¨‘°ºO . ƒ ℓ i ¢ ҝ ε я . Oº°‘¨ 15+ fans

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

Lol well she mostly end up guessing all the secrets rather than me telling her xD and thanks for coming? Did you like it? :D

[Єммєтт]

+ Yeah, it's nice. Just a few little twists I see coming. Pretty unsure about the whole fantasy thing. +

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

The fantasy part comes in later; first I have to establish the backstory, but its taking longer than I intended... I think this is part one of two, it you will. The awesomeness will begin on her sixteenth birthday, in less than a month in their world lol

Ive written bits a pieces that Ill connect much later and Im debating weather or not I should post them on a spoiler thread

[ѕнαdy]

• I don't know why I'm talking in rainbows, but note that I disapprove of your spoiler thread. No one should just get to know that quick. I guessed most of it, cuz I'm special like that. So deal with it. Please? •

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

Ok, yeah, youre right. From this moment on I SHALL TELL NO MORE SECRETS :x

[ѕнαdy]

• I'm starting to heavily dislike Ruby, but I love Ryver. And Cleme is just so- meh. But, I love it. •

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

Lol yes thats the idea. Let the hate for the girl fume inside you >:D and Cleme will be much more happy and random once she gets some sleep xD which is riiiight aboooooooout now lol did u see what I just added?

[ѕнαdy]

• Yep! Read it like two seconds after you posted it. Psychic, I tell you. •

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

chapter 4 continued

I felt so much better when I woke up that morning, even if it was at seven a.m. I had gotten virtually no sleep in two days and eleven hours of the stuff was like a dream come true. I practically skipped to my suitcases (still hadn't gotten around to emptying them into the closet) and dug through them to repeat the routine I had established the morning before.

It was still dark outside. Seattle was experiencing the beginning of winter, which means my birthday was coming up. It was the third of December today, which meant my sixteenth birthday, was in exactly one week, on December eleventh.

The morning flew by in a rush. I was so full of energy it was absolutely wonderful. I was practically done getting ready by the time Ruby woke up, which was late. She came downstairs and found cereal I had poured for her. I was basically prancing around in circles in the living room, letting out my inner spaz as I pleased.

“Is this for me?” Ruby called in groggy surprise.

“It sure is!” I called, dancing over to the dining room with a smile. I stopped my childish antics and leaned on the table beside her. “I'm sorry about yesterday,” I said quietly. “I didn't know…” I stopped with a sigh.

She looked up at me with a troubled gaze. “I should be sorry, not you. I blew a fuse over something ridiculous. I could hardly sleep last night, I felt so guilty.” A mischievous smile suddenly replaced her frown. “But then I saw the bright side- if you and Ryver ever get married, we’ll be sister in-laws!”

I blushed and smacked her arm while she laughed and gleefully continued eating her cereal. I let her be and pranced back out into the living room, twirling and all that good stuff.

The good stuff was brought to an abrupt halt when a voice chimed from the stairs, “You seem happy today.” I froze in my tracks, rigid, and stiffly turned to see Ryver coming down the stairs. I relaxed when I saw him and though my face blushed more than it had at Ruby’s comment, I played it cool and laughed.

“Yup, sure am. It seems a little sleep was all I needed to get the spring back in my step.” At ‘spring’ I bounced a little, which made him laugh. He looked 100% ready to go to school, and he probably only woke up ten minutes ago. I didn't understand how guys did it.

He passed me and grabbed his backpack, slumped against the coat rack by the door, untouched since the night before. “Hey, Ru-boo, are you guys walking with me?” he called to his sister, saying the nickname for her in a more mocking way rather than a brotherly one.

She brushed it off like dust. “No, I’ll probably be late and don’t want to hold you back. You guys can go on without me,” she shouted back. I could almost see the image of her smirk burning through the wall.

I had brought my backpack down earlier and now I slung it over my shoulder. Ryver opened the front door and made a gesture for me to go on. “Ladies first,” he said with a charming smile, playing the gentleman cliché.

“Why, thank you kind sir.” I played along with a little curtsey and pranced through the door with light steps. He followed and I heard him close the door behind us. I stopped and waited for him to catch up, then we were on our way.

I started by asking who he had been sitting with in drama. “The big guy,” he explained, “That's Marty, and the skinny guy is Noah.”

