"Quiet down, everyone," Robert said. "So today is a special day for one of our students. I would like to say thank you all for coming tonight. It might not be like regular small groups, but it will be a special one. Now, the reason we're here tonight. We are here to celebrate the birthday of September. Happy seventeenth birthday. I hope your day has been great."

"Happy birthday!" everyone yelled.

I laughed and stood up. "Thank you everyone. Today has been great and I appreciate you all for doing this tonight. However, it isn't me we should be celebrating tonight. Why don't we celebrate God with worship?"

Everyone cheered. Harry stood up to the microphone, his guitar in hand and spoke.

"Why don't you guys stand up so we can worship the Lord our God tonight."

Harry started to play the guitar. Right away, I knew what song it was. He began to sing in the microphone as everyone began to clap.

"There's no space that his love can't reach. There's no place where we can't find peace. There's no end to amazing grace."

We all continued to clap as we sang the lyrics. I looked at Tyler, who looked at me. Trying to be silly and playful, I nudged him in the side with my elbow and smiled.

"Take me in with your arms spread wide. Take me in like an orphan child. Never let go never leave my side."

He nudged me back, in which nearly made me fall. I laughed and turned back to Harry.

"I am, holding on to you. I am, holding on to you. In the middle of the storm, I am holding on, I am."

We all continued to sing until we got to the end of the song. Once Harry finished singing the last note, we all clapped and cheered. He then started to play another song, in which was Beautiful Things.

I looked at Tyler, who was into the music and overall the moment. Smiling, I looked to my right, finding my two best friends in the same awe-filled moment. To see them like this made me smile. How did I get so lucky as to have them in my life?

It took me a minute to notice the sound of clapping had replaced the soft strum of the chords. The song was over and I never even realized it. Tyler grabbed my hand and looked down at me.

"Are you okay?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

We sat down, along with everyone else. I looked up to the stage, awaiting for what was to come.

"When I first met September," Harry said, looking out to the crowd, "she was a ball of energy. And I'm not even lying. I think it was Halloween when I first met her. For some reason, she decided to be the sun, while Ariel, Mackenzie, and Megan were other planets."

Laughter filled the room. They all stared at me as I sat on the stage before them.

"Well, you know me, always wanting to be the center of attention," I joked.

They laughed even harder. For some reason, it has always been a tradition for the birthday boy or girl to sit on the stage while all of their friends make a complete laughing stock out of them. I didn't really mind much, because I'm already a walking disaster. Plus, it's kind of fun to see your hysterical mistakes through your friends' eyes.

"Alright, my turn! My turn!" Mackenzie yelled.

She got up on the stage beside me and looked at everyone before her.

"So, this is a bit of a disclaimer, but let's just say it's a story I can't forget."

"Mackenzie," Ariel said. "That's not a disclaimer."

"Oh, whatever. It is now." We all laughed. "Okay, where was I? Oh, yeah. Okay, so I know that September is a huge fan of soda. I mean huge. She can't live without it. I'm surprised she isn't fat."

"Hey!" I yelled all while laughing.

"What? It's the truth. Anyway, one summery day last year, it was an insanely hot day. I'm pretty sure I was turning into a baked potato. Anywho, September had this bright idea to have a soda war in her kitchen. As to why she did this is beyond my knowledge, but it happened. So, what does she do? She asks me to hand her a soda. I do so and she shakes it up without any of us knowing and hands it to Ariel."

I looked at Ariel, who was laughing. Laughing as well, I gave her a thumbs up. She returned the notion.

"So, poor innocent little Ariel opens the can and it sprays all over her. This isn't even the funny part yet. Ariel takes a can of Orange Crush—September hates that kind with a burning passion. So, Ariel is shaking it and before September can escape, she sprays it all over her. September screams of course and grabs the same soda and sprays it all over her. By the end, the kitchen was an absolute mess. Like, not even kidding. We say the rainbow. A whole knew meaning to taste the rainbow right there."

Mackenzie stepped down and sat in her chair. We all laughed and clapped at Mackenzie's amazing story.

"It's true," I said. "We called it The Great Soda Battle of 2015."

"Alright, that is all the time we have for tonight," Robert said.

