Two steps forward, one step back.

"Shit!" I screamed at 10:50 blinked back at me from the alarm clock.

Scrambling from my bed I fell face first onto the floor in a tangled mess of sheets, I was late for school and I seriously was not happy about it!

"Sapphire! Are you okay?" Reed asked breathlessly as he stood by the door.

"We're late for school!" I mumbled before blowing a strand of hair from my face.

"We have no school today." Amusmant shone in Reed's beautiful eyes immidiately making me feel like a fool. Luckily for me my arse hurt from landing on the floor enough to keep me from focussing on my foolishness.

"Oh shit yeah. Do you want to make me some breakfast?" Nodding his head Reed left the room with a chuckle. I take back being lucky for having a boyfriend like his, I mean okay so he's making me breakfast, but he left me on the floor didn't he!

Slowly I untangled myself from the mass of sheets, out of breath and still tired I pulled on some shorts and a bra to find my wardrobe had no tops left in it. Thank god Reed see's me in my bra all the time, at least it wouldn't be embarrasing walking down in front of him half dressed.

My mind began to drift to last night. For the first time in a while I had just fell asleep listening to the melody of Reed's heart. Everything just felt so right! I really wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with him, but saying that I realise I don't want to say that just yet. Things change... I hope this doesn't though.

Humming a catchy tune I walked downstairs, through the kitchen, to the toilet and finished getting ready until I walked back into the kitchen and froze. There were nine pairs of eyes staring directly at me, the girls eyes filled with amausmant while all the boys, including my brother (!), were staring wide eyed, some amused while others (like my brother!) were in shock and were very uncomfortable.

Screaming I covered my top half up, which was still only covered by the pretty revealing lacy bra.

"Yeah I was just about to find a top! My wardrobe... it's half empty!" I tried to explain while rushing out the room to the ironing basket. There I pulled out the first top which I could find and covered myself up with it. It was extremely lucky that it was the one I wanted in the first place.

Glowlingg red I wondered back into the kitchen where everyone was yet to recover. The first to break the silence was Chrissy who all but pissed herself laughing.

"Please little sister, I really don't ever want to see that much of you again!" Harry stuttered trying to cover his embarrasment also.

Looking around I noticed two people who II don't usually expect to see, Grace and Danny stood together with an awkward look about them. That's when I remembered that only yesterday they were all in a mood with me.

"Hey guys, why are you all here? I thought you hated me." I exclaimed, impatience suddenly hiding in my voice.

"Well, Danny and Grace explained about the note to us last night before the concert." Said Shane.

"Yeah, I've been ditched by my friends because a note just like that was slagging them off. And obviously it had been between me and you. So I realised what was going on and came and saved your but!"

Laughing I walked over and hugged Danny, I was so grateful that he had helped me out when he had his own problems.

"So how do you fit into all this Grace?"

"Well, I overheard them talking about the note when I was walking to my lesson so questioned Danny boy here, he hadn't got a clue what I was talking about and since I'm good at reading people I knew he was telling the truth. So then I came with him to explain to you guys. Simple as."

Nodding the guys each apologised for doubting me, of course I forgave them but a trust had been broken between us and we could all feel it. Strong friendships are meant to last because they trust and believe each other, yet my friends seem to have lost that trust with me and I don't know why. Maybe I'm a changing person and that leads them to believe they can't trust who I am now, who knows? I don't care! All I'm saying is that things change and the frienship is one of those things! You get me?

The rest of the day was spent in a swimming pool which we had brought recently. It wasn't one of those built in ones, we can't all be fancy people! No, it was wooden on the outside and took us freaking ages to build! It was huge though so I guess that that was an up side.

It was a great laugh and there was practically no arguments the whole day. When I say practically I mean we have to disinclude the argument between Shane and Finn, it was the whole who would win in a fight argument again. Instead of a Bee and a Shark this time however they managed to be inventive and came up with... a monkey or a duck.

Shane's argument was that a duck would win because it could fly out the way and dodge all the monkey's advances! But the Finn came back with, yeah but the monkey isn't stupid like a duck. So this argument went on for a while and then they concluded that the duck would win because It just would. Yes you heard it folks, a duck would beat a monkey because it just would. No reason why, it just would beat the monkey. Sometimes I wonder wheather my friends were dropped from great heights and landed on their heads when they were born. So they have their smart moments, but those are at the ratio of 9:1 The 1 being the smart moments.

