Laura's P.O.V.
So I woke up this morning. I had a strange feeling that...
I WAS FOURTEEN!
Yay! Raini hasn't texted me about it yet. AND IT'S ALREADY 6:30! She always likes to text my at the exact moment I was born. 3:47. (I don't know the actual time of Laura's birth.) I got up out of bed. "LAURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" It was Vanessa. But she didn't sound exited. She sounded like she was choking on tears. I walked down stairs. "Sister, it's not like I'm moving away, no need to cry!" She looked at me, tears streaming down her face. "Oh but Laura, there is. Look..." She handed me a small piece of paper. I read it out loud. "Dear our sweet little girls, we have moved to Camden because your father found and job and you know that we couldn't afford to take care of you. We have to stay there until we make enough money to raise..." I stopped. "They missed my birthday..." I broke down in tears. "Laura, you know a happy birthday. All I want is you to have a happy birthday." I shook my head. "It's not possible, Nessa." Well my birthday is off to a WONDERFUL start. The phone started ringing. I picked it up. "Hello?" On the other end, Ross screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!" I couldn't find words. I just cried. To my surprise, Ross didn't ask what was wrong. "Hey, hey, don't cry, it's going to be okay." I tried to explain. But I still couldn't find words. I just sobbed into the phone. I managed to choke out, "I-it's m-my b-birthday." "I know it is. But don't cry." I sort of liked how he didn't nag at me to tell him what was wrong. "Do you know?" I asked. "What? No. I just hate hearing you cry..." I imagined him here, now. Talking to me. I started to calm down. "Ross, my parents left me..." He went silent. "Look, can you meet me at my house?" I rubbed my puffy eyes. "Okay." I shakily hung up the phone. "Vanessa, Ross wants us to go to his house." She nodded. "Laura, we can't live here. We can't pay. I'm too young for a job!" I nodded. "It's just a place to sleep at night. Turn off all electricity. We can't pay the bills, Ness, but maybe if we call our Landlord, he'd understand?" I grabbed my coat. "Kay. Let's go..." She murmured. We walked there, because if we needed to save money, we couldn't pay for gas. It was a REALLY long walk. But yet, I was still bawling my eyes out in the streets of California. I suddenly spoke up. "What about Switched at birth?" I asked Vanessa. "I don't know." She admitted. A person walked up to us. "Your THE Vanessa Marano?" He asked. She nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "Why are you crying?" He asked. "I don't want to talk about it," She snapped, and we stormed off. We arrived at Ross's house. I slowly knocked. He opened it to my crying face. I ran in and hugged him. He hesitated, then hugged me back. Vanessa stood by herself, crying. "Why the HELL did you want us here Lynch?" She hissed. I looked back at her still latched on to Ross. "I-I just..." Ross trailed off. I knew she was upset, but she didn't have to be so mean. "Ness..." I started. "NO. It's my baby sister's birthday, we don't need to waste time at your house Ross!" She snapped. "Can I just-" Ross was cut off by Vanessa. "NO! Come on, Laura!" She grabbed my wrist. "No, Vanessa, I want to stay here..." I grabbed Ross's hand. It sent a weird wave of electricity through me, but I ignored it. "Fine. FINE! I'm leaving." She slammed the door. He pulled me into a hug. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Not really..." I whispered. He brushed my hair out of my face and wiped away my tears with his thumb. "Please don't cry. Raini, Calum and I have a special day planned for you." I nodded. "Okay." After about 10 minutes of calming down, I was ready. I told Ross. "Okay, I'm done..." He clapped. "Let's go!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me outside. "C'mon!" We walked together, he didn't say anything. He just dragged me across the sidewalk. We arrived at my favorite pottery painting place! Raini and Calum were standing there, with jazz hands. I smiled. "Yay!" They pushed me inside. There was a table there with four Slushies and a card at one of the spots, with paint brushes. I sat down at the spot with the card. (The card that Shelly the lunch lady gave to Ross)They sat sat next to me with Calum on the other side and Raini facing me. "Let's go pick our models!" Ross exclaimed. We walked over to the shelf. I had a brilliant idea. I picked out a model of a boy with a guitar. I smiled. Ross picked a piggy bank, Calum picked a fries mold and Raini picked a mirror. I painted the boy with bright yellow hair, deep, beautiful brown eyes, and a plaid shirt and white jeans. Ross. He had been so kind to me, so I thought I might give him something in return. I sipped at my Slushie. "Blue raspberry!" I said happily. Ross smiled. It gave me chills. Eughhhh... We finished painting and we could come pick them up next week. "I am starving!" I suddenly felt my stomach growl. Raini took my hand. "Great!" She smiled widely. They took me to a restaraunt called 'Dine Worldwide'. Can I get poutine there? I looked down at my purple and turquoise shrit. I had matched it with light jean shorts. Raini shoved me in the door. She walked to the front desk, checked us in and we sat at a booth, that was rounded at the corner. Ross smiled, along with Raini and Calum. Ross had all the menus. "One for Raini, one for Calum, one for me and one for Miss. Fourteen!" He took my hand and kissed it on the top then handed me the menu. I giggled. Beside me, Calum closed his menu dramatically. "What are we all having?" I took the me menu and balanced it on his head. "Miss. Fourteen will have a small poutine with a tossed salad." Raini and Ross exchanged glances. "I'll have