Half of the room sighed. Was it really that much fun to embarrass me? I laughed at my thought, in which created a domino effect of laughter.

"Wait, wait," Kevin interrupted. "Not yet. It isn't a birthday without a cake."

Everyone cheered, especially me. I mean, who doesn't love cake?

"But first," Tyler said, "you need to close your eyes."

"Okay...." I said in a suspicious tone. "You better not be putting bugs on me, or I will dump you faster than you can say...urm...forrealistic."

"Forrealistic?" he asked, laughing. "And I wouldn't dream of it."

As I closed my eyes, the sound of feet shuffling echoed in my ears. My stomach grew into knots that only grew bigger and bigger with every second.

"Okay, September, you can open your eyes," Harry said.

I smiled and opened my eyes, however, I really wish I hadn't. Right as I opened them, Tyler shoved a piece of cake into my face. I squealed and laughed. Tyler dropped the cake remains and ran away. As I got up, chunks of cake fell from my face, leaving it nothing but frosted.

"Tyler!" I yelled, running after him.

Everyone cheered and laughed as I ran after him. It didn't take long before I jumped on him and tackled him, leaving him breathless on the floor.

"You're quick...for a girl covered in cake."

"And you're stupid...for a guy who's dating me."

Oh's filled the room as people laughed at our comments. I kissed his cheek and got up. He still sat on the ground, looking at me in awe.

"Come on, Tiger. Let's have some actual cake now."

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Caleb found me on the beach not too long ago. I was in hysterics when he found me, however, I could not form words. He tried to calm me down by telling me everything would be fine. At that moment, everything hit me. I suddenly wasn't so naive anymore—I knew exactly what was happening.

"You were right," I finally said. "This war is so much bigger than I thought, than anyone would anticipate. But I still stand by what I said earlier. I need to protect my family and friends along the way. Satan had the nerve to go after Megan and, boy, was that a big mistake on his part. We need to fight back! He can't be in control anymore! He can't think he is so perfect anymore. He can't think he is unbeatable anymore. If he wants war, we'll give him war."

Caleb looked at me, his mouth hanging open. After a moment of silence, he closed his mouth, stood there for a second, then finally spoke up.

"What made you change your mind?" he finally asked.

"I'll fill you in later, but right now we need to get back to my house. I need to check up on something."

Caleb nodded and grabbed my hand. The moment he did so, I pulled my hand away. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could make a sound, I shook my head as the wind began to swirl around us. We both looked forward then closed our eyes, feeling the cool yet slightly warm wind chase each wisp.

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It didn't take us long before we landed in my room. At first, it was dark, then Megan walked in right after our feet touched the ground. She turned on the light and headed for my bed. I watched her as she crawled under my blanket and snuggled with Mr. Panda. The moment her head hit Mr. Panda's stomach, she started to cry. My heart broke into a million pieces.

"September, why did you have to leave?" she asked through tears.

"Megan," I whispered, knowing full well she couldn't hear me. "Megan, Little Monkey, it wasn't my decision."

I looked back at Caleb, who nodded. Stepping towards Megan, I took several deep breaths, trying to keep my emotions buried. Slowly, I sat down on my bed beside her.

"Megan, listen to me, it wasn't my decision, but it was my time. You'll understand when you're older."

"But I don't want to wait until I'm older," she whispered.

"Megan—" I began, then stopped.

I looked back at Caleb. His eyes grew wide, as did mine. Quickly, I got up and walked to him.

"Did she...did she just answer—"

Before I could finish, he nodded.

"How can this be? She's never been able to hear me before...."

"Maybe because you're so close to her and you had a connection that it triggered something...or maybe because she nearly died?"

"I don't know, Caleb, that sounds a little farfetched, don't you think?"

Just as Caleb opened his mouth to say something, a scream was heard in the kitchen. Megan's head popped up from Mr. Panda, her face the one of Snow White. I bolted out of my room and down the hall, the skirt of my white dress flying behind me. By the sounds of it, Caleb and Megan were behind me.

