Sam: I don't get it, isn't this what you wanted? You dating Spied to get his attention so you could go out with him?

Sam and Alex were sitting in Alex's bedroom. The walls were an aqua blue and all the furniture was black. The high light colors were white, black, and silver and the bedding was black and white.

Alex: Yeah

Sam: Then why'd you yell at him instead

Alex: Because he was such a jerk about it. He flat out told me to dump my boyfriend, his older brother, for him

Sam: Okay, that is totally jerk-ish

Alex: No duh. Which is why I got mad. But I do want to date him, not Spied, him

Sam: Well, maybe he was just mad you were dating Spied and over reacted?

Alex: He still did though

Sam: Try taking to him

Alex: The last time I did I ran away from him

Sam: Spied talking to him?

Alex: Threw it in his face he was dating me

Sam: Me?

Alex: You can try next time you see him

Sam: Are you inviting both of them to your sweet sixteen?

Alex: I wouldn't know considering Jude, Sadie, and SME are planning then entire thing for me

Sam: You are a brave, brave soul

Alex: I'm an idiot?

Sam: You're an idiot

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks later Alex was pacing the upstairs hallway of Tommy's house. For some odd reason, her party was here. Okay, it wasn't that odd considering they could keep it outside and fit all the people in the backyard. The pool, all the trees, the big deck off the family room downstairs, the lush green grass, it was great. She was wearing a strapless white dress with white and silver sparkles covering the entire thing and shimmering as she moved. The top half hugged her tightly to her hips, and after that it flared out until it hit right above her knees. It was full of layers of white fabric under the bottom half. She also had on three inch silver heels. Her red hair was up in a high ponytail with loose tendrils curling softly here and there. Sadie had gone light on the make up with a little eyeliner, mascara, blush, eye shadow, light pink frost lip gloss, and obviously concealer. She had on a silver diamond bracelet from her dad on her right wrist and silver bangles on her left. She had on diamond studded chandelier earrings too. Sadie watched amused by the stairs and Jude was in the backyard supervising SME setting everything up. Sadie's cell phone rang and she walked down the stairs to answer it.

Sadie: Hello?

Jude: Everything's set up and people are already starting to get here, give us half an hour and everyone will be here

Sadie: Great, but you should call Darius. Remember, he's in charge of the most important aspect of the party

Jude: I know, when we hang up, I'll call him. So, how is she?

Sadie: Pacing a hole in Tommy's upstairs hallway

Jude: (laughing) Sounds about right

Sadie: Now, we're going to be sure this is a Sweet Sixteen, right?

Jude: Yes Sadie, my Unsweet Sixteen will not be repeated

Sadie: Okay, (sighs) I should get back to her, make sure she doesn't fall through the floor

Jude: Umkay, I'll call D and- VINCENT SPIEDERMAN PUT THAT DOWN!

Spied: Sorry dude!

Sadie: I thought you were keeping them under control?

Jude: Who can do that?

Sadie: True

Jude: So I'll call D, and you'll bring her down in twenty five minutes?

Sadie: Deal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jude: Hey D, when are you gonna get to Tommys house?

Darius: … In two days

Jude: What?!

Darius: You told me the party was on the 18 a-

Jude: No, I said the 16, the day of Alex's birthday

Darius: Well I'm in the middle of a business dinner now

Jude: (sighs) is their anyway you can get over here tonight?

Darius: What time is the party ending?

Jude: Hold on,

She dropped her arm and looked across the yard to where Tommy and Kwest were fixing a string of lights Spiederman's football had messed up. SME were sitting in time out on the bench beside her.

Jude: Quincy, what time is the party over?

Tommy: Um, I guess if we end at three that gives me five and half hours to sleep before having to get up for work, and while I'm sleeping the rest of you can clean up

Spied: Thanks Quincy, thanks so much

Tommy: No problem Spiederman, I guess Alex's birthday has put me in a giving mood

He smirked at Spied and Spied got up to go over to him,

Kwest: You're in time out Spiederman!

Spied: Damn it

But he sat back down, mumbling under his breath. Jude rolled her eyes at him and raised the phone to her ear.

