I slumped down the couch inside hq, Ethan dragged me here after finding out that I don't have monday classes after my morning training. 

"You're facing this head on!" He said throwing punches in the air.

"You're crazy! It's been a week, I was hoping you forgot about it." I laughed at him.

"How can I? I've been rooting for you from the start." 

"Rooting for what?" Lizzie suddenly entered the room with Sam. I widened my eyes at Ethan.

"For the MVP! Where's Noah and Danny?" He said. Sam sat down beside me.

"Hey.." She brushed her hands on my hair. "Did you cut your hair?" She asked. My hair is still wet from the shower.

"Just a trim. How did you even notice that?" I said chuckling. 

"Happy valentines day kids! Come on, let's grab lunch." Noah said.

I knocked on Sam's door, I'm her designated driver for the surprise party tonight. Lizzie and Jules coordinated on this, thankfully.

"Happy Birthday!" I greeted when she opened the door.

"You're early." I went inside her unit. "I know about the party, well accidentally." She continued. I intentionally went to her early so we can go somewhere else first.

"Oh poor them. Here.." I handed my gift.

She opened it smiling. "This is so pretty.. Thanks, Kira." She wore it, I bought her a watch.

"I just thought it would look good on you. Come on let's go somewhere before the party." 

"You have your own surprise for me?" She teased me narrowing her eyes.

"No.. go change now!" I laughed at her. I looked around and noticed the red guitar on the corner. I smiled, that red guitar.

"Now you're driving for me? I feel honored." She said entering the passenger seat.

"Hey! I drove for you a few times already." I started the engine, I noticed her staring at me. "What?"

"Your wearing the necklace I gave you." I felt the necklace on my neck.

"What do you mean? I'm always wearing it, well except on my games. I'm worried I might lose it while playing."

"It looks good on you..." She gave it to me on my birthday. It's a gold necklace with a moon pendant.

Is my love too much,
Or is it just enough,
For you, for you?
'Cause it's getting late
Would you like to stay? Ha-ah
'Cause I'm bad at reading signs
But I...

I wanna do
Whatever you wanna do
If you want it too
Girl, we could cross that line
Know we've been friends
And love only knows broken ends
Yeah, that's what you said
But girl, let me change your mind
And love only knows broken ends
Yeah, that's what you said
But girl, let me change your mind

"Are you challenging me for a race?" She said. We entered the kart track. 

"I wanted to go to a shooting range, but it's fully booked. So I found this instead, are you ready to lose?" She just laughed at me.

"Game on!" 

"Sorry Kira, the mentors are always the better one." She put her arms on my shoulders. She won 2-1, we raced for best of 3. 

"Should've pushed through the shooting range." We laughed. 

"Let's make a detour, the sun is setting." She said.

We ended up in an overlooking place to watch the sunset. We're sitting on the hood of my car.

Lizzie: Are you on your way?

Lizzie: Everyone's here already, text me if you're on the way.

Lizzie: Where are you??

Me: We just stopped by somewhere. 

"Lizzie has been texting me, you gotta act surprised later." 

"It's fine for the celebrant to be late." She said. 

I leaned back and stared at her side profile. I love spending time with you, even if we do nothing. No matter what, when I'm with you everything just seems... so much better.

"Why are you staring?" I didn't notice she's looking at me already.

"What? I'm looking at the stars!" I laughed. She pinched my cheeks.

"Let's go." She went down the hood and offered her hands for me. Sometimes I wonder if I ever crossed your mind too. 
 

I walked directly to Madi when we entered the place, it's a whole floor hotel bar with an overlooking balcony.

"You're late." She said. 

"The birthday girl wanted to watch the sunset." I shrugged. "Also, she knows though. I think Jules slipped."

"That's why she doesn't looked that surprised." I took the drink she offered.

"Is Sam really friends with everyone she brought?" I asked. I saw the gang on a couch and waved at them.

"Yes I think so, some childhood classmates and friends throughout their relationship." 

"And the very special person, Hailey. I can totally feel her staring." I said

"Yep! And she's coming...." Madi took a sip from her drink.

"Hi Alexis! Long time no see. Hey Madz." Madi just nodded at her.

"Hey.." I smiled timidly. 

"You look cute today, you and your plaided shirts." She said while patting my shoulder. Madi was talking to someone.

"I now realized why Samantha fancy you. With you and and your cousin in the same room, the similarities are noticeable." I gripped on my glass. Jules and I are nothing similar.

I smirked. "Is that why you kept on hitting on me? Because you couldn't get your bestfriend to like you back?" She looks taken aback.

