"Well, today's the last day you get to spend with us, Mary. It was so much fun having you around, really. You don't know how boring it gets with the same people everyday," Kate told her.

"Hey! I'm not boring!" Olivia defended us.

"Yes you are Liv. I know I'm not anyway," Scott said with a smile.

"Oh yes, life with you Scott is a thrill ride," I said with a deadpan voice.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Anyway, if we're ever in the area of where you guys live, come and see us, we'll put you on the list to get backstage. We'll hang out, go do something. Ok? So, we'll talk to you later. It was great meeting you and Tiffany."

"Yeah! It was great seeing you. Come visit us." Liv shouted to her.

Natalia ran up to her and give her a little hug. "It was so nice to see people who care! We'll miss you. See you soon."

"Bye! Thanks for the support," I shook her hand.

Tiffany was busy saying goodbye to the Moffatts, she didn't have enough time to say goodbye to us. Which was good anyway, because I think Natalia would have pulled out her hair if she had to hug her and be nice for one more second. It's easy to be nice to a person you like, but I think we all feel a little guilty now about leaving Kate alone to defend herself with Britany Spears.

We watched them get in the limo that took them to the airport.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," Clint said as he ran to catch up with us as we were heading back into the tour bus.

"That was the longest three days of my life," Dave said with a sigh.

Liv glanced at Scott who was wearing a white tee shirt with an opened dress shirt. I didn't know what Liv was thinking at the moment, but I could guess. Scott looked pretty hot right then.

"Hey, Liv," Clint noticed she was staring at Scott too. "Liv!" She looked at Clint.

"Oh, sorry, just thinking about something. What was it that you said?" she said, trying to look innocent.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted to go do something this afternoon, maybe go have lunch or go play mini golf," he asked her, slipping an arm around her shoulder.

Olivia wormed her way out from under his arm and looked ahead of her. "Oh, sure. Whatever you want to do, honey. I'm just kinda tired. That's all," She looked at me and bit her lip.

"Sara, can I talk to you? It's kinda important," Olivia motioned to me to come over to her. We walked into the bathroom and Olivia told me her problem.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so happy with Clint, but I can't help but still wonder what life would be like if I was with Scott. I see him and every once in a while the old feelings come back. I'd never ever think of hurting Clint, I love him so much. But I want to get rid of Scott so badly. I want him out of my mind forever." Olivia said as she slid down the bathroom wall to sit on the floor. She wiped away a tear.

I thought for a moment before giving her any help. "You still like Scott, but you love Clint now. You have to find a way to get over Scott that isn't going to damage you and Clint's relationship or put Scott in any physical danger," Olivia laughed. "But seriously, we still have a few more weeks with them. You can't get away from Scott, you can't just forget about him because he's always gonna be there. Just don't make Clint feel as if he is playing second fiddle to Scott. Clint is your life now,." I finished dispensing my advice and helped Olivia off the floor.

"Are you gonna be ok? Scott is not worth getting this worked up about, believe me. You love Clint and that's all that matters. Let's go back out there now. Let Clint know that he's loved," I washed her face and opened the door.

BOB

I crawled out of bed and rubbed my eyes. I threw my pillow onto Kate's bed and started to sing.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you," I began to sing.

"Ohhh, shut up, will you, Bob? I'm so tired," Kate said, throwing the pillow back at me.

"Oh come on! It's your birthday! Get up!" Dave jumped down from his bed and started waking everyone up. "Come on! Come on! Everyone wake up, it's Kate's birthday," He walked back to Kate's bed. "Want me to make you a birthday breakfast?" he asked her.

"You do that, Dave," she said putting the pillow over her head. Everyone started to wake up and congregate at the breakfast table. Sara ran to the bathroom with a towel in her hands.

"Ha ha, I get first shower." she joked.

"Goddamn you Sara, it's my birthday. I should get first shower," Kate said pouting.

I walked over to Sara with my best smile. "Do you need any help while you take your shower? You know, if you need someone to wash your back or something like that?"