“Who’s the girl?” I pressed, trying my best to keep the bitter tone out of my voice. I thought it was pretty convincing, because he answered like he caught nothing unusual.

“That's Kcrys, head cheerleader.”

Likewise. She was even more like Nathalie than I had thought before, and for me, that was a big warning that screamed KEEP AWAY. “Oh,” I said simply.

He glanced sideways at me and looked forward with a smile. “Got something against Kcrys, Frenchie?”

“No,” I lied. “Just cheerleaders.” This sparked up a whole new subject.

“You know, I don’t know anything about your life in France,” he pointed out. “Why don’t you elaborate on that?”

I agreed and gave him the whole story about Nathalie and when I mentioned Antoine, I glanced at him to see if I could spot any jealousy in his expression. I smirked and looked forward again. “Got something against Antoine?”

“Nope,” he answered without missing a beat. “Just jerks.” I started laughing and he smiled at me.

When we reached school a few minutes early, Ryver’s trio were hanging outside and as he advanced, I lingered back. Kcrys’ prep-ness simply destroyed my own hypocritical prep-ness as she rushed to Ryver and hugged him.

There was still something I didn't like about that girl.

Just then, rainbow curls bouncing, she tiptoed and kissed Ryver smack on the lips.

Yep, that was the something my reason for dislike was lacking.

She pulled away holding his hand and a voice from beside me seriously scared the crap out of me and made me jump. “Oopsie…”
I turned to see Ruby standing there, looking even more guilty than she had that morning. “Cleme, there’s something I forgot to tell you,” she said, cringing away from me as she prepared for the fire that she was smart to expect.

“RUBY!” I shouted, my rage giving back the energy I had woken up with. Why had no one bothered to mention this before?! And how long had she been standing there?! “How long have you been standing there?!” I demanded.

“Long enough,” she said with a sigh, placing her hand on my shoulder, which I shrugged away and watched it fall limply to her side once more. “I was only a few yards behind you guys most of the time, but I was too lazy to catch up,” she explained as I fumed beside her.

Before I could even get a chance to sort my thoughts, the warning bell rang inside the school. I noticed Ryver looking at me, expectant and confused. I attempted to compose myself then glared at Ruby. “This isn't over,” I threatened and walked off as Kcrys, Marty, and Noah left Ryver standing there for me to catch up to. I caught sight of Kcrys looking over her shoulder and glare at me with a warning I could almost hear crackle in the air between us.

“When did Ruby get here?” Ryver asked as we began to walk to class, oblivious to the state I was in.

“Not sure,” I snapped, glaring straight ahead. He eyed me funny.

“Is something wrong?” there was a hint of worry in his voice.

Not that I cared anymore.

“Nope, everything is fine and dandy!” I said instantly, wondering if he caught the sarcasm. We walked through the double doors and up the stairs to the science wing without another word, and that's how we spent first period: in silence. All I did was madly scribble down Mr. Connor’s notes, almost as manically as James wrote whatever he wrote in his own worn notebook.

I could tell Ryver was confused, but he didn't try to ask questions. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t his fault, but then again it kind of was. But on the other hand, he probably didn't think I would care. Oh well. It was easier to be mad at him right now.

My bitterness gradually faded as the day went by. I hardly said a word at lunch, but Ruby didn't pry. She spent lunch talking to Constance, who seemed like her good friend.

Oh, and it turns out Pasquel is in my math class. Who knew? Well, actually, the answer to that was pretty easy considering that fact that when I said hi to him I heard multiple murmurs of, “Who’s Pasquel?” and, “Since when do we have a Pasquel in this class?” I even caught Mr. Frost glancing at the attendance sheet and say to himself, “Ah, Morrison…”

Come time for Drama, I did not sit in the back like the day before. In fact, I sat in the front so I didn't have to see those four miserable faces. Or, rather, just two. Marty and Noah had done nothing wrong. I mentally switched them to my good side as I slumped in my chair with crossed arms.

Today was like yesterday. Mr. Levi had announced that they would play games again, but new ones, and the advanced students spent the entire time on stage, leaving us intros to watch and learn.