"You're really intriguing, Alexis. I'll see you around." She smiled and walked back to her friends.

Sam went closer to me and handed me a new drink, she motioned to go outside the balcony. We leaned on the glass railings.

"Thank you, Kira." She said.

"What? I'm not the one who planned this."

"For being here, I know you're not fond of some people around us right now." She said laughing. 

"We just don't have the same interests." I took a sip from my glass. "Can we talk later? After the party." 

Is this it? It's the proper timing right?

"About what?" She stared at me. Your eyes tells a thousand stories. But I hope, I really hope I was one of them.

"About something. You should head back inside, people may be looking for the celebrant. Happy Birthday, Azalea." I smiled.

"Thank you, Kira. I'll see you later, drink as much as you can and have fun okay?" She smiled genuinely at me.

I walked towards my friends after I finished my drink.

"Alex! Danny doesn't want to sing with me on the stage. Will you do it instead?" Lizzie complained.

"Why? Is there a performance?" I said as I sat down.

"Jules will sing, I can't lose! I'm Sam's present bestfriend." She said and we laughed.

"Then sing solo, why are you dragging Alex?" Ethan said.

"Because I need the popularity card." She joked. Ethan and Noah just shook their heads laughing.

"Go Lizzie! We'll cheer on you." Danny said. 

Lizzie did sang after Jules, this competitive girl! 

"That's our vocalist!!" Danny cheered. Liz walked back to us confidently, she's even flipping her hair back.

"Sam! Sam! Sam!" Sam's friends chanting her name. 

"Come on Sammy!" Ethan even stood up to cheer. 

Jules pulled her to the mini stage and someone handed her a guitar.

"The night can't end without hearing the birthday girl sing right?" Jules said.

"Yeah!"

"Kira," Sam called me from the mic. I hid behind Ethan. "Come on, I need someone to play the guitar." 

Ethan pushed me, I went to her defeatedly. Jules clearly doesn't look happy with this. Sam handed me the guitar and set up a mic in front of me.

"I thought you only need me to play the guitar? You tricked me!" 

"Speechless is for two people to sing." She just shrugged. I sat on the stool.

"You start, on second verse." I strummed the guitar.

It started when you said hello
Just did something to me
And I've been in a daze
Ever since the day that we met

She sang looking at me.

You take the breath out of my lungs
Can't even fight it
And all of the words out of my mouth without even tryin'
And I'm speechless

Starin' at you, standin' there, in that dress
What it's doin' to me, ain't a secret
'Cause watchin' you is all that I can do
And I'm speechless

You already know that you're my weakness
After all this time I'm just as nervous
Every time you walk into the room
I'm speechless
Yeah, baby

We sang together. I can hear our friends cheering, Lizzie is even taking a video.

You're standin' there in that dress
Girl, it ain't a secret
'Cause watchin' you is all that I can do
Ooh ooh, I'm speechless

You already know that you're my weakness
After all this time I'm just as nervous
Every time you walk into the room
I'm speechless
Oh, you know it baby

Sam's voice is really beautiful, well all of my friends are. But hers is just... surreal, like hearing something magical. We rarely hear her sing, but when she does it's really amazing.

I can see Ethan's thumbs up when I walked back. I smiled shaking my head. 

The night went on, I hope this drunk people can still go home. Ethan and Noah are still fine, thankfully. Madi is resting on my shoulder, I'm drinking moderately baecause I still need to drive for a few minutes. 

"Hey, I need to go to the rest room." I tapped Madi.

I haven't seen Sam, is she in the rest room too? I just nodded at some familiar students while walking. 

I stopped when I saw two people at the hallway. It's dim but I perfectly recognize her.

That's why I can't love you in the dark
It feels like we're oceans apart
There is so much space between us
Baby, we're already defeated

It's Sam and Jules... kissing. So this is what heartbreak feels like huh. I turned left to leave and I saw Ethan staring at me sadly. 'I'm sorry' he mouthed. He saw it too.

I continued walking to the balcony. I almost lost her.. as my friend. If I confessed earlier, she would've rejected me for sure. I laughed bitterly and brushed my hands on my face. I stared at the moon.

"Hey.. they're going to have a toast." Madi tapped me. "Are you okay? You're crying." 

"What? No, must be the cold breeze." I didn't notice my tears flowing in my cheeks. I wiped it off immediately.

The bartenders gave tequila shots to everyone. I glanced at them, Jules looks happy she even have her hands on Sam's shoulder, Sam's also smiling.

"Happy Birthday Samantha!" 

I should’ve been more courageous. It was not the timing, nor Jules. My countless hesitations were to blame.