks confused, I explain. “My dad is the CEO of a company called BOREAS. It looks for evidence of Greek mythology. He’s here to look at the Altar of the Twelve Gods.”

“Nice…hey. Maybe I could tag along…just if you want to.” Emmett blushes when he admits that. I bite my lip and laugh. “Sure! My dad won’t mind, as long as you’re helpful to him.”

Emmett’s eyes light up. “Yeah! I love to research Greek mythology. That’s the reason I got into Santorini School of Arts.”

I rush up to Dad and ask. In return, he shrugs and says, “as long as he’s helpful to me.” Ha! I guessed right.

Emmett smiles this crooked smile again as I excitedly announce his approval. “Sounds great…” he says.

Sunday, August 10th

It’s been three days. Me, Emmett, and Dad are staying in a hotel. Emmett said the reason he came to Athens is to explore Greece before school starts. He really didn’t have a problem with joining us. Hopefully for me…

Emmett purchased his own room next to ours, and starting tomorrow we go research the Altar of the Twelve Gods.

Oh, and my best friends Margot and Rainy are joining us, too. Dad doesn’t really like them. He says they’re too loud and giggly. I like them perfectly, though.

Margot is a total girl, with a capital G. She’s so girly and aesthetic. She keeps up with all the latest trends, like Popmart, SnapChat, crop tops, and baggy jeans. She basically wears a tank top underneath a crop top baggy knit sweater and jeans every day.

Rainy’s kind of a softie. She loves things like cloudy weather, hot chocolate, and matcha tea. She wears cozy crochet sweaters and shorts, things like that.

They’re coming from the airport tonight. I can’t wait to sleep over with them every day for a week!

Emmett and I are eating lunch together in the lobby. I look at my phone, and text Margot and Rainy in our group chat on Messages.

Blaine0999: Hi, everybody. Have you guys arrived at the airport yet?

A second later Rainy and Margot reply back.

RainyWeather;3: Yeah!! We’re so excited! :)

Margot_Vianne: me too. Is it fun in Athens??

Blaine0999: We haven't gone anywhere yet…oh, and we’re also travelling with this guy named Emmett.

Margot_Vianne: Is he cute? ;((

Blaine0999: yeah. Of course!!

Margot_Vianne: send me a pic! :D

I put my phone down and stare at Emmett drawing. He looks up and I look away, but it’s too late. He laughs and smiles at me. I bite my lip and grin sheepishly. “I…uh…let me see your drawings!” I say, and stand up so quickly the chair screeches loudly.

I peer over. “Wow…that’s really…” I start to say, but then I realize…it’s…me?

Emmett turns bright red. “Is that me?” I say, stifling a giggle. ”Uh….no, it’s my, um. Sister.” I laugh and put a hand on the table. “Nice try…you told me you’re an only child.”

Emmett groans. “Yes, it’s you,” and pats my hand, then goes back to sketching my hair. I stay there for a minute, and then say, “my best friends Margot and Rainy are coming here, too.” I blurt.

“That’s nice…” Emmett replies, focused on his drawing. It’s flattering, actually. I love it.

“And…Margot wants a picture of you.” I cringe. Eeeeeeewww.

Emmett looks up from his drawing. “Me? Is she, like, interested in me or something?” I smile. “Yeah…”

“Well, let’s take a picture together, then.”

Wait…is he practically saying he’s taken??

I hide a smile and snap a photo of me and Emmett, standing with our ears almost touching, heads angled towards the camera. We’re smiling.

I sent it to Margot. But…Margot’s pretty. If Emmett isn’t so confident…he might not be taken after all.

Margot_Vianne: EEE! He’s soo cute.

RainyWeather;3: are you and Emmett, like, a thing?

Blaine0999: ha! Hardly…although I do like him.

Margot_Vianne: Huh! Well, I do, too.

Sheesh. Looks like this might be…tense.

Blaine0999: so…when are you arriving?

Margot_Vianne: in half an hour! We’re taking the taxi to your hotel now.

____

Half an hour later, Margot and Rainy run through the automatic glass door, squealing. “Blaine!!” They scream.

“AHHH!” I scream back, excited. We bear hug each other, their suitcases bumping against my bare legs.

Emmett, who was still in the lobby, walks slowly over to us. Ugh.

Margot turns on her “charming” mode, smiling shyly, staring at him with wide puppy eyes, and twirling her French curls of brown locks with a finger. “Hiiiii….I’m Margot Vianne.” I turn bright red.

Emmett stares at Margot. I bite my lip. I knew this would happen. Margot sticks out her hand, leaning on one hip. Her jangle bracelets ring as she shakes Emmett’s hand…a little too long.

Argghhhh.

Emmett takes a deep breath and mouths, “hi,” but no sound comes out. He’s breathless. I wish he was breathless to me, too. But Margot’s way prettier than me.