As the bell rang, I lifted my backpack with one eye on the four, waiting for them to leave before I did. By now, I was more disappointed than angry. My recent thoughts had gone along the lines of, “Why does she get to have him? It’s not fair that I didn't even get a chance… Any one of the girls in this room is ten times better than her.” Of course, I didn't actually know that, but she wasn’t in the clear like Marty and Noah. In fact, she was nowhere near the clear; she was more like… In the dark and dangerous.

To my dismay, Ryver sent the three away without him. The good side was that Kcrys looked pissed, and that made me smile as I watched them disappear around the corner. I pretended to be adjusting my backpack straps and not notice Ryver when he approached me.

“Why are you acting so weird?” he demanded in a low voice, more desperate than forceful.

“I'm not,” I insisted nonchalantly, tossing my backpack over my shoulder and walking past him without a glance. My speed was futile- he caught up in no time.

“Yes you are,” he argued stubbornly. I sighed heavily and walked faster until I burst through the doors, but still he followed. He grabbed my shoulder so I would stop and face him. He searched my eyes and found only coldness. “What did I do?” he demanded. I just shook my head and looked away as my emotional barrier melted pitifully.

I saw Ruby standing a ways behind him, waiting for a good time to cut in. I broke away from Ryver’s grip and walked towards his sister. “What happened?” she hissed as I approached.

“Nothing,” I said flatly. “Just walk.” When we passed Ryver, the twins exchanged glances without realizing that I noticed.

C h a p t e r F i v e
Upside-down

My anger/depression didn't last long. After the ‘incident’, Ryver started acting really weird. He was being more serious than usual and he always seemed to be in deep thought. After about a day, I figured it was because of my sudden change in behavior and straightened right up. I expected that to fix him up and make him the old Ryver again, but the only thing my feeble attempts did was bring a small smile to his face quite rarely.

I kept having to remind myself that I had only been here for five days (it was Friday now), because it felt like I had known the whole family a lot longer than that.

Not only was my birthday next Tuesday, but there was a school dance tomorrow; Winter Ball, and the last thing I wanted to do was go. I argued with Ruby all week. She practically had to drag my dead weight from store to store. Shopping for anything that wasn’t at Fuego (which I had discovered to be my favorite American store, or just my favorite store in general) was categorized as my least favorite thing to do.

She insisted on new makeup, new shoes, a new dress, and every chance she got, she did and undid my hair for as long as I could take it. I extended my patience by insisting she turn on the TV and let me sit in front of the couch.

Now that the day was practically upon us, she demanded my attention for every little opinion on every little thing she tweaked with that involved my image. Makeup colors, nail polish, hair styles, hair decorations, jewelry… I was basically her human Barbie for days on end.

Still not as bad as shopping.

This also frustrated me because without a need for his presence, Ryver didn't leave his room. I was seriously starting to get worried. At school I noticed he and Kcrys didn't look nearly as happy together as they did just three days ago, and every chance she got, Kcrys scowled at me. The worst part was I was too polite to butt in and ask what the hell was going on.

This was the gist of my week. I hardly remember even saying anything. When I wasn’t at school, I was either staring into a mirror or at the television screen, every opinion I uttered was immediately followed by futile complaints that would cease as soon as the commercials ended.

I lead a pathetic existence for those three days, and at 10:17 on Friday night, I climbed into bed, not tired, but at peace in my solitude, and I fell asleep quite easily.

- - -

How exactly did she manage to get me here like this?

Don’t ask.

What I will tell you is my dress was long and shimmery. It was light blue and layered material with silk underneath. It flickered shades of green in the right position and a black silk ribbon was tied around my torso, the long ends flowing behind me as I walked. The top was strapless, and frilly. Frilly as in way layered and fluffy, but in an elegant way, not a scary bridesmaid dress way. My hair was up and curled more than usual with blonde spirals framing my face. I had on black eye liner and mascara with powder blue eye shadow and light pink blush with matching lip gloss.

It was pretty. I looked pretty. I’ll give Ruby credit for that much. It was because of her that I was here anyway. I hate school dances and I didn't even have a date. She didn't either, which is the main reason she wanted to drag me along.

Ruby’s dress was red, as usual. The sleeves were off the shoulder and silk and the bottom went to her knees, nearly as fluffy as a tutu, but it was awesome looking. She was wearing red heels that laced up her legs and red lipstick. Her makeup was all dark and her hair was curled and up like mine. She looked very intense and mysterious, especially with the black arm length gloves she added to her outfit at the last minute.

