Hi
I'M BACK! I've probably flunked all my exams...but hey ho!
So I know I said the update would be on the 6th of Feb, (cause it is Dan and I's birthday...) but I thought that I would post this early as you have all been so nice about this :)

-Lauren :D
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DANNY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

I groan loudly, then roll over onto my side, I gradually open my eyes to look at my alarm clock.

Friday 6th of February 2015 7:17 am

So much for sleeping in on my birthday.

I turn back to see Emma, Josh, Ollie, Ellie, Mum and Dad all crowded around my bed, grinning widely at me.

Well this is...sort of creepy.

"Thanks guys" I laugh, shaking my head at them all.

"Oh happy birthday Danny!" Mum exclaims, wrapping her arms around me tightly, I gasp as she practically crushes my bones in the process, my Dad laughs with a sympathetic look on his face, while my three stifle their laughs.

"Um...thanks Mum" I mumble into her shoulder that is pressed tightly against my mouth.

"17! Can you believe it Mark?! Our little boy's growing up to be such a handsome boy! Oh Danny I'm so proud of you!" she begins to tear up, I glance up to see Josh restricting a giggle and my Dad rolls his eyes.

"Okay Hev, calm down and let the poor boy go will you?!" my Dad chuckles, pulling him off of me, she sobs into his shoulder while he wraps a firm arm around her, she shakes as I glance over at my sister who smirks at me.

"Happy birthday Dan" Dad says, nodding at me "Why don't you guys go and grab breakfast?" he smiles at me.

"Thanks Dad"

"DIBS ON THE FIRST PANCAKE!" Josh yells, sprinting out of the room, yelling some sort of battle cry as he runs down the stairs.

"NOT SO FAST!" Ellie shouts after him, chasing after him with a determined expression on her face.

I leave the bedroom with the most sensible of them all; Ollie and Emma, they each hug me while we stand on the landing, my Mum's sobbing still audible from the bedroom, they wish me a very happy birthday and we walk down the stairs to the kitchen.

The tempting aroma of pancakes cooking drifts from the kitchen, I smile and allow myself to stretch as I watch Ollie grab some plates from the cabinet.

Emma smiles at me, I motion her over to where I stand, she frowns, then brushes some hair away from her face.

"Yeah Dan?" she smiles, I run a hand through my hair and sigh as I look down at her bright blue eyes.

"Thank you Emma"

"For what?"

"The other night; I just...you said you'd be there for me if I needed it, every now and then I think about that summer and everywhere I went wrong. I couldn't end up like I did when you came and first visited me. It's not so bad though, I think I'm actually...I'm actually over Hazel, it's just occasionally..."

"It still hurts" she nods "I understand, its fine, I'll always be here for you okay?"

"Thanks Em. It was wrong of me to intrude, and as for when Hazel answered the door..."

"It's fine Dan okay? I understand and it doesn't matter, we should've been sleeping anyway, I'm glad you talked to me before you let it build up and make you lose sleep. I know you've told me everything about it, but I will always be here to just sit with you and let you talk through your thoughts"

"Like we did that night"

"Exactly" she smiles and places her manicured fingers onto my bicep and taps them in a supportive motion. "And I'm glad you feel you're over her...although..."

"I'm probably not" I finish, she nods, a slight grimace ok her features.

"You're not ready to move on, I think that's the way to phrase it. Now common let's go and celebrate you being 17!"

I smile at her and I pull her into a hug, she chuckles patting my back.

"Thank you so much Emma" I whisper.

"Stop thanking me and get your arse in that kitchen birthday boy!"

"Yes boss" I mock salute and she giggles.

We return to the kitchen where my sister and Josh are fighting over a small jar of Nutella, I roll my eyes and laugh at the pair, my parents appear and I end up at the table, surrounded by my friends and family as I open a bunch of cards.

The walls have blue, white, yellow and green patterned bunting hung on them, there are a few balloons dotted around the room, Murray sits on the table, my parents letting him for once, as his fuzzy tail swishes back and forth. The cards very quickly become dotted around the room.

Emma hands me her present first, Ollie's arm rests round her waist and he smiles at her and then nods at me. "It's a really nice one. I'm proud of you sweetie"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Open it" she beams, clasping her hands together.

I tear off the white and blue striped wrapping paper to reveal a simple leather bound notebook, on the front is embossed THOUGHTS in silver capital letters. There is a black ribbon for me to mark my place. It is such a simple gift but it means so much more.

"I thought, that when you're having one of your 'days' and one of us aren't around, that you could write in here, studies show it really does help to write down how you're feeling"

I side glance at Josh who rolls his eyes, Ollie glares at him and he raises his hands in surrender. I give her a quick hug, thanking her for her thoughtful gift.

