I wake up feeling oddly happy, and it takes me a few minutes to remember why, but when I do, I have to smile. Xavier Reyes wants me. He might even love me. I pause a while to think on that word. Love. It leaves a happy rush of butterflies in my stomach.

I get out of bed and reach into my bag to check if I have a message from Xavier on the iPhone and, luckily I do.

Xavier: Happy birthday Candy. See you later. x

I felt myself smiling like crazy as it hit me that I was eighteen today. And best of all, Xavier had remembered.

I got out of bed and, within ten minutes, I was bathed and dressed, combing out my unruly hair. I was wearing my best pair of jeans and a blue off shoulder top with white sneakers. I rushed downstairs and almost doubled over in shock to see my father sitting at the table drinking a hot cup of coffee while my mother was cooking.

When they caught sight of me, my mother rushed up to me and gave me a huge hug.

"Happy birthday darling", she said in a loud voice as she hugged me. My dad folded his paper and looked at me, while I stood awkwardly. Finally, he broke the silence with a loud, "Well Candace, I guess you'll want to stay out late tonight. Your curfew is by eleven, and I expect your friend has already briefed you about the birthday celebrations."

I could just stand there shocked. My parents were acting nice, yet it seemed fake and oddly loud.

I sat at the table while my mum served me pancakes – I can't remember the last time she did that for me, and I can see why. She's a horrible cook, and the pancakes are burnt and crunchy. I find eggshells in mine. After a few bites, I politely push my plate away, and tell them that I wouldn't want to be late to school. I rush out and get into the car that Eric has waiting outside for me.

***

Eric drops me off at the parking lot, which is strangely empty, and I make my way up to the school building. I walk into the school and met Audrey standing by my locker, tapping her nails impatiently.

"Happy birthday girl", she smiles giving me a quick brief hug.

I smile, before her nails catch my eyes. She has gotten them done, and now they are sparkling pink, and very long.

"I like your nails", I say, and she smiles while admiring them for a few seconds.

"So did your boyfriend give you time off work like I asked?", she says with a smile.

"What do you mean?", I asked.

"I told him that it was your birthday and asked if he could give you a day off to celebrate.", she clarifies.

I hadn't heard anything, so I reached into my bag and pulled out my iPhone. A new message was waiting for me.

Xavier: You have a very persuasive friend. Enjoy your day off.

I smiled as I dropped the phone back in my bag, and looked up to see Audrey looking shocked.

"Was that a freaking iPhone?", she squealed.

I realized that Audrey knew almost nothing about Xavier and I, so I told her everything that had happened between us. When I was done, she was silent for a few minutes and had an expression that I couldn't recognize.

Finally, she spoke. "I think his playing you Candy', she said calmly. I was about to retort when she held up her hand for me to stop speaking before she continued. "Think about it, he just wants to use you for sex or something, maybe he has a child fetish. Why would a billionaire want to date a highschool kid? It's not as if you're that pretty or anything. I think that you're being naïve.

"If he was really feeling you he would have made it public by now, but he hasn't. I bet that if the truth actually comes out, he would drop you like a hot potato".

I glare at her. "Xavier wouldn't do that to me. He has already made it clear that he likes me, and I think that he's just waiting for the right moment to make it official."

Audrey shrugs, as if she doesn't believe me, and I feel a bit angry at her, but not enough to spoil the mood of my birthday.

"So...", I said, trying to break the silence, "where are you taking me for my birthday? Is it the arcade?"

Audrey smiles. "I have much bigger plans than going to the arcade darling".

***

Audrey blatantly refused to tell me where we were going for my birthday, despite my constant begging. When school ended, she blindfolded me, and took me to her car and she drove off for what seemed like ages, though it was only twenty minutes. Every five minutes, I would ask if I could take my blindfold off, and she would refuse. Eventually, she stopped driving, and took me by my hand, leading me inside a building. Then she let go of my hand and I felt her step away from me.

"OK Candy, you can take off your blindfold now", she said, and I impatiently ripped it off, and squealed in surprise. In front of me were all my classmates, some childhood friends, Jordan, and Linda.

