Hell again my fello readers! :D I'm sorry for the forever wait on this story and chapter. I'll updating more and more, so keep reading, and keep reviewing! :D

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have not decided if I will be ending the story. I've gotten more ideas. but, I will be making a second story to this, I promise it will be just as good, but it might be rated T after this. Maybe, perhaps. I'm still thinking about it. So please give some insight if you're okay with that. Thank you.

Blast

And all through the house we were running around like mad chickens with our heads cut off trying to get ready for today. Because of all the days that we forgot to mark on our calendars was this very important day, Christmas! Time slipped by us so fast last couple of weeks. It seemed that yesterday was just Thanksgiving and we were eating turkey and pumpkin pie. For the past two weeks since school has been out we've been getting ready for Christmas. But the only problem was that Christmas was today! And we were spending it with the Hiwatari's and I assume my parents forgot about my birthday as well. Yes, that's right, not only was it Christmas, but today also marked the year of my 17th birthday!

Yes, today was my birthday, and my parents seemed to have forgotten that it was. They were too busy to even bother telling their own daughter that today was the day she turned seventeen years old! I was a junior in high school and already worrying about my future. I remember how when I was younger, just coming into high school how none of this affected me at all, and I was okay with that. I kept telling myself that I still had plenty of time, but always in the back of my head I was worried, afraid that when the time came, I wouldn't know what I wanted to do or be in life.

I wasn't at all mad with my parents for forgetting. In all honesty, it being my birthday, I didn't care. It's just another day in my life, and this day just so happened to mark my existence in the world. I was just a little closer to adulthood.

I was startled by my mothers voice, "Sweetheart, why don't you head on over to Kai's place?"

"Are you sure? I can help with cleaning or cooking that needs to get done."

My mother touched my cheek and smiled, "I'm alright. Your father should be back from his work, so I'll be done with his help."

I shrugged and did as I was told by my mother. I walked out of the house and headed over to Kai's place to see what he was up too. Maybe he would wish me happy birthday or something. I kicked some rocks while walking and when I came up to the door step I stayed huddled close to my jacket to keep warm; I hated the cold. I hated how it made my skin crack and itch. I wasn't much on appearance, but I did find it unattractive to some point. Especially when playing the Cello. These cold months made it harder for me to do, but I learned to toughen through it. Most days were fine, it was chilled, but when it was freezing, with snowflakes falling, yeah that was a different story. I rang the doorbell and waited. As non dramatic as I was, I could have frozen solid with the amount of time the person took to open the door.

"Oh, Aria, didn't expect you to show up!" I gave Mrs. Hiwatari a strange look.

"Well, I came to see Kai, is he home?"

I tried to peak at the very little open crack of door she was speaking from. "He's not home now. He took my car, he'll be home in a few hours, he's running some errands for me."

"Oh, I see. Well, do you mind if I stay here?" I could have sworn I saw some sweat rolling off her forehead.

"Oh, well, yes I do. You see, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Cleaning and getting ready for tonight. But, hold on." She closed the door on me and I heard her shout out Tala and Bryan's name. She opened the door and out walked the two boys, both giving me a very weird look.

"Tala, Bryan?"

"Mrs. Hiwatari wants us to take you out." He said in a very annoyed tone.

I frowned, "It sounds horrible from the way you say and look."

Tala put an arm around my shoulder and guided me towards his jeep, "We'll take you out. Where do you wanna go?"

"Can I go home?"

"NO!" Both teens shouted. I stared at them more confused than ever.

"Alright, let's go somewhere else then."

"I know where to take Aria!" Shouted Tala and he grabbed my arm and shoved me in the back of his jeep as Bryan sat in the front and we drove off.

I watched the little shops pass by. What I loved about this little town was being in the open, and once you continue driving, you start seeing restaurants and super centers for food and then the little city of stores. I always like that they had little stores that held antiques, jewelery or clothing. No store was a like here. It was its own personal town. I always come out here with Kai. Sometimes I had to beg him to bring me. When the Jeep came to a stop, I noticed we stopped at the music store.

