Serena's P.O.V.

The next few days went by slower than I had expected. But soon, it was finally the weekend. And the countdown to my 17th birthday had just begun. That morning, I woke up to T.J. shaking me awake. "Serena! Wake up! Do you know what day it is today?" she whispered loudly into my ear. "Mmm, let me think. Today we go to the mall?" I asked, pretending to think about it for a moment as I sat up in the bed.

"Yes! We're going to find your outfit for the concert!" She squealed, pulling me out of bed. She left the room, leaving me to get ready. I changed into a pair of black leggings and a short-sleeved white shirt. T.J. and I sat at the bar, eating a light breakfast as her Mom tried to convince us to let her go with us to the mall.

I had no problem with her coming along, but T.J insisted that we were old enough to go by ourselves. "I'm just asking because I've seen videos of celebrities getting mobbed," She reminded. "Mom, I don't think Serena is big enough to get mobbed by fans. No offense, Serena," T.J. said, shooting me a look of sympathy. "None taken," I smiled before taking a bite out of my breakfast bar.

A few minutes later, a loud beep came from outside. "Oh, that's Cameron!" T.J smiled as she ran over to the door and answered it. Blake and Dante were outside waiting for us. "Alright, girls. Have fun, call me when you're on your way back!" Mrs. McGibbon called out as we grabbed our stuff and walked out the door. We got into the backseat of Cameron's car, and it was one of those souped-up vans that had great air conditioning as well as heated seats that looked like leather.

"Thanks for picking up Cam!" I smiled at him through the rearview mirror. "No problem, Serena. I just got my license recently, and this a good opportunity to drive with my license for the first time," He grinned. I wanted to learn how to drive back in LA. But with the move to Toronto, Aidan's parents didn't have the time to teach me. But, I was hoping that I would learn to drive soon. We pulled onto the main road, and we drove for about half an hour until we reached the Dufferin Mall.

"So, any thoughts of what kind of outfit?" T.J asked. "I did some scrolling through Pinterest last night, and I was thinking something casual, but also cute," I answered. At the mall directory, we decided to look inside this store called Miranda's Dream. "I've been there a few times before. Eden got one of her dresses for the premiere there," T.J. said. My heart sank a little at the mention of Eden's name, but I quickly pushed her name out of my mind. I wasn't going to let the thought of her ruin my day out.

We walked around the mall for a while, keeping an eye out for Miranda's Dream, and after fifteen minutes of searching, we finally found it. The air conditioning hit my skin, making me slightly shiver. But almost immediately, I felt someone drape something over my shoulders. "I brought my jacket just in case someone got cold," I looked over to see Cameron smiling at me. 

As we walked through the different aisles, checking out some of the clothes, I was in awe of what I saw. Pants with sequin embellishments, shirts made by designer brands. Everything that a performer would wear to a concert. I had my eyes on a few shirts. One of them was a dark blue t-shirt that had ruffles on the front and led to the back. All the other shirts I could find were nothing compared to that shirt. Without hesitation, I walked over to the shelf and grabbed it.

In the dressing room, I looked at the outfit me and the cast had put together, and the longer I stared at it, I couldn't help but smile. It was perfect. I stepped out of the dressing room so the others could see, and their jaws immediately dropped. "You look just like a popstar!" Ethan said. My cheeks began to turn pink, and I told them that this was the one.

"You guys seriously didn't have to pay for my outfit," I smiled when we walked out, the bag with the clothes wrapped around my hand. "Consider it an early birthday gift," Blake smiled. I loved hanging out with the cast. They were just so sweet. As we walked in the direction of the food court, the smell of pizza and boba filled the air, making our stomach grumble like volcanos.

"I guess it's time for lunch then!" Dante chuckled. The cast and I split up as we went to the different lines for food. T.J. and I got in line for the boba stand, and I felt my mouth begin to water when I saw people walk past with their boba in hand. "Ever tried Boba, Serena?" T.J. asked. "No, I've wanted to try it, but I was worried Aidan would think it was weird," I answered. As we were about to move up and take our order, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, and I turned around to a girl with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes smiling at me.

"Excuse me? Are you Serena Waterbury?" She asked. "Yes, I am," I smiled, glancing over at T.J. for a moment before meeting the young girl's eyes. "Oh my god! I love your videos on Instagram! Could I have an autograph?" She asked, handing me a small notepad. "Sure thing!" I smiled, bending down and signing my name. "Thank you!" She smiled when I handed her back the notepad.

When we finally got our boba, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I looked up at the others who were having their conversations. I pulled it out, and I saw it was a group text from Emmy and Robert.

Emmy, Robert, Serena

Emmy: Hey Serena, there's something that we need to talk to you about.

Serena: Oh no, is it something bad?

Robert: No, it's not.

We know that the breakup with Aidan must be hard for you right now, but we heard something that we think you should know.

Serena: I don't want to hear about him and Eden hooking up or anything if that's what you're implying.

Emmy: Aidan talked to us a few days ago, and he said that he didn't cheat on you.

Serena: Yeah, right. That's what all cheaters say.

Robert: He said that while you were in the bathroom, Eden swam over and started harassing him about getting back together. He said no because he was with you. She didn't like that, and she forced herself onto him and kissed him.

I was stunned by what Robert had said. Part of me was in denial. But after getting to know them for a short while, I knew that they wouldn't be joking about something like this.

Serena: Are you sure he said that?

Emmy: Yes. That's why he wasn't there when Gerard and Steve called for us. He was onset during lunch break talking to us about it. 

My heart starting pounding inside of me as the thought of him talking to them crossed my mind. I had to talk to him in person about it. But make it clear that I was not getting back together with him. I wanted to hear about what happened from him. Not from Eden, not from the younger cast, just him.