I was a little jealous of her dress, but I did look better in blue.

So, we got out of the car and I thanked Adam for driving us to the school. The dance was held in the gym and we walked up excitedly. Yes, even I was pretty excited after the big deal Ruby made over it all. We approached the outside doors to the gym and were stopped by someone who stepped outside, having been standing guard just inside the door before that moment. “I need to see your ASB cards before you can come in.”

Ruby took hers out no problem and flashed it at him. Meanwhile, dread filled me. I didn't have one. Would they still let me in? “Um, I don’t have one…” I said quietly.

“Then I can’t let you in. Sorry,” the guard guy said apologetically.

Ruby looked at me sadly. “Cleme, I'm so sorry! Do you want me to call my dad?”

I shook my head and gave a soft smile. “Nonsense! Go on ahead; I’ll sit out here for a while. I’ll figure out what to do.”

Ruby nodded and hesitantly disappeared inside. I could hear the music, even when the heavy door shut. I stood there a moment before turning and walking a few paces to a marble bench, sitting heavily with a sigh. I kept the tears at bay, but reminded myself I hadn't even wanted to go anyway. It was dusk and in the half light, the lighting from in the gym became more prominent. A few more people joined the masses as I sat there, and eventually, one couple in particular caught my eye.

Kcrys was wearing a modest white dress with only one sleeve that hung loosely off her shoulder. The dress reached her knees and was crafted in such a way that it seemed to spiral downwards. Her white heels were high and she had on too much fake diamond jewelry. Her rainbow hair was half pulled back into a white bow and her makeup was… Well, she used natural colors, just too much of them.

Ryver was with her. Likewise. But they didn't seem to fit together. I knew that they had been having problems, but that's not what I meant. Ryver looked very handsome in his nice black tux that matched his hair and a bloodred tie that matched the rose in his blazer pocket. He had done his hair, and though it still looked messy, it was in a more neat way. He looked like something from a dream; particularly one of my dreams, and I couldn’t take my eyes away.

He saw me sitting there and we locked gazes for a moment before he turned to Kcrys. They argued in a hushed tone for just a moment before she unwillingly went inside without him. I straightened up as he began to make his way towards me slowly. He sat beside me and folded his hands in his lap, his head hanging. Then he looked at me and said curiously, “Why are you out here, Frenchie?”

The sight of him alone had brought a smile to my lips, but hearing his nickname for me, he sounded like himself again and it set free a small, relieved laugh. “I don’t have a special card or whatever, so they won’t let me in,” I explained with a sigh.

“Well, that's a bummer,” he said sincerely.

“Na, I didn't really want to come anyway,” I insisted with a small wave of my freshly manicured hand.

“Then why don’t you go home?” He asked, looking at me as if he could find the answer swimming in my eyes like a pond of koi fish.
I simply shrugged and replied, “Shouldn’t you be in there with Kcrys?”

He just mimicked my shrug and we sat there a long time as the sun sank below the horizon and pained over the blue-gray canvas of a sky with a dazzling orange color.

The din from inside the gym faded and grew once more into a song much softer, much slower, and like the rest, very easy to hear from the bench we sat upon. Suddenly, Ryver got up and stood before me. I looked up at him curiously and he extended a hand. “May I have this dance?” Neither of us could keep away our smiles, silently laughing at the cliché question. Nevertheless, I took his hand, warm compared to the cold Seattle air, and stood.

“You may,” I replied with a small laugh. He pulled me a little closer than I expected he would, but I didn't mind. My hand stayed in his while his other hand wrapped around my waist and my own hand rested lazily on his shoulder.

To my surprise, Ryver was a good dancer, though all we did was twirl in slow circles, and I became worried I would trip or stumble. Mostly because Ruby had forced me to wear heels higher than I could properly function in, and my balance was less than usual, which wasn’t very impressive in the first place.

Just like I predicted, about halfway through the song, with a small, startled squeak, I did stumble, right into Ryver’s arms. He caught my shoulders with strong yet gentle hands and I felt his breath of laughter making my curls shiver. I pulled back so I was standing on my own two feet once more.

