Recap:

                "I talked to Simon," Harry paused for dramatic effect and I groaned, "He watched all your videos and said you can be the opening act for our tour, if you're okay by then."

                     I screamed in excitement, and Harry laughed, my family and the band mates running in. I told them what happened and they congratulated me. I smiled and me and Harry watched each other silently, just happy that things were okay.

                    My eyes widened as a sudden realization dawned on me. I jumped in my seat and tried to get my feet off the bed.

                    "What's wrong?" Harry asked hurriedly, worried.

                "I need to Christmas presents! We're having a family dinner party thing less than two weeks!' I yelped as Harry and the other's laughter filled the air.

                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------

                       It turned out the Christmas dinner was actually less than a week, not two weeks. I as asleep, unconscious, for a week since surgery.  By now, Christmas dinner, or Christmas Eve, I should say, is two days.

                          I have so much Christmas shopping to do and with an upcoming tour coming up this summer, I was excited, but nervous at the same time. New Year's Eve, I was invited to attend the Syco party, so I get to meet Simon there and we'll have a meeting two days later discussing contracts and all the legal stuff.

                          Then that's when all the tour practices start a week later.

                     My thoughts were cut off as I felt my earplugs gently being pulled out of my ear. My fingers that were drumming on my thigh came to a stop and I lowered my feet off the dashboard.

                         "We're picking up your car, then you can drive off, but be safe."

                        I nodded at my mother, excited to finally get my car back after forever at the auto shop. My thoughts wandered back to that night when it was snowing and the car swerved, breaking something and the Santa Claus mechanic came, much to my disappointment. I'm still looking for a Taylor Lautner to appear sometime.

                          Since it broke down, Dad has lent his car to me and he took the bus to work or a cab, usually mom's car. She doesn't work. She likes to read and cook. I think she even joined a book club called something not very creative, The Book Club.

                           My mom parked the car and while being the civilized person I am, I ran, no, sprinted to the warehouse. I skidded to stop at the opening of the massive garage, my eyes widened.

                             "Eliza Hunter, what--- oh." My mom stopped in mid-sentence, her laughter filling the air as she caught up with me.

                             I looked around the place and my hand reached to the collar of my T-shirt and shook it, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

                              My mom's eyes scanned the shop before turning back to me, "No honey, I think it's them."

                               Breaking out of my reverie, I laughed, collecting myself. No one noticed our little exchange, gratefully, because one of the local radio stations was playing. This place was filled with sweaty, dirty Taylor Lautners. Some with tanks, shirts, some with none. I know where I'm spending my days at now.

                                 I ignored the one old man with the graying hair and beer belly, that could give me nightmares. He should put that shirt on to cover his hairy chest. But if he's confident and wants to show it off, I won't interfere.

                          A guy turned around and stopped in mid-lip singing, wiping his hands on his jumpsuit pants, leaving black stains. He approached us and I mentally prepared myself to be spoken to by a hot goddess.

                             "Lo sentimos, usted estaba alli mucho tiempo?" My eyes widened and my romantic runaway dreams were crushed when his voice was hardly recognizable and spoke in a different language. I'm too lazy to learn another language, plus I failed French because I slept in that class.

                              My mom and me glanced hesitantly at each other before back at the man who's name tag on the dirty, old jumper read Launder, very close to Lautner though. His smile faltered when we didn't answer and his deep laughter bounced off the walls, honestly frightening me a little.

                                   "Sorry, practicing for fun. You're not Spanish?"

                                    Obviously not, we would have responded if we knew Spanish.

                                    "Only know Ahola," I responded even though it was a rhetorical question.

                            I felt their two pairs of eyes look at me strangely before my mom's slow voice spoke, "That's Hawaiian." My face flushed and my mouth formed an "o" shape. Maybe I failed school more than I thought.

                         "Moving on..." I interjected the embarrassing moment, trying to take the attention off me and my tomato face.

                              After the Christmas shopping, I arrived at the my flat late in the night, hands full with gifts the stores wrapped for me. I cursed and gently laid the presents on the floor when I realized I left the flat key in mom's car and reached under the mat and unlocked the door. I pushed open the door, greeted by all my flat lights turned on.

                              Scared, I slowly crept into the living room with the gifts, keeping the door open for a quick escape. I'm pretty sure I turned off all the lights.

                              Suddenly a silhouette walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, making me scream and drop everything. At least nothing could break.

                              "Eliza!"

                              My eyes widened as I looked at the man standing in my apartment, "Ronnie?" His mouth spread into a grin and I smiled, running into his arms and hugging him tightly.

                               "How did you get in?" I asked, exhilarated to see him.

