~*~

He's back.

"Seriously. If I hear one more darn person whisper 'he's back', I'll break their faces." I stated through gritted teeth to Suvannah Waters, a childhood best friend of mine. She laughed softly as she ducked her head as people passed us by in the hallway.

I slammed my locker shut and started walking down the long hallway towards our English class. I did not hear Suvannah but I felt her walking on my side clutching her books to her chest, bowing her head as she walked right next to me.

"You can't break their faces, Gab. You're much too different than that." She pointed out.

I looked sideways at her. She was keeping her head down as she walk as to not make eye contact with anyone around her.

"Vanna, look up while you are walking. You might bump into someone." I told her. She shook her head, saying no. I sighed. Suvannah never was really comfortable with eye contact.

Or talking to people.

Or socializing with anyone.

Or stating her mind.

Well, she doesn't like being the middle of the attention. Which is usually fine with me because I hate being the center of attention too.

Except when they act like she's not there. That crap pisses me off. I mean I know she's quiet, but she is so not invisible. Just because we aren't that far up with the social food chain doesn't mean they could treat us like cow dung. I clenched my hands into tight fists.

"You're fuming. What's wrong, Gab?" She asked concerned. This time, she looked up. She never does that unless it is pretty serious.

"Nothing. Just thinking." I tried  give her a reassuring smile.

"Whoa. That's scary." She said back with a grin. I couldn't help it, I grinned back.

"You know me so well." I laughed and rolled my eyes at her.

She did too! We have been best friends since the first day of 7th grade when she started crying after punching Jayson Roux in the nose for picking on her during lunch. We've been inseparable every since. Jayson had yet to gain her forgiveness after that day.

I never knew her reason for punching him. She gets pissed when she remembers that moment. I laughed and told Jayson not to pick on someone stronger than he is. My group of friends at time just laughed about it. Jayson was close friends with my best friend at that time, Falcon. My heart lurched in my chest.

Falcon Daniels.

The only friend I had growing up. The guy I had a huge crush on since I first laid eyes on him in the second grade. A bunch of kids picked on me on the first day for being the quiet new kid. I did not know anyone and the school was so huge for me.

In the middle of being pushed against the wall by Amiliana "Ami" McAdams and her two clique bullies, Tivonne Severino and Winona Tylers, Falcon came up and helped me up while shouting at them not to lay their hands on me again. Back then, he acted as a personal bodyguard for me.

We quickly became best friends and couldn't be separated.

We did almost everything together. He was sort of the team captain in everything and his five best friends never once complained. He was born to lead and everyone was okay with that. He was really quite popular growing up. Everyone loved him. I don't blame him, he was perfect. He was the only guy I ever confided in. The only one I have ever loved. My only one true best friend.

Until the towns Christmas Bash of 2008.

I have grown to get used to many girls fawning over him. I even got used to seeing him date other girls in front of me. But I always knew it will never last.

I expected to see him holdings hands or talking to a pretty 8th grader back in junior high. What I did see was not close to anything I have ever considered or expected.

He had his first kissed.

My kiss.

With Ami McAdams.

That good for nothing witch.

Underneath the Christmas Wreath in the middle of the town square. Not that many people saw the lip action between the two

But I did. And my heart shattered.

I ignored him throughout the whole Bash. I saw him trying to find out why I was ignoring him. If he needs a valid reason, then he really is stupid.

"Gabrielle. Why -"

"Save it, Falcon. I really don't want to hear it." I shut my eyes and forced the tears not to fall. I will not allow Falcon to see me cry.

"Why are you ignoring me? What the hell am I doing wrong?" He asked desperately. Oh, hell no.

"Are you serious?! Do you really not know what you've done wrong? You are the only person who know every single thing about me and you have the audacity to stand there and ask me what's wrong?"

"Well, if you -"

"You know what, Falcon? I really can't take is from you right now. Please leave me alone." I looked away towards the live Christmas band entertainment playing on stage. The Christmas spirit these songs usually bring should be going through me right now.

But it's not. Not tonight.

It really isn't about him using up his first kiss. It's the fact that he used it on Ami. The girl who picked on me for as long as I can remember. The girl I have always hated. The worst part of it all was that Falcon knew how I felt towards her. He always knew.

By the time I looked behind me to see if Falcon was still there, he was already gone. It was probably for the best. I'll see him tomorrow anyways. I'll talk to him then.

The next day, I woke up feeling like crap but also determined to tell Falcon off. I sorta acted like a jealous person the night before and acted in the most childish way.

I walked to Falcons house to talk to him and his mother answered the door.

"Gabby. Hi, sweetheart." Brenda Daniels embraced me with a tight hug and looked at me with genuine happiness. "How can I help you, sweetie?" She asked with a smile.

