The Memories...

  I was standing in awe, looking at everyone singing me birthday wishes, popping balloons, and stuffing my birthday cake in my mouth one after another. Kevin came up to me with a present in his hand.

"This is something I got for you," he said handing me the present.

"Oh, you didn't have to," I said while accepting the present he brought. I was not trying to be humble by saying that, acting all dramatic but genuinely he didn't have to get me anything.

"It's something that would look really pretty on you," he told me.

"Well, my duckling looks pretty in anything," Simon came from behind putting his hands around my shoulder.

"That's undeniable," Kevin complied with Simon's words.

"What did you get me by the way?" I asked him.

"Why don't you open it and see it?" he told me to take a look at his present, and while I was about to open it, Richa came to me all excited.

"No, wait," she stopped me from opening the present.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You are my best friend, of course, you will open my present first," she said taking Kevin's present from my hand and handing me her gift box.

"Childish!" I exclaimed, taking the present and opening it. 

"How is it?" she was so excited even though I hadn't even looked at it yet.

It turned out to be a wooden statue of a duck. 

"Come on guys, now all of you will become one with Simon to tease me," I said while sulking with the statue in my hand.

"Yes, no one can tease my sister, other than me," said Simon shuffling my hair.

"Stop it, No one is allowed to do this to April," Sam came up and hugged me. He is the only sweetheart after all.

"Aye, you cannot say that, I am not teasing her. Look, I got bruises all over my palm while making this statue," Richa said showing her palm to us.

"Oh girl, you are so silly. Why did you go through such efforts?" I said taking her hand in mine and examining them closely, with a worried look.

"You gave me the handmade bracelet because you were good at it. So, how can I stay back when it is time to show my sincerity to you," She said smiling as always.

"You are silly," Jake came up to take a look at her hand.

"Don't do this again dear," My Mom said worrying about Richa, "You don't have to go to such extents to prove your friendship. April is really simple with friendship; all you have to do is smile at her and she is your best friend for life."

"I doubt it, Aunty," said Jake goofing around.

"You, MR. Jake, no presents?" I asked him.

"There is, Your Highness," he said rushing to the dining table and picking the present that he brought for me.

"What is it?" I asked as he passed on the present to me.

"A new limited edition video game. I am sure you will like it," as expected from this idiot.

"You are quite predictable, aren't you?" I said to him.

"Maybe!" he commented, making a silly face.

"My dear daughter, don't tell me that you are going to celebrate your birthday in your pajamas," My Mom said to me.

"Oh! I almost forgot," I realized it too late and now everyone was laughing at me.

"Don't worry we have the solution to this," said my Dad, bringing me a bag kept on the sofa.

I looked inside wondering what it was. It turned out to be a beautiful dress.

"It is gorgeous," Richa said peeping into the bag, "Hurry up, and change into it." 

She pushed me towards the staircase that leads to my room upstairs.

I went upstairs to my room. Before changing into the dress, I took a minute to admire her, she was just too pretty. My Mom has great taste; that is why she married Dad.

I received a text message notification. I opened my cell phone to figure out who it was.

It was Kristen, and after a long time, I felt delighted looking at her text. It read as follows: "Happy Birthday Bi**h, just a formality. Now listen, you won't be happy anymore if I don't get the management list of the drama club by you and Jose. You both just keep on disappearing during the rehearsals and I am not doing your part of work. So, hand your work in, to the drama teacher by tomorrow you both."

I smiled.

"What is so good?"

"Oh, it's Kristen. She texted me. She even wished me, though in a mean way but she still did," I couldn't contain my happiness while I answered his question. 

One second.

His question! Whose question? 

I turned back to find out Jose standing behind me peeping into my phone, I got startled on turning back.

"Gosh! you scared me," I said hitting him on his shoulders.

"Ouch! you keep on forgetting we have roles reversed. The girl is stronger in our case," he said mocking me.

"Stop teasing me," I said focusing back on my phone screen.

"So, it was a birthday wish. For once I thought it was a confession that you smiling at," he said snatching my phone from me.

"Give it back," I tried to take the phone from his hands, but he was just too tall.

"So, you accept that you still see Kristen as your best friend," he said still holding the phone high up in the air.

"How the hell did you get in?" I said still jumping next to him trying to get my phone from him.

"The door was not closed," he said and looked into my eyes coming closer to me.

"What?" I asked, getting flustered by his actions.

"What do you think? he kept on coming closer as he said this.

"Don't go beyond your way," my voice lightened as I was getting nervous.

"Am I? he said putting his hands around my neck.

"Maybe," I was really smitten, but then he just moved back. I was wondering what just happened.

"What were you thinking?" he said mocking me.

"Can't believe you just played me," he said sulking and turning my back at him.

"I did not play you, look," he said while pointing towards the mirror.

"When did you put this on?" I asked him, looking at the pendant I was wearing.

"Just when you thought that I was going beyond my way," he said still holding onto my shoulders, looking at me in the mirror.

"You have a great choice," I said with a smug look, indicating that I was one of those good choices.

"I know," he said turning me around, to face him and leaning in to kiss me.

"Aren't you playing me again?" I said in a low voice.

"This time it's for real," he said in whispers, bringing his lips closer to mine and then slowly breathing together with me, pressing my lips with his as we both closed our eyes, turning it into a perfect kiss.

We moved away from each other after a few seconds.

Awkward as we were, it took us about a whole minute to look back into each other's eyes.

As our eyes met, we burst out into laughter.

"Well, it is a little awkward," he said rubbing his hands on his head.

"It is, indeed," I was also a little shy to talk after that kiss.

"But it felt good. Maybe I can try again?" he looked at me in hope, and I did not want to disappoint him and myself. 