As I reached the kitchen, my stomach formed millions of knots as my mouth hung open. I screamed as I saw the horrific scene play out before me. Caleb stood behind me and turned me around so I wouldn't see. Slightly annoyed, I yelled at him to let go of me, but he wouldn't. Megan cried when she reached the kitchen and ran back down the hall.

"September, you can't," Caleb said.

"Caleb, let go of me!" I yelled.

Reluctantly, he did so. I turned back to where Mackenzie stood, a knife in hand. Ariel and Mom cowered in the corner, trying to remain calm but obviously weren't. Tyler stood before Mackenzie, trying to calm her down.

"Mackenzie, snap out of it," he said calmly. "This isn't you."

"You left my best friend to die," she responded. "How did I not see that earlier."

Wait, I've heard that phrase before, but from whom... Then it clicked. This wasn't Mackenzie on the inside.

"Mackenzie," Ariel squeaked, "he didn't leave her to die. He tried to save her."

Mackenzie turned to Ariel, who quivered. "Shut up!" She turned back to Tyler, rage in her eyes.

"I didn't leave her to die, Mackenzie, I swear."

"Yes, you did!"

She pounced towards him, knife in her right hand. Everything seemed to go by in slow motion as Ariel, Mom, and I screamed. Caleb turned me around so I wouldn't see. I heard Tyler yell in sheer pain. Unable to keep it in any longer, I buried my face in Caleb's chest and cried. This can't be happening...this can't be happening.

The sound of the knife hitting the floor filled my ears. It was the sound of glass shattering, followed by a deep and heavy thud. Every sound seemed muffled after that. The sounds of beeps from the phone were only shallow beeps, the sounds of sirens in the distance were just sirens. I cried harder as I realized what had just happened.

The door opened only moments later, followed by tens and tens of footsteps. A gurney's wheels squeaked as it was rushed down the hall and into the kitchen. I couldn't bear to turn around. Walkie-talkies buzzed in the background as I tried to pray for this all to be a dream. I turned around for a slight second.

Tyler was lying upon the gurney motionless. His side was covered in red. I turned back to Caleb and cried. Please don't take him...please don't take him. I closed my eyes for what felt like a minute. Taking a deep breath, I wished to be out of here. Within seconds, I was gone.

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The sounds of beeps filled the halls as we sat in blue plastic chairs. I felt as if I was witnessing my own death once again. Fear overwhelmed me as I waited for Tyler's results. Everyone was shaken up by this point. When the police arrived, Mom told them it was a mistake, that Tyler must have done it or something and Mackenzie was not involved—she had simply fainted due to the sight of blood. Somehow, they bought the story. I was grateful for the cover up, however, I wasn't sure if they were.

"I can't believe this...." Ariel said. "First September and now Tyler."

"Mrs. Jones, I promise you, I had no control...it was like I was possessed or something," Mackenzie said.

"Mackenzie," Mom responded, "it's okay. I believe you."

Mackenzie walked over and gave Mom a hug, who hugged Mackenzie back.

"You better get some rest, okay. We'll let you know how he is tomorrow."

Mackenzie nodded and gave everyone a hug. They all tried to sooth her by saying everything will be fine. She nodded and wished everyone a good night.

I spotted Caleb standing by a vending machine. Standing up, I took a deep breath then walked over to him.

"It's begun," I said. "Mackenzie was possessed."

"I'm aware, however, how did you know?"

I looked at him, then at everyone. It wasn't like anyone could hear what i was about to say, but in some weird way, it calmed me down.

"Mackenzie said the exact same thing the demon said. This was when I didn't trust Tyler or myself. I've known Mackenzie for nearly five years now and she would never say that. She knows Tyler."

"The question is, why is Satan going after your family and friends first? It makes no sense."

"It might not make sense to you, but it makes sense to me."

"How?" he asked.

I looked up at him. His golden eyes shined when the light hit them.

"Satan wanted me to be on his team. He thought the capture of Amelia would get me on his team, but when it didn't, he moved onto people who are more precious to me. For example, Tyler."

Caleb nodded as if it all made sense to him now. I understood Satan's plan, but I didn't know why he was trying so hard. I'm no one special.

"Mrs. Jones?" a doctor asked.

I walked back just in time to see everyone stand up.

"You can see Mr. Howard now. He is in stable condition."

