Sophia

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I'm so excited!!

Finally it's my birthday today! I've been waiting for this day for a year!

And this year, my birthday is unlike anything I had imagined! I bought the most beautiful dress, without checking the price tag for once. I won a bet about Ray and now Aub's hair has blue highlights. Dad seems to be happy, despite the fact that the daughter of the man he hates the most will have dinner with us. And Ray has a girlfriend!— not that he didn't have before. There were so many that I forget their names! But this one.... Julia Garfield has an effect on him that no one has ever had.

Like right now.

We, Aub and I, sitting in the back seat, can clearly see the way Ryan takes a peek at Julia's hair again and again, and then smiles or sighs. Julia is making conversation with him, telling him about how fun it was to have our nails painted. Aub and I just stare at them, and then look at each other.

Aubrey gives me a look saying and they say they're not together? Like really?

I just shrug and turn back to watching the two love birdies. What did I tell you?

Ryan is driving with one hand on the wheel and the other arm over the window. He looks very casual and relaxed. But I can see that he's stressed a bit. Like he's thinking something and is trying not to. And quite obviously it's Julia.

Aubrey sighs. I thought I had a chance....

I shake my head. You think I didn't? But it looks like it's impossible now...

Aubrey sighs again. There's nothing left to do now.

I nod slightly. Yup. You're right girl.

I don't think I want Ryan to leave Julia.

I watch Ryan smirk at Julia explaining the haircut-story and decide that yup! I definitely don't want him to leave Julia. She's awesome.

"And then you let her cut it." Ryan cuts Julia mid-sentence, his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." She says, maybe nodding excitedly. But I can't see her as I'm sitting right behind her. "It looks very beautiful, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Ryan says nodding, taking a left turn. "Very beautiful."

I watch as Julia places a hand on his shoulder, and squeezes gently. She can feel that he's upset about her hair too, no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

"I'm glad you enjoyed." Ryan says to her, and pats her hand with a free one.

He better not lose this girl. I think to my self, turning back to Aubrey, only to find her staring out her window. Tell me when we arrive. I'm not really paying attention to anything right now.

Respecting my friend's silence, I fish out my phone and earbuds from my pocket.

"Hey soph?" Ryan suddenly says, stoping at a red light.

"Yeah?" I look up at him from my almost entangled ear-buds.

"Catch!" He throws back a purple box with a pink bow on it. I catch it mid air. Julia turns around in her seat and looks at me from behind the head rest.

What's this? I put my phone in my lap and inspect the box. It looks simple, but as it's from Ryan...

"Just open it, kid!" He shakes his head and chuckles, looking back at me for a second.

"What if it's a bomb?" I raise an eyebrow. I hear Aub snicker, but she doesn't turn back.

"Blowing you up would've been a dream come true," Ryan says, rolling his eyes. "But there are two Damsels in this car too!"

Damsels???

I laugh out loud at that.

"Just open it!" He orders, and I pull the ribbon.

Let's see...

I pull off the lid and inside it is—

"Why is it empty?" I turn the box upside down, but there's nothing in it. Ryan laughs at it, and Julia covers her mouth to hold her laugh.

Did I just get pranked? On my birthday? Oh Lord...

"Here!" Ryan throws back something else too, and it falls in my lap. I pick it up and examine it.

"WOAH!" I exclaim. It's beautiful!!

It's a pretty charm bracelet with two charms attached to it. One is a little birthday cake and other is a little horse.

I immediately put it on.

"What do you say?" Ryan asks, starting the engine as the light turns yellow.

"Yeah, lol" I reply, sticking my tongue out at him. Julia laughs out loud at it.

Ryan turns back to the road, and I watch him chuckle to himself.

This birthday is awesome! I think to myself putting the ear buds in my ears, and turning up the volume on Taylor Swift's 22.

Best birthday ever!!

Julia

What have I done...

I think to myself as I watch Ryan hurry up the stairs, probably to his room. He has a smile on his face. But I can tell that he's bothered.

This isn't good. What have it done?

I wait at the door frame for Sophie to finally arrive. Aubrey, who had been silent all through the car ride, hands me my bags, and I follow the girls to Sophie's room.

It's beautiful, a beautiful combination of blue and pink. But I don't notice it much.

My head is stuck revolving around that look on Ryan's face when he saw my hair. He looked pained, wounded almost. I want to fix it. I don't want him to look like that.

But how?

Maybe I should go say sorry to him. Maybe I should text him a sorry. But that would be cowardice, no?

I dunno what to do. I just want Ryan to be genuinely happy again.

What have I done?

"What are you thinking?" Sophie asks as she fixes her makeup in front of her dresser.

"Hmm?" I look up at her, suddenly aware of my surrounding again. Aubrey is in the bathroom, changing into her party clothes. I'm sitting on the bed strapping my sandals. Loud music is playing in the background, a Taylor Swift song. I notice that it's been playing on repeat.

Maybe Sophie likes this song?

"You're thinking about Ray, right?" She asks turning around, and leaning back against the metal table.

I just sigh and nod.

I can't help thinking about him.

"Chillax girl!" Sophia says, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Chillax?" I cant help asking. What's tha—

"Yeah!" She says, standing up and then bending down to grab her shoes. "Like in the Spy Kids movie. Chill and relax. Chillax!"

I giggle at her use of words. If only she knew it's hard to do that for me when Ryan is upset.

"Think about my party!" Sophia continues. "It's better than my brother."

I laugh at that. She's right. This is her birthday party. I shouldn't be like this. Ryan can be dealt with later.

Yeah right. Says my heart with an eye roll.

Shut up you! My brain tells it. And for the first time, I suppose, my heart listens!

"Okay!" I take I deep breath and smile at Sophia. I'll distract myself.

"I'll go see if Anna needs help." I tell her, and stand up.

"You go girl!" Sophia yells behind me as I make my way out of her door frame. I snicker.

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When I arrive downstairs, I look around. There are some people in the living room. My heart automatically looks around here, but  doesn't find Ryan. I check the kitchen, he's not here too.

So I advance to the backyard. And there I spot him with his mother by the drinks table.

For a minute, I forget that I was supposed to concentrate on Sophia's birthday.

He's discussing something with his mother. Anna is frowning gently but as there are other people here too, she does her best to hide it. Then she says something and Ryan rolls his eyes at it.

I watch the exchange silently, waiting for Ryan to notice me. My feet tap silently with the song playing in the background. Perfect by Ed Sheeran.

Finally, Anna nods and takes a deep breath. She pats her son's shoulder and then leaves to great another lady who was making her way to Anna.

Ryan lowers his head chuckles, and then shakes it. He moves a hand through his hair, and then tugs at the color of his button up. Then he puts the strap of his camera around his neck and looks up. And sees me.

I immediately release the lip I've been absentmindedly bitting. A teenage girl bumps into me from behind and I get pushed forward.

"Sorry!" She exclaims, and not even waiting for me to reply, she rushes off.

I look back towards Ryan, and suddenly he's not there anymore. I look around, frowning. But he's not anywhere.

Where did he go...? I wonder and step forward, my sandals digging a bit into the grass. But then suddenly some one grabs my arm and pulls me forward.

"Here you are!" Sophia says from my side. I look at her to find Aubrey there too. She looks better now. As cheery as she was before. I have no idea what had happened to her in the car ride. I make a mental note to ask Sophia later.

"Hey!!" Sophia yells, looking back at someone I can't see. " change the song!!!"

Then I see him. There's a guy standing by a table where the controls of the speakers are. The dj desk. The guy nods and then the song changes to Routine by Alan Walker.

"Yeah!" Sophia exclaims with a grin and then pulls me forward to a group of chattering girls.

"Hey you all!!" She says, releasing me and hugging them one by one. They all are all dolled up, and they look at me from under their heavily mascaraed eyelashes with their fine and arched eyebrows.

"Who's she?" One asks. She's platinum blonde, with a red flower sun dress.

"This is Julia!" Sophia introduces me to the group of six. "She's Ryan's friend!"

And that got them.

Apparently every single girl in this party knows Ryan. And apparently, every single girl in the party is here for Ryan. They all ask Sophia individually where her brother was. And when she replied she didn't know, they quite visibly sighed. They made conversation with me. And no matter how hard I tried to discuss something other than Ryan, they just keep asking about him.

"Does he still do photography?" "Does he still have a girlfriend?" "Would he like candy-apples or caramel-chocolate?" "Does his dimple still show?" "Does he wear a matching pair of socks?" "Is his shoe size still the same?"

And the most shocking Question was, "Does he still have the picture of him and I from school?"

I have no idea what to reply to that. I think to myself as I excuse my self from the girls to get a glass of water.

Ryan has a whole fandom! I think to myself. This is insane! No wonder he's nowhere to be seen.

I fish out my phone from the pocket of my new jeans, as I grab a drink.

I need a distraction.

I unlock it to find twenty text messages.  Three from Simon saying;

     Hey Jules!!
     I forgot it's ryan's sis's b-day!
     Wish her from me please?

