Chapter 42
Toni entered the apartment to see Kristen sitting at the table reading some things and a bunch of suitcases in the living room. "Where are you going? We're supposed to be going out soon and you're not even ready," Toni said worriedly.
"Oh, well, there's been a change of plans," Kristen said.
"What do you mean there's been a change of plans?"
"I mean I talked to my mom while you were gone and I'm moving back home."
"Why?"
"Because I told her everything that has happened to me and she thinks that I should go back home and try and start things over with my life."
"She thinks? What about what you think? Running away from your problems isn't going to make anything better."
"I'm going. I miss my parents."
"So pay them a visit after your birthday!"
"Okay what is going on with my birthday? Why are you so anxious for me to stay here?"
"I just am. Okay, here's the deal. If me or the guys can't change your mind about moving back home by tomorrow night we will let you go without any say about it. Is it a deal?" Kristen looked at Toni for a minute.
"It's a deal but only because I know you're up to something," Kristen said getting up from the table.
"Thank you. Now hurry up and get changed please."
"Yeah yeah," Kristen said going into her room and shutting the door. At about a quarter till five Kristen walked out of her room ready to leave. "What are you writing?" she asked when she saw Toni sitting down at the table writing something.
"Oh just a letter to my mom," Toni lied getting up and leaving the letter she wrote to AJ on the table.
"Don't you want to mail it while we're out?"
"No, I'm not finished writing it yet. Let's go."
"Where are we going anyways?"
"Out to dinner now let's go." Five minutes after they pulled out of the apartment complex Angela and the guys arrived.
"Did Kristen or Toni say anything about going on vacation or something?" Angela asked when she saw all the suit cases in the apartment.
"Not that I know of," AJ said.
"AJ, there's a letter on the table for you from Toni," Howie said handing him the paper as AJ read:
AJ,
You're probably wondering what all the suit cases in the living room are for because I wondered the same thing when I came home. Kristen was planning on moving back home tonight. And thanks to me once again I convinced her not to. But if we all can't change her mind by tomorrow night then she's leaving and we have no say about it. That's the deal I made with her to get her to stay for the whole deal with you tomorrow. So be very thankful. Whatever you are doing for her better be good enough to get her to stay here. She can't run away from her problems. She hasn't realized it yet but she needs you so make it good or you'll lose her when she moves back home. See you all in a couple of hours and try to make things looks good. Tell Nick I said hi.
Toni
"Oh this is just great," AJ said sarcastically.
"What is?" Kevin asked.
"Kristen wants to move back home and Toni says it's up to me tomorrow to convince her to stay since she convinced her to stay until tomorrow night."
"Bone, just after we sing that song tomorrow night she will fall for you and stay. You have nothing to worry about," Howie said.
"I hope so. Oh, Toni said hi Nicky."
"Where?" Nick asked looking at the phone to see if anyone was on it.
"In the letter dumbass."
"Okay guys we need to get stuff together. Brian can you go pick up the cake?" Angela asked.
"Yeah, I'll be back," Brian said about ready to walk out the door.
"Wait!" Angela yelled at Brian causing him to turn around. "I don't want you to go get it now."
"Why?"
"Because you might screw it up. Kevin will you go?"
"Sure thing. I'll be back in a few," Kevin said leaving.
"I might screw it up?" Brian asked.
"Don't take it personally but you did before. I still love you though," Angela said giving him a kiss. After an hour and a half everything was set up and they were waiting for Kristen and Toni to get back.
"I think I ate too much," Kristen said walking to their apartment. "But thanks for dinner."
"Hey, I have to do something for your birthday. I really don't want you to leave. You know that don't you?" Toni asked.
"I know but I still need to go," Kristen said opening the apartment door. She felt the door hit something and then heard a low groaning noise. "What the hell?" Kristen said softly to herself as she turned on the light. Everyone jumped out and yelled surprise at Kristen. "Holy shit," Kristen said jumping back running into Toni. When Kristen saw who everyone was she took a deep breath. "You guys scared the crap out of me."
"That's the thanks we get for throwing you a surprise party?" Howie asked coming up to Kristen.
"No. Thank you this was sweet. Please don't scare me anymore though."
"We'll try not to. Happy Birthday," Howie said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"So this was why you were in such a hurry to get me out of the apartment today?" Kristen asked Toni.
"Well, they needed to decorate," Toni said innocently.
"Thank you. What did I hit when I opened the door?" Kristen asked shutting the door to see Brian there holding his head.
"You hid behind the door?" Angela asked going up to him and helping him to his feet.
"I didn't know she was going to hit me with it," Brian complained.
"Just out of curiosity Frick, how exactly did you think they would get in the apartment, by climbing in a window?" Nick asked laughing.
"Nick you have no room to talk," Kevin said. "You've done stupider things that Brian."
"Oh thanks a lot cuz," Brian said sarcastically.
"Why don't we go in the living room and you can open your presents from us," Angela said taking Kristen's arm and leading her into the living room.
"Why are you being so quiet?" Toni asked AJ.
"Because I have to ask Kristen to go out with me tomorrow night and I'm afraid of what she might say."
"Don't worry about it, AJ. She'll say yes. If she says no I'll make her go anyways."
"Okay, why is AJ getting to spend more time with my girl then me?" Nick asked putting his arms around Toni.
"Because I like him better than you," Toni said giving Nick a quick kiss.
"That's not going to happen," Nick said. The three of them then joined the others in the living room.
"Here, this is from me and Brian," Angela said handing Kristen a box. Kristen opened it to see a scrapbook. She opened to the beginning of it to see a pictures of her and her friends in high school and pictures of the junior and senior prom. The scrapbook was put together very nicely and everything was put together by theme.