"Thank you," Mom said.

The doctor nodded and walked away, the sounds of her heels clicking on the tile floor.

"Okay, guys. Are you ready?" Mom asked.

They all nodded. With a few deep breaths, everyone took a step towards Tyler's room and walked in. I followed behind them.

Tyler was asleep. A sense of peace overcame me as I watched him breathe. I sat down in farthest chair as everyone gathered around him. Megan gave him a light hug and whispered something in his ear. Mom kissed his forehead and Ariel hugged him, as well. Only moments later, they wished him a goodbye and informed him that they would be back tomorrow. I watched as they walked out of the hospital room.

The lights remained on as I looked at Tyler. Tears filled my eyes. I got up from the chair and sat on his hospital bed.

"Hey," I whispered. "I know you can't hear me because I'm dead, but I want you to know that I have always been here. I will never ever leave you."

A single tear trailed down my cheek and fell onto the white surface of the blanket.

"I...I have been trying to figure out what to say. And I knew that you wouldn't be able to hear me, but this is also for me." I looked down and grabbed his hand. Oddly enough, my hand did not go through his. Brushing it off, I continued to speak. "I love you, Tyler. And I have since our first date. You have brought so much light in my world and have shown me that I wasn't what made my dad leave. I didn't do anything wrong. It took me until meeting you to figure that out. I know we can't be together anymore, but always know, that I love you."

I kissed his cheek and lied down beside him. Brushing away the tears, I thought of the song that played during our first kiss. Humming, I sang the words in my head and thought of every moment we had together.

I said don't go, I need you here. Just hold me close until the coast is clear. And I will fall, I'll fall so hard, in hopes I land in your arms....

"What are you doing?" I asked, giggling.

Tyler picked me up and carried me over his shoulder.

"It's a surprise," he said.

I giggled again as he walked to his pool.

"Say geronimo!" he yelled.

Following along, I obeyed and laughed as he threw me into the pool. He jumped in quickly after.

We can watch the world go by, falling like stars in the sky. I'm never gonna let you go.

Your love's gonna save my soul. And after all we've been through fire and smoke. And through it all we've kept a hold of hope, while the world let go....

"September," Tyler said. "Count to three, okay?"

"Why?" I asked, smiling.

Tyler had tied a bandana over my eyes so I couldn't see what his mischievous plan was.

"Just do it. I promise, it'll be fun."

"Fine. One...two...three."

After I said three, he removed the blindfold to reveal dozens upon dozens of pictures of scenes from Disney movies. I gasped and turned to look at him.

"When...how...?"

"Today when you were at your birthday dinner. I wanted to do something special for you."

I smiled and kissed him.

"This is perfect."

If the moon doesn't come, and we're left without the sun, I will still hold you tight, while we wait out the night....

"Ahh..Tyler, put me down!" I said, laughing.

"Never!"

We can watch the world go by, falling like stars in the sky. I'm never gonna let you go. Your love's gonna save my soul. And after all we've been through fire and smoke. And through it all we've kept a hold of hope, while the world let go...while the world let go. I swore I'd never let you end up on your own. I'll always be around to let you know....

I smiled and waved at the camera as Tyler stood behind it. Making a funny face, I laughed, as well as Tyler.

"Well, Ms. September. What's today."

"It's our one month anniversary!" I yelled, jumping in the air.

"That's right. I've known this special girl for one month."

"Aw, and I've known this special guy for one month."

"I meant a different special, dear," he said.

I laughed and threw several leaves at him. "Hey!"

I'm never gonna let you go. Your love's gonna save my soul. After all we've been through fire and smoke. And through it all we've kept a hold of hope, while the world let go...while the world let go...while the world let go. I swore I'd never let you go.

"What do you want to say to the camera?" Tyler asked.

"Peace, peeps."

I made two peace signs and stuck out my tongue while I closed my eyes. I laughed after a second or so of doing that. Tyler laughed, as well.

"You are a dork."

"I'm the dork," I asked, laughing. "No, you're the dork."

—————————

I continued to lie in Tyler's bed, thinking of everything we have been through. Without keeping it in any longer, I cried and tried to fall asleep.