We get to our hotel room, and Margot and Rainy set their stuff down. Dad stands up and says, “hi, girls,” and my best friends chorus, “Hello, Mr. Georgiou.”

“Margot and Rainy are from Santorini School of Arts, too,” I mumble to Emmett, who is sitting on one bed with Margot, while me and Rainy are sitting on the other.

Margot’s eyes turn bright and she grabs Emmett’s arm. “Really, Emmett? You’re going to SSA, too?” Margot gushes.

Grrrr, yet again.

Rainy is on her phone again. I try to look occupied while laughing with Rainy about a TikTok trend. I look up, and catch Emmett looking at me with this expression on his face. I smile to myself, and look back at Rainy’s phone.

We decide to go swimming in a lake tomorrow while Dad is at the Altar studying.

We go shopping for swimsuits in a shop. Emmett looks in the men’s section, and is having trouble choosing his. Margot skips over to him and smiles. “Why are you having so much trouble choosing, Pali?”

That’s right. “Pali.” Even a nickname.

Emmett whispers something to Margot and Margot stomps away, red with anger. Me and Rainy turn to her. I chose a light blue two-piece, and Rainy chose the same one so we could twin. “What’s wrong, Margot?” I ask, paying for my swimsuit. “What’s it to you, when you’ve got him already? What do you want anyway?” Margot huffs.

Me and Rainy exchange a look, and Rainy shrugs. “What do you mean, Margot?” I ask, clenching my teeth.

She leans in and whispers, “Emmett is choosing something especially for you…he doesn’t want to choose a trouser too tacky or something like that. I think it’s stupid.” I burst into a smile and couldn't stop. Margot nudges my rib and smirks. “Stop or I’ll cream you,” she says in a teasing voice. Margot might be a total girl(with a capital G,), but she really cares for her best friends.

We change into our swimsuits and before we reach the lake, we walk through the boardwalk first. There’s a kissing booth set up right there, and Margot completely falls in love with that boy there next to a girl with frizzy blonde hair and freckles. She fishes out five dollars and runs over.

I burst out laughing and clutch my stomach, doubling over. Classic Margot Vianne.

Emmett smirks and Rainy puts a hand on my shoulder, crying and laughing as hard as me.

When Margot is done, she rushes over and says, “oh my gosh, I absolutely adore that boy…I even got his number. Maybe we could go long-distance!” Margot says, cocking her head left to right as she speaks.

We reach the lake and I gingerly dip my toe in the cool water. Ahh. Refreshing. We jump in and swim around, playing Marco Polo and Chicken Fight for hours until Dad comes and calls for us to get out.

Me and Emmett walk together for the first time in a day. “That…was fun,” I mumble, both of us red until the neck. Then I look up and study his face. He avoids my gaze. “It’s my birthday tomorrow. I’m turning sixteen.”

“Sweet sixteen,” he laughs quietly. “Happy birthday.”

___

I get up at 7:00 A.M and groan as I rub my eyes. I smash down the hotel alarm clock with my hand and it goes silent. I stand up and head to the bathroom.

There are bags under my eyelids, and I put on my contacts and stretch. I almost forget that today’s my birthday, until I realize and then hurry to dress up in a yellow sundress with a ruffled top.

I braid my long hair and put on some lip gloss. I usually never do that.

“Happy birthday, you.”

I jump and turn around at the voice. “Margot!” I exclaim. She was awake this whole time, sitting on her side of the bed next to Rainy, who is still sound asleep. She is scrolling on her computer, not taking her eyes off the screen. She’s all dressed, in a blue striped tank top and beige-green shorts.

She smiles and finally looks up. “Sweet sixteen, huh?” She says coolly, then slips her feet into her sneakers, the heel not fully in, and steps over to give me a bear hug. I smile over her shoulder, my braid tumbling down her arm.

“Margot and Marcos. Doesn’t it sound catchy?” Margot suddenly says, cocking her head side to side as she sounds out the syllables.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“Marcos. The kid at the kissing booth.” Margot scrunches up her nose and pinches her fingers together.

I laugh and slip into my sneakers. I shake Rainy awake, and head over to Dad’s room. He is still snoring.

Then, next I head over to Emmett’s room, but it’s deserted. Weird.

“Emmett?” I call out, a hand on the wooden door. I jump as a hand taps me on the shoulder.

It’s Emmett! He is standing right behind me, just outside his room, with…a bouquet of flowers? I smile nervously. “Hi! Emmett! What’s with all this?” And I catch my breath when he just suddenly leans in and kisses me.

“Emmett?” I ask when he pulls away. I’m blushing head to toe. Almost. “Happy birthday,” he says, smiling goofily while giving me the flowers.

I’m just standing there gawking at him. “Uh! Wow! Emmett! You shouldn’t have…” I giggle, then reach out to bear-hug him.

Sweet sixteen it is.