Becoming Responsible (in Holden's voice)

For my sixteenth birthday, I wasn't expecting a car or any of the rich kid garbage. I wasn't expecting a surprise party with all of my friends there or anything, and I definitely wasn't expecting what my mom managed to buy me. That morning, nobody said a word to me, no
"Happy Birthday", nothin'. Since the special day is on Valentine's Day, I assumed everyone just forgot. Yeah, they probably just all forgot. There were red roses on the table, because whoever bought them had no idea that $39.95 was ridiculous for some plain old roses. They were almost dead too. The moron who bought them probably had nothing else to give when they woke up in the morning and realized what day it was. I bet whoever saw them got a real bang out of 'em though. So the rest of the day I don't remember so hot. Everything's sorta fuzzy mixed in with other birthdays and all. So I'll just tell what I remember best.

I remember my mom handing me this present, a tiny present. Most likely some lousy jewelry, I thought, and a card. The card was one of those special ones where it said not only "Happy Valentine's Day" but "Happy Birthday" as well. We talked for like and hour about how hard it was to find that type of card. How my mom looked all over. She was so proud, but I didn't mind. I was glad she was happy.

So finally I got around to opening the small present. I remember it was wrapped in that shiny paper that actually made your eyes sort of hurt if you looked at it for too long. I remember slowly peeling off the tape so that I didn't rip the pretty paper. And then I saw it. Nestled in that annoying white fuzzy stuff they put in the boxes that hold the nice jewelry. A beautiful diamond ring. But before I could even touch it, I didn't even get to try it on, my mom grabbed it out of my hands and explained to me that it was a real diamond, like a wedding-ring-expensive diamond. She kept talking to me about responsibility, responsibility, responsibility.

I couldn't stop staring at it though. It was a silver tone, but it was really "white gold". I don't understand how they can call it white gold if it's silver-looking. I just don't understand things like that. One either side, it had three hearts cut out of the band which made it special for my birthday because it was Valentine's Day. And most of all, it sparkled like no other. I always wondered if the sun hit it just right if it would shine all the way into outer space. It probably would. This diamond shined more than I can even tell you. But like my mother said, with the ring came responsibility. Like if I took that Goddamn ring off, I had better know damn sure where it was at all times. Mom always said that I would lose my head if it wasn't attached. It makes me wonder why she got me a nice diamond for being sixteen.

But it wasn't all about that type of responsibility. It was about growing up. Sixteen was a big deal. I even got my big bad permit. Every single time I had to make a helluva decision, like peer pressure decisions, I looked down at that ring, sparkling away, and thought about the consequences. The ring fit me just right, which I was happy about because I didn't have to keep spinning it around with my other fingers. If it were a bit wider, I could probably have seen my reflection in it. Not a mirror-type reflection, but a reflection like the kind you see in water.

Best of all, it was real. This wasn't a ring that would turn your finger green or one that would chip and never be the same again. No, this was a real diamond ring, and this one came with responsibility. Personally, even though I adore that ring, I don't believe it was such a good idea for a present for me, since I am pretty forgetful. Maybe my mom though it would change that. I'm not sure. I know that she was trusting me though, and I knew I would never lose this damn ring.

When I had a bad day, I would look down and see the shimmering diamond and remember to be positive. it would remind me of my mother's new trust for me and all of my new responsibilities as a young adult.

You know what? I still wear my diamond ring too, and its almost a full two years later. It still reminds me of my future, and its flashy sparkle still makes me smile when I am blue. I still get a real bang out of people's reactions when I tell them its a real diamond. And I get a bang out of feeling like a responsible young woman too.