"I'm glad to see you here again Harry. I thought surely you would have been bored of me just after one night!" I slurred, alcohol running through my system.

"Sapphire, are you drunk?" He question while laughing loudly.

"NO! I'm completely sober!" I denied before standing up and swaying over to where Reed stood. "Honey I love you lots and lots and lots and think we should ditch this party and go and have..."

"Sapphire! Our friends are here!" He cut in quickly his voice breathless but at the same time amused. He wanted to cut out, I know it!

"But I know you want to. They'll never know! They never have to find out for eiether. We could always go in the pool!"

"Right here guys!" Chrissy giggled. So I was a light-weight and the only one drunk, but who can blame me...

"Yeah we can go in the pool to swim you got that? To swim."

Nodding my head I allowed him to drag me to the swimming pool before throwing me in. The water was shockingly warm, I guess It must have been the heating system but it was still a shock. It sobered me up slightly however and when Reed jumped in I was able to look at him without feeling as though everything was spinning. When he swam over to me he wrapped his arms around me and attacked my lips with a hungry kiss. Eagerly returning it I was pushed against the side of the pool (which was the tiled stuff thats water proof, not wooden like the outside.) and I groaned out loud. The moment was ruint when Danny and Grace jumped into the pool and dragged us away from each other.

"Sorry guys, we've been placed on operation 'make sure Reed and Fire don't shag while we're still here.' And that, is what I call a close call!" Grace exclaimed while Danny smiled widely at our upset faces.

"But... but this is our house!" I tried weakly, they just smiled and released us however.

They stayed in the pool for a while after that. Once realising they were only there since me and Reed were I hopped out in dissopointment and grabbed a glass of vodka.

"Ah ah ah, you've had enough to drink missy!" Harry grabbed the glass from my hand but handed it back with wide eyes after I gave him a violent death glare.

"If I'm not allowed to have sex with Reed in the pool then I can have my juice. Has you got that!" I growled, he nodded and backed slowly away before walking to Shane and questioning him about my behaviour.

Everyone steered clear of me a while as I silently fumed over the fact I couldn't have sex, hey in my defence I was drunk. I wasn't thinking straight, If i was sober I would have most definately got over it straight away and had a good laugh with everyone.

It was only ten minutes later when everyone else was begginging to get a little drunk aswell, by the point I had came up with a plan to get Reed alone.

"Reed! My tree has got stuck behind that tree! Could you come help me get it!" I shouted across the garden.

"But it's only behind the tree, can't you get it yourse... coming!"

"You should really go help her if it's stuck behind the tree Reed, I mean, she could get hurt herself!" A swaying Grace said, concern lacing through her voice.

"Yeah I agree, it's a dangerous thing retrieving lost shoes." Danny agreed.

Nodding along Reed walked over, took my hand and dragged me behind a tree. That's where we resumed our fierce make out session. I have to admit it was so much easier on land than in the pool, at least we didn't have to paddle to stay afloat. His hands drifted down my sidesand slipped under my shirt. Stroking the bare skin before moving his hands further up I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"I KNEW IT!" Chrissy screamed with glee as she caught us in the act. "Some of us are still sober you know. In fact there are three of us who haven't drank at all so don't thinl you can get around us!" Once again it was over too soon.

With a groan Reed ducked his head into the crook of my neck before kissing the spot softly.
"Mayeb later. I give up. Stupid good for nothing friends." He mumbled in dissapointment pulling me over to the deck chair and sitting me on his lap.

"You know Sapphire, I am extremely lucky to have you. I love you millions. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I cold say the same for you dear. I love you more thank life itself, I really do, and that's not just the alcohol talking you know. I hope this never changes." Giving him a swift kiss I lay my head on my shoulder and stayed that way for a while.

I let my eyes roam around the garden and found each of my closet friends laughing with happiness or fighting over the stupidest things (like who would win in a fight) and I realised that right noe everything was going so well. Danny and Grace may have not have been my closest friends but they were quickly fitting in and Harry was apart of my family. Part of me feared change for a moment, with everything like it was I wanted it to stay the same, but then when do people get what they want in life?