"Where did you find all these pictures?" Kristen asked.
"I called your mom to see if she had any pictures and she found a box in your room full of pictures. She also sent me some of you and your family that she had," Angela said. Kristen turned more pages to see pictures of her and her family.
"I didn't know you had a little sister," Nick said as he pointed to a picture of Kristen hugging a crying little girl.
"That's my niece. My mom took this picture the day I left home for college."
"You two must have been close," Kevin said.
"We were. I was more a mother to her than my sister was. Every time she went on vacation with her mom or I went on vacation with my parents whenever one of us got back she would always run up to me and hug me not letting go." Kristen was looking through the pictures of her and her family as her eyes began to water which AJ took immediate notice of.
"Maybe we should let her go home for awhile," AJ whispered into Toni's ear. "She misses her family."
"I know but we can't let her move back. She can't run away from her problems," Toni whispered back. AJ just nodded his head in agreement.
"This is from me," Howie said handing her a box. She opened it to find a bunch of blacklite effective candles and incents. "I figured you would like more candles and stuff to go with your room."
"Yes, I did, thanks Howie." Kevin handed Kristen a card and she opened it to see a check in there for two hundred dollars. She looked at Kevin weird when she saw how much he was giving her.
"I thought you could use that more right now than anything materialistic," Kevin said.
"You're right. I could. Thank you," Kristen said giving him a hug.
"Hey you can't forget about what me and Nick got you," Toni said giving her a box. Kristen opened it to see velvet sheets.
"You actually found me velvet sheets?"
"Yes. I knew how much you wanted them but couldn't find them. I had to have them things made and it cost a lot of money. It just shows how much I love you."
"Thank you, I love you too."
"There's more at the bottom of the box," Nick said. Kristen pulled the sheets out of the box to see and envelope. She opened it to see two concert tickets.
"Two tickets to the house of blues concert? Who's playing there?"
"Let's see, L.F.O. , Youngstown, and last and definitely least Britney Spears," Toni said.
"Thank you so much! Hopefully Britney Spears sings last that way we can leave," Kristen said.
"I thought the same thing then I remembered her fine ass dancers, TJ and Jerry. I wouldn't mind staying to watch them boys move."
"Hey, remember me your boyfriend?" Nick asked waving his hands in Toni's face.
"Hey, I can look I just can't touch. Right Kristen?"
"Oh definitely. I think I will have to stay to see them two boys."
"Okay who is TJ and Jerry?" Angela asked.
"It's the two hottest guys of Britney Spears's dancers."
"Oh that tells me a lot."
"We'll be sure to get you lots of up close and personal pictures," Toni said.
"Excuse me? Have you totally forgotten about me? You better not be getting too close and personal," Nick complained.
"Oh keep your pants on. I haven't totally forgotten about you," Toni said with a smile. "Now let's go cut the cake," Toni said getting up followed by everyone else.
"Hey," AJ said going up to Kristen.
"Oh hey AJ."
"Listen, I'll give you your present from me later okay?"
"That's fine, now come on," she said taking his hand and pulling him into the dining room. Angela lit the candles and they all sang happy birthday to her.
"Now make sure you make a wish before you blow them candles out," Kevin said. Kristen thought for a minute before making her wish.
'I wish my life would go back to normal' she thought as she blew out the nineteen candles. AJ grabbed a knife a cut the first piece of cake for Kristen and put it on a plate for her and went to hand it to her. "Thank you AJ," Kristen said as she went to take the cake.
"Anytime," AJ said as he smashed the cake in Kristen's face. Kristen wiped the cake from her eyes and opened her eyes and looked at AJ in shock. He was standing there busting up laughing along with the others.
"That was just so un called for," Kristen said as she grabbed AJ's head and smashed it into the cake. Nick was about on the floor laughing as he looked at both AJ's and Kristen's faces.
"Nicky I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," Toni said.
"Why not?" Toni grabbed a piece of the cake and smashed it into his face.
"That's why." Finally they all joined in the cake fight except for Angela who stood there.
"You know, I think I would have to die if I ever went to a birthday party with you guys and there wasn't a cake fight," she said. Brian looked at her.
"I love you," he said before he threw cake in her face. They were in a cake fight for only about ten minutes when everyone got cleaned up. Kristen went in her room to change when there was a knock on her bedroom door.
"Come in."
"Hey, I got your present for you," AJ said walking in with a big box.
"Thank you," Kristen said opening the box to see the outfit and shoes he bought for her and all the accessories Toni bought.
"Toni helped me pick the outfit and shoes and she bought all the accessories to go with it. Do you like it?"
"Yeah, I love it. You did good, thank you," Kristen said giving AJ a hug.
"Well, I bought you the outfit for a reason."
"What's that?"
"I want to take you out tomorrow for your birthday and I knew you would want something new to wear if you went. This is something really special and I would really appreciate it if you would allow me to take you out tomorrow."
"AJ if you went to the trouble to getting me all this stuff to wear then I'll go out with you tomorrow. What time?"
"About six o'clock."
"Alright, I'll see you then."
"Thanks Kristen," AJ said leaving her room.
"Well, did you ask her?" Toni asked going up to AJ.
"Yeah."
"What did she say."
"She said yes."
"Well, that's great. Now since you started this little cake fight I'm giving you the honor of helping cleaning it up," Toni said handing him a rag.
"Hey a party ain't a party with a cake fight," AJ said as he started wiping up the cake on the wall.
Chapter 43
