(Edited)

We arrived at Michaels house an hour later because Ashton didn't want me to leave. On the one hand, I was incredibly happy that I was going to have dinner with Michaels family. On the other hand, I couldnt wait until it was over. Sounded mean but be patient.

I walked into his house, following Michaels lead. I played with the A charm that Michael gave me; before we left Ashton's house. When we stood outside Ashton's house, about to get in Michaels car, he gave me the charm. He said it was the first part of his gift and I would be getting the rest after dinner; hence why I couldnt wait for dinner to be over.

I looked up at Michael, who was walking next to me. "Why not give me this after dinner with the rest?"

He looked at me and smiled cheekily. "Because I know it will bother you to no end!" His eyes lit up with mischief.

I punched his arm in frustration and huffed. "I hate surprises!" Michael chuckled, rubbing the spot I hit. He pinched my cheek and ran towards the kitchen before I could punch him again.

"Suck it up, Princess!" he yelled, laughing. A laugh I was starting to love.

I looked down at the A in my hand and furrowed my eyebrows. It was silver and small, maybe less than three cm in size. It had a hole on the top, so I assumed you hung something through it, but what? Why all the mystery?

My head was starting to hurt when I heard Michael yell from the kitchen. "Stop thinking about it and get your ass in here!" I chuckled at how well he knew me. I shoved the charm into my back pocket and went to the kitchen.

"Rapunzel!" May-C exclaimed running towards me.

"Hey Munchkin." I picked her up and swung her around, she giggled. "Hows my favourite person?" I asked, kissing her cheek. I placed her on the counter, and she shrugged with a smile. So talkative.

"I thought I was your favourite?" Michael asked, feigning shock. I shot him a glare and hugged Amanda, who was staring at us with a playful smile on her face.

"Thanks for coming to dinner!" She said, pulling away. "I was a bit worried that you couldnt come since its your birthday and maybe your parents-" Michael interrupted her and Amanda glared at him.

"Bloody hell Mom! I made sure she was free. I didnt kidnap her." Michael scoffed, rolling his eyes.

I scoffed. "Oh, then what do you call taking someone who didnt what to go with you?" I crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring Michaels gaze on them, I raised my eyebrows.

"Persistent." He smiled sheepishly.

"Sounds like kidnapping to me," Amanda said, smiling.

May-C gasped. "Bad Micky!" she scolded.

Michael gasped. "Youre turning my family against me? Savage!" He placed his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt.

Instead of continuing to let him make fun of the conversation, I grabbed the salad bowl and salad dressing and took it to the dining table, sticking my tongue out at him when I passed by.

Amanda decided since we were only four people, we would use the smaller dining room. I puzzled at that; why anyone would have two dining rooms was beyond me. I personally like the smaller one better; it was more family-friendly.

It didnt have a cold feeling like the bigger one. The curtains were a soft red with black patterns over it; the design matched the tablecloths. Like the bigger one, the small one was impeccably beautiful. It made me feel out of place like I would damage it by just looking, but I couldnt stop. The style of the decoration felt familiar like I had seen the same touch somewhere else.

"Mary decorated the room, actually the whole house. Do you like it?" Amanda asked, coming to a still stand next to me. She looked at the room with a proud smile on her face. I turned towards her and away from something so beautiful.

"Yes, its stunning." I smiled at her. "Mary Loud right? I thought the touch looked familiar."

We walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the utensils and plates. Michael went to help May-C wash up for dinner. "Yes, shes a very close friend. Have you met her?" She asked, trying to hide the sceptical edge in her voice.

"Yes, I met her and her husband a while back," I told her, ignoring the calculated gaze in her eyes. "Why do you ask?" I placed the plates down, and Amanda followed behind me with a fork and knife.

"Its nothing, Hun," She said, lying through her front teeth.

"What is it, Amanda? Please dont make me call you out on that lie." She sighed and finished bringing the rest of the food in. The table held six chairs, four facing each other and two- one at each head. Amanda sat down at the head, on the right side and motioned for me to sit net to her.

"Please dont think Im trying to stir up anything, okay?" She pleaded, playing with the tablecloth. "They acted strange when they met you, correct?" My eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, how did you know? Did Michael say something?"

