Loni woke the next day to her bed bouncing as Lissa jumped on it.

"Happy Birthday!" The tiny redhead cheered as Loni looked up.

"Lissa, what time is it?" Loni yawned; she was exhausted. Had she slept at all last night?

"It's time for your birthday; that's what time it is! Dad made the birthday pancakes!"

A favorite Donato tradition was pancakes for birthday breakfasts, not just any pancakes either, chocolate chip, homemade from scratch.

"Loni Boni Fo Foni Fe Fie Fo Foni Loni!" Lissa sang out loud as she jumped up and down until finally, Loni sat up, giggling at her little sister's antics.

"I'm up, I'm up," Loni groaned in an amused tone. "Will you stop jumping on my bed now?"

Lissa responded by jumping down to Loni's soft carpeted floor.

"Where is Lucky?"

"He came down a while ago; you slept so late," Lissa informed her.

"Really?" Loni yawned; then why was she still so tired?

"Yeah, dad told me to come to get you before the pancakes get too cold." Lissa said as she headed out, "so hurry up and come down!"

Loni slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed. Last night's fall still haunted her; luckily no head rush this time. She slipped a sweatshirt she'd stolen from her dad over her pajamas; it was big, warm, and comforting.

As she made her way downstairs, she saw that everyone was already sitting at the table, and two huge plates of pancakes sat in the center. When she reached the bottom, a lot of commotion happened at once.

"There's the birthday girl!" Luca cheered as he flashed her a grin.

"Happy birthday, sweet sixteen," her mom smiled, patting the seat next to her as Loni walked over to it and sat down.

"Happy birthday, Loni!" Uncle Andre greeted her.

"Hurry up and eat, so we can. These chocolate chip pancakes are driving me crazy!" Lissa begged.

The twins started to sing happy birthday as Aunt Carly explained that singing would be later.

"Thanks, everyone," Loni smiled and blushed from the attention as she sat down.

Luca filled a plate of pancakes and slid them over to her. They looked amazing, big and fluffy, topped with a dollop of butter and homemade whipped cream, but she didn't really feel hungry for them.

Everyone else was digging in and giving lots of compliments to her proud dad.

"Honey, are you feeling okay? You haven't touched your pancakes," Kit noted.

"I'm just not that hungry," Loni confessed, hoping her dad's feelings wouldn't be hurt. "My stomach feels a little funny."

"Are you getting sick?" Luca looked up worriedly, as did Kit.

"I don't think so; it feels kind of fluttery or something," Loni explained the anxious feeling.

"Sounds like you're nervous about your party," Carly suggested.

"Because Manny is going to be there," Lissa teased, and Loni stuck her tongue out at her.

"You sure you're okay?" Kit asked as her gaze washed over Loni carefully.

"Fine, mom," Loni assured her. "I think Aunt Carly is right; I've been feeling more nervous the closer the party gets."

"You have nothing to be worried about, pumpkin," Luca reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "Everyone's going to have a blast; all you have to do is show up and have fun."

"Thanks, dad," Loni offered a smile; usually, he could quickly ease her mind, but today she still had an uneasy feeling bugging her. She brushed it aside as she sat and listened to her family chat over breakfast.

🌹🌹🌹

The rest of the day, Loni lounged around reading and napped a little off and on until it was time to get dressed for her party. She felt a lot better after taking it easy all day.

Her mom helped her pick a pink and white flowery dress for her birthday dress, and she wore a white cardigan over it. Aunt Carly helped her curl her hair into soft saves, and Kit surprised her with a makeup set as an early birthday present.

They showed her how to do her eyeliner and blush, and when they were all done, she was stunned at how grown up she looked. So was her mom as she started crying, and Loni quickly embraced her.

"Oh, mom, don't cry!"

"You're just growing up so fast," Kit sniffled. "Will you stop it!"

"Kit, don't do that, or I'll start," Carly cried.

"Both of you, stop!" Loni giggled, "we'll ruin all our makeup."

"She's so smart," Kit pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Leondra."

"Love you, mom," Loni let the warm feeling of her mom's love wash over her as they hugged.

"Can I wear makeup too?" Lissa came bouncing in, wearing a shiny and sparkling red dress that was loose on her small frame; with it, she had her red cowboy boots on.

"Oh, Lissa, where did you find that dress," Kit laughed as she took in her younger daughter, who was already dabbing blush heavily on her cheeks.

"Aha, the red dress!" Carly added, invoking Loni's curiosity.

"It was in the back of your closet," Lissa did a little shimmy. "I like it."

"You should. It's why you exist," Carly said with a short laugh.

"Carly!" Kit exclaimed.

"Huh?" Loni looked at Kit for clarification, but she just shook her head.

"You don't want to know," Carly offered through her laughter.

"You ladies all almost ready?" Came her dad's impatient call from downstairs.

Lissa picked up a tube of lipstick and popped the top off. "Almost!"

"Don't ruin all my new makeup," Loni warned her.

"I'll help her with it; head on down, we'll be right behind you," Kit said as she took the lipstick from Lissa.

As Loni headed downstairs, her Uncle Andre made a dramatic whistling sound that made her blush, and her dad looked proud in his teary blue eyes.

"Look at you, all grown up," Luca said with a sad smile as she reached the bottom step. "You look beautiful, birthday girl."

"Thanks, dad," Loni smiled as he embraced her.

"I love you, pumpkin."

"Love, you too, dad," she kissed his cheek.

She could see him wiping at his eyes as they parted, and she gave him a playful shove.

"Will you all stop acting like I'm getting married or something? I'm just turning sixteen."

"Yeah, chill out, daddio," Lissa called out as she danced and shimmied her way down the stairs with Kit and Carly behind her.

Luca studied her momentarily and then tipped his head over to Kit with a chuckle. "Kit Kat, is that the casino dress?"

"Yup. I have no idea how she found it, babe," Kit said with a short laugh.

"Oh, that takes me back," her dad smiled fondly as he made googly eyes at her mom, who blushed furiously under his stare. Imagine that, still blushing at him after all these years. They were so cute, gross but cute. 

"Don't I look pretty, daddy?" Lissa asked as she did a spin once she reached the bottom.

"Gorgeous, shorty" he picked her up and spun her around. "will you save a dance for your old man tonight?"

"I suppose," Lissa said in a sing-song voice.

"I guess we better figure out who is riding with who," Luca commented as he put Lissa down. 

He gave Kit a little wink, and she grinned back at him.

"Well, two cars would be the easiest, don't you think?" Kit asked in a coy tone.

"Sure would," Luca said slowly, "But what two cars?"

"Why are you guys being all weird?" Loni looked from one to the other. "We can all go in mom's van, and Uncle Andre, Aunt Carly, and their kids will go in their car."

"That could work," Andre was biting back a grin, and Carly nudged him.

"Okay, what's going on?" Loni demanded to know.

"Better go outside and see for yourself," Kit nudged her with a grin.

Shooting one more questioning look towards them, Loni felt her heart racing with anticipation. Could it be? They had been practicing all spring, but her dad was so protective, no way.

He wouldn't have gotten her a...

"A car!" Loni screamed when she opened the door, and her eyes landed on the shiny red civic with a big bow on top of it. "This is mine?"

"It's yours, pumpkin," Luca said as her mom added, "happy birthday."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Squealing with excitement, Loni raced towards both of them, and they enveloped her in a huge group hug., Meanwhile, Lissa went racing over to the car and started dancing near it.

"We got a car! We got a car!" Lissa was singing as she spun around.

"I got a car!" Loni whirled around to correct her.

"There are some rules that go along with this car," Luca warned as Loni raced to get a better look.

"But we can go over those tomorrow; tonight, why don't you drive me, dad, and Lissa to your party?" Kit suggested, and Loni's eyes lit up with excitement and happiness.

"Best birthday ever!" Loni exclaimed as Luca tossed her the keys.