I closed my eyes, which can be considered a yes from my side.

He got what I meant, and this time he pulled me closer holding onto my waist and slowly going into a deep kiss. My eyes were still closed and my head was completely blank. All I could feel was his mouth in mine.

After a few seconds, we both pulled ourselves back, restraining ourselves.

"I think you should go back now," I said in a very low voice, without directly looking at his face.

"I think so too," he said to me stuttering a little, "See you downstairs then." 

He left, closing the door behind him.

I was still in the earlier mood. It was very difficult for me to snap out of it. But somehow, I managed to get my head straight. 

I dressed up and went downstairs.

Everyone looked at me with stars in their eyes. I wondered if I was really looking good or were they just being kind to me.

Among everyone standing in the hall, I don't know why but only one person stopped by my sight. I couldn't help but smile, seeing him smile at me. He blushed and started looking at the ground.

"How can you give birth to such a pretty daughter?" Aunt Catherine said to my Mom, almost turning to tears.

"Isn't she your daughter too?" my Mom replied to her.

"Of course, she is," Aunt Catherine came and kissed me gently on my forehead.

"You are looking really beautiful, April," Kevin said to me.

"Thank you, Kevin," I replied to him smiling back at him.

While I thanked him, I could see someone burning behind Kevin.

Jose probably felt jealous, and if he didn't then I would break up with him.

If my boyfriend is not jealous, seeing me smile at other guys then it is a big problem.

"April, why don't you sign up for a pageant?" Richa came up speaking nonsense again, but undeniable as it is, she is cute.

"Stop it," I told her laughing at her comment.

"You are always beautiful. They all opened their eyes just today," Sam came ranting to me, "Leave these people and come with me, I have a surprise for you."

"What?" Sam dragged me by my hand to the theatre room and made me sit on the front sofa.

Everyone was smiling and following us. I wondered what he was thinking of doing.

"Sit here, I'll show you something," he took out a DVD and put it inside the DVD player, while everyone else stood by and watched us quietly.

"What are you doing, Sam?" I asked him and then kept quiet as the video started playing on the screen.

"Is this the dance performance that I and Jennie did back in Elementary school?" I asked him.

"Yes, it is that very performance where Jennie fell and you left dancing and went to get her a chocolate to calm her down," he explained.

"Where did you find this? Jennie said she never received the video recording of the performance," I told him.

"Yes, she told the exact same thing to us," Aunt Catherine came up to sit next to me and explained it to me, "She told us that she never received it, but later we found this in her room after she was gone. It was hidden somewhere under the bed with this note on it.

She handed me the note and I read it out loud.

"PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET THIS EMBARRASSING VIDEO OF MINE GET INTO ANYONE ELSE'S HANDS."

Everyone started laughing as I read this cute note written by the Elementary school Jennie, but I was the only one who started crying.

I turned to hug Aunt Catherine and the only words I spoke were, "I am sorry."

"Why are you apologizing daughter? It was not at all your fault. We all know that you have been blaming yourself for all that had happened. But trust me, we never blamed you," Aunt said to me as she held me tightly in her embrace.

I could hear my Mom and Dad sobbing and I did not wish to make them sad, so I wiped off my tears and sat up straight.

"Look at all that snot on her face, she really cried a lot," I said pointing my fingers at Jennie crying and laughing together with the others.

"And this is my present for you," Simon came and wrapped a beautiful pink scarf around my neck, noticing the necklace that I was wearing.

"Is this from him?" he said whispering and pointing at Jose.

I nodded and smiled slightly.

"I have a present too, but I did not buy it," Sam came up with a frame-like thing in his hand beautifully wrapped in a gift wrap. 

"This is me," it was a portrait of me, beautifully made. It probably looked better than I am in real.

"Yes, I don't know if I made it look like you," he was nervous about my comments.

"This is really better than I am," I said gazing at the portrait as it was so delicately made.

"It is really so beautiful," my Mom said taking a look at the picture from behind me.

"Bro got talent in his hands," Jose said patting Sam on his shoulders.

"Exactly, he is a talent," Simon complied as he patted Sam as well.

"Guys, I am hungry now," Jake is so off-timing, but I was hungry as well.

"Well, then let's go eat. The food is already served at the table," Dad told everyone to eat and everyone followed his invitation.

After finishing his meal Kevin stood up and told us he needed to leave. He has a training he cannot miss, so we let him go.

Simon came to me and whispered in my ears, "Gotta go meet Chloe, please handle Mom and Dad for me."

I nodded and he went away. We siblings always know what to do every time the other is in trouble.

"We need to finish up the management list by today," I said to Jose who was sitting next to me.

"Can we do it now?" he asked.

"We have to, we don't have any other choice," I said to him, "Let's go to my room. Mom, and Dad, I and Jose have some assignments to complete for the drama club. We will be in my room for it."

"Okay go ahead," Dad said to me, " Tell me if you kids need anything."

"Hey, April can I play video games with Jake and Richa? They told me they were both ace's," Sam asked me.

"Well, they are indeed. Go ahead and enjoy," I told him.

I and Jose then got up and started heading towards my room when Mom stopped me.

"April," she said.

"Yes, Mom," I replied turning back to her.

"I don't see Simon. Where is he?" she asked about Simon, the most horrifying question of the era.

After going through the algorithm in my head, I finally answered.

"Mom, he probably went to get some fax delivery from his college at the Airport. It is something important to him," I made up a good excuse.

"Okay, then what you go and get down with your work," she said to me.

I instantly took out my phone sped towards the stairs and texted Simon, everything that I just said so that our alibi could match.

"Why are you suddenly walking so fast?" Jose asked trying to keep up with me.

"We just escaped a big crisis," I told him.

  ***