"Is this the only place you could think of to take me too?"

Tala shrugged, "It's better than anything else I could think of."

Bryan stared at the store, "If we're here to listen to music, I'm in. I could go for a new CD."

"Aria, is going to play for us."

I gawked at Tala, "I don't think so!"

"C'mon Aria, we have yet to hear you play."

I laughed a bit, "And you honestly think that just because you ask me, I'll play for you guys?" Both boys looked at me and I laughed again. "I guess today is a good occasion. Let's go inside, I'm freezing out here!"

It was warm in the center and we walked straight to where they carried the Cello's. I looked around the instruments you could test. I grabbed a beautiful oak Cello and its bow. We opened a room to go in and Tala and Bryan grabbed some chairs and we sat down. I strummed the strings to hear them play and smiled to my satisfaction. I wasn't exactly a social person when it came to playing music. But, after these last couple of months, my shyness was slowly going away. And, believe it or not, these boys I've gotten to know have become my closest friends.

"Do you guys like Bruno Mars?"

"Yeah we do. Why?" Replied Bryan giving me a look. "You can play his music on a Cello?"

"You can play almost anything on a Cello. It's pretty amazing." I poised the Cello between my legs and started gliding it as I had them make out what song I was playing. "Do you know what song it is?"

"Just the Way You Are, right?" I smiled at Tala and nodded as I continued to play. It's not a hard piece; this was something that I did for fun to take my mind off classical songs and performances. I collected sheet music from artists and play them. I moved to the motion of the music as I, Tala and Bryan got into the song.

I put the bow down and wiped my hands on my jeans and bowed my head as I put the cello on the floor to stretch. "That was awesome!" I laughed at Bryan. "I honestly didn't know you could play like that."

"I would have thought Kai would have told you."

"Believe it or not, Aria is really good." I stared at Tala confused. How he knew I could play, I don't ever remember playing for him or even telling him that I could play. "Oh, I kind of heard you playing one time when Kai started spying on you."

"Oh, I guess." I laughed, "How does it feel to be spending the day with me? Just sitting in a closed room that's sound proof and getting to know me. Or beginning to know the real me?"

"Not the most ideal place on a very cold day. So why don't the three of us head to the café and have a nice drink and we can chat." Tala insisted. " We have to be back soon anyways, and I could really go for something warm in my stomach."

I sipped my peppermint drink and stared outside as a few kids ran around trying to get inside to keep warm from playing in the cold.

"So tell me Bryan, Tala, how did you guys meet Kai, or how did you guys become such good friends?"

"I would have thought he told you by now. We all met when we were kids, growing up here. Kai and I were buddies when we were kids. Our folks went to university and then we were born after a few years. We met Bryan back in middle school along with Spencer and Ray and the others."

"Interesting." I said looking at the both of them. "You're not much of a talker, are you Bryan?"

"Not as much as you are. So why are you quiet? Don't you have like, Hilary and the others? And what about friends from where you lived before?"

"Hilary, is a really good friend and so are the others, they are really funny. And my friends back at home, I miss them, but they were just friends. I have a cousin I'm very close to though; she went to a different private school. "

"Oh, you have a cousin, is she same age as you?" Bryan asked getting closer.

"Her name is Addie and we are the same age. We don't talk much at all since I left; she has her own personal things going on."

I never really talked about my friends from back home. It was never really a conversation brought up. Of course, I could honestly say that, I do have good friends here. Of course, I might not say much, but I think in their own way, they understand me. They understand me in my few words.

I had to smile to myself, getting along with these guys, it was weird, I never dreamt of doing this, spending time with these two delinquents of my school. They weren't bad people. Just different. Like, me. If others got to know them, the way I have, they would want them as true friends. And Tala, being Kai's best friend and all, I've gotten to know him better, and I've gotten closer to him as well.

We were heading back home and I was hoping to be dropped off at Kai's but we stopped at my place instead, "What are we doing here?"

"Dropping you off what else would we being doing?"