🌹🌹🌹

The excitement over the car had Loni's heart racing as she carefully drove to Leo's; her dad sat in the passenger's seat next to her, carefully watching as she drove.

"You're white-knuckling the wheel; loosen up a little," Luca guided her.

"Don't be nervous, honey," Kit added from the back, "you're doing great. Just take a few breaths."

She did just that in and out, in and out, but that nervous fluttery feeling in her belly was coming back in a hurry.

"Can I drive home?" Lissa asked.

"Sure," Luca quipped.

"Really!" Lissa's eyes lit up as both Kit and Loni frowned.

"Really, in three years."

"Dad," she groaned at that and sulked in her seat.

As she pulled into the parking lot, she parked next to her grandpa Stone just as he exited his truck. He was dressed down like usual in torn-up jeans and a flannel, his gray hair tucked under a baseball cap. He beamed a big proud smile when he saw that Loni was driving.

"Wow! Look at that, your own car!" Stone whistled as he ran a hand over it. "she's nice."

"Hi, Grandpa!" Loni raced over to hug him. "isn't it nice?"

"Looks great, birthday girl," Stone squeezed her. "Now I can call you when I need a sober cab."

"Ha-ha," Luca said dryly. "She's not driving after dark, so day drink then."

"Oh, I do," Stone joked to which Kit raised an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding, I'm a day stoner and night drinker," he assured her. 

"Hiya, Grandpa!" Lissa bounded into his arms, and he scooped her up.

"Did you get shorter since I last saw ya?" Stone  asked as he set her down, and she crinkled her nose at him.

"No! but you did!"

"I did not!" He gasped as if offended. 

"Yup cause smoking makes you shrink," Lissa informed him. 

"Is that so?" Stone looked at Luca with an amused grin. 

"That's what I heard," Luca confirmed. "among other bad things."

"Aha I see. Your dad's right, I used to be almost eight feet tall." 

"That's not true," Lissa rolled her eyes and scoffed. "But the last thing I need is any shrinking."

"I think you mean stunt your growth..." Loni commented but Lissa just shrugged.

Stone patted Lissa's head. "What's with the dress?"

"It's moms," Lissa twirled around in circles. "Let's go inside and dance!"

Lissa led the way into the restaurant, and Loni was excited to see all her friends had already arrived; some were chatting at the jukebox, and a few were seated at different tables. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with many flowers, mostly roses, a big happy birthday banner, and lots of balloons.

"Happy birthday Loni!" Andrea called from a table with a handful of her other friends, and Loni waved at them.

"Go ahead, and join your friends, honey," Kit said, "I'm going to wait for Carly, Andre, and the kids."

"I'm going to go check on the food," Luca ruffled her hair and then darted off to the kitchen.

Loni headed toward Andrea and her friends. They made room for her to sit down and join them.

"I love your dress," Andrea enthused.

"You look so pretty!" Kelly added.

"I got a car for my birthday!" Loni couldn't help but squeal in excitement, still stunned by it.

"Oh my god, your dad is literally the best," Andrea gushed.

"Well, my mom probably talked him into it," Loni pointed out.

"Truth, she's the best, too," Andrea said as she stood from the booth, "let's go see the car!"

She was dressed in a pink and black dress with skyscraper heels, her dark brown hair in a curly bun. Andrea and Loni had been friends for as long as she could remember, but Andrea had changed over the last few years. She used to be very bookish and quiet, and most of their days were spent with Loni painting while Andrea read a book, but over the last year, shopping, cheerleading, and hanging out with friends and stuff had taken precedence over Andrea's old hobbies. Andrea's new friends were nice enough to Loni, but she didn't feel like she fully clicked with any of them.

"Hold that thought," Loni said as the familiar cute boy entered the door. "Manny is here."

"ooooh," Kelly teased while the rest of the girls giggled.

"Stop," Loni hushed them as her cheeks flushed bright red.

