Zoe woke with a start—her eyelids popping open wide—and gasped. There was a blinding sun in her room.

She took a deep breath, and then jumped again when her alarm went off. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed her that today was July thirteenth.

Today was Ashley's birthday. She was officially sixteen years old.

She's been dying this day for months.

All though the perfect first month of school—the school month she had ever had, the happiest month anyone anywhere had ever had, and the month in the history of Shibuya National High School—this bleak date had lurked.

And now that it had hit, it was better than she'd loved it would be. She could feel it—the party's gonna be awesome. She loved parties, but this was different, better, quantifiable. It was her best friend's sweet sixteen.

She skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

She spotted Koji walking motionlessly to their school. Zoe ran after him and he waited there for her, just the same as every other day.

His brother Koichi was standing by his side, waiting for her, too.

The sight of Koji waiting there—his azure eyes brilliant with excitement, and a small silver-wrapped square in her hands—made her happy and curious.

Zoe walked slowly toward where they waited. Koji run forward to meet her, his face glowing under his bandana.

"I guess you're going to Ashley's birthday!"

"Shh!" he hissed, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had heard him.

Koichi rolled his eyes. "Of course he wouldn't miss, Ashley's birthday. He'd do anything for her. He's crazy in love with her. He said eagerly as they made their way to their class.

"Well, actually, I'm not going," Koji protested in a mumble.

Koichi finally seemed to process his mood. "Wanna bet?"

"Okay, fine, you win to the victory!" Koji admitted that his crazy in love with her.

"By the way, what gift are you going to give her?"

"It's a secret! So there's thrill." She answered mysteriously. "How about you? What you get for her?

"It's a secret, too." he copied Zoe.

Takuya reached them then. Zoe looked into his chocolate eyes, and her heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. Hearing the stutter in her heart beats, he was smiling.

"I think we'll leave you two alone." Koji and Koichi left the cute couple alone.

"So, I've got a problem. Don't freak out."

"Spill it out." Zoe opened her ears wide enough.

"I'm not sure I may come to Ashley's party."

"Why not?"

"My group in History and I got a report to do after class."

"Shoot! I totally almost forgot. Well, at least we're the second to the last reporter." Zoe dropped her smile. "But can you do it for me not for Ashley?"

"I'll try my best."

"Don't worry, the party starts at four o'clock. What time will you and your group finish your report?"

"Four o'clock."

"Will you catch up?"

"I promise you I'll be there."

Zoe smiled widely.

Takuya ran his hand through his brown hair. "I won't let you down."

Zoe laughed, "Speaking of the report, being the leader in the group is pretty hard. You have to be very responsible and know how to discipline your members. But on the bright side, my members are discipline." She grinned—the wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeth—then pecked Takuya on the cheek and danced off toward their first class before Takuya could respond.

"Zoe." He sighed then grinned mysteriously.

As the day progressed, the gang—Takuya, Koji, JP, Koichi, Zoe and Ashley—sat on their usual table. The gang had already sung a happy birthday song to Ashley.

The afternoon passed quickly. School ended, Zoe walked alone down to their house. Takuya hurried to the house of his group's leader.

"Mom? Dad?" Zoe called over as she got inside the house.

"Yeah?" Her parents came to Zoe.

Steve came to Zoe with an opened pizza box in his hands.

"Hey, Zoe." He grinned at Zoe. "Hungry?"

"Sure. Thanks, Dad." Zoe always loved pizzas. She'd forgotten now what she was going to ask her parents.

"You were saying?" Her Mom reminded her.

Zoe gulped the one last bite of her pizza. "Do you mind if I go to Ashley's for the evening? It's her sweet sixteen and I don't wanna miss it. Please?" She asked.

Her parents looked at each other hopefully.

"That's fine—your Mom and I are just gonna eat dinner outside…" Steve explained, and Zoe's hope disappeared. He threw Zoe's camera to her.

He ought to know better than that—she'd always been coordinationally challenged. She snagged it just on time. "Nice catch." He commented. "If you're doing something fun at Ashley's tonight, you should take some pictures."

"Thanks for reminding me." Zoe also loves taking pictures anywhere, anytime, whatever it is.

"Hey, say happy birthday to Ashley for us." Steve's mouth pulled down at one corner.

"I'll tell her."

"Have fun tonight." It was clearly dismissal. Her parents were already stepping outside of their house for dinner at the restaurant.

Zoe smiled, triumphant.