"He said they acted oddly." She explained.

I looked towards the door, hoping Michael wouldnt interrupt. Maybe Amanda could give me some answers. "Yes, they were shocked when they saw me and acted strange when I introduced myself."

She got lost in her own thoughts and didnt realize she was talking out loud. "It makes sense you have the same name as their daughter." What did she just say? Why would that be strange a lot of people have the name Autumn.

"What are you guys talking about?" Michael walked in with May-C in his arms, interrupting his mother.

She smiled. "Oh nothing, just waiting for you two."

I moved one seat over so May-C could sit next to her mother, and Michael sat on Amandas other side. Throughout the whole dinner, my mind couldnt stop running circles around Amandas words. Why would my name freak them out, it was a common name? What was Amanda going to tell me? The whole subject distracted me from the entire dinner, and I could only make light conversation.

"Okay baby, its time for bed," Amanda said, breaking my train of thoughts. I looked up from the slice of cake on my plate and found May-C with a pouty lip.

"But I want Rapunzel," She said with tears in her eyes. She was clearly exhausted.

My heart melted. "I can tuck her in if you want?" I asked Amanda. May-C didnt even wait for her mother's answer and sprang into my arms.

Amanda scowled playfully. "Are you trying to steal my kids?"

I shrugged smirking. "Maybe."

***

"How did you get her asleep so fast?" Michael asked when he saw me walking out of her room.

"Shhh!" I scolded, pulling him away from her room. When I saw we were far enough, I turned to him and smiled triumphantly. "I sang her a song. I guess my voice isnt as horrible as I thought." I shrugged.

Michael smiled, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "Or maybe, your voice was so bad that she pretended to fall asleep so that you would stop singing." He smirked down at me, pulling me towards his room.

I scoffed and pushed him away. "Jerk!"

He chuckled staggering back. "Im joking, Princess." He flicked my nose and ran towards his door. "Come on its time for your present." He yelled excitedly.

I stood there, mouth gaping. What had I gotten myself into? I walked into Michaels room, taking in my surroundings. It was still the same as it had been last time, the only difference was that now I could see the entire room and not just from the door.

My eyes landed on Michael; he sat in the middle of the bed with black boxes surrounding him. The boxes resembled the one that held the A he gave me. He looked so concentrated on what he was doing with the papers in his hands that I almost didnt want to interrupt him.

The way his forehead furrowed with concentration and his tongue stuck out to one side made me realize how incredibly cute he was. He just sat there doing something as mundane as reading, and I found him to be the most attractive guy on planet earth. If you told me I would have felt this way about him a few months ago, I would have told you to write yourself up at the asylum.

He finally noticed me and gave me the most gorgeous, lopsided smile I had ever seen. This smile, like so many others, was something I was starting to love. He patted the empty space in front of him, indicating for me to sit down. I closed the door behind me and joined him on the bed.

"So, Mister Mystery, whats with all the boxes?" I asked removing my shoes. I sat down and crossed my legs, looking at him.

"Patience, young grasshopper," he said, patting me on the head.

I swatted his hand away and glared. "Im not a dog." He stuck his tongue out, and I punched his shoulder. "Im going to leave since you want to be a jerk." I was about to stand up when he leapt forward, landing on top of me almost shoving me off the bed.

"Please dont go?" he pleaded breathlessly, our faces centimetres apart.

I gulped and couldnt help but look at his pink, soft lips. I looked up at his eyes, and they focused on my lips. I couldnt help but lick them, his eyes following my every move. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to kiss me but was still hesitant. If his ex hadnt messed him up so bad, I would have kissed him. Instead, I cleared my throat and pushed him off me, gently.

"So... about that gift?" I asked, trying to get rid of the tension. He cleared his throat and sat back completely, grabbing the papers he was reading previously.

"So, I wanted to make your gift special." He explained with a smile. "I came up with the idea of a scavenger hunt but with a twist." He said nervously. He looked so cute that I wanted to lean over and pinch his cheek. I ignored my urges and encouraged him to go on. "You know how a scavenger hunt works, but the twist is were going to do it right here." He played with the papers, nervously.