"No, but I'll take a raincheck." Sara said sarcastically. She shut the door and I went back to wake up Scott and the rest of the guys.

When everyone had finally finished getting ready, it was around noontime. "So, Kate, have you picked out where you want to go for your birthday dinner?" Sheila asked her.

Kate thought a bit. "Um, somewhere small, I just want a quiet dinner. I'd like to eat on a balcony though. It's been so nice outside the past couple of nights."

"Ok, I think we can arrange something like that," Sheila said slowly. "So, you guys have today off, I'll drop you off at the movie theater or something like that. You can wander around at the mall downtown, or whatever you'd like, ok?"

The tour bus dropped us off in front of the Galleria Mall in the downtown area. I sauntered over to the girls who were making their way to the mall.

"So, Kate, I don't know what to get you for your birthday. Can you give me some ideas? Or I could take you guys to a movie. Clint and my treat." I said.

"Yeah, we want to take you out for some fun." Clint said, holding Liv's hand.

Nati was taking picture after picture of Kate. "Do me a favor and get her out of my face." she said sneering at Nati.

"What's your problem, Kate? Why are you suddenly so mad at the world?" Olivia asked her.

"I don't know, everyone's making such a big deal about it. I just want a small get together, Ok?" Kate said pulling open the mall doors. "And you really don't have to get me anything if you don't want to."

"Don't be stupid, we're gonna take you guys to the movies. 'Notting Hill' is playing and we know you have been wanting to see that for months. Let's go see if it's playing now." Clint told her.

We made our way to the movie theater inside the mall. The theater had two showings of 'Notting Hill'. One screen was playing at 1:40 and screen two was playing at 2:15.

"It just depends if you want to get lunch now, or after the movie. How hungry is everyone?" Sara asked.

"I can live, I can just get some popcorn or something to keep me happy for a while," Kate said.

"Kate, you know how much I love you, right, but I can't see 'Notting Hill', I'll go crazy in the first five minutes. I'm sorry, I'll give you a present tonight, ok? I'm gonna go find Dave and Scott, see what they're doing. Have fun!" Natalia said as she walked down to the boys.

We bought our tickets and went into the movie theater to get settled. The theater was empty when we got there, except for a few people. We spread out and laid back in the chairs waiting for the movie to start.

"Bob," Sara whispered to me. "I know you really didn't want to see this movie, and I think it's really nice that you are taking us to go see it. It's really sweet of you." She sat back in her chair and we enjoyed the show.

KATE

As much as I wanted to watch 'Notting Hill', again, since I went last week with Olivia, I really needed to get out of there. Sara and Bob were making out in the row behind us and Clint and Liv were snuggling happily. I couldn't take anymore of the couple thing. I whispered to Liv that I was going to go to the bathroom and I bolted out of the air-conditioned, popcorn scented, sticky floored environment.

Finally, outside in real daylight, I looked around me to see if anyone was around. I could get at least half an hour, forty-five minutes without them noticing I'm gone.

I wandered through the mall, checking out stores and drinking my soda. I was rounding the corner when I saw Scott sitting by himself by the fountain, reading a book. I was so desperate to talk to someone, that I overlooked the fact that I was supposed to hate him and I walked to where he was sitting.

"Hi," I said. I guess I sounded kind of sad because he looked a bit concerned.

"Hi, where's everyone else? Weren't you going to see a movie?" He asked me.

"Yeah, they're still in there. I couldn't take it anymore, they're all so in love, I actually started getting sick. So I told Liv I was going to the bathroom and I left," I sat down next to him.

"Oh," he said and he looked somewhat sad too. "Kate, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

I closed my eyes and tried to get myself prepared for the worst.

"I've been feeling so bad for the past week about the Britany thing, and our fight and I really want to apologize for the way I acted."

My eyes popped open and I glanced at him and then looked back at the floor. Was he really saying this?

"I was really rude and fact is I did deserve some of it. I know I've jeopardized our friendship and it's been hurting me for the past week and I'm really very sorry. I just want you to forgive me," he looked at me.

