First Time at 18

Liangzi was a month older than me. That year, we were both 17.

In that age when we believed the world was wrong and love was beautiful, he held my hand and called me “Little Girl.” He often ran wild with me on the playground behind the school and gave me a warm embrace after I had argued with my parents. The first time I stood on tiptoe to kiss him, he blushed before I did. Seeing his shy face, I suddenly wanted to walk through life with him.

At 18, one evening after self-study, we walked hand in hand on the large playground, somehow talking about things beyond hugs and kisses. It was dark, and we couldn’t see each other’s faces. We were awkward and fidgety but pretended to be calm as we discussed those vague things.

That night, we talked until late. Even after returning to the dormitory, my heart was still pounding. A small seed of curiosity seemed to be planted in my heart, desperately wanting to sprout. I thought Liangzi might feel the same, but being shy, he would never say it.

The next day, we had lunch together as usual. Sitting face to face, we were a bit embarrassed and laughed simultaneously, then asked each other what was wrong. After a moment of silence, we shared a tacit look. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I whispered, “On my 18th birthday, let’s spend the night together. I want you to help me complete my coming-of-age ceremony.”

His face turned red, from the ears to the forehead. Watching him, I felt warm inside and filled with a sense of sanctity about turning 18.

Three months before the college entrance exam, on my 18th birthday, I took a serious bath at home, put on new clothes, and called Liangzi to ask if he was ready. He was breathless and stammered. When I arrived at our meeting place, Liangzi was already waiting, also dressed in new clothes.

We looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. Without saying a word, we pooled our pocket money together, carefully unfolding and straightening each bill, making the whole process seem solemn. Liangzi nervously counted the money while I watched sweat beads form on his forehead, my heart suddenly racing as if electrified.

Holding the money in one hand and me in the other, we sneaked into a hotel like thieves. His hand was sweaty, and my palm was wet too.

When booking the room, I turned my back to the counter, fearing the receptionist might notice from the ID that Liangzi had just turned 18. Finally, we paid and received the room card, entering a room temporarily ours. As soon as we got inside, Liangzi dashed into the bathroom, and the sound of running water powerfully hit my eardrums.

I sat on the bed, involuntarily clutching my clothes, my heart pounding like a trapped rabbit. I crawled under the covers, thinking about what was about to happen, my face burning hot…

But a few minutes later, we checked out. Things didn’t go as we had anticipated. When Liangzi came out of the bathroom, he was crying. I didn’t know what was happening and rushed over. He held me tightly, incoherently saying, “Ah Yan, let’s go back… I don’t want to hurt you… We… we still have the college entrance exams…”

He turned his back to me as I silently put on my clothes. Once dressed, we left the hotel.

Thus, my coming-of-age ceremony at 18 ended dramatically. Later, we still walked hand in hand on the playground, laughing and joking, but we never mentioned those things again.

Years later, I suddenly recalled Liangzi’s back in the hotel. The back I quietly watched as I dressed—at that moment, it was no longer the back of a boy but a man. From the moment Liangzi waited for me to get dressed, he was using his actions to interpret his promise to me and the responsibility of an 18-year-old man.

It turns out that my coming-of-age ceremony at 18 fostered the growth of another person.

Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “