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Hehe. New chapter. Here ya guys go. Beware, it's a looong chapter. Five pages on Word!
Now I just have to finish up to chapter fifteen.
I don't even have it completely written out yet...so it's not typed up, either... sweatdrop

Sunday afternoon. Friday was my birthday, and I still had to find a way to rid myself of the abundant amount of gifts from my ‘admirers’. Even Alek got me something, but that I didn’t mind so much…
He made me a cupcake. Chocolate with vanilla bean frosting. And a card, courtesy of his sisters. All three of the girls signed it. Emily’s “signature” was a handprint made from yellow finger-paints. I pinned to one of my old art easels along with the card that Yasuo made me.

“Happy birthday, Nami,” Alek said, holding the cupcake out to me. It had a single lit candle in the center, the glow defining Alek’s facial features, making him look more handsome in the dark hallway.
“Alek. It’s seven in the morning. And my birthday was yesterday,” I told him, sleepily rubbing my eyes and leaning in the doorframe in my black nightshirt. My hair fell messily around my face.
“No gratitude? I’ll just eat it myself.” Alek gave me his famous grin. I sighed.
“Wait.” I moved aside to let him in, and took the cupcake from his hands. “Alek, this is really sweet of you, but couldn’t you have waited until I was actually awake?” I went to the kitchen, Alek following me, and sat on the counter, swinging my long legs. He shook his head, smiling.
“No. I felt bad that I forgot to bring it over yesterday,” he said. I smiled, and blew out the candle. I then removed it from the cupcake and placed it in the sink.
“Did you make a wish?” Alek asked. I shook my head.
“I don’t wish, and you know that. I prefer to make things happen,” I said, smiling. I peeled the paper from the cupcake. “This can’t be good for me…” I muttered, and Alek chuckled.
“You of all people don’t need to watch their weight,” he said.
“That isn’t what I meant, but thanks anyway. I meant that it’s seven A.M., and I’ve started my day by eating sweets. Adam’s coming by in a few minutes.” I dipped my finger into the creamy frosting and licked it off.
“Oh…vanilla bean,” I said happily, swinging my feet again. I nibbled at the bottom of the cupcake, saving the top for last. Alek continued to watch me, which was a little awkward, but whatever. Him just being around me made me happy.
“Did you make this yourself?” I asked a while later, when the cupcake was about half-eaten. Alek nodded.
“From scratch,” he added, obviously proud of himself.
“It’s amazing.” Adam waddled into the kitchen then. He looked at me, at Alek, yawned, and left again.
“That never fails to amaze me…” Alek mused. I laughed.
It was a quarter to eight when Alek was leaving. I’d finished the cupcake, and downed some milk straight from the container.
“What? Only guys can do this?” I’d asked after Alek gave me a disbelieving look.
“What are you going to do now?” Alek asked me, leaning against the doorway. I yawned.
“I’m going back to bed. But I really can’t do that, since you’re still standing here,” I said.
“Oh. Yeah.” Alek laughed lightly, and I smiled. “Before I forget, this is for you.” He pulled a folded paper from his sweatpants pocket, and I opened it. It was a card, obviously. Four stick figures, girls, were standing together, holding hands with huge smiles on their faces. “It’s from my sisters. They insisted on making you a card instead of just buying one. Well, Emily can’t insist, she can’t even talk. Tess helped Annie write her name, and Annie’s the one who made the pink sun and blue grass. Tess was upset when she did that. And then Emily spilled the blue paint, so that’s why the clouds are so low to the ground, and—”
“Alek, you’re babbling,” I interrupted, smiling widely at him. My hair fell into my face.
“Yeah, well…” Alek trailed off, fidgeting.
“Well what?” I prodded.
“You never answered my question. From yesterday morning.” He exhaled deeply. I chewed on my lip, frowning. He did ask me.
“Tomorrow, okay? We’ll go see a movie. Five o’clock. Don’t be late,” I commanded. Alek nodded, grinning madly, like he did on the first day of school.
Seemed like ages ago.
“See you later?” he asked.
“Yeah. Come back after I’ve actually gotten some sleep and look more decent, okay?” I said, trying to push my hair out of my face. Alek smiled.
“You look the same as always to me,” he whispered, tucking my hair behind my ear and trailing his fingers across my cheek.
His touch sent electric shocks through my entire being, and I felt my face heat up. Alek smiled.
“Bye, Nami. I’ll see you later,” he said, turning and disappearing down the dark hallway.
“Y-Yeah,” I finally breathed when my voice decided it wanted to come back to me. Closing the door, I touched my cheek, and smiled.

Back to reality. It was four o’clock, and I was desperate enough to seek Caddie’s help.
“Your first date!” she squealed. “It’s about time you started living life, Nami! I mean, God, you’re seventeen.” She flung open my closet, and her face fell almost instantly.
“Don’t make that face, Caddie. I tried telling you that I had nothing to wear,” I said, sitting cross-legged on my bed. Caddie chewed her lip and tapped her chin, a habit she had while she thought.
“I’ll be right back,” she finally said, leaving my room. I leaned back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Is it really a date? I thought. We’re just friends. Right?
Caddie returned moments later, with an armful of clothes from her own room, and dropped them on me.
“What is this?” I asked. Caddie grinned.
“Nami, you have no clothes worth wearing on a first date. I should burn them, but that would be mean. Anyway, I’m going to lend you something of mine for tonight!” she said.
“It’s not even a—” Caddie held up her hand, silencing me.
“If it wasn’t a date, then you wouldn’t be so worked up about it, now would you?” She gave me that look, and I huffed my breath.
Fifteen minutes later, Caddie had me in one of her outfits. I wore a black and red pleated skirt, a black camisole under a red sweater, and white knee-high socks.
Looking down at myself, I stated, “I look French.”
“Oh, stop it. Who knew my clothes could fit you?” Caddie replied. “You look great, Nami.” I shrugged.
“What about shoes?” I asked, looking at my feet.
“Please tell me you at least have a pair of black flats,” Caddie pleaded. I smiled at her.
“That, my dear sister, I do have.”