I felt like an ass. What was I supposed to say to this? I was mad at him for so long and I never thought he would ever apologize to me, especially mean every word of it. I slowly managed to get out a broken sentence. "I, h-have to get back to them. Come with me," I nodded my head in the direction of the movie theater and tried to think of an intelligent thing to say to him.

"I really am very truly sorry, Kate. I know I've been kind of an ass to you and it took me a while to realize that. " We stopped outside of the movie theater and stood there silently. He looked so vulnerable and small standing there, not the same Scott we all knew. "I never meant to hurt you. And I understand if you never want to speak to me again, because I probably wouldn't speak to me either," he looked at me sadly, and ran his fingers through his hair. "I just," he stuttered, "I wanted to tell you how sorry I was without everyone around. I wanted you to believe me this time. I know how I can be and I've been in agony for a while because I thought I lost you." He looked at me suddenly as if he didn't mean to tell me so much of his soul.

"And I understand if you can never trust me again. I can understand if you never want to be friends with me again. I can even understand if you never want to speak to me again. I just want to be able to die with the satisfaction that I tried my best to get you back in my life." He looked as though he was going to cry. He didn't mean to say all the things he had, something in him just broke and he began an out pour of all the feelings he had had for me these past weeks. I was speechless and touched and angry that he hadn't said anything sooner. But I couldn't let him go on feeling so horrible. I brought his face to mine and kissed him. Not to shut him up or to taunt and tease him, but to tell him that I understand him and I want him to be a part of my life as much as he wants me to be a part of mine. I felt as free as a bird and as stupid as a hypocrite at the same time, but I didn't care. I kissed him and he kissed me back and we finally forgave each other.

Noises came from around us suddenly. A voice came from behind. "Hey, what's going on here?" Olivia's voice broke us apart from our kiss. She looked heartbroken.

"I see you have finally made up. Well I'm glad. Are we all friends again?" Bob asked us. Scott looked at me and nodded. He took my hand and led me over to where the group was congregating. Olivia and Clint held steadfastly together, although Olivia looked like she was breaking apart from the inside out. Sara and Bob looked delightfully content. Bob still had traces of lipstick around his face and Sara was a bit reddened, but all the same, they were happy.

Clint must have noticed Olivia's uneasy look on her face. She had tears in her eyes as she gazed upon what she always envisioned herself doing with Scott. She saw her dreams shattered because Scott had finally picked me. She knew it all along, but she never let herself believe it and so now, she had to come to terms with this. Clint closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from blowing up in her face. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He knew she wasn't crying from the movie, she was crying because she still wanted Scott. And Clint couldn't face this either.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Sara asked with concern.

"I," she started but couldn't finish. Sara took her over behind a display and talked to her. After a few minutes, Clint slowly walked over to the display and listened to their conversation. He covered his face with his hands and tried to wipe away the tears before anyone noticed. He walked to the exit of the mall and left the building.

Scott and Bob ran after him, and I walked quietly to Sara and Olivia. Knowing Olivia, she didn't want to talk to me. I was stealing away her dreams.

"Can I help?" I asked in a small voice. Olivia didn't look at me, but Sara talked for her.

"She still loves Scott. I talked to her this morning, she was gonna try to get him out of her mind. But when she saw you two kissing, it all came back and she just needs some time alone now. Lets get back to the bus and clean her up." Sara picked Olivia up and led her outside. Standing there were Scott, Bob, Frank and Sheila.

"What's going on with Clint?" I asked Scott.

"He blew up. He's inside the tour bus freaking out. He told us he needed some time alone. He won't talk to anyone," Scott said, shaking his head. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

Olivia looked up at him and swallowed. "I need to talk to him, he's got to let me in," she said slowly. She walked up to the bus door and knocked on it. She opened the door and shut it behind her.

"Come on," I said. "We should go find Dave and Natalia. God knows where they are." Sara and Bob looked at us and nodded. "We'll come too," Sara said.