Jude: Apparently it ends at 3 A.M

Darius: I'll be there at ten

Jude: You have the gift?

Darius: Signed, wrapped, it has a big shiny bow, and it's waiting in my family room

Jude: Good. So, see you in three and half hours

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thirty minutes later Sadie was leading Alex down the stairs and into Tommy's white marble foyer. She led Alex through the foyer, then the family room, and into the kitchen. She paused in front of the French doors and turned to Alex.

Alex: Don't stop now! That's evil!

Sadie: Just wanted to make sure you're-

Alex: Sadie!

Sadie: (laughing) Okay, okay

She opened the French doors and stepped to the side, and Alex walked out onto the deep brown wooden deck. She took a few steps before stopping to look around. The backyard was gorgeous. All the tree's had white Christmas lights strung through them, their were purple, black, and white candles floating in the pool, their was a black dance floor, a stage for Jude, SME, Mason, Karma, Patsy, and Shay to perform, and a DJ for announcing and breaks. The lush green grass was perfectly groomed and let's not even think about the number of people, celebrity and other wise, in the backyard. Jude, SME, Jamie, Tommy, Kwest, Patsy, Mason and Shay were standing on different levels of the stairs, smiling at her. Her closer friends (Sam, Brooke, Megan, Cody, Stevie, Charlie and Ryan) were standing in a group at the bottom of the stairs. She laughed a little at all the hard work everyone put into it, and then started walking again. She walked down the stairs and hugged Jude.

Alex: Thanks so much

Jude: No problem

T-Bone (he's the DJ): Happy Birthday girl!

Alex: Everyone, lets keep this a Sweet Sixteen (fake glares at Shay)

Shay: Hey! That's all behind me, right Shorty?

Jude: (Rolls her eyes) Of course

T-Bone: I'll beat whoever wrecks it

Alex: (laughing) Thanks guys, now let's get this party started!!!

The crowd cheered and her friends ran up to hug her. She hugged them all, and Sadie and Jude together when Sadie walked down the stairs. SME took off running for the stage and hopped up onto it. Kwest turned the mic on at the sound board to the side of the stage under a tree and they each picked up a mic.

Kyle: So, SME wrote the birthday girl a new song

Wally: We don't know if you like "The Birthday Song"

Spied: But just in case…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later Alex was in the middle of the dance floor, her and her friends were dancing as a group and everyone else was dancing around them while Shay was on stage. Alex looked up and noticed Tyler was standing by the bar (all virgin drinks except for the adults and Alex if she asked for one. She was the birthday girl…). She turned her head and Spied was goofing off with Jude by the sound board while Kwest play glared at them. But he was unsuccessful and they all bust out laughing. Wally and Kyle were talking to Jamie and Patsy, and Mason was talking to Tommy and Sadie. She looked back at Tyler and noticed he looked sad and lonely. She sighed and excused herself from her friends, claiming she was thirsty. She made her way across the yard (she had kicked off her shoes before getting on the dance floor an hour and a half earlier, hopefully she could find them later…) and to the bar. She ordered a Captian Coke and turned to watch her party. Her friends were still laughing and dancing and everyone else was having a great time. If they weren't on the dance floor they were talking or making out under the canopy of the trees, a few couples were on the trampoline at the side of the house,

Probably bought their own alcohol and spiked their drinks themselves…

She gratefully accepted her drink and sipped it. She scanned the yard and found herself locking gazes with Spied while Jude asked Kwest something. Spied looked between her and Tyler and back to her before nodding his head. She sighed but nodded her head slightly and took another sip of her drink. She saw Spied smile slightly before turning to Jude and Kwest as Wally and Kyle walked up, they were up next. She turned to Tyler and noticed he was trying very hard not to look at her.

Alex: We need to talk

Tyler: (looking at her in surprise) What?

Alex: We need to talk. Now come on

She left her drink there and led Tyler around the dance floor under the canopy of a few weeping willows and hoping no one noticed them. She stopped by the trunk of one them where she knew no one could see or hear them. She sighed as she looked at him. He was in a white button down with black jeans and black Etnies with white detailing. He was looking at his feet with his hands in his pockets, obviously nervous. She surpressed a laugh and smiled faintly.

