Oh goodness, it's been a while. I'm really terribly sorry; I've just been so busy! I've been in three different shows (had two leads) since I last updated, and I've been working really hard on another story (titled Skin, check it out on fictionpress, my username is on my homepage) and my poetry/song-writing. But alas, that is no excuse, and I'm very sorry. Thanks to BabiiVFanForeva, I'm back and so is this story! As always, enjoy and review! xo –Cass.

Aubrey's POV

It was late by the time we got home that night; that's how it always was when Aunt Ash came to visit. We'd spend hours at the mall, or the beach, or just driving around, talking and laughing, not getting home until eleven or later. After we dropped Mom and Dad off at the airport, we came back to the house, showered and changed, then hoped back into Ash's convertible and hit the town for the night. Aunt Ash loved being in the city at night, especially during Christmas. Sure, California didn't get any snow, but the decorations were beautiful nonetheless. It seemed everywhere we looked there were sparkly lights and big red bows hanging from windows, and Christmas trees with fake presents wrapped in brightly colored paper placed beneath them.

We walked the sidewalks together downtown, shopping bags in one hand and chai lattes in the other. I looked over at Aunt Ash and couldn't help but smile; it'd been so long since I had seen her last, and being able to spend this much time with her was wonderful. How she ever managed to get my parents away for almost the entire break was a complete mystery to me, but then again, Ash had always had a way of convincing mom and dad to do what she wanted.

"Hey, you hungry, Peanut?" Aunt Ash suddenly said as we continued to walk aimlessly around the city. "I'm starved. I'm thinking sushi, how 'bout you?" I nodded excitedly; she knew sushi was my favorite. In fact, Aunt Ash was the one who introduced me to sushi, when I was five. She tossed her empty Starbuck's cup into the nearest trash can, and grabbed my hand, leading me to our favorite sushi place on the corner of San Fernando Blvd. and Orange Grove Ave. We were seated immediately, as all the employees know who Aunt Ash is, in our normal booth in the back of the restaurant. After putting in drink orders, Aunt Ash leaned back comfortably in the booth and smiled. "I've missed you, Aubrey. We need to catch up big time, so start talking."

"Well, I got the lead in the musical at my school. It was the first time I had even performed, Aunt Ash! The director loved me and said I was amazing! This kid, Josh, he's a sophomore, is playing my love interest. He's really good. And Rayna—you remember her?—she's playing the popular girl who doesn't like me. Have you ever seen the show? It's apparently a movie, too, but my dad said it's better I don't see it because the musical is different and I wouldn't want to copy the character completely." I was rambling, and I knew it but I couldn't help it. I had so much to tell her about. Aunt Ash sat listening, though, nodding and smiling to let me know she was still listening and I knew she was.

"That's really great, Peanut. I'll have to try to come in and see the show. It's in March, right? I'll try my best to be there. I wouldn't want to miss my favorite girl's first show!" She grinned and laughed as our drinks were placed in front of us. "Enough about the show, though; what else is going on? Any boys?" That was her favorite topic.

"There might be…you know…maybe…" I could feel my cheeks turning bright red just thinking about it, and Aunt Ash's smile grew ten times wider and she leaned forward, elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands, which pretty much translated to: slip. "Well, his name is Ben. He's in my grade, and I've known him since like, fifth grade. He plays baseball, but apparently he also knows how to play the piano and sing, too. He's so sweet and funny, and he has the most gorgeous green eyes and…" I was saying way too much, and I stopped abruptly, turning a deeper shade of scarlet. Aunt Ash just laughed.

"It sounds like you like this boy a lot. Am I right in guessing that?" She asked, but she didn't need an answer, she knew she was right. We had to pause the conversation as the waiter came to take our order, asking us if we wanted the usual: shrimp tempura and cucumber rolls for me and California rolls and spicy tuna for Ash. Once he walked away, she looked at me again, and said: "So, does he like you?"