OLIVIA

I crept up the tour bus steps and ducked just in time to see a stuffed animal fly past my head. "Hey!" I shouted.

Clint stopped suddenly and looked at me. "What do you want?" he said breathlessly.

"I want to talk to you," I said slowly so the tears wouldn't come so fast. "Can we talk?" I sat down at the table and he sauntered over and sat across from me.

"I knew you never really loved me. I knew it, but I just wanted everything so perfect that I tried to keep it from entering my mind too many times. But I can't forget it now, and so I'm letting you go." He buried his face in his hands and I could hear him crying quietly.

"No, no, I don't want to go. The feelings for Scott, they are gone now. I want to be with you," I tried to make him understand me.

"How can you say that? Honestly? How can you say you love me without feeling anything towards me?" He looked at me with probing eyes. They made me uncomfortable.

"I do love you. Scott was my first love, I wanted him so badly that I honestly believed that I was the only right girl for him. I felt this was for so long, longer than I have known you. But once I found you, I realized that all these feelings for Scott I had mistaken for love, and that I only lusted over him. I don't love him." I hoped I had gotten my point across.

Clint shook his head. "No, no. You loved Scott so much, there was no room in your heart to let me in. You wanted to get your mind off of him, so you came to me." He stood up and wiped his eyes, but they brimmed with bitter tears again. "You're heartless, do you know that?" And he left me shocked on the bus, as he went outside to the harsh midday sun.

KATE

"Happy Birthday, Kate!" Nati said happily, as she presented her gift to me at dinner. "I hope you like it, Dave helped me pick it out today, so basically it's from both of us." Nati and Dave were off having fun when the whole Scott/me/Olivia/Clint thing happened. They were still innocently content with their lives. But to me, I began a new life with Scott, but broke another life with Olivia. She told me it wasn't my fault, but I knew she harbored some feelings of resentment against me. Sara and Bob were a little more subdued than this afternoon, having witnessed everything, but not been a part of it. They have a good relationship, I hope they can keep everything happy.

I tore open the brightly wrapped package to reveal a coffee mug with a cat on it. Inside the mug were chocolate kisses and M&Ms. "Thank you! It's so cute! I love it." I beamed with happiness.

"Remember when we saw 'Ten Things' and I kept doing the Kat thing?" She got me to thinking of all the fun times we always had together, and I almost cried.

"What's the matter?" Bob asked me, suddenly concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing. This has just been a really great birthday dinner. I'm really grateful to all of you for making it so special," I smiled and wiped the tears of joy from my eyes.

"Well, we're just happy to be a part of it.," Frank told me. "Now, its been a very long day, and we have a long drive tomorrow, so lets finish up here and get back to the bus. Why don't you kids go look at the garden and then get back to the bus? Sheila and I have to pay the bill."

I got up from my chair and Scott followed me to the garden. Frank and Sheila really did a wonderful job finding a place to eat. We sat under the stars in a little garden filled with purple and blue flowers. There were benches all around and a little water fountain in the middle. I picked the bench farthest from the crowd and sat down. Scott sat down next to me.

"Did you have a nice birthday?" he asked me.

"Yes, it was wonderful," I answered him dreamily.

"I wanted to give you your present when everyone was gone," he told me, taking out a small book from a bag lying at his feet.

"What's this?" My eyes danced with pleasure as he handed me a small leather bound book that smelled of rose petals. I turned open the first page and read the inscripture aloud.

"To Kate, my first love. No more apologies, because love means never having to say your sorry. You've filled the void in my life with your radiant smiles and incredible kisses. I hope you never leave my life again. With all my heart, Scott." I turned to him and a tear ran down my cheek.

"It's for your writing. You can write songs, poems, whatever you want. Do you like it?" he asked me timidly.

"Oh, I love it. Thank you so much, Scott." I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He gently pulled me back and kissed me. His mouth tasted sweet, like coffee and sugar, and I never wanted to let him go.