                               "The Hunters are always keeping their keys under the mat." He responded, a little French accent overpowering some of his British accent on his words.

                           I laughed and followed Ronnie to the couch. "How's the French University treating you?" 

                              "Hot girls, almost everywhere I turn." I laugh, shoving him lightly. Leave it to him to talk about girls. He shrugs and I roll my eyes, reaching towards the remote and turning on the TV.

                           "So I've been told many things that may or may not be true." Ronnie started, shifting his weight awkwardly and running a hand through his black hair. I raised an eyebrow and nodded my head for him to continue. "Many bad things." His made a pointed look to my stomach and out of habit, my hand reached down and touched the scar, my mind flashing on everything.

                              I sighed heavily, leaning back into the couch, "Yeah. It's been eventful, but on the bright side, I have been discovered for my amazing talents of juggling!"

                              We laughed before I spoke again, "I mean, singing, but we all know I have mad skills juggling."

                          Laughter bubbled through Ronnie's lips as he nodded his head sarcastically. I laughed too as I remember the talent show we had for our parents and I was intent on juggling. Let's just say the show ended with my mom's favorite vase in shattered glass pieces spread on the floor.

                                "So my guess is your staying or----" I trailed off for him to fill in.

                                He rolled his eyes, "No, I'm running to China and coming back for dinner in two days." Ah, that's my sarcastic Ronnie. I reached forward and ran my hand through his hair, messing it up. His arm wrapped around my neck as he brought me to his arm pit and messed up my hair as revenge.

                                   "No noogies! Stop!" I cried, swatting my hands in the air, trying to get him off of me. Ronnie's laughter and my attempts stopped as we heard a throat clearing on the doorway. I looked up and saw an awkward looking Harry on the doorstep, his feet shuffling side to side. He looked weird, a look confusion crossing his face mixed with some hurt. But I knew better than that, he probably was just confused of who the guy attacking me was.

                                    Guess I left the door open.

                                     "Um, am I interrupting something?" Harry asked slowly, still standing outside.

                                     I coughed, sounding very fake, "No, come in and close the door behind you, will you?" He nodded and trudged in, doing as I asked. I stood up and found myself in the middle of Harrry's tall stature and Ronnie's sitting figure.

                                    "This is Harry Styles from One Direction, I'm opening for him on tour." Ronnie's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, jumping to his feet. I started to speak again, "And this is Ronnie, my childhood best friend who's been in France for college. He's like the brother I want-but don't."

                          They looked at me weirdly and I shrugged, I was never that amazing at introductions, no one really is. Except Niall, yeah, with his deep announcer voice he can do.

                       "So Harry, what are you doing here?" I asked, slowly, "In a nice way of course." I quickly addded the last part to my sentence on last thought. You could never really make that sound nice.

                            "I--uh--was wondering if-----" His eyes looked at Ronnie as he trailed off before looking back at me. I got the message and asked if Ronnie could leave us alone for a second. He nodded before walking to the kitchen, mumbling something about food.

                                 When Ronnie was gone, he still didn't respond, he kept his hands in his coat pockets so I decided to initiate the conversation, "Yeah Harry?"

                                     "Oh, yeah, um, I'm going to my parents for christmas, but I'll be back for New Years for the Syco party. Since we're both going I thought, why not, let's go together......as friends." He added on second thought, finishing his question quite awkwardly. Poor Harry.

                                  "Sure."

                              "Sure?" Harry asked, looking surprised, I nodded my head, giving him a strange look.

                           "Harry are you feeling okay?" He nodding before saying his good byes and leaving. He seemed a like his head were in the clouds, in a dream-like state. I watched him peculiarly walk out before Ronnie peaked his head out from behind the kitchen door.

                              "Are you dating him?" He asked, before deciding it was safe and walking back to the couch. I quickly responded, my voice loud.

                               "No way! We're just friends."

                               "So you like him?"

                            "No, Ronnie! We're just friends." He nodded like he believed me when obviously he didn't. I groaned and saw Ronnie stuffing pieces of popcorn in his mouth. I quickly reached across and grabbed the bowl, putting it in my lap and stuffing the buttery puff balls in my mouth.

                          He stole it back and hissed like a cat. I laughed, my stomach cramping. He grinned and took the TV remote, changing the channel to a movie. My eyes widened as the movie title showed across the screen. Ronnie clumsy fingers quickly scrambled to change the channel. He knew it was her favorite movie we used to watch all the time. My mood dropped drastically.

                         Tears started to fill my eyes as I willed them not to show. Suddenly an overwhelming thought overpowered me.

                             It's Sophia's anniversary of three years.