t u rnin g

Shoot Staffers: Jackie Esguerra, Sophia Pinilla, Katie Jones, Eden

Znaty

Beauty: Mariana Avila

Model: Summer Purks

Photographer: Abby Marcil

Videographer: Jenna Rosenbusch, Blake Boyar

Layout: Ninah Gibson

She hangs up and sifts through her nail polishes, trying to find the perfect color for the special day. Flirty Pink, Now You Sea Me, Miami Beet, or Mint Candy Apple. She always had a hard time picking a favorite color; if she picked just one, she felt bad for leaving the others out. Because of this, her braces are bubblegum pink, her iPod is blue, and her nails are soon to be a “Mint Candy Apple” green—until they inevitably chip at softball practice like they always did somehow. Then, Maddie arrives, J-14 and Double Stuf Oreos in hand. They liked to ip through magazines, page after page of teen heartthrobs.

After a few hours—one sleeve of Oreos down and ten fingernails messily painted—it was time for Maddie to go home.

“I gotta go, my mom said to be home before dark.”

“Okay, you promise you’ll wear a skirt with me tomorrow?” she is thirteen.

“Pinky promise. I’ll come over tomorrow night for some cake and ice cream. Oh, and you too, I guess,” she said, grinning.

The following night, she, her family, and Maddie gathered around the yellow cake with chocolate frosting (her favorite) in the dining room. As she fidgeted with the ru es on her skirt, her mom lit the big, waxy numbers that read “13” on her cake. She knew once she blew those candles out, there was no going back. But she wasn’t afraid, she was thrilled and ready to take on whatever came her way. Some days will be harder than others. Some days, the world won’t seem as vibrant as it was when she was a kid. Whether it be “Mint Candy Apple” green or bubblegum pink, one day she’ll be wishing for just a little more splash of color in her life. But, for now, she is free.