And the rest are Ryan himself.

      Julia, I'm in my room.
     I'll be there for cake cutting.
     Don't look for me.
     You'll figure out why I'm hiding. Lol
     Btw you look stunning.
     That colour, blue and red, suites you a lot.
     I'm so glad I asked you out.

And then from a few minutes ago,

      Hey, if you ever decide to see my texts and come up,
      Please bring me something to eat.
     And a drink.
     Not spiked tho. There's no spiked drinks.
     And yea, if you decide to come up,
     Tell Sophie to text me when the cake's about to be cut.
     I don't want to come down till then.
And if you come, I'll definitely won't be coming down till then.
And about your hair...
you look gorgeous, believe me.
It's just that I had bought something for you. And— nvm. I'll explain if you decide to come up. X

I laugh at the text and make my way back to Sophia. I pull her away from her friends and whisper in her ear.

"Ryan wants to know when the cake will be cut?" I tell her. And she pulls back to look at me.

She raises an eyebrow, then realises why I'm whispering. Then she motions me to come closer.

"In approximately five minutes." She whispers to me and I nod.

Then she turns back to Aubrey, who seems to be explaining why the sudden change of looks.

I back away from them and fish out my phone again to text Ryan.

      Cake cutting in 5 mins.

The very instant I send the text, it gets seen, and the next, there's a reply.

      I'll be there in 6 or 7 ;) and look at this.

      I took this in the morning. <3

I giggle at that and shake my head. He's hiding from silly girls, his phone is on airplane mode. That's why he's sending iMessages.

Turns out, I have a secret of my own too. I lock my phone, turn the phone to airplane mode too, and take a screen shot to send him.

     You have your pretty pics on your wall. Don't blame me for snooping around ;)

He immediately sees the text and all I get in response is.

       I'm coming for you. Don't move!

Finally, when Anna appears from the kitchen door with a large chocolate cake, I see Ryan trailing in behind her. He's dressed the same as before, just that his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top button of his shirt is open.

I gulp so that I don't drool.

Our eyes meet for an instant and he smirks a little, but then he looks away, towards his mother who is instructing him about something.

"Yay!" I hear Sophia exclaim in joy, as a hand wraps around my arm and pulls me towards the table where the cake is to be placed.

As I try not to fall while I'm being almost dragged, I look back to see where Ryan went but he's nowhere.

Where'd he go? I think to myself. I want him here....

Sophia

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"Here we are!" Mom places the cake on the table just as we reach it.

The song changes in the background to American Authors's best day of my life and I know Ryan had it played. I smirk as I look at the cake. There are five candles on the cake which look like a star.

"Wow!" Exclaims Aubrey, leaning over the cake eyeing the chocolate hungrily. Every one starts to gather around to take a look at the cake.

Well, it's my birthday cake. I think to myself, Of course it's that awesome!

"Ok!" Mom says, grabbing the cake cutting knife. That makes a few people jump and that clears a little space for me to stand and cut the cake.

Love ya mom! I think to her, taking the knife from her.

"Uh uh!" Ryan suddenly appears at my side and takes it away. "Wish first, duffes."

I roll my eyes at him.

"Fine." I say and bend down to blow the candles and make five wishes. But what should I wish for?

Oh I know!

I wish, I mentally make my first wish, that I get many more birthday like these!

The crowd cheers as I blow the first candle. I look up to see mom and dad smiling at me and then make my second wish.

I wish they always stay with me and keep smiling like that.

Then I blow the second candle.

I wish someone gifts me a bag of skittles, is my third wish. I giggle at this wish and get a raised eyebrow from Ryan.

I wish high school ends soon, I think as I blow the second last candle.

Ryan rolls his eyes at the look on my face and then chuckles. His eyes jump from Julia to me and then back to her, and I see the I really really love that girl look on his face.

I wish they always remain together, I blow the last candle and the crowd cheers louder.

"That's mine!" I snatch the knife from Ryan. "Go get your own."

He flicks my nose, and trying to dodge it, I bump into Julia who starts to giggle. Ryan looks at her and chuckles too.

Awwwe, I think to myself and turn back to the cake where mom is talking out the blown candles. I wish they always always remain together.

~~~~~~~

A/n: ok ok yes. There was no Birthday in Shakespeare's R&J. But this ain't his. This is mine.

Happy birthday to me. And this is my birthday gift!!

And yea!! That's #RYLIE!! I hope you like—

Ryan: of course they like!!

Julia: he's right. They love us!

Author: *ignores* Now that you've Read; vote and comment.

I hope you enjoyed. ^^