About three days later Katie was woken suddenly by something bouncing on her bed. Her foot was now healed and she had been banned from going to band practice a couple of times. This had annoyed her and she had been even more confused when Summer had borrowed her bass and hadn't given it back.

Katie opened her eyes in time to see Gabby run out of the room. She chuckled and checked her clock. The date proved that today was her birthday.

When she entered the kitchen for breakfast no one acknowledged this fact and she felt somewhat disappointed. Surely the Jones family would remember her eighteenth birthday? They had remembered every year since she was a little girl. She couldn't understand it.

Freddy said he had things to do so he left the house early. Katie tried to get him to tell her where he was going but he rushed out with his skateboard but without answering her question.

She lounged around in the living room and played with Gabby until the doorbell rang. Alana went to open it.

"Katie! Billy's here for you!"

"Hey Fancy-Pants! What's up?"

"I am under instruction to make you look beautiful. Well, even more beautiful than my favourite model, ie you, already are. We are going to your house. Come on!"

Katie shot a confused look at Alana as she passed her. Alana gave her a blank look in return.

Katie was practically dragged out to his, shamefully, pink mini.

Once they had driven to her house and Katie had clambered out of the old fashioned mini in the abhorrent colour of pale pink, Katie noticed Eleni standing outside the house.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"We've got to get you ready. Come on, girl, let's get inside."

"Ok. But ready for what?"

"Never mind. You'll see."

"What are you going to do to me this time?"

By now they were in her room and Eleni was applying make up to her face, enhancing her dark bewitching eyes especially. Billy was invisible except for his bottom as he was busy rifling through her wardrobe.

"Trust us, Katie, you'll be absolutely…"

"Fabulous." Katie finished his sentence and said the word exactly like he always did.

She couldn't see his flinch as she mocked him as his head was still in the cupboard.

"The last time you told me to trust you, Billy, you had me wearing a yellow spandex cat-suit. I'm not falling for it again."

"You looked good in that cat-suit!"

"Fine, but, next time you want me in a cat-suit, make sure it's not yellow or spandex."

"Here, put these on."

"What? Here?"

"I don't see why not."

"You perve, Billy!"

"Oh come on! I don't even like girls in that way!"

"You know, Billy, I always wondered about your sexuality."

"We all did, Katie." Eleni put in as she brushed Katie's long dark hair.

Katie was still shy about it so she took the opportunity to change when he was bending over her chest of drawers. Billy had given her a top and skirt set. It was slightly neat and she noticed it was what Freddy had bought her for her last birthday. It had been so sweet. He had got a job just so that he could take her shopping on her birthday. As Eleni handed her a necklace and earrings and bracelets and rings, she noticed that they were all what Freddy had given her in the past.

"Hey! Stay out of that drawer, Billy! That's my knicker drawer!"

"Relax, honey, I'm just trying to find you some fishnet tights."

"Bottom drawer, Billy."

He handed her a pair of boots to wear and then twisted her hair into a loose up do with strands hanging down, which he plaited.

They led her up the stairs to Dewey's apartment and told her to wait outside until they called her in.

About five minutes later she heard a shout from within and entered the flat.

She stood still and stared. The apartment was full of fairy lights and they had draped pieces of material over the lamps so that the whole room had a magical quality.

They seemed to have gone a bit overboard on the balloon front. Not only were there streams of them hanging from the ceiling, but the floor was a sea of them so that as you walked you kicked them up and watched them drift gently down.

The flat looked positively gorgeous and yet, there was no one there except her.

"Guys? Is anyone here?"

"SURPRISE!" About a dozen voices shouted as the whole band and crew, Dewey and Ned, some of her fan club and her older sister jumped out from behind various articles around the flat.

Wait? Her older sister? She had been abroad for years and they hadn't seen each other for ages. What was she doing here?

Sophie answered before she could ask the question.

"You really think I would miss my own little sister's eighteenth birthday? You're a woman, officially."

"I think I can decode that. You happened to be in town visiting some old pals and Summer caught you and told you to come on penalty of death. Is that right?"

"No! Maybe. Ok fine! Yes! But I am glad I came. I've really missed you. Anyway I have to go. You're present is on the table and tell mum and dad hi from me when they get back from their business trip."

She hugged Katie and then bustled out.

Katie stared after her and then gave herself a little shake before turning to her friends.

"I thought you had all forgotten about my birthday."

"Katie, you really are a twit, do you know that?"

"How could we forget your eighteenth birthday?"

"Yeah, you're Posh Spice…we all love you."

Freddy cleared his throat and the party members stopped talking abruptly. They ushered Katie onto the sofa which they had wheeled round so that it faced the band setup.

Zack immediately went to his guitar as did Dewey. Laurence placed himself behind the keyboard and Summer picked up Katie's bass and got into position.

"Sum? Since when do you play bass?"

"As of three days ago."

"But why?"

"I'll let Freddy answer that. Freddy? You got the floor."

Freddy looked nervous and he tentatively took her hand.

"Katie, I'm sorry for not being around a lot and I know all of this seems really weird but I hope…no pray…that you will understand in a moment. All I ask is that you sit quietly and let me deliver my present to you."

He dropped her hand and went to his drum kit. He counted the band in and they started to play.

The music was catchy and was the kind of rock that made you unconsciously nod your head and beat out the rhythm as you listen to it.

"Ok," Dewey was saying into his mike. "Freddy wrote this song and as he isn't much of a singer he asked me to sing it for you.

"There's a girl I know

Who's more perfect than I can say.

Her name's Katie and I love her.

I always wanted to tell her

But never had the guts

Because she didn't want me

But I wanted her

More than anything

More than life.

She is my rising sun

And my glorious sunset

At the end of every day

She is the one

I never stop thinking about her

So, this song is for her.

There has to be a way

To get through to her

Believe me I've tried!"

Then Freddy finished his little closing solo and got up and came over to her.

"Katie, I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time. So here goes. Katie, you mean more to me than any other person on this earth. We've been friends for all our lives and I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that, well, I love you. It's funny how long it took me to say those three small words. And now that I have said them they do seem so little. But I mean them I really do. I love you, Katie. And I have for years, I just didn't know it. You haven't moved or said anything so I think you don't feel the same. I'm a fool, but I'm a fool in love. I'm going to leave now as I have ruined any chance I ever had with you."