“I wonder what I can do with your hair.” I was sitting at Caddie’s vanity, while she hovered over me, deciding, as you can guess, what to do with my hair.
“We don’t have time to do anything fancy with it, Caddie,” I said. She ran her fingers through my hair.
“It’s so soft…and long. Have you ever considered cutting it, Nami?” she pondered. I widened my eyes and brought my hair over my shoulder, stroking it.
“I like it long…” I practically whined. Caddie shrugged.
“Just a suggestion.” Then something flashed through her eyes. An idea, I found out. “We’re going to straighten you hair.”
“It’s already straight.”
“I know, but it’ll be super-straight. We’ll finish your ‘French look’, as you called it.” She pulled out her flat iron and plugged it in. I blinked at her from the mirror.
“Why?”
“Because!” she chirped. “I have the perfect little beret for you to wear!” I sighed. Oh joy…
45 minutes later, Caddie was trying to finish my hair, while I toyed with her make-up.
“You can wear some if you’d like,” she said. I shook my head. “Keep still!”
“I have lip balm, Caddie. I’ll be fine. I don’t even like make-up,” I replied, and heard the front door open and close.
“We’re home! Finally!” I heard Dad exclaim. Mother’s footsteps came down the hallway.
“Nami? Are you in here?” she asked at my door, softly rapping on it.
“I’m in Caddie’s room,” I called to her. She appeared seconds later in the doorway.
“Alek’s here. Should I tell him to come back here?”
“No, tell him I’ll be out there in a few minutes,” I said. Mother nodded, and left to the sitting room. Yasuo pranced into Caddie’s room, excited and prattling.
“Nami! Alek’s here! Alek’s here! And he smells like forget-me-nots and magnolias and roses and violets and baby powder and Irish Spring soap! He says you guys are going to the movies. What are you guys gonna see?” He started jumping up and down, his eyes sparkling. I smiled and told him to hush.
“Calmly, now, Yasuo. What?” He took a deep breath started over.
“Alek’s here. He was pacing by the door when we got here! And we let him in! And he told me and Adam—”
“Adam and I,” I cut in, correcting his grammar. Yasuo frowned, stomping his foot.
“No! Me and Adam!” He continued, “Alek said that you an’ him are going to the movies! And maybe do something after that! Adam asked Alek if it was a date, and Alek said that it wasn’t, or he didn’t know, and Adam didn’t believe him for one second! Papa was real smiley the whole time, and now he’s having a ‘chit-chat’ with Alek. That’s what he called it, a ‘chit-chat’. Alek looked real nervous, and he started playing with his lip ring. Nami! You look pretty! Your hair is straighter than a pencil! I’ll go tell Alek that you’re almost ready!” With those words said, Yasuo raced back to the sitting room. Caddie laughed.
“At least he’s excited,” she said.
“Caddie, I think I’m going to start hyperventilating,” I whimpered.
“What? Why? Are you that nervous?” I nodded. “Oh, Nami, you’ll be fine, trust me. Well, I’m finished with your hair, so let me get that beret for you.” I started my deep breathing exercises while Caddie fished around in her closet.
“Caddie, tell Alek I’m sick and can’t go,” I quickly said. She turned to stare at me, a ‘you’re-not-serious’ look on her face, and setting her hands on her hips. I had a pretty good idea of what she was going to say. But she didn’t. She just shook her head at me and turned back to her closet. I closed my eyes and continued my deep breathing. In and out, in and out.
“Found it!” Caddie chimed, surprising me. “And look, I found my little black purse!” I sighed. I didn’t really like purses, but this one was like my school bag. I could sling it over my shoulder and forget about it. Caddie placed the beret on my head, and smiled.

Dad smiled adoringly at me, Alek nervously, when I entered the sitting room.
“Mon ami, you look like a beautiful little French girl!” Dad exclaimed, using his heavy—and dreadful—French accent. Alek gaped, his eyes wide. Caddie came up behind me, exclaiming, “Viola! A masterpiece by the magnifique Catherine Silvers! Muah!” She kissed her fingertips. What is with everyone and the French?
“Alek,” I said. “Stop staring.” He shook his head and stood.
“Oh, uhm, sorry. It’s just that…these are for you,” he said, shoving flowers at me. I smiled, plucking them out of his trembling hand. “My mom let me pick them from her shop, she said I could pay her back later, but she’d give me a special discount. She says only for you, though. Mom’s taken a real liking to you. My sisters have, too. They’re always asking when you’re—”
“Do you always do this when you’re nervous?”
“D-do what?”
“Randomly ramble on about virtually meaningless subjects.” Alek’s cheeks turned pink, and he fidgeted with his lip ring. Dad chuckled, trying to disguise it as a cough. Adam blatantly began laughing, and Mother shushed him.
“Yeah,” Alek finally admitted.
“If it makes you feel any better,” I whispered, “I hyperventilate when I get nervous.”
“It’s true!” Caddie interjected. “She almost started a few minutes ago!” I shot her a look, making her shut her mouth.
“We, uh, should get going. It’s almost five-thirty,” Alek suggested. I nodded.
We left to Adam and Yasuo’s off key singing of “Sitting in a Tree,” Mother telling us to have a good time, Caddie’s fretting at me not to muss my hair, and Dad reminding Alek to have me home by ten.