`Minnie's point of view`

It was his birthday. With excitement, I was ready to carry out what I have planned for him. Of course he doesn't know that I was in China now. It was supposed to be a surprise. Ray had left with the White Tigers to Szechuan province as guest beybladers for the China Juvenile Beyblade Tournament.

~Flashback~

"Bye, my dear. Make sure you take care of yourself when I'm in China okay. I will call and send you pictures every day." Ray hugged me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"You promise?" I asked him, hugging him tighter. "I promise."

"Then will you remember to always read my message? And reply me as soon as you are free?" I looked into his eyes in anticipation, waiting for his answer. Ray has a tendency of always forgetting to read my messages because he almost always leaves his phone in the room when he is working on something. (Although he had promised to bring along his phone)

"I promise, dear. But you have to promise me to not stay up late and be good." I nodded in his chest. Satisfied with my answer, he kissed me gently on my lips before leaving the bed and heading to shower.

Tyson and Max drove us to the airport. With a final hug, Ray hesitantly left for the departure gate. I waved sadly at him until he disappeared from my sight. It was only supposed to be a few hours of not-seeing-him moment and I already felt like crying. With Tyson's help, I took my luggage from inside the boot. It was my turn to wait for my departure time. My flight was the next. So I should reach China Airport a few hours later than Ray. So he will not realise me following him.

~End of flashback~

I was standing in Ray's empty room. They were all in the Szechuan beystadium now and will not be back in the next 3 hours. With the plan in my mind, I started work without wanting to waste any precious minute. I took out the crystal jar which I had prepared from my backpack. Inside it were white glitters, small love shaped papers and colourful paper strips. I wanted to give the wishing jar to him as his birthday gift. Looking around, I tried to find the perfect spot to hide the jar. Then, I wrote small cards to hint him into finding it.

It was about 5.30 p.m. The weather started to get colder. I sneezed quit a few times during the preparation process. I know that he will be here any minute. My heart started to beat faster because I was so excited about my plan. I started grinning when I imagine his looks of surprise. I know he would have forgotten his own birthday.

'If you are able to find the treasure with my hints, I will let all your wishes come true. The first hint is the colour blue.

Your angel'

After sending the message to him, I hid myself in the wardrobe, hoping to give him the ultimate surprise. The final card in the wishing jar will lead him towards the wardrobe; towards me. I waited patiently in the room but was only accompanied by silence. As I was going to fall asleep, I heard the door opening. With much anticipation, I waited for the person to open the wardrobe to find me but after a very long time there was silence again. I peeped through the small opening between the wardrobe slides and saw Mariah hiding behind Ray's door.

Mariah was dressed in a very sexy pink skirt with a red spaghetti stripe. It was very obvious that she was waiting for Ray.

Ray and Mariah are planning for a date!!! My heart screamed in horror and my mind was racing with thoughts. Ray and Mariah.....

My train of thoughts were broken by the sound of the door opening. It was none other than Ray. Seeing Ray made me forget about what I had seen and thought earlier. My hands automatically reached for the wardrobe slides and my body seemed to uncontrollably bring myself to run towards him. My actions were stopped once I regained my composure.

"Surprise!! Happy birthday, Ray!" Mariah jumped out from behind the door. She hugged him tightly and whispered something into his ears. I saw him smiled happily. I had wanted to see that smile on his face; I wanted him to smile like that when he open the wardrobe door to find me in there. My surprise was ruined. And seeing him smile as she hugged him had also shattered my heart into pieces.

Mariah must have said something that he had always wished to hear. Words of love...... from her.....

The last words kept playing in my mind. I was confused and tears began to flow down my cheeks. I kept quiet in the wardrobe until both of them finally left the hotel room. I slowly opened the slides and exited from the wardrobe. I was gasping for air. After thinking for a long time, I had finally reached a conclusion. I had better leave. As in leave Ray. I took out the wishing jar from its hiding place and wrote a birthday wish on Ray's behalf. Then I left his room with heavy steps. I had to clear my mind. My head was spinning.