Josh has bought me a copy of Grand theft auto V which we have both been dying to play for a while, Ollie bought me the Harry Potter DVD set, because I have yet to watch the movies as I have finished the book series so quickly. Mum and Dad gave me the present of a selection of music books for my guitar, a pack of guitar picks and a bottle of polish to polish the wood. My Grandparents made me a cake and sent over some money and the other relatives got me money or gift cards.

And from the Robinsons? Okay, so I got some chocolates and a card, but I noticed Hazel's name was not in the card.

Oh well.

***

"Well fuck her then" Josh says, later on, when we go back to mine after 4 hours of college, I show him the card. "She's just being stubborn mate, don't worry about her".

I nod, not caring as much I thought, I eat a forkful of cake, not really thinking about how we going out for dinner.

"Ready to go?" My Mum asks, shifting my collar for me.

I nod, smiling at her and groaning as she messes with my hair.

Hazel POV

"Do I have to?" I groan at Matt, he tilts his head to one side, his arms folded over his chest. He rolls his eyes and shrugs his shoulders.

"If you want to be a nice person then yes"

"I'm pretty sure that he hates my guts"

"Well..." He trails off, looking awkward.

"Oh thanks Matt" I shake my head and step onto the driveway.

"No going back now" Matt says from behind me. I glance at him over my shoulder as he gives me a thumbs up.

"Yeah alright. Thanks Matt" I say sarcastically, he chuckles and I roll my eyes once more.

I'm telling you my mum didn't sign my name on that card on purpose. You can't just 'forget' to put Hazel on it.

So I had to write him out a card. Which proved harder than I thought. Considering I had no idea what to put, so I just wrote happy birthday and signed it from Hazel.

I walk to the blue door, rubbing my hand over the smooth paint, without thinking I pull back the golden knocker, letting it hit the door twice. Out of instinct of what I have done every time I visited this house.

"HAZEL! You were just supposed to put it into the letter box!"

"Oops. Oh god. Oh god"

"Do something!"

"Well I've knocked now"

I hear approaching footsteps and a silhouette appearing behind the smoky glass.

The door opens to reveal the blonde head of Josh, he stares at me blankly and then his eyebrows furrow and he glares at me.

"What do you want?" He spits out, looking angry, disappointed and upset at my presence.

"I...I wrote a card for Daniel"

He snatches it from my now shaking hands, I gulp nervously.

"What? Suddenly feeling guilty about not writing your name on the card? Oh how pathetic!"

"But I didn't..."

"Sorry, but this isn't her fault" Matt says, marching down the driveway to stand besides me. Standing his ground he tries to push me behind him but I shake his hands away.

"My Mum just forgot" I explain as Josh glares at Matt.

"Oh sure she did. Well I'm sorry Hazel, but I don't believe a word that you are saying. You are just giving me this out of guilt, because you smashed my best mates heart into a million pieces"

I feel my eyes sting with tears, a sudden anger burns in my stomach.

"And now you're new boyfriend is here to protect you, how nice!" He says sarcastically.

"He is not my boyfriend" I say between clenched teeth, stepping in front once more. "And maybe Dan and I could've made things work if you hadn't cheated on Kirsty!" I yell, his angry look disappears, his confidence seems to evaporate into thin air.

"But I didn't-"

"Oh don't deny it Josh! You can't teach an old dog new tricks! Dan trusted you over me and he promised me that he would always believe me. I might've done many things but at least I didn't lie to my lovers face unlike you!" I screech.

His eyes widen at my words, I rise an eyebrow, realising he isn't going to fight back.

"Let's go Matt"

I grab his arm and pull him up the driveway, we walk down the pavement and then turn right into my front garden.

"Hazel that was amazing!"

"Thanks" I say, wiping away the tears on my cheeks with my sleeves.

"Are you okay?" He almost whispers, concern in his bright blue eyes.

"I want to prove Dan wrong. We need to find the girl Josh cheated on Kirsty with, now you were at the party right?!"

"Yeah, of course, but it's a blur Hazel, I think I saw Josh do it, but I have no evidence, I reckon it was Josh, even if his face was hidden"

"Yeah" I breathe and I smile "at least you believe Kirsty and I"

"But then again it might've not been him. I don't know..."

"It was him, alright?!"

"Calm down" he says, pulling me into a hug. "If he did cheat on Kirsty we do need to find this girl, might take us a while. But if we do we can prove them both wrong"

"I don't care. Let's just do it"

He smiles "alright"

Josh is going down. And then Dan will see. They'll all see.
----
OH SNAP
GUYS GO AND CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK! WHAT! No I'm not stopping ROS I thought I'd were something else for a change, let me know what you think!