"I…I don't know…I don't think so…" I sighed, taking time to think about the situation. To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going on with Ben and I. Sure, we exchanged numbers and sang together, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Then again, he was the only guy to ever pay attention to me and not Rayna, could that mean something? I shook my head; no, it didn't mean a thing.

"Oh, Peanut, you are just like your mother!" Ash titled her head back as she laughed. I wrinkled my nose in detest; everyone always said that: "Aubrey, you look just like your mom." Or "You and your mother are so much alike, Aubrey!" I didn't understand why, my mom and I couldn't be more different. "She never believed a boy could like her, either. She probably wouldn't even be with your dad had it not been for me and some of the others…" Ash stopped herself quickly from continuing, without explanation. I opened my mouth to question it, but just as I did, the food was placed on the table; we ate our food in silence, before paying and heading home for the night.

Later that night

I lay awake in bed; it was nearly three in the morning. What had Aunt Ash been talking about in the restaurant? She seemed so determined to just avoid the topic of High School Musical and my parents' past. I mean, everyone always had, but why? It didn't make any sense. In mid thought, however, I was interrupted by the loud vibrating of my EnV coming from somewhere under my pink bedspread. I dug underneath the blankets, searching for it, all while wondering: who on earth was texting me at three in the morning? Finally I found it, and was rather confused when the front screen held a number that I didn't know. Rubbing my eyes, trying to adjust to the light, I clicked the view button, and nearly squealed with surprise when the message read:

Heyy Aubrey, it's Ben. You awake?

Quickly, I pressed respond, smiling brightly; of course I was awake!

To: Ben Czarnecki

Hey Ben. Yeah, I'm awake.

I clicked send and saved his number in my phone, holding it close as I waited for a reply. Not even three minutes later, it vibrated loudly in my hand. It did this for almost the rest of the night as we texted back and forth, talking about nothing at all. I glanced at the clock finally, and noticed that…oh god, it was six in the morning! We had been talking for over three hours, and still hadn't run out of things to say. Turns out, we had a lot in common. As much as I loved talking to him, I was exhausted, so reluctantly, I told him we probably should get some sleep, but we could talk more tomorrow, if he wanted. I began dosing off, but not before the phone vibrated one last time as I received the message that said:

To: Aubrey

Hah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll text you tomorrow. Goodnight, Aubrey. (:

I fell asleep with a smile on my face just as the sun began to rise outside my pink and purple curtains covering my bay window.

Vanessa's POV

We landed in Hawaii without a problem, and made it to the hotel room within an hour. Ash had gotten us a suite, it had to have cost her a fortune, and I knew this for a fact because well, Zac and I had stayed here before. I smiled to myself at the memory; it was before we were married, I had only been eighteen, and we had had a wonderful time. There was paparazzi following us everywhere during those three days, but we didn't care; we were together and that was all that mattered. As he closed the door behind us when we walked into the room, I went and sat on the edge of the bed, just realizing then how tired I was. Zac walked over and sat down next to me, putting his arms around me in a gentle hug. I smiled sleepily up at him.

"I love you. You know that, right?" He whispered as he kissed my forehead, and brushed my dark curly hair out of my chocolate brown eyes. I did know that, I didn't have to confirm it. I just snuggled in closer to him and felt his arms around me; every thing was perfect. We were together, on a vacation, completely carefree for the first time in fourteen years. Without even bothering to change into pajamas, he pulled down the bedspread and we crawled under together, and we fell asleep in each other's arms within minutes, just like we had before Aubrey came into our lives.

With Zac by my side, completely relaxed, I slept with a smile on my face, and had not even noticed the fact that, before we entered the privacy of the hotel room, a camera flash had gone off multiple times, capturing our every move…

Anddddd that's where I'm stopping for now! I know, you hate me. Hahaha. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next one will be up soon, I PROMISE! In the meantime, reviews make me smile. :D