~ Near the river~

I was sitting alone in the cold weather. The wind had calmed me down quite a lot though. My heart had shattered to a thousand pieces but I as long as Ray is happy, then I will be. It doesn't matter who he is going to be with, I will give him my blessings.

My phone rang. Ray called. I did not want to answer his phone. Even after such a long time of convincing myself about accepting and blessing Ray, my jealousy had taken over me. I can't accept the both of them together. My intention was to answer if he calls and give him my blessing through the phone but at the last moment, I could not bring myself to press the green button.

Ray is going to tell me through the phone.... about him and Mariah....

I could not control the tears that keep flowing out neither can I control myself from only staring at his contact picture and not answering the phone.

"Dear..." Ray was standing in front of me. He must have been running very fast. Droplets of sweat formed on his forehead and he was panting. I looked at him in shock. Ray was standing in front of me and I did not know how to react.

Ray is going to tell me personally.... He is going to tell me face to face.... Where can I run...? I cannot run away anymore....

"Dear... I'm sorry..." He walked closer to me. I stood up, trying to back out. Without me realising it, I shouted at him.

"Don't call me dear anymore. I already know about the both of you. I have already given you my blessings. But I don't want to see you anymore. Please.... I really don't want to see you anymore..."

Ray stopped me from running away from him by holding me tightly against him. I struggled but my last ounce of energy had left me. I can no longer move.

"Dear, please don't misunderstand me anymore.... it's my fault for forgetting to bring my phone along and not reading your message... and to let Mariah hug me but I really do love you only..." My mind was not concentrating on what he was saying. I was still speechless. I was blank.

I felt droplets of water on my hand. It was raining. No, I held up my head and saw tears forming in Ray's eyes. It was his tears. "Dear, don't leave me..." I was rotted to the ground. Ray was not going to tell me about him and Mariah. Once it sank in to me that it was a misunderstand, I hugged him tightly hoping that it was not a dream.

"How do you expect me to live happily ever after with the person I love when she doesn't want to see me anymore...?" He whispered into my ears. I suddenly remembered about the wish that I had written for him.

~Flashback [in normal POV] ~

Ray had realised that he had forgotten his phone in the hotel room. He told the White Tigers who were with him in the Chinese restaurant that he had forgotten something and he had to go to get it. It was when he read the message in the phone that he realised something was not right. The first hint was written on a blue colour paper left on the dressing table. Following the hints, he found the wishing jar. He found the last piece of hint on the purple colour paper that directed him towards the wardrobe. There was nothing inside. He figured out Minnie must have been there. Clueless of what had happened; he looked carefully into the jar hoping to break any code left for him.

The strip of paper with writings caught his attention. Ray unfolded the paper and as he read on, he started to get worried. Leaving the paper and the wishing jar, he ran as fast as a bullet out of the room and out of the hotel.

'Wish you will be with the person you truly love and live happily ever after'

Based on what was written on the paper and Minnie missing from the wardrobe, Ray had realised that he had to find her quickly. Calling her was useless as she was not answering. He was searching everywhere for her. Just as he was about to give up, he heard the familiar ringtone.

Minnie's ringtone... he thought as he ran towards the sound and found her staring at her phone, crying.

~End of flashback~

"Dear..." Ray whispered into my ears, stroking my hairs lovingly. "I'm sorry. Forgive me..."

Knowing that he loves me was enough to make me forget what had happened.

"I have found my ultimate birthday present with the hints." He smiled lovingly at me, kissing my lips gently. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him carry me along into his hotel room.

I woke up reluctantly to the sunshine that blaze into my eyes. Ray was still holding me protectively against him. He was sleeping soundly. I guess that he was very tired because he had been runing around quite a lot last night. Planting a kiss on his lips, I whispered into his ears.

"Happy birthday, Ray. I love you," I said and snuggled closer to him, savouring his smell. I felt him hugging me towards him tighter and heard him whispered the sweet words that I love so much.

"I love you too, dear. I want to live happily ever after with you."

~^^~#^^#