dumplings and rice." Raini took Calum's menu and hit him over the head with it. He gave her a playful dirty glance. "I'll have the Italian pasta!" Ross grabbed the parmesan cheese off the table. We all stared at Calum. "I'm having the Nova Scotia fish and chips." He shrank back into his seat. We all started laughing. The waitress came and took our orders. After a few minutes, Ross got up. About 10 minutes later he came back with my poutine, the waitress following him with the rest. She gave everyone the food. Ross smiled and handed me the poutine. The waitress tried to reach and give me my drink, but she push Ross, causing the fries, sticky gravy and cheese curds to splatter all over my shirt. Great. I looked up at him and burst out laughing. He was trying to clean it off, but it wasn't working. He looked at me. "What? I just ruined your shirt!" He said frantically. The waitress ran off as soon as she finished with us. "Ross, it's okay!" He ran around and got his back pack and pulled out a white shirt out. "Here," He handed it to me. "Go change." I shook my head and went to the washroom. I just realized- I'm wearing a black bra. I groaned. If I took it off- well, too revealing. But black?! I groaned again. Someone walked in. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Yes... um, do you by any chance have an extra bra or under shirt?" I opened my stall door, ravelling my stained shirt. She looked at me. "Oh my..." she gasped. "Yeah... and the only shirt I have is white... and my bra is black." She smiled. "Your so tiny, I don't know if mine would fit you." She handed me a slightly bigger tank top. A white one. "Thank you!" I hugged her. "Sorry. I like hugs!" She laughed. "Umm... here is my number, so I can get it back later on." She slipped a piece of paper under my stall. "Thank you!" I called as she left. It was slightly too big for me, but it covered me. I slipped on Ross's shirt, which went past my knees. And my shorts. Oh well. I walked out of the stall, and back to the table. I saw a fresh plate of my spilled lunch at my seat. Ross was staring at me. "I have shorts on, I swear." His eyes sparked with amusement. I sat next to Calum, still smiling at Ross. "What?" I asked. "You look so cute in my shirt..." He smiled back. I blushed. "Uhh, thanks, Shor." I laughed. He scowled. "Why does every one target my middle name?" We finished eating, and they dragged me along the road, Ross and I fell in behind. I'm slow, I guess... I looked up at Ross, biting the inside of my bottom lip. "Ross?" He looked down at me. "Mm hm?" I felt my eyes starting to burn. "Do you think... my parents... really- (my voice cracked)- love me?" His face melted into a soft frown. "Laura... Look... Laura, Laura! Don't cry! Please ! I hate seeing you cry." He stopped walking and put his hand on my cheek. "Don't cry, beautiful, beautiful girl..." I looked at him, tears streaming down my face. "Sorry..." I whispered. "You don't have to be sorry. Laura, of course your parents love you. They left because they love you!" He brushed the hair out of my face. "But-" I started. "No, Laura. No buts. No crying, no being sad. Okay?" I bit my lip harder. "Why do you care? It's not like you care that I'm sad. You don't know how it feels..." He grabbed my shoulders rather harshly. I looked down. "Look at me." He ordered. I didn't listen. "Look at me." His grip and voice softened. I looked up slowly. "Laura." He said firmly. "I don't want to see you cry. I want to see you smile. Why? because... -(he stopped)- that is a good sentence for a song... anyway. Because, Laura, I love you, as the best friend ever. I don't know... I just feel like... I... I don't know. I-" I stopped him. "You get butterflies too?" I asked. He looked surprised. "Yes... it's weird. But that's not the point. You don't think they love you? How could anyone not love you?" I looked strait into his eyes. "Thank you, Ross." His eyes lit with slight laughter. "I'm glad people remembered my real name." I laughed. He let go of my shoulders and held out his hand. "Ready?" He asked. "Yeah... I am."
We arrived at Ross's house, and Ross covered my eyes and guided me inside. He slipped his hands off. Wow... Streamers, balloons, gifts, table cloth, ribbons, cake. Riker, Rocky, Rydel, Ryland, Ellington, Stormie, Mark... and Vanessa. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA MARIE MARANO!" They all screamed. I looked back at Ross, Raini and Calum. "Oh my strawberry Gogurt!" I hugged Ross, knocking him back a little. I went around and hugged all of them. Ellington did it to. Because he's... Ellington. We sat down at the dinner table and got the cake lit. They sang happy birthday... I and I have to say, the Lynch family sounds like angels. I blew out my candles and wished that... Ross would always be this sweet. He was that one in a billion guy, that is kind, sweet and so, so, understanding. And... that my parents would come back to me. We all received a piece of cake. Every on stared at me, waiting for me to take a bite of the cake. I pushed a mouthful into my mouth. I dropped my fork on the table. "THIS ISN'T AN ICE CREAM CAKE. IT'S A GOGURT CAKE!" I started shoveling it into my face. We all finished, and Ross walked me over to the door. Calum came over to us. "Uh, Raini and I... uh... can't go to the surprise... we have to studyyyy..." Ross furrowed his eyebrows. "But..." Calum looked at him funny. "You can do it." He patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
Calum's P.O.V
Raini and I are ditching the fireworks... to give them alone time. Ross told me he loved her. And, they call me the love whisperer. Okay, no one calls me that. Ross and Laura... are so... perfect, and they need this. And if they are meant to be, then it will happen slowly. Just wait for it.
