Author's Note: Ali Castillo, Miguel Castillo, Ryan Rivera and Veronica "Roni" Tubbs belong to RedRose85. Check out her stories for more of their adventures!

Ali Castillo

I sighed deeply, savoring the feel of Ryan's lips on mine. For four years I had envisioned this moment, and here I was at last. His hands ran up and down my back as we fell back on my bed, and boldly I wrapped my leg over him. A million thoughts ran through my mind. My parents were at work, school was done for the day, and although senior year brought with it more homework, it could certainly wait. But still I couldn't push aside the nagging notion that I had forgotten something. I wanted to focus on Ryan and only Ryan, the softness of his lips, the strength of his arms, the smell of his aftershave… but that little voice kept talking. What had I forgotten?

A door slammed downstairs followed by a voice calling upstairs.

"Ali? You here?"

Miguel. Damnit! He was coming home from college today, how could I forget?

Ryan and I froze and just stared at each other in horror.

"What do we-" Ryan began, but I clapped my hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet!" I whispered. "He hears like a hawk!"

Ryan looked confused. "Do hawks have good hearing?"

"I don't know, but he's a musical freak of nature… he can identify any note on the violin, I'm pretty sure he can hear you a mile away." I gave Ryan a gentle push toward the closet. "Now get in here and stay quiet!"

"But-" he protested.

"Shhh!" I ordered once more, sliding the closet door shut. Quickly I grabbed a brush off my dresser, ran it through my hair, and did a quick check in the mirror for smudged makeup. Finally, I took a deep breath, stepped out in the hall, and prayed to any god who would listen that Ryan would keep quiet. Ryan and I had been friends for years, and as much as I had a schoolgirl crush on him that whole time, I kept it hidden away. But in the last month, he had finally seen me differently. I was more than an awkward teenager, I was older now, on the precipice of adulthood. But still, he was 24. And my father and brother did not trust him one bit.

The overachiever that he was, Miguel had received a full academic scholarship to the University of Miami where he was in his second year studying psychology with a minor in music. Though he still lived in the same city, it had been over a month since I had seen him. He was taking a full course load and then some. And he was already researching law schools and studying for the LSAT. The way things were going, and with his college and AP credits from high school, there was a good chance he'd graduate with a bachelors' degree in another year, then he'd be off to law school. I often overheard my parents worrying that he was drowning himself in work, but he had always been ambitious.

As he came up the stairs, I noticed his face was cheerful but tired. He had a duffle bag slung over his shoulder which he threw on the ground before picking me up and spinning me around. "There ya are, little sis! I missed you, Ali!"

I hugged him tight. "I missed you too, big brother." And it was true. As much as he drove me crazy, he was still my best friend. "You're home early though!"

"Yeah, last class of the day was cancelled so I dropped Ethan off at May Ying's, then came here! I just couldn't wait to see my baby sister." He stepped away from me, smiling broadly he studied me critically. "You okay? You look a little stressed."

My mind flashed to Ryan in my closet. "Stressed?" I repeated nervously. "Oh, you know how school is."

He nodded with understanding, though I knew he still worried about me. It had been three years since I was attacked by Esteban Calderone but the scars still lingered. "I sure do kiddo, but next year you'll be in college. And believe me, it's a hundred times better than high school."

"True…" I put a hand on my hip. "And when are you going to have a real college party now that you and Ethan have your own apartment?"

His smile faded and once again he became serious Miguel, the overprotective big brother. "Ali, we're not 21 yet. And besides…"

I crossed my arms in front of me. "Oh come on, what's the point of having my brother in college if he's not going to take me to a decent party?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes and kissed my cheek. "I gotta run, I want to go surprise Roni a little early."

I laughed. "Well, she's going to be so happy, Miggy. I swear, seeing you is all she's talked about this week!"

"I'm pretty excited to see her too." His smile faded once more and he ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. "Damn, I must be the worst boyfriend in the world, not making enough time for her…"

I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She loves you, Miguel. Really loves you. I know you miss each other, but she knows how important it is for you to be a lawyer. And I know you'll be just as supportive of her with her goals."

It was true, despite how hard it was for me missing my brother, it had been equally difficult for his girlfriend and my best friend, Roni Tubbs. Even though I teased them from time to time, I knew they made each other happy. The way his eyes lit up when he was with her, it almost brought me back to those innocent carefree days before Calderone. And now I finally knew exactly what he was feeling, Ryan had brought light back into my life. But Miguel and Roni didn't need to hide their love from the rest of the world, and I still had to shove my boyfriend under my bed or in my closet so we wouldn't get caught. It was so unfair, but what could I do?