"Happy birthday", they all yelled.

"OMG, Audrey did you do this?", I screamed in happiness, turning around to hug my bff.

"Nothing but the best for my bff", she said, while smiling.

"But where are we?", I asked.

"At my parents' pool house", she replied, and I noticed, perhaps for the first time, that we were in fact, beside a pool.

"But I don't have my swimming things here", I whine, causing Audrey to chuckle, before she tells me that she has spares and that she is sure that one of them would fit me.

Someone turns the music up and before long, everyone is dancing and getting into the party vibe. I notice that Audrey has invited the cheerleading squad and the football team, and even they seem to be enjoying themselves. I look over to see Jordan and Linda in a deep conversation, but it looks like all is good, so I leave them to it. When everyone decides to enter the pool for a bit, Audrey shows me to the changing room, and gives me a purple bikini, which exposes a bit more skin than I would like, but I put it on because I had nothing else.

Audrey left me for a bit so that I could get changed, and when I was done, I came out to find her talking to some cheerleaders, who were all in way more exposing swimwear than I was. A lot of people where in the pool, though they were keeping to the shallow end, because the deep side was for very experienced swimmers.

I was just about to go and talk to Jordan, when a pair of dark green eyes caught mine, and on the other end of the pool, I spotted Xavier, and from the way his lips curved, I could tell that he had seen me too. Suddenly, nothing around me mattered anymore, I just wanted to get to where he was, and hear his voice again.

I ran around the pool, passing the jocks and the cheerleaders, intent on getting to Xavier, and I almost made it, when I felt a violent push, and found myself falling. I heard a splash, and felt myself being surrounded by water.

It's ok. You'll hit the floor of the pool soon.

But I didn't, and that's when it hit me that I was at the deep end of the pool. I could feel my body running out of air, and everything was faint, but I heard another splash, and felt strong arms around me, pulling me up and out of the pool.

When I surfaced, I was gasping and choking, and as I looked up to the face of my rescuer, I saw that it was none other than Xavier. People had now surrounded us, and I thought I saw a camera flash, but when I turned to the direction that it came from, no one was there.

Xavier carried me into the house, bridal style, and laid me on the couch. By now I had gotten my breath back, and was staring at him. He was shirtless now, dressed in only his pants, and I admired his hard well sculpted abs, and his wet hair, which was now plastered to his face, giving him a sexy look.

He caught me staring at him and came over to me.

"Are you ok?", he asked concernedly, and I nodded.

He was so close to me, and he still smelled of mint despite his dip in the pool. I run my fingers lightly over his abs, and I heard him breathe in sharply.

"You might have a concussion", he said lightly, and I had a feeling that he was mocking me. I pouted.

"This wasn't how I planned to say it, but happy birthday", he says, kissing my forehead and I smile a bit. Then I remember that I am in a bikini and a man is this close to me. I start to panic, but Xavier reads it well, and hands me his jacket, to use to cover myself up.

"What a pity you have to cover up, I was really enjoying seeing you in that", he teases, and I punch his arm, enjoying this playful side of him which I've never seen.

Just as suddenly, he sobers up.

"Who pushed you in", he said, a serious look on his face.

"I don't know, but it was probably an accident, and anyhow I don't want to make a big deal about it", I reply.

Xavier argued with me for a while, but I stood my ground, and in the end, we decided to forget the whole issue.

"By the way", I ask suddenly, "how come you're here?"

"Your friend invited me. I think her name is Audrey. She told me that it would be a surprise party, and I wanted to surprise you with my presence."

When we went back out, Audrey ran up to me, worriedly.

"Candy are you ok? This is all my fault; I shouldn't have done a pool party. I am so sorry", she apologizes, as I calm her down, and assure her that I am all right.

"I can't believe Xavier jumped in like that to save you", she said again and again, and to be honest, I am surprised that he did too. However, I saw a plate of gorgeous desserts being served, and ran to taste them. Within a few minutes, I had dismissed the incident from my mind and settled down to enjoy the best party ever.