flowers on our hair - lu keran

you still look pretty with icing on your face

"Happy birthday to you..." the note at the end went else where but I couldn't care less. Ling was the only one with me and probably, that fail of a note at the end may cheer her up somehow.

Today we celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Well, it's really past her birthday but she likes to celebrate her birthday with the two of us only, without her parents, sister, and friends. It became a habit for us to celebrate her birthday alone. We only had the time to celebrate it today since finals week just ended for me and I have a lot of requirements for uni and I think Ling's Christmas break starts tomorrow so, we figured we can celebrate it now.

It started when she was thirteen years old, when her parents threw her a party and almost everyone in her class came. She wasn't really close to them, her mom just invited them. So we ended up sneaking out into the back of her house with a small cupcake that she took from the table and her used candle stuck on top of it.

The light of the candle illuminated in the dark surroundings of her backyard as I sung her a birthday song. She had her hands clasped together and eyes shut tightly, as if she was praying hard so that the gods above can hear her wishes.

She blew the candle and now, only the moon's glow was our only source of light. Even though I can barely see, her smile brightly radiates as she says she had more fun celebrating like that and wishes that she could do this for as long as she wants.

And here we are, year 2015 and we are still doing this.

"What did you wish for?"

"If I told you, it won't come true." she says, poking out her tongue. I rolled my eyes in which she laughed at.

I shot her a playful glare before using my finger to get icing on her cake and wiping it on her cheek. She shouts at me and does the same action however, she fails to put icing on me.

I wipe icing on her face again and she whines loudly. "Crybaby," I teased and she only whine more and covers her face.

"I spent time doing my makeup and you just do this," she sighs and huffs her cheek, "I hate you." she sends me a death glare and crosses her arms on her chest.

I found myself slipping an arm on her shoulders, I guess, a habit I've developed throughout the years when I just wanted to hug cher but really can't. "Aw, come on, you still look pretty with icing on your face," I rested the side of my head on hers as I slide my hands down to my pocket to grab my phone.

Quickly clicking on the camera application, I try not to make it obvious that I'm taking our picture. "Ling, smile!" just as she looked at the camera, I've already pressed the capture button and took enough photos for future blackmail purposes.

She whines more, "Lu Keran, I swear!!" her tone was a bit higher. Her eyebrows are now in the middle of her forehead, traces of annoyance can be found but only by a bit. Her eyes showed a bit of fire and her lips were now pouted. The icing on her chin was still sitting there, unbothered. It was a lot of icing and what if—

"Ling," I said quietly, slowly leaning towards her. "You have something here."

I swear, I did not mean to do that. It was just so my instincts told me to. Gosh, what did I just do?!

"What the fuck, Keke?! That's disgusting!" she laughs and gets a towel to wipe off the icing on her face and her chin.

I try to act cool but I failed. It was too embarrassing to handle. "Sorry, I got caught." An awkward laugh left my lips, hoping that I won't make the situation more awkward.

She sighs and presses a kiss on my cheek. I swear, my face is read as a tomato already. "You always do, Keke. I'm afraid what you will do on the next scenario."

After that incident, I didn't dare to bring it up anymore. That moment, I just want to bury myself alive or just probably have the sun to melt me.

She asks me how was sophomore year for me and I started rambling on about how tiring it is and how this professor only gave me average grades when clearly I deserve more. And she just giggles and make remarks related to what I was saying.

"I wish I can go to uni already," she taps her fingers on the wooden table, in some manner like she was playing a piano. "So I can be with you." A sigh comes out of her lips as her shoulders slumped forward.

"Hey now, you'll be graduating soon! Hang on there, okay?"
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*unedited