"Tala, I'm supposed to be at Kai's, the party!"

"Not now, now get out Aria." I got out of the jeep and Tala sped off leaving me in the cold, outside my house.

I walked in my house to total darkness. I looked around for the light switch and flipped it on. "Mom, dad where are you?" I walked around the house but no one was around. "Perfect I'm all alone on my birthday and on Christmas."

I was a bit mad at Kai for not calling and having me spend my time away from him. I really liked this guy and here he was ignoring me. I heard my phone go off in my pocket and I grabbed it looking at my message. It was from Kai telling me to come to his house. About time, the party started a long time ago and I'm sure my parents were there. I was still irritated that Tala, instead of taking me over there, dropped me off here.

I decided to get dressed. It was a party after all, and going in plain, jeans and a sweater wasn't going to cut it at all. I rushed into my room and into my closet pulling out grey skinny jeans, a long sleeve black blouse that went slightly above my knees and my combat boots. I pulled my hair into a loose braid as locks fell around my face. I fixed my make-up to it's bearable look. It was simple, and quick. I grabbed my coat and walked out of the house back into the cold weather heading to my boyfriend's house. I walked up to the door once again as I had done earlier and the door opened before I could even knock. I stared at Kai who gave me his glazing smile that I could melt in. The moon above us only landed on us and us alone and I was lost.

"About time you showed up."

"What do you mean?" I asked in a daze.

Kai stepped aside and took my hand, "come in and you'll see."

I was trying to figure out why I was so nervous. Wasn't Tala and Bryan still here? "Kai."

The lights flipped on. "SURPRISE!" shouted a large group of people as I jumped back in shock. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIA!" The people shouted once again, as if they had rehearsed this over and over.

"Wow, what is all this?"

"It's a surprise party silly. For you that is." said a chirping voice that I knew all too well.

"Addie, it's you!" I ran to my cousin and hugged her. She still smelled like spices. And not the bad spices that old people smell like, it was sweet spices that you just couldn't get enough of. Her long lustful light brown hair swayed in its high pony tail as she hugged me back. "I've missed you so much."

"Me too, it's been far too long."

I hadn't seen my cousin in forever, we had honestly stopped communicating since I moved, and I did get the occasional text from her now and then, but that was about it. "How did you get here? What are you doing here?"

"Oh geez, I flew here and I'm staying for the rest of break."

"So my folks called you?"

Addie shook her head, "Nope, that guy did." She turned me around, and faced me towards Kai. "He's one hell of a boyfriend. I say he's a keeper. He bought my plane ticket after he got my number, and literally forced me here."

"He did?"

"Oh yeah, I couldn't say no at all, he was very persuasive to me, saying I wouldn't regret it, and I honestly don't. Bunch of good-looking guys here." Addie winked at me and I laughed at her. She hasn't changed a bit. She was my first best friend. I loved how she portrayed herself, the tough well to do girl, as my aunt was very strict on her, so Addie always rebelled against her. But seeing that Addie never did anything wrong, she loosened the chains a bit on her, allowing her to do as she pleased in hopes she made the choices on her own; in which she did.

I walked towards Kai and slid my arms around his waist from behind as he was talking to Tala. Tala took the hint and walked off waving at us. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You've told me about your cousin, and I wanted to do this for you."

"So, the ruthless Kai has a generous heart." Kai smiled at me and turned around to hold me. "You don't give yourself enough credit sometimes."

"You don't give yourself the opportunity to see how great you are."

I let go of him and kissed him on the lips and walked off as I left to attend the rest of the party. I guess being seventeen wasn't going to be so bad. It was my junior year, I should try to live a little and not underestimate myself as often as I did.

I spent my time with friends and my cousin and then I caught a glimpse of Kai and Mariam. I frowned at this; I could have sworn we've been over this already. I mean we practically broke up, but it was the way he smiled at her that bothered me. I wouldn't doubt he still had feelings for her. But, I could be wrong. It could be that they are friends. And the Green-eyed monster, was just playing a trick on me.