Laura's P.O.V
Ross took me to an open field with a blanket sitting in among the sweet smelling grass. We sat down on it. He texted someone. "Watch." He whispered. A loud boom sounded in the sky, revealing sparkly colorful sparks exploding into the sky. I gasped as more went off. "Oh my gosh, Ross!" He smiled. I looked at him. "No one... has been as kind as you. Especially a guy... Ross, this was my dream as kid. To have fireworks on my birthday, like they were mine and you-" He interrupted. "Yeah. And Laura? You and Vanessa are living at my house until your parents come back. We made arrangements, and Vanessa agreed." I was about to protest, but he continued. "You can't change it now. It was made that my parents are your legal guardians." I smiled. "Thank you." An other firework exploded. And an other. They were dancing around, making a show in the night sky. "Ross, they are beautiful." He smiled. "What?" I asked. "Not as beautiful as you." I raised my eyebrows slightly. We both started leaning towards each other. I closed my eyes. BOOM! A loud firework shot off into the sky. "Uhh, sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "No, no it's fine..." I whispered. It fell into an awkward silence. After a few minutes, I broke it by being more awkward. "You know, that's what I'm all about. Being awkward! I'm so weird. Ha ha!" He chuckled. "You are awkward, Marie!" I scowled. "Shor!" I teased. "Marie!" He took his arms and wrapped them around my shoulders and pulled me towards his chest. "Ross Shor Lynch? I don't think there would ever be another Ross Shor." He smiled widely. "So? I'm unique." I wiggled out of his grip. "Tell me about yourself. Your favorite color, food, movie." He nodded. "Okay... Yellow. I'll eat ANYTHING. And... promise not to laugh?" I nodded. "Why? Is it the tellitubbies or something?" I laughed. He laughed too. "No... I've never told anyone before. But... I think you're the only one who won't laugh. My favorite movie is Romeo and Juliet." I smiled. "You have a soft side." I smiled wider. "You're looking at it. Your turn." I nodded. "Kay. Red is my favorite color. And Gogurt, as you discovered tonight. And I really don't have a favorite movie." I said, hoping he'd tell me more about himself. "Um, okay. I'm really into airplanes. I'm the only one in my family in middle school... Ryland is in elementary. I love to write songs, sing, dance. I love music. If I don't wet my hair before going in the pool, my hair turns lime green. - (I giggled)- Uhm, I love all animals, I have a liking to acting and me, my brothers, sister and Ellington want to start a band. I think that's all." Wow. He just told me every thing. "Wow, um okay... I'm the baby sister. I LOVE acting. Music is my passion! I write song ALL the time. I'm not keen on dancing, but I am on singing. I love all animals too! My sister stars on switched at birth... uh and... as a little kid, I had an imaginary friend who got ran over by a car. And when people asked how I was doing, I was like, 'Eh, not so good. My friend just died.'" He burst out laughing. I added one more thing. "I also LOVE corny jokes." He smiled. "Where does the king keep his armies?" He asked. "Where?" I responded. "In his sleevies!" I laughed and laughed until I couldn't anymore. "You weren't kidding!" He laughed I shook my head. "Thanks for the great night Ross..."
Vanessa and I moved in officially. I slept in Ross's room under his bed. (We made it into a bunk bed!) And Ness slept with Rydel. I was trying to sleep at the moment, but I couldn't. A flash of bright blonde hair flicked down towards me. Ross looked down at me. "Can't sleep?" I nodded. He climbed down. I stood up, out of bed. "Want me to stay with you, Miss. Fourteen?" I smiled slightly. "Yes please." I stood up and he got comftorble in my bed. I layed down beside him. "Put your head on my chest." He suggested. I nodded and settled my head on his chest. A single tear dipped down my face. "I miss them." He started brushing my cheek with his thumb. It seemed to calm me down. "How many times do I have to tell you not to cry?" He smiled. "Thanks." I smiled.
Vanessa's P.O.V
I looking in at Ross's door... he left it open a crack. He makes Laura feel better. I think this guy is a good guy. Stormie walked up to me. "Look." I whispered. Stormie peered in at them. "Awww!" She smiled. "I think that Rossy has his first crush. He's never been this way around a girl before." She pushed the door closed. "Get some sleep, Hun." Stormie smiled. "Okay." I walked back to Rydel's room. "Delly!" She spun around from doing her nails. "Yeah?" I smiled excitedly. "Ross and Laura! I'll tell you everything!"
Laura's P.O.V
Slowly, I fell asleep, on Ross's chest. It felt like my head belonged there. Weird, right?
