Prologue
Our science teacher never missed the opportunity to remind us that our dreams are but threads, and while some may weave their way into reality, others will remain the vibrant colors that adorn our imagination.
We hated him.
Not because of the blatant truth he was spewing, but because he made Zara’s life a living hell. We don’t understand why he never liked her. Someone once told us it was because she had an uncanny resemblance to his ex-wife. The woman filed for divorce barely a year into their marriage over a relentless feud over unmatched socks that escalated to a breaking point and took their son and Mimi, their dog, with her.
Serves him right.
We don’t know why his statement has always stuck with us. It had a peculiar way of echoing in our minds. Day and night.
One time Alek was at an interview, and as the questions rained down on him, our science teacher, Mr. Tantrum Titan’s words, bombarded his brain. Yes, we had a nickname for him.
He couldn’t escape them; they swirled like a tornado in his thoughts. And in that moment, he felt like he was living one of those dreams that would forever remain vibrant colors. In fact, we blame Zane’s solitude on Mr. Tantrum. He’d probably be married with four kids if it weren’t for science boy. Come to think of it, anytime he would give that little speech, he’d look straight at us. Eyes wide open, focused straight at us. Why? We don’t know.
We hate him.
We had plans. We had dreams. We were only sixteen.
When you are sixteen, many things start to matter. You start exploring your independence, making your own choices, and taking on new responsibilities. You start forming deeper friendships, discovering your passions, and planning for your future.
And yes, you start noticing boys, experiencing the flutter of first crushes and the thrill of young romance. It’s a time of growth, change, and the excitement of firsts for teens.
Wait.
We have to retract these statements. Marina was a different breed. She was eight when she started swooning over Alek. She’d craftily fib about being thirteen, attempting to disguise her infatuation under the veil of maturity. Yet, in this game of secrets and pretense, we entrusted Zara’s insight above all else. Zara knew her. She still knows her. In fact, there were moments when it seemed like Zara knew Marina better than Marina knew herself, as if she held the keys to the enigmatic labyrinth of her heart and mind.
She’d trail Alek like a persistent shadow, and even though she vehemently denied it, we couldn’t help but believe that the real reason she faithfully visited Zara every weekend was to be in close proximity to Alek.
When she was sixteen, she told Alek that her dream was to be a housewife. His housewife.
He was stunned, to say the least.
She would say she was just in school to acquire the basic life skills she thought she might need. One might easily misconstrue her simplicity for naivety, but the truth was far from that. Beneath her unassuming exterior, brilliance thrived. Marina was a consistent champion of academic challenges; she held the coveted first position with an unyielding grip, occasionally relinquishing only to Kai, the sole contender able to rival her intellect.
She had no desire to tread the well-worn paths of stereotypical careers—those predefined choices etched by parental expectations. No, she wanted to be Alek’s wife.
In our tight-knit circle, the notion of a traditional stay-at-home role never crossed any of our minds. Zara’s passion lay in painting vibrant canvases that spoke to the soul. Alek’s vision soared toward the stars as he aspired to build the largest business empire in the country. Zane’s heart was a melody; he wanted to be a renowned singer in his own right. Kai never had a specific dream; he said he would let the universe decide his path. Each of us painted our own vibrant strokes on the canvas of the future.
We were certain our dreams would come true. Because that is all you have when you are sixteen. We made terrible choices, we stumbled and fell, and we learned life’s lessons the hard way. But what would our lives be like if we hadn’t dared to dream, to hope, and to believe in the extraordinary possibilities that lay ahead? What if we never made the choices we made? What if we never stumbled? What if we never fell?
Would our lives be different? Would we be happier? Or was this just the beginning t? Those questions often linger in our minds. And only time will reveal the answers.
♡♡♡
What was life like when you were sixteen?
Did you do things that you regret to this day? What were your dreams? Did they come true?
I’m writing this book for myself and for anyone who feels like they are losing it in life. No, you aren’t. We aren’t. This is the story of five friends who lived life almost similar to ours. They cried. They laughed. But beneath those sounds, there was a relentless pursuit for success and happiness. Just like us, they had dreams. Dreams as vast as the sky and as boundless as the horizon-dreams that painted their futures in vibrant hues, waiting to be realized one step at a time.
Are you Zara, Kai, Marina, Alek, or Zane? Find out.
Thank you ♡♡♡