I grabbed his one hand and squeezed it. "Michael, you could have wrapped it in a newspaper, and I would still have loved it."

His eyes lit up, and I ignored the tingling feeling in my stomach. "Why didnt I think of that?" he asked. I slapped him. "Stop slapping me, woman!" he screeched, making me chuckle.

He smiled and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. "This is how it works. Im going to give you a clue, and then you tell me where this took place. If you have it right, you get a black box." He explained.

"If I get it wrong, do I still get a black box?" I asked, hopefully.

"No."

I huffed and pouted. "Fine, let's start."

"Aww dont be sad." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, living tingles in its wake. "Ill give you two chances."

"How generous."

He placed the boxes in order and held the paper with one hand, the other one still in mine. "Okay, the biggest clue: every single one of the following are things that we did together." He said. "Also, every single thing that you will receive has a meaning." I smiled up at him excitedly.

"The first one: It was the first time I almost kissed you." He said, blushing slightly.

I bit the inside of my cheek to hide my smile. There were three times: the camping trip, the first time at his house, and what am I missing? He must have seen the wheels in my head, turning because he provided another clue.

"It was also the first time we did something together, more or less."

"Ashtons party?" I asked hesitantly.

He smiled and picked up a black box. I opened it and inside laid another charm, like the A, this one was a beanie. I remembered him wearing one at the party. He looked breathtaking.

"Why a beanie?" I asked.

He smiled cockily. "Because you said I looked sexy wearing one." I blushed scarlet and mumbled shut up.

He ran his thumb over my hand while still holding it. "It was the first time since Elizabeth that I didnt mind being close to a girl without us having sex. The fact that you were that girl is why it means so much to me." I didnt have any words, so I just squeezed his hand.

"Second one: It was the first time you met my family."

I instantly knew this one. "Your house, the day we played twister," I stated, proudly.

He chuckled and handed me another one. This one was a small twister game charm. "Here, I realized that you were easy to talk to. I didnt know it at the time, but I liked having you in the picture." I ran my hand over the top of the charm and smiled. I placed it to the side with the other two.

"Third one: It was our very first fight as friends. To make it easier, it involves May-C." he let go of my hand and pushed his hair out of his face. The first fight we had involving May-C, the only one I could think of was when he got home late.

"Your house! You came home at two in the morning." I punched him, remembering how angry I was.

He chuckled. "It wasnt my fault. The guys wanted McDonald's." He explained, rubbing his sore arm.

"Well, Ill punch them tonight!" I said, smugly.

"Please do!" he said, giving me the next box.

Inside was a car wheel, and this one really puzzled me. What could he possibly say about it? "That day I realized two things: one, you are sexy when youre angry and two, you could be trusted. You proved that when you stayed for my sister even though you didnt like me."

He brushed some hair behind my ear. "I wasnt going to leave her, Michael," I whispered.

He took my hand in his again. "I know that, but you could have demanded that I came back, but you didnt." he smiled warmly. "And I know you had my number." He added a wink.

I brushed his comment aside, but the blush on my face spoke wonders. "Fine, Im amazing lets go on," I said shyly.

He pulled me forward and kissed my cheek, intensifying the blush. "Fourth one: We went away for the weekend."

I squealed. "Camping trip!" Michael beamed down at me.

This charm looked like the tent we shared. Just way smaller and shiny. So many things happened that weekend that I couldnt wrap my mind around what part stood out to him. I placed it next to the others and turned to look at Michael, waiting for an explanation.

He smiled, a hazed look in his eyes. "I realized you fit in perfectly. With the twister, I liked having you in the picture, but during that trip, I knew that the picture wouldnt be the same without you in it."

I tried wrapping my mind around what he said and came to one conclusion. He liked being with me, right? As a friend, of course, even though I wanted more.

"It was an amazing weekend." I smiled at the memory.

Michael shook his head. "Yes. Okay fifth one: Here you proved to me that gravity was real." He chuckled. "To make it easier, you were horrible at it." He smirked.

"Im bad at a lot of things!"

He shrugged playfully. "True."