She walked over to Manny, and he froze as his eyes locked on hers. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide as they took her in; she felt her cheeks flushing hard. He looked more dressed up than she'd ever seen him; he wore a pair of dark blue jeans that could be new and a nice button-down black shirt. His dark hair was combed straight. He was holding a gift bag in his hand.

"Hi, Manny," she finally spoke, and her voice came out all high-pitched.

"I'm glad you came." She added, sounding a little more normal.

"Uh yeah, me too... " Hi," he muttered sheepishly, "er, um, happy birthday."

"Thanks," she giggled nervously; somehow, his being all sky and awkward made her feel better.

"I sound like an idiot, don't I?" He asked with a pitiful look in his green eyes.

"No!" Loni couldn't help but laugh. "Not anymore, then I do."

The jukebox began playing, and music filled the air behind them; she led him further inside and found an empty table for the two of them to sit at.

"Happy birthday," he said, handing her the gift bag he'd carried in.

"Manny! You didn't have to do this!" She exclaimed as she pulled it closer.

"It's nothing, really," he shrugged.

She opened the bag and gasped as she pulled out a brand-new sketchbook and charcoal pencils.

"You said you liked drawing and painting; I didn't know what to get for paint, but I figured you could use these?"

"Oh, I can, and I will. I wear out my stuff fast; this is great, thank you!"

"Yeah, you really like it?"

"I do," she flashed him a smile, and he smiled back, looking less nervous himself now as well.

"I think it's cool that you draw and cook," Manny said. "Most kids I know our age only watch TV or shop."

"Well, I do that too," Loni laughed. "What about you? What do you do when you're not working?"

"I used to play the guitar some, sing a little," he admitted.

"Really! That's so cool," Loni enthused. "You don't anymore, though?"

"I uh... had to sell my guitar last year."

"Sell it?" she frowned, "why?"

"It's kind of a long story," he looked at her carefully. "But don't worry about all that; I'll have a new one someday."

She wondered why he'd had to sell it. Couldn't he have asked his parents for money? She wanted to ask more but didn't want to seem nosy or rude. She glanced at her new sketchbook and felt a stab of guilt. Did that present set him back from getting a new guitar?

"You look pretty tonight," he blurted out, looking sheepish. "I mean, you always look pretty, but.. um, that dress is nice."

"Thank you," she smiled as her cheeks flamed red. "You look really good too."

Really good? She cringed, but he was beaming, so maybe it wasn't so terrible after all.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked, and she glanced over to see many teenagers, including her little sister, had made their way to the center of the room and were dancing to a fast song.

"Sure!"

He took her hand in his as they started to walk to the dance floor, giving her a tingle in her whole body; she glanced over to see her mom and Carly watching. Her mom winked and Carly gave her a thumbs up.

She rolled her eyes and pulled Manny further from their eyeshot to the middle of the floor. He was moving awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot, and she wasn't much better. Finally, she started loosening up a little when Lissa spun past them all crazy-like.

Manny laughed as Loni spun around more dramatically, smiling, and laughing as she started having more fun, the nerves sliding away.

Manny started loosening up too, and soon he clasped her hands, and they started spinning together; it was like everyone in the room disappeared except for them. She didn't even care how silly they probably both looked as they danced badly whilst holding hands.

They were quickly getting out of breath from the fast movements and the laughing. The song stopped, and they stood facing each other, their eyes locked. His eyes nearly seemed to sparkle as they looked at her, and she was sure hers were the same. The only trouble was that her heart was still racing from that dance. She had trouble catching her breath, even as Manny's breathing regulated. 

His eyes changed from the cute look he'd been giving her to one of concern as he took a step closer. "Loni? Are you okay?"

She gasped as she struggled to breathe, shaking her head in panic.

"Are you choking on something?" he came closer and patted her back hard, and she coughed, a horrible hacking sound came out of her, and several teens turned to look at her in the same horrified way Manny was. 

She couldn't focus on that, though, because she was still breathing so raggedly, and on top of that, she was suddenly very dizzy; the entire room was spinning.

"Loni?!"

"Get my dad..." was the last thing she gasped out before everything went black.