"Hello, Brenda. I was just passing by and wanted to see if Falcon would want to go hang at our spot." I looked away and lied. I hated lying to Brenda. She's too amazing to be lied to. She looked at me with sad eyes mixed confusion.

"He never told you?" She asked quietly. I looked up at her and saw the sadness in her eyes. What was Falcon going to do?

"Tell me what?" Whatever it was must not have been important since he decided that he should stick his tongue down McAdams's throat last night. I was his least important priority on his lists during the Bash last night. I scoffed.

"Ah, well. You see, honey, he's not here." She said softly.

He's gone at 7:30am in the morning? Probably with Ami. My heart twisted a little as I forced myself to talk to his mom.

"Oh. Okay. Just, er, tell him to give me a call when he gets home." I said carefully. I forced a small smile up at Brenda before turning away.

"He-won't-be-coming-home-Gabby." She said rather quickly. It took a while for the words to register, but when it did, I froze. I turned back towards her.

"I'm sorry?" I asked weakly. Please be kidding, Brenda. Please be joking.

"He's went to live with aunt in Spokane. He'll be finishing the rest of the school year there and attending high school as well." She answered.

"How come he never told me?" I asked quietly, more to myself.

Because I pushed him away last night. Because I would not give him the chance to talk last night. But wouldn't he have told me that a long while ago?

"I'm not sure, baby. It was important that he stayed there for the time being. He just found out yesterday around 4 from his grandparents that they need his help. For, uh, ca-caring for his aunt." She stumbled on the last few words. She looked away from me and bit her bottom lips like she said too much. She was nervous, but why?

I, on the other hand, was slowly breaking apart on the inside. 4 o'clock in the evening? He tried to talk to me last night, but I pushed him away. He tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. I told him to leave me alone.

And he did. I was alone. Again.

"Earth to Gabby. Did you hear what I even said?" I was brought out of my sad flashback with Suvannah snapping her fingers in my face. I turned towards her.

"Sorry, Vanna, what were you saying?" She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"I said it actually is pretty scary how well I know you. Especially right now, when you don't even realize who is back." She gave me a confused look that questioned seriously?

I shrugged. "If I don't know by now, then that person is probably not important." I saw the reaction she gave me as I dismissed the topic. She looked... amused.

Shit.

"What? Who is it?" I asked her. She knows something. I don't. This is a first.

"Now isn't this a twist? I know something you don't." She said bemused. I did not think it was funny. At all.

"Har har. Are you going to tell me or not?" I asked her, faking a stern face. She put her pointer on her in and posed as if she if thinking hard on something. Then she shook her head no.

"Nuh uh. This is too much fun. You'll see that person when that person gets here." She looked up and smiled brightly with amusement that I decided to let her enjoy getting the upper hand of things since this is a rare moment where you find her smiling and not keeping her head bowed.

"Suvannah." Someone whispered in a shocked voice behind us and a gasped was heard soon after.

Suvannah's body went rigid straight and I could almost feel herself shook violently as she tried to stand her ground. Without turning around, just by judging the reaction Suvannah made, I knew who it was: Jayson.

We turned around to see Jayson standing there staring at Suvannah with wide eyes and an opened jaw. Behind him stood Alexander James, Maxon "Mack" Crawford, and the twins Cedric and Nicolai Vanderbilt.

"GUYS!" I ran the three-step space between us and hugged them tightly. These were the five guys I see almost everyday growing up. I had always used them as backup bodyguards until they left town a couple years ago to live with other relatives.

"Wow, Gabs. I'm guessing puberty did you very well, eh?" Mack said jokingly.

"Oh, the ever joking flirt. How is everything, Mack?" I asked him.

He wagged his eyebrows. "Oh, you know. Little bit here and little bit there." Suvannah and I groaned in playful disgust from his comment. The guys snickered.

"How about you, Ced and Nicolai?" I turned towards them and asked.

"Well, you know. It's been great. Moved back here to stay with Mom and Dad after being in Spokane with our uncle." Nicolai answered with a smile. Nicolai is very open and talks to anyone friendly enough to talk to him. He is the younger of the two and is one of the best pranksters known.

"I'm good. Although, this place really changed in the last four years. It looks different." Cedric is an entirely different twin compared to Nicolai. He only talks to those who talks to him first. He usually keeps his thoughts to himself unless they ask him to share his opinions on things.

To everyone, he's shy. To us, he's the most insane one of all. Almost all the diabolical things they have pulled were his idea, but he never gets in trouble because of his shy reputation in school.

The twins have always stuck together. Even back in elementary, they were never separated. Things feel a bit, odd, if they were to be separated.

"How's your sister, Alex?" I asked Alexander softly while giving him a supportive hug.