I found myself staring into his eyes like I had the first day I met him, lost and bewildered. But this time… They were only mere inches away from mine and seemed to be drifting closer. I gazed into those eyes and my heart beat faster as my thoughts dropped like lead to a place where I couldn’t reach them if I wanted to. My mind was blank, but nothing mattered. Not at this moment. I felt a cold drop land on my bare shoulder, but my gaze did not falter from his. Ice cold rain followed, but that didn't matter either. It didn't matter that I was outside, quickly getting soaked to the bone in the sudden downpour; no. It didn't matter. All that mattered was him. That was all.

I drew a small, sharp breath when the tip of his nose touched mine. Though I knew it was coming, it was a surprise because our movements had been so fluid they were hardly existent. The softest smile played on his lips and before the moment crashed over me and dragged me under, I saw an emotion that I had never seen him display before flash in his eyes.

And then his lips touched mine. It seemed so fast in a world that revolved so slow for what seemed like so long. My eyes fluttered closed and the gentle kiss was like a warm haven surrounded by a cold world. My arms wrapped around his neck and his around my waist like he never wanted to let me go, like he couldn’t let me go, even if he tried.

It was over too fast. I found myself longing for more, just one more second of that sweet moment, but it was over. The emotion I saw flash in his eyes was gone when I opened mine. His grip on me loosened but I didn't want to let go. He looked troubled now; conflicted. He interrupted me before I could ask him anything.

“Let’s get you out of the rain.”

I blinked the rain out of my eyes and the freezing cold washed over me as a chill that had nothing to do with the weather shot down my spine. I tried to read his face through the blur of the increasing rain, seeking any sign of what I was feeling reflected in the obscured image of his expression. He was back to the same conflicted state he had been in for the past week, if not worse. I sighed hopelessly, close to tears for no reason in particular.

“Come on,” he said, taking a step towards the doors, and I followed, numb now that my mind was open to focus on things like the weather.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, partially protecting me from the stinging drops that fell from the sky. We parted as soon as we walked through the doorway, the guard not bothering to stop us, seeing how soaked and miserable I'm sure we seemed. “What now?” I asked blankly.

Before he could answer, Ruby pranced up to us with a skeptical expression. She stood there, looking between us for a moment. She then proceeded to pull off one of her fancy gloves and lean closer to Ryver quick enough to make him flinch back a bit. She took the back of her hand and smeared it across his mouth.

When she stopped he looked at her like she was crazy. “What the hell?!” He exclaimed. She flipped her hand over and showed him the pale pink lip gloss left there from her spontaneous action and my fingertips flew to my own lips, touching them gently. Oops.

She stared dangerously at Ryver and made the hand gesture that meant ‘I'm watching you.’ Without taking her eyes off him, she slipped her glove back on and grabbed my wrist, tugging me away, turning so that her curls bounced in her wake. She pulled me across the room to some chairs. I didn't mind the pulling part. It was habit for her. As we left him standing there, I glanced over my shoulder in time to see Kcrys pulling Ryver onto the dance floor, seeming to be scolding him for his drenched state.

The things I thought weren't very nice.

I nearly tripped over the chairs, but once I regained my composure, Ruby and I sat down. It didn't take long for her to twist sideways in her chair and face me. “Tell me what happened!” she demanded, her tone neither angry nor excited.

“Isn't it obvious?” I said, desperate for her to understand without having to admit what I did. My voice was low; usually I wouldn’t mind because the place was so loud, but I looked like I had just been washed up by ocean currents, and I was drawing the attention of every eye that drew near to us.

Ruby noticed how careful I was being and glanced around before facing me again. At least she didn't catch me continuously glancing at Ryver and Kcrys. “We can talk at home. Honestly, after spending a week with you, everyone else seems so boring.” She offered a half smile and stood up, taking her phone out of a small black purse I hadn't noticed before. She called her dad and asked him to pick us up.

I stood and followed her as she walked out. I slipped continuously in the puddles I left behind like a snail trail. I lost my patience about halfway across the floor and stopped, taking my shoes off and running after her to catch up.

C h a p t e r S i x
Sweet Sixteen

I woke up Tuesday morning with a million things racing around my mind like a Nascar track.

The first thing I thought about was my mother.

I had been gone a little over a week now and we hadn't spoken since. I insisted I would find a way to pay for the long distance calls, if that's what she was worried about. She just shook her head and smiled- I remember it as clear as day. “Tu serez toujours dans mon cœur, ma fille, “ You will always be in my heart, daughter, she had said, then had given a small laugh and kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry about me. Go have fun and I will see you again in three weeks.” I was going to visit France for the two weeks of winter break. Eight more days, but still, I missed her terribly. My mother has always been a bit technology retarded and too stubborn to let me teach her, which is why she doesn't text or e-mail.

