Twelve
Marian A. Grove, 16
Pennsylvania
In celebration of my 12th birthday, my family went out to a concert. There were four of us: my mother and father, older brother, and me. Without thinking, my mother asked for three adult tickets and one child's. People under 12 are considered children in this country, which makes for an odd way of classifying things because you can't really be an adult until you're eighteen, leaving everybody in between sort of in limbo. Anyway, the lady behind the ticket stand was "just checking" if I was not a bit older than 12, seeing as I looked so mature. The question was no oddity for me really. I'd always looked older than I actually was, except this time my answer was different. My mother, laughing at the oversight, exchanged my child's ticket and seven extra dollars for a fourth adult ticket and gaily announced to me that forever more (or at least until I turned sixty-five) I would be charged the full price. I laughed with her, taking the new ticket in my hand, and felt something curl up inside of me. Me, an adult?
Artwork by Anne Szabla, 18
Massachusetts
The Two Sides of Birthdays
Alena Cheina, 16
Ontario, Canada
When I was little, a birthday was all I could hope for, a day when all the attention was on me and I was showered with presents and love. As a child, I didn't worry about the new responsibilities ahead of me. When I was little, I wanted to be older so I could do whatever I wanted. At 14, I realized that I was wrong about my theory–that I was completely wrong. Every year added to my age surrounds me with more responsibilities, tasks, and problems. Things are even tougher now that I am a teenager. I am concerned about peer pressure, my career path, and whether or not my girlfriend or boyfriend is cheating on me. I face so many demands; I have no time to party or rebel. As I get older, I am also troubled about my appearance. Must I follow the rules of the media in order to be "perfect"?
I look forward to gifts and celebrations, but I often forget that birthdays mask and mark the passage of time.
17 Candles
Charissa Peacock, 17
Ohio
Seventeen candles
on a bright, white cake,
seventeen wishes.
Childhood behind me,
adulthood before me,
anticipation inside me.
Right now, in this moment,
my future is close.
I can feel it.
Am I ready for responsibility?
Sometimes, I wish for
my simple childhood days.
Answer Key: 1-D, 2-G, 3-A, 4-B, 5-C, 6-F, 7-E
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