I smacked him on the head. "Shut up! Give me something else to work with."

He shook his head in disbelieve. "The things I do for you. It was technically our first date."

I scoffed remembering that day. "If you call dragging someone out of another persons house a date then sure?" I stuck my tongue out. "but it was the ice-skating."

Michael clapped his hands mockingly. "Wow, that took some time." I rolled my eyes and put my palm out, facing upwards.

He gasped. "So, impatient!"

I ignored him, and he placed the box in my hand and moved away. The charm was a small skate and had little diamonds on the wheels. I smiled down at it, the memories of that night hitting me full force, I placed them next to the other and looked up.

Michael was already staring at me. I blushed and fumbled with my shirt. "What?" I asked shyly.

He grinned and grazed my cheek with his thumb. "I really like your smile." I blushed, even more, my stomach fluttered with butterfly. "I noticed this when we were skating; you couldnt stop smiling. I was over the moon with happiness because I was the one that caused your happiness. The one that made you forget your demons." He said, the hopeful tone his voice did not go unnoticed. Michael's bedroom light, reflected in his green eyes, portraying absolute curiosity.

I cleared my throat and pulled away from him, his hand falling onto my lap. I felt bad for coming off as cold, but this was not a subject that I wanted to share with him anytime soon, especially on my birthday.

"Whats the next one?" I could see we still had a few to go.

Michael looked at me a bit longer, his eyes contemplating if he should push for answers or leave it alone. Thank goodness he chose the latter, and I released my breath.

"Two more to go!" he mumbled the excitement gone.

"We can stop if you want?" I looked up at him, waiting for an answer.

"No, its fine. Im sorry I just wish you could confide in me, as I do with you." He said, shaking his head, hurt evident in his voice.

I sighed and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Look, I trust you, I really do, I just cant tell you everything right now, but I promise Ill tell you everything soon." There was a storm brewing in his eyes.

"Please just give me time?" I whispered, removing some of the hair that fell in his eyes. I remembered asking that exact question when I slept over at his house; he must really be tired of hearing it.

He gave me a small smile and grabbed the papers again. "Okay." He took one box from the two that were left and held it in front of me. "The last two are very important to me." He said opening the box, revealing a small tree. My mind immediately went to our picnic, where he disclosed his past to me.

He smiled down at the charm. "Here, I realized that I trusted you with all my secrets. That you didnt judge me but only cared for me and that I could always count on you." He gave me the charm, and I ran my finger over the tree, remembering everything he told me that day. His confession brought a sting to my heart. I wanted to tell him everything, but I couldnt, not yet.

He grabbed the last box and chortled. "This was where I realized that I hated having to share you with other guys. I came to an understanding that I couldnt lose you because I would lose my mind."

He opened the box and gave it to me. Inside was a movie charm, and the scene played out in my head. He was worried that something happened to me, that I would never come back. I looked at all the charms and back to Michael.

"Close your eyes." He said, and I did as told without hesitation. I heard him move around on the bed, something jingling, and clasping shut. "Keep your eyes closed." When he said that I felt something cold wrap around my wrist. Michael fumbled with it a bit and then released my arm. "Open up."

When he said that, I immediately looked down at my wrist. Wrapped around my wrist was a silver bracelet with all the charms on it. He got me a charm bracelet for my birthday. I looked up at him and smiled brightly. I ran my finger all over the charms; all over our memories. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.

"Michael" I drifted off at lost for words.

He smiled cheekily, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Yea, Im amazing!" he stated proudly.

I pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, wrapping my arms around his neck. He instantly embraced me back, his face in the crook of my neck. "Thank you so much!" I said, trying to pull him even closer, which was impossible.

Michael kissed my neck and pulled back, staring into my eyes. "Youre an irreplaceable friend, Princess, and Im so happy youre in my life."

The rest of the night was great; we went back to Ashtons and slept over. The only thing that bothered me throughout the night was the pang in my chest. Michael calling me an impeccable friend broke my heart. Obviously, I was an impeccable friend. I just didnt want to be his friend. How does one go through such lengths to make a girls birthday the best day of her life and then end up calling her his friends?

Vote and Comment.