My next thought was Ryver.

Neither of us had really acknowledged what had happened between us since Ruby and I left the dance. Kiss? What kiss? We didn't kiss… You must be trippin’. Even though we acted like it didn't happen, there was a spark of tension in the air whenever we spoke. No one suspected a thing (that's what great actors we were) but we knew the truth. Ruby did too, and we both saw her as a ticking time bomb.

The good news is that since the moment seemed to slightly reverse his spiral downwards. He wasn’t as depressed and didn't disappear as often, but he was still detached and distracted because he was still dating Kcrys. He knows very well I'm not happy about it, but I understand… Even when you're dating a complete nut job, it’s not easy to let them go. I myself am all too familiar with that concept.

The last thing that crossed my mind and tore every other thought down like a tsunami was just this: It was December 11th.
I was sixteen today.

Well, actually, I would be sixteen at precisely 6:58 tonight.

I smiled and got out of bed. As soon as I touched the ground, my door swung open and Ruby burst inside, capturing me in a hug. “Happy birthday!”

I laughed a little as she pulled back. “Hey, you remembered.”

“Of course!” she said happily. “Now wear something cute and what do you say we play hooky today?”

I hesitated. “Oh, I don’t know, Ruby…” I said nervously. Id never skipped school before.

“Oh come on, if you do I promise I’ll help you do all your makeup work tomorrow. Please,” she begged stubbornly.

I sighed dramatically, but couldn't keep the smile off my lips. It was a sunny day and my sweet sixteen. Why not? “Ok,” I agreed finally.

“Yay!” Ruby cheered, and then ran out of the room calling, “Get ready quick!” she closed the door behind her and went to get ready herself, I figured.

Laughing, I stood up and wandered over to the closet that I had finally transferred all my clothes to. I searched through them for something perfect to wear. Or, at least close to perfect. It didn't look cold, so I picked out my fluffy black skirt, black and white striped thigh-high socks and what I liked to call my black heavy-duty boots.

Hey… My birthday. I could wear whatever I darn well pleased.

Now to find a shirt that actually matched… Good luck with that. Naturally, I couldn't find one after searching everything three times over and resorted to black skinny jeans and my green 1-up shirt. I kept the boots.

After doing my hair and makeup, I met Ruby downstairs. “Ready?” she asked with a smile. I nodded, wondering what we were going to do, and followed her outside as she opened the door.

As soon as we stepped outside, I heard a voice call, “Hi Ruby!” Ruby stopped and I noticed her cringe a bit. She turned to her neighbor who was standing in the front yard with a bag of dry oatmeal. She was tall and thin, maybe a year or two older than us. Her hair was short, curly and brown. Her eyes were silver, which I found shockingly beautiful.

“Hi, Agatha!” Ruby called unwillingly to the girl, waving from where we stood.

“Want to help me feed the hedgehogs?” Agatha called, sprinkling oatmeal on the ground.

“Sorry, we’re busy! So not today!” Ruby called. “Or ever…” she grumbled under her breath. “Come on Cleme,” she said, leading me down the street in the opposite direction.

“But I like hedgehogs…” I complained, glancing over my shoulder at the strange girl.

“No you don’t,” Ruby snapped. I decided to let it go and ask later.

Ruby’s plan was to basically drag me around all day to places that she considered must-sees. I say drag like it was a bad thing, but I really had fun. We walked all around West Seattle like there was no tomorrow. We walked around the junction and we even ended up on Alki Beach. Being a Tuesday, there wasn’t really anyone there, but I instantly fell in love with the place. There were miles of beach and a view of the city and mountains across the water. There were bonfires on the sand, skaters on the sidewalk and the street was lined with all kinds of seaside restaurants. Though it was chilly by the water, I didn't want to leave. We walked the entire expanse of the shore and stopped every once in a while to sit in the sand.

We spend the majority of the day on the beach. Living in a big city in the middle of France my whole life, I hardly ever got a chance to spend time by water. I gathered pockets full of shells and cool rocks. Just before dusk, Ruby suggested we get ready to leave. It was a long walk back home.