Tyler: What's this about Alex?

Alex: You and me

Tyler: I get it, your dating Spied. I don't understand why b-

Alex: I'm not dating Spied …atleast, not really

Tyler: What?

Alex: I was mad and upset about you dating Gabi and for whatever reason he was mad at you too. So we started "dating" to get at you, and I guess it worked?

Tyler: Um, yeah

Alex: But I still don't get why he was mad at y-

Tyler: Because I didn't really like Gabi

Alex: You didn't what?

Tyler: I didn't like her. I liked you, and I told him. But I didn't ask you out, and he got mad at me for being a coward

Alex: Why didn't you?

Tyler: I was, scared, I guess

Alex: Of what would happen to your rep for dating me?

Tyler: I guess. But Spied's a senior a-

Alex: That's part of the reason he did it

Tyler: What?

Alex: To prove to you that if a senior could do it, so could you

Tyler: (Sighs) My brother can be an evil genius when he wants to be

Alex: I know, I was there, remember?

Tyler: So, now that we figured this out, what are we gonna do about it?

Alex: (whispering) I don't know

They slowly walked towards eachother, his hands wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck, but just as he ducked his head to kiss her, she turned away.

Alex: (still whispering) Are you still dating Gabi?

Tyler: Wh-what?

Alex: Are you still dating her?

She said it louder and more firm this time, but she chewed on the inside of her cheek and refused to meet his eye.

Tyler: Alex- …(sighs) yeah, yeah I am

Alex: (Shaking her head) Then we cant do this

She looked back at him and forced herself to slowly let go.

Alex: I wont do that to her

She kissed his cheek then turned and slowly pushed her way through the tree.

Tyler: Alex?!

But she didn't turn around, she kept going. And when she got out of the tree she wasn't in a party mood anymore. She turned and walked behind the stage, around the trees to the sound board. She got Judes attention, who got Sadies, and they walked over.

Jude: You work things out with Tyler?

Alex: He asked me out

Sadie: Whats the problem?

Alex; He's still dating Gabi

Jude: Oh. Well, when he breaks up with her, your gonna go out with him. Right?

Alex: I don't know anymore. Look, the partys amazing, but I'm not in a party mood. I'm sorry

Jude: You have to stay, atleast until D gets here

Alex: Why?

Sadie: He's got the best birthday present

Alex: I'm not interested

She started walking away, back towards the house, and the guest room with the king size bed and her pajamas in the bag in the corner.

Sadie: Alex?!

But she kept going. No one even noticed the birthday girl escape her own party, that is except Jude, Sadie, Kwest, and Spied. Feeling defeated, the two remaining Harrison sisters walked back over to the sound board.

Kwest: Whats up with Alex?

Jude: Tyler asked her out, but he's still with Gabi

Sadie: And for whatever reason she doesn't know if she'd say yes even if he did break up with Gabi

Jude: (sighs) Spied, can you go talk to her?

Spied: Why me?!

Jude: Please?

Spied: (sighs) Fine

He walked back towards the house, being careful to avoid all the other party guests that would want to know where he was going.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he got up to the guest room he knew she was supposed to stay in that night the door was closed. He knocked and she didn't respond.

Spied: Alex? It's Spied, can I come in?

He didn't hear a response but the door swung open and she stepped to the side. He walked in and she closed the door again, locking it behind him.

Alex: I don't feel like being around people right now

Spied: Um, okay?

Alex: (sighs) What is it Spied?

She sat on the edge of the bed and Spied sat next to her. She was acutely aware of how close he was and thought back to her conversation with Tyler where she said she wasn't really dating Spied. It was true, she wasn't. But did she want to be?

Spied: So he screwed things up again?

Alex: I'm not sure I even like him anymore

Spied: Why is that?

Alex looked away and she heard Spied sigh. She picked at the soft red fabric of the comforter and avoided his gaze by staring at her fingers.

Spied: Come on Alex. What's up?

She sighed and dared to look up and meet his gaze.

Alex: I think I like someone else

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a HUGE surprise at the beginning of the next chapter, but you need to review to find out what it is...