I walked away and went out on to the porch and sat on the patio swing looking out as the stars starting peeking out.

"Planning a grand escape?"

"No, just needed some air. And you?"

"Came to see how you were doing. I hope you're not mad I made you spend the day with Tala and Bryan."

I laughed and turned to face Kai, "If you tell them any of this, I'll kick your ass. But hanging out with those two was pretty fun."

"I can see why you don't want me telling them. I won't" Kai wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled his face into the crock of my neck as I moved my head to allow him more access. I could smell his Axe body wash and his shampoo. I always loved how he smelled.

A cold breeze hit us and I shivered into Kai's warm embrace as he held me. These kinds of moment that Kai was just quiet, were moments that I enjoyed very much. We didn't have to speak to show our affection. He could be a jerk half the time, but it was something like this that made me see how much I enjoyed being with him.

"Aria- Oh, I'm sorry love birds." Kai released me when Addie giggled. "Aria, your dad is calling you."

"I'll be there in a bit." As soon as Addie left I gave Kai a long kiss. He brought me closer to his body as I wrapped my arms around his neck. When I pulled away I said, "I better get going."

We walked in together and I saw my Cello leaning on the sofa and my dad smiling at me. "I hope you don't mind. I was hoping that we could continue our tradition here?"

I looked around the room as everyone stared at me. I began blushing and fumbling with my fingers. "I, well…no I don't mind…" Who was I kidding? I was freaking out! I had never performed for friends before, minus Kai, Tala and Bryan. But, my shyness was coming back once again.

"Good. The only thing is, I won't be playing with you." I gave my father a questioning look. "Addie will."

I saw Addie walk up to my father holding her Cello case. "I know we haven't played together in a long time. But, I am willing to try it again if you are."

I smiled, "Of course I'll play with you." I grabbed my Cello and I sat in a chair fixing my sheet music Addie gave me. She sat next to me getting ready. O Holy Night would be a simple piece to play. Addie and I were excellent performers even if she didn't like the Cello. She wasn't much of a music performer, but that never stopped her mother from sending her to Cello lessons a few years after I started.

We looked at each other and nodded. I was playing the melody as she followed with the chorus. My hands glided so smoothly across the neck as my bow was so gentle with the playing. I smiled as I concentrated on how Addie was playing. When she moved her hand across the neck of the Cello I could tell she had worked on trying to keep it from shaking. She had never tried comparing herself to me; she would always tell me how I was made to be a world class Cellist. She told me that I was made for this; the Cello was my calling, that's why I was always so quiet so I could listen to the music speak to me.

We put our bows down and we both stood to take a bow as the crowd applauded for us. We smiled and hugged. Addie could be just as good if she would continue. I would love to perform with her if we went to the same school. I couldn't ever describe how I felt for my cousin. She was the best, she was my best friend, the one who I always spent the night with and we would talk about life and boys and the future.

This birthday was amazing. My mom and Mrs. Hiwatari made me a huge cake with an editable Cello on top of the cake. I received presents from friends, including my grandparents from back home. I believe this was better than any Christmas and birthday that I had ever had. I secretly didn't want this night to end at all; this was the most fun I've ever had.

The house was just crowded with food and sweets, with music playing and people just mingling around. I kept watching Addie flirt around with Tala. I honestly couldn't see what she saw so attractive about him; then again if he does end up dating her, she'll put him in his place. I stayed close to Kai as the party continued on through the night. Now and again, we would sneak a kiss. Our hands intertwined together. And in that moment, I felt something. I stranger surge in my heart. A unknowing feeling that made me nervous, yet hungry to know what it was.

I felt like something was about to happen. Like the calm before the storm. Something that is going so right, and at the end of the day something goes wrong. But even I couldn't pin point what it was. For the most part, I would just enjoy what I can. I only live once.

Thank you again for reading! :D Please Review, I love when you guys do, it always helps me. Or send me private messages, I get a lot of those :D. Thank you my fellow readers.

-LostAngel217