Okay, this is my first Passions story. I just want to say that I don't really like Charity. That's all. Please review it!

~Ash


It was a normal Friday morning in Harmony as Kay Bennett woke up to her ringing alarm clock.
Her slender arm reached out and turned it off and she rolled over to go back to sleep. Suddenly,
she sat straight up in her bed with a huge smile on her face. Today was her birthday! She was
finally seventeen. She threw the covers back and raced to the bathroom, determined to look her
best for school that morning.

Fifteen minutes later, Kay was in her bathrobe and her hair was wrapped in a towel as she
decided what to wear. She wanted an outfit that was more sophisticated than her usual jeans and
sweaters. She settled on a gray, fitted, three quarter-length blouse that shimmered with a
rainbow of iridescent colors with every move she made, and a pair of slim black pants that showed
off her nice figure. She finished the look with low black pumps and a black and red choker necklace.
She blow-dried her hair and pulled it back into a low twist at the nape of her neck that had a
black enameled clip holding it in place. Her hair was parted in a cool zigzag pattern along her head.
She kept her makeup simple, but made sure to draw attention to her lovely brown eyes.

When she went downstairs half an hour later, her father greeted her with a teasing wolf-whistle.
"Kay, you look beautiful today!" Sam Bennett told her as he engulfed her in a huge bear hug.
"Happy birthday honey."

"Thanks Dad," Kay replied with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Kay," Grace, Kay's mother, said as she placed a kiss on Kay's cheek. "You look lovely."

"Thanks Mom," Kay responded.

"Happy birthday, Kay," Jessica, Kay's sister, said sincerely. Although she didn't always get along
with her older sister, Jessica was genuinely glad for Kay.

Kay smiled tolerantly. "Thank you, Jessica." She noticed that someone was missing from the breakfast
table. "Where's Charity?" she asked, not really caring, but just wanting to make small talk. "Is she
still sleeping?"

Grace shook her head as she set a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of Kay. "Miguel came by half
an hour ago to walk Charity to school."

Kay's smile faltered a tiny bit as she heard this. Miguel didn't even hang around to wish her a happy
birthday. "I guess I'll see him at school then," she said, forcing the sad thought out of her head.
Ten minutes later, someone knocked on the front door.

"I'll get it!" Jessica volunteered, rising from her seat. She ran to the door and opened it to reveal
Simone Russell, Kay's best friend, besides Miguel, that is. "Hi Simone! Come on in."

"Thanks Jessica," Simone replied pleasantly. "How is the birthday girl doing?"

"See for yourself," Jessica offered. "Kay! Simone's here!"

Kay came out of the kitchen and grinned when she saw the pretty African-American girl. "Hi!" she exclaimed.

"Happy birthday!" Simone squealed, rushing over to give Kay a hug. "How does it feel to be seventeen?"

"Even better than being sixteen," Kay replied, returning the hug. "I'm almost ready. Just give me two
minutes!" She hurried upstairs to get her school bag and jacket, and after saying goodbye to everyone,
she and Simone walked to school.

"I didn't see Charity," Simone commented. "Did she leave already?"

"Miguel and Charity walked to school together," Kay informed her. "But it doesn't matter, because Miguel
is going to give me a wonderful birthday present, just like he does every year."

Simone smiled at Kay's current attitude. It seemed like nothing could bring her down. "Are your parents
throwing you a surprise party this year?"

Kay smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I heard them talk about it when I went to the bathroom in the middle of
the night. They're taking me to the Seascape for dinner, and then when I get home, that's when the party
starts."

Simone giggled. "I can't believe that you manage to find out every year."

Kay giggled too. "It makes them happy. Who am I to disappoint them?"

As the two girls reached the school, Simone noticed more guys than usual looking in their direction.
Simone nudged Kay lightly in the side. "I think your new look is pretty popular."

Kay grinned, enjoying the extra attention that she was getting. Her smile became positively radiant when
she caught sight of Miguel standing near her locker. The handsome, dark-haired boy was laughing about
something with Reese Durkee, one of his friends. "Hi Miguel!" she chirped happily.

Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald smiled at Kay. "Hey, how's it going?" he inquired.

"Hi Kay," Reese greeted her.

"Hi Reese," Kay responded with as much enthusiasm she could muster under the circumstances.

Miguel looked at Kay's outfit. "What's with all of the dark clothes?" he asked laughing. "You look like
you're going to a funeral or something."

Kay's heart plummeted. He forgot. She laughed weakly. "Yeah, or something," she mumbled. She opened her
locker and hung her jacket up inside. "Excuse me, I want to get a cookie from the cafeteria before class."
With that, she hurried away before anyone could see the tears in her eyes.

Simone looked at Miguel in shock. She couldn't believe that he had forgotten Kay's birthday. With a
look of slight annoyance, she left to go to her locker.

"What's wrong with them?" Miguel asked confused.

Just then, Charity Standish joined then. "What's wrong with who?" she asked curiously.

Reese didn't answer Charity as he regarded his best friend with astonishment. "You really don't know?"
he asked skeptically as he pushed his thick-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Miguel shrugged. "Not a clue," he replied.

Reese shook his head. "I have to talk to my homeroom teacher before the bell. See you around Miguel,
Charity."

"Bye," Charity said.

"Bye," Miguel echoed. He put an arm around Charity's shoulders. "Can I walk you to your class?"

Charity smiled shyly. "I'd like that."

The two of them disappeared around the corner.