Watching the waves all day and feeling the sand and the sea breeze had made me forget all my worries and I’d been happier than I had been in a while. It was nothing to extravagant, but it was a birthday well spent.

The relaxation faded after an hour of walking up and down hills on our way back home. It was dark and about 6:15 by the time we got home. I stopped in the front yard when we got there, staring curiously at the spot where Agatha had been standing before we left.

There was a woman there now, maybe in her 70s. She stood in the midst of untouched oatmeal scattered on the ground and held a lavender point Siamese cat in her arms. She was perfectly still, like a ghost, staring at the street. The cat’s tail was the only movement in the scene and only the street light beams allowed me to see it.

Ruby noticed I had stopped and backed up to stand beside me and explain. “That’s Mrs. Hood, Agatha’s grandma. Every night for three minutes at the exact same time she stands there holding a cat. And it’s always a different cat. It makes me wonder how many she's got in there.”

I cocked my head slightly and, suddenly, the woman turned and walked back inside. I watched in wonder when I meow split the silence and I went rigid as it was accompanied by something brushing against my legs. I looked down to see a black and white cat looking up at me and rubbing against my legs. He meowed as soon as we made eye contact and I relaxed a little, kneeling down to stroke him. He emitted a purr and Ruby added, “And that’s Percy. He’s also their cat, but he never goes inside like the rest.” She shrugged and turned the front door knob. Despite Percy’s protests, I stood and followed her inside.

As we stepped through the doorway, Ryver turned his head to look at us from where he was sitting on the couch. The house glowed softly lit by only lights and no sun, but it emitted a rather cozy feeling. Ryver picked up the remote, clicked off the TV and stood slowly, turning to wander lazily in our direction. His stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled at me. “Happy birthday, Frenchie.”

“Thanks,” I giggled with a slight blush.

“Where are mom and dad?” Ruby asked lamely, trying to decide which direction to walk.

“At the hospital,” Ryver answered. “Mom started having contractions, so dad rushed her there a couple hours ago.”

“What?!” Ruby exclaimed, suddenly alert. “Why didn't you text me or something?!”

He shrugged. “I didn't want to ruin your good time,” he answered innocently. Ruby rolled her eyes and before she could continue, it looked like an invisible light bulb went off above Ryver’s head. “Oh! But they left Cleme’s present! I’ll go get it, one sec,” he said, inching back as he spoke then darting up the stairs. Ruby and I exchanged glanced and waited for him to come back in silence.

Before we saw him, we heard his voice call, “Ok, close your eyes!” After a second, I heard him say, “Not you, Ruby,” and I laughed. I heard a small gasp from Ruby and I got more and more excited as I heard Ryver’s footsteps approaching. “Hold out your hands,” he instructed softly. I obeyed and he placed something in my extended arms.

It was soft, warm, and wiggly. I opened my eyes immediately and gasped. “Oh my Thor, he is adorable!” I squealed, and hugged the puppy close to me. It licked my face and I giggled excitedly. I wasn’t even going to ask why I got a living thing for my birthday, but I was perfectly fine with it.

The puppy was an Australian Shepherd, with a lovely gray dappled coat and bright blue eyes. Some of his face and legs were pale, dusty brown and he was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I sat down on the floor and put the puppy in my lap, ruffling his ears.
Ruby was instantly beside me, petting him and he licked her hand happily. Ryver knelt down on my other side and said, “It was your mom’s idea. My parents didn't mind, in case you were wondering. Your mom also sent some money for you to use to get supplies for him. Tomorrow you can pick out a collar and such.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's his name?!” Ruby demanded, and Ryver glared at her.

I thought for a moment. “Castor!” It took me all of two seconds to decide, and when I did, Castor yipped happily and wagged his little tail. He was so adorable I thought I’d die right there.

“Castor?” Ruby laughed. “What kind of name is that?”

I glared at her and said matter-of-factly, “Only an awesome one! It was either that or Athos,” I said with a smirk. Ruby laughed as the puppy pranced over to Ryver and bit at his hands while he played with him happily.

I smiled at them and there we sat, quite content for the time being. A little over half an hour had passed ever since we got home, and at exactly 6:58, there was a power surge and the lights flickered out.

[ѕнαdy]

• Hehe. Kcrys is amazing. •