Graduation Gift

[Mandy's Diary Today]

Oh. My. God. I seem to have drifted off to touch a piece of soft cloud after realizing that Justin was taking me down a canal at Lake Meritt—where there's a gondola floating there. I opened my mouth almost choking on my gastric juices feeling a combination of pleasure and amazement.

"I haven't been on a gondola in a long time," I said, looking around in amazement. As I recall, the last time I rode the gondola was on a family vacation when I was twelve in Venice. And something bad happened there—I fell into the river, all thanks to my bastard brother, Steve, who pushed me. As a result, in a short time, I became a free entertainment-display for foreign tourists.

"Come up." Ignoring my flabbergasted expression, Justin took my hand gently toward one of the canal guards. While Justin was making small talk with the canal keepers and enjoying the ride across the Napa River, I poked my head out at the puddles below the hall, watched my reflection on the surface and swayed along the water's flow.

Justin's hand tapped on my shoulder, signaling that a gondola was ready for us to board. With cheerful steps, I trailed behind Justin, toward a gondola strapped to the side of the hall. Justin went inside first, then helped me jump in by holding out his hand for mine. We positioned each other, packed the gondolas, and were ready to sail the Napa River with a gondolier. Justin's eyes moved to explore the atmosphere around us, while I sat in front of him enjoying the fresh panorama on an afternoon like this. The cool spring air brushed against my nostrils, keeping my eyes closed for a few moments while I could hear the voices of the gondoliers singing The Gondolier as always in Venice.

"Is this my graduation gift?" I asked without breaking my wide smile.

Justin replied with a faint chuckle. "No. But—" He reached into his pocket, looking for something there that piqued my curiosity. Until my eyes fell on a velvet ring box in his hand and he opened it before my eyes, revealing a Cartier couple ring. "This."

"Oh-my-God…" I whispered, touching my lips with my fingers looking at the beautiful ring he was displaying.

"I want you to wear this later."

"This is beautiful." I stretched my index finger to touch the ring. I wonder what it's like to touch an expensive ring that must cost more than my panties. But, Justin closed the box and made a low thud. I let out a low chuckle while staring at him in disbelief.

"Why? I want to touch them."

"Later, Mandy. You're clumsy. What if you sink this ring into the river?" Justin hastily stuffed the velvet box in his hand back into his pocket, making me frown even more.

"Just blame me." I pursed my lips sideways while looking away.

"I don't blame you, but you are indeed a trouble maker. I even suspected you who threw Thumbelina in the pool." Justin raised an eyebrow intimidatingly.

Damn. He exposed me. "No! She slipped and fell into the pool." Behind my back, I crossed my two fingers as a sign that it was all a lie. But… I didn't throw Thumbelina in! Just accidentally pushed her gently with my feet until she jumped into the pool and finally swam while barking like a vengeance.

In response to my reply, Justin snorted softly. "Just forget it."

Well, that's much better.

The gondola moved almost under the bridge. According to what I heard, every couple who crossed the bridge with the gondola was obliged to kiss each other as a sign of their eternal bond of love. Again I couldn't feel my heart beating. I guessed my heart sometimes stops beating on purpose to make me more nervous every time I'm around Justin.

"Mandy, happy graduation." Justin's warm hand like a thick blanket pressed against my cheek. He brushed away the strands of hair that had stuck to my temples, then hooked them behind my ears as his lips pressed against mine, kissing them gently.

I was just about to return the kiss, suddenly the gondola moved from side to side, making us startled. I instinctively held my hand on the edge of the gondola, I got panic all over my body.

"What's going on?!" I exclaimed.

I didn't have the time to hear a reply from anyone when my body bounced out of the gondola then fell into the river creating a loud crashing sound.

"Mandy!" Justin cried out in panic seeing me already drenched in the cold shivering. The next second he jumped into the river with me, then pulled my hand to be close beside him while the gondolier tried to balance the gondola that had caused me to fall and made my hair messy.

"Come here, hold your hand on me." Justin pulled my waist closer. Following his orders, I wrapped my arms around his waist while he held me very tightly, trying to warm me up. My head was pulled up against his chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat. For Neptune's sake, the beat sounds like Beethoven's harmonies.

I suddenly laughed. Making Justin spontaneously let go of his arms and looked at me skeptically.

"Gotcha…" I snapped my fingers scornfully, causing him to snort lightly.

"Okay, so you purposely rocked the gondola, jumped into the river, pretended to be cold, and now laugh?" Justin's eyebrow rose in annoyance.

"Sorry. I thought it was funny." I stopped laughing when I saw Justin's angry expression. I buried my teeth into my lower lip, giving him a pleading look.

Justin laughed softly at my pitiful face, then turned his body so that we were now facing to face. "One to one, Drama Queen."

I sighed softly, hitting his shoulder so many times that it made splashes of water that hit my face, then added a laugh to see Justin roaring his sweet laugh trying to avoid my punch. My hand stops hitting his shoulder as he grips my wrist gently, then moves forward and nuzzles his wet lips against mine.

Fuck the guys on the other gondola. I think of them as spectators while we are the stage performers. And for sure, I'm the Drama Queen.

*

[Dear, Diary

Quite a beautiful graduation gift. I never understood, how could someone like me be given a figure like Justin? I thought I was a princess in a fairytale who got lost in the human world and found her prince here.

To be sure, I almost got caught—or did I?—if I caused Thumbelina to jump into the pool. The next time I meet that dog, I wanted to pay the revenge that has piled up in my chest. Let's see later.

Mandy G.]