"She's actually very much healthier right now. She's been walking for a year already. She still has a lot to go, but she has gain her feet feeling and has passed all the therapy needed. Thanks for asking, Gab." He said with a genuine smile.

"That's wonderful. I'll come by later to check her."

Alexanders' sister Leila got into a driving accident back when we were in the 7th grade and she was in the 4th grade. Her friends father got hit by a drunk driver while on their way to drop Leila home.

Her leg got squished and smashed together in the car and she became temporarily paralyzed from the thigh down to the toes. But according to Alexander, she's walking again. As amazing as miracles go, Leila is pretty awesome. It's hard to see her ever sad.

She is as protective of her older brother as he is of her.

"I'll go with Gab. We'll see her together. See if we can talk her into sneaking out and TP'ing Jaysons house." Suvannah joked to Alexander.

"I see you haven't stopped thinking about me, babe." Jayson spoke up finally. His face had a full smirk plastered on for Suvannah.

"If you are referring to all the well thought-out homicide thoughts I planned for you, then yes, you were always on my mind." Suvannah said through gritted teeth and clenched fists.

"I'll take what I can get." He flashed her a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I bet you do." She shot back. His expression fell and it soon turned to an angry one. She turned towards Alexander showing Jayson that their conversation is over. We all sent secret sideway glances and grins to each other.

Two things can be said about their situation.

One, they absolutely can not stand each other. I grew up with Jayson and have always seen him smile for almost anything. Only one person can rile him into madness - Suvannah. She knew which bone to pick.

As for Suvannah, she got used to these boys being with us. These boys and I were the first people she hung out with since the seventh grade when she was the new kid. She stuck with us and they will protect and guide her as best as how they would with me. She has no problem telling these boys anything because we have all been together through thick and thin.

She loves everyone of them equally, except one guy - Jayson. I have never witness a peaceful moment between them. At times, we never know what they are arguing about.

Oh, and the second thing is that they are very, very, very much in love with each other. It is pretty obvious to point out. All the couple arguing and hatred spurring out of their mouths. They absolutely love each other.

It's just that they don't know it yet.

Or felt it yet.

Or thought about anything else other than trying to rip each others head off - yet.

Alexander shook his head and chuckled. "I'm sure she'd want to have the two of you over anytime. She absolutely looks up to the both of you."

"Gee, it's a wonder why though." Cedric laughed. We all laughed along.

"Shut it, Ced." Suvannah retorted and laugh. I absolutely love the non-face-bowing, open side of Suvannah. With the help of these boys, she forgets about being shy. She's never nervous towards them.

I don't remember a time when I did not have a blast around these guys. They were all older than Suvannah and I and although they try to protect us, we have grown to be strong for ourselves throughout the years when they all left to go live in Spokane with their various families. They all left around the same time shortly after Christmas in the eighth grade.

Coincidence? Very, very coincidental.

"Are you all staying in town for a while?" I asked them all.

"Yeah, the plan is up until graduation." Mack said, smiling.

"Or until we find the prin- oomf!" Nicolai was hit on the side of his stomach by Cedric before he could finish. Alexander shot Nicolai a glare while Mack cleared his throat.

"What Nicolai meant to say is at least until we all slept with at least a couple of the these girls who seemed to have bloomed beautifully." Mack said instead, while trying to seem interested in a red-head that passed by our group.

"Gross. You are such a guy." I scrunched up my nose in playful disgust. Suvannah did an 'ugh' sound and we laughed.

Although some things never change, one thing did - they are hiding something from us. I shrugged off their behavior to what Nicolai was saying and looked up at them.

"So are you guys planning on trying to dominate the sports ranks - again?" I asked gleefully. They all flashed their boyish grins at me and nodded. A few girls glared at us while passing. Probably hating us for being with these guys. It always happened before. We should be used to it but not having to see these guys in years made us get used to different things instead.

These guys have dominated every sport they try out for. It has always been the five of them along with Falcon. The six beautiful, knights in shining kneepads.

My brothers from the heart.

"The six of us will be topping every game this season. Feels so good to be a Knight again. It's really been a while, huh boys?" Nicolai confidently said.

"I'm sure every team is playing for second place. It really is obvious who is the best." Suvannah cheerfully said. I smiled and nodded happily.

That's when I registered what Nicolai just said seconds ago.

"Wait, don't you mean the five of you?" I corrected him, pointing out his mistake.

"Actually, Gabrielle. He means the six of us." A sexy, silky familiar voice said behind me. It's that same velvet voice I hear in my dreams.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for what is expected to come before turning around to face the man that voice belonged to.

I silently gasped.

He did too. His eyes widened a bit and shortly after started to recover from his shock.

"Hello, Gabrielle." He smirked, knowing full well that I am as shocked to see him as he is to see me.

Holy sweet mama alpaca.

Falcon Daniels.

He's back.