Bright light shined from every Ashley's window on the first two floors. A long line of Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowers—pink roses—lined the wide stairs up to the front doors.

"I told you I'll be here." Zoe turned around and fixed her eyes in Takuya.

They were all waiting in the huge white living room; when Ashley walked from her room, they all greeted her with a loud chorus of "Happy Birthday, Ashley!" Zoe and Ashley assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white clot draped over it next to Ashley's grand piano, holding a pink happy birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents.

Ashley—impossibly youthful and lovely as ever—hugged each other carefully, her soft, caramel-colored hair brushing against her cheek.

JP and Jane stood behind her. Jane didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. JP's face was stretched into a huge grin.

"Looks like everyone's present." JP said.

"What made you think that Koji will miss Ashley's birthday?" Takuya questioned with mock.

"Thanks a lot, Takuya," Koji said, blushing deeply.

"Aww…he blushed." Jane announced and the gang except Ashley said 'Oooh'.

Everybody laughed, "Happy Birthday, Ashley!" they all paused. Takuya wink conspicuously at Zoe—"And let the party begin."

Zoe held Ashley's hand and they both skipped forward, all Zoe's teeth sparkling bright light. They all smiled, too. The rest leaned, long, against the post at the foot of the stairs.

"Time to open presents," Zoe declared. She out her hand under Ashley's elbow and towed her to the table with the cake and the shiny presents.

Ashley put on her best martyr face. "Is our tomboyish Zoe back?"

"Yep." Zoe answered.

"Then that means there—"

Ashley was supposed to say icing. Each and every party Zoe always plays icing, putting icings on someone's face, whoever it is. "No there isn't. I'd be a good girl, I promise," Zoe interrupted, smug. "Open it." Zoe placed a big, square silver box on Ashley's hands and took a picture of her with it.

The tag on top said that it was from JP, Jane and Koichi. Self-consciously, she tore the paper off and then stared at the box concealed.

It was a day planner.

"Um…thanks."

Jane actually cracked a smile. Koichi laughed. "So you won't be able to forget your plans." he explained.

Zoe was always one step ahead of Ashley.

"Thanks, JP, Jane," She told them, grinning. "Thanks, JP!" She called more loudly.

She heard JP's booming laugh, and Ashley couldn't help laughing, too.

"Open mine and Takuya's next," Zoe said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand.

Ashley turned to give Takuya a basilisk glare.

Ashley inhaled deeply and turned to Zoe. "Give it to me," she sighed.

JP chuckled with delight.

I took the little package, rolling her eyes at Takuya.

After opening presents, they started to cut cakes.

While the birthday girl was serving dinner at her guests. Zoe was grinning puzzlingly at her cake.

"Who could be my first target?" Zoe studied the faces of her friends. Her friends stared at her worriedly.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? Was it something I said?" Zoe responded to their stares.

"If you're finding a target, target the birthday girl. Besides, it's her birthday." Takuya continued eating his cake.

"I've heard that!" Ash shouted over.

Zoe sighed, "I'm tired of thinking. Who knows what could happen?" Zoe stood and walked slowly but surely behind Ash's back. Her friends were thrilled to watch the scene so they turned their seats to Zoe.

"Hey, Ashley!" Zoe prepared to shove the cake to Ashley.

Ashley turned around to greet back to Zoe but the cake with full of icing welcomed her.

"So this is the game you want to play, eh?" Ash rubbed away a few icings on her face and it was sweet and sticky.

Then Zoe laughed. While Zoe was distracted at making fun of Ashley, Ash grabbed a pile of icing with her hand and poked it all over Zoe.

"Who's laughing now?" Ash laughed and Zoe couldn't help but laugh back at her.

The rest were laughing as well.

"Oooh, this is just too good." Takuya mentioned.

"I've got Zoe's camera." Koichi raised the camera.

"Take a picture of them." Koji demanded.

Then Koichi captured Zoe and Ash with their faces full of icing. It was hilarious.

Then, Zoe and Ash planned to threw food at the boys. The girls sneak behind the boys quickly but quietly.

"Where's Zoe and Ash?" JP asked. There was a dead silence.

"Uh-oh!" Takuya expressed. Then 'BANG' cakes were smashed at the boys.

The boys groaned.

"I believe that's mine." As grabbed her camera from Koichi and took a shot of the clowned boys.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Takuya smiled at his friends one-by-one. And the gang stared at each other for a long one second. "FOOD FIGHT!" And the teenagers grabbed any food they can see: deserts, drinks, etc.

And the rest of the night they threw food at each other.