Nothing more than a dream.

I sat up in my bed, terrified of what I had just seen; my younger brother and his best friend staring down at me, two inches from my face. His best friend was about to kiss me.

"Dillon! Cole! Get out of my room!" I stood up and pushed them out. Dillon could be so annoying sometimes, especially when he had the demon Cole with him. Dillon is only two years younger than me, almost fifteen, but Cole was a month and a half older, making him seventeen.

I shook my head and lay back down on my bed. "And to think he used to be MY best friend," I told myself, speaking of Cole.

We used to be partners in crime; the terrible twosome. That was us. When something went wrong in the neighborhood, everyone knew who it was. But that was all before my thirteenth birthday; the worst day ever.

~the flashback~
I woke up excited about my party my parents were throwing. It was going to be my first real party without my parents constantly looking over my shoulders. It was going to be one of those parties no one will ever forget. Well it defiantly won't be forgotten.

After my parents left, after presents and cake, the party started going in the same direction as most preteen parties go. And yes everything eventually led up to spin the bottle. Really bad idea.

There were about six guys and four girls there, including myself, sitting around the glass soda bottle waiting anxiously to start playing. I don't even remember whose genius idea it was to start playing.

I didn't go first. Ashley one of my female friends went and the bottle landed on Brandon her brothers best friend that she had a crush on. She was pleased with the result.

When it was my turn to spin, it unfortunately landed on Cole.

"Shit!" I muttered to myself and then groaned. I didn't want to kiss my best friend, that would just be too weird. So I refused to kiss him and thus the game ended right there.

Ever since that day I have been called a wimp by all my friends. I grew away from all my female friends and I clinged to the guys, well except Cole.

Cole thought that since I didn't kiss him that I didn't like him at all. Not even as a friend.

~end flashback~

Unfortunately for me today is my seventeenth birthday. Exactly four years since that horrible experience.

My parents have been planning a party for me for weeks and it's today.

"Dahlia Marie get down here or your going to have to drive your brother to school late!" My mother yelled from downstairs.

"Ok Ma I'm coming!" I yelled back. I ran downstairs after pulling on my Catholic High School uniform. I hate that stupid thing.

"Ma where's my red hair ties?" I asked, referring to the hair ties the girls were required to wear at Peninsula Catholic High.

"Right here next to your keys," she pointed them out. They lay on the table where I usually sat in the mornings.

"Ma those aren't my keys." I said noticing the shiny new key next to my hair tie.

"Yeah they are," my mom said laughing. I finally began to catch on to what she was saying when my dad walked into the room with a video camera.

"Happy Seventeenth Birthday Dahlia!" everyone yelled, including my brother and Cole who had just walked into the dining room.

Before they could say anything else I ran outside and screamed. "OH MY GOD!!!! AHHHH!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!" I yelled running back inside to hug both my parents.

In the driveway was a new Shelby Mustang. "Its so pretty daddy!" I said after lifting the hood and gasping. I took after dad, I love cars. Dillon would rather go play video games than help my dad with one of the cars.

I kissed my father's cheek and got into the front seat. "Aww, I love it so so much!" I said in almost pure bliss.

The leather seat felt so good on my leg. I cranked the radio to discover how good my system sounded. But then I looked down at the clock.

"Oh shit! Dillion let's GO!" I yelled to my brother, who came slowly trudging out the door holding his gameboy ds. "Get in!" I said rolling my eyes.

After Dillion got into the car, wouldn't you know it, Cole came running up to us.

"Damn nice car Dahlia," he said trying to be smooth. I rolled my eyes at him knowing what he was going to ask for next.

"Get in Cole," I told him. And after I was being so nice to him, he tells my brother to get in the back seat. "No no no. Sorry Cole, you're in the back."

As he grumbled angrily, I just gave him an evil smirk and then cranked Evanescence over the stereo to drown out his disgust.

We pulled up to the senior parking lot to Peninsula Catholic high school ten minutes before the bell was to ring. My "friends" came over just as I was stepping out of the masterpiece that was my new car. A Friday will never seem as sweet as today did.

"OMG!" my friend Liz actually said O-M-G.

"Dahlia oh my god is this what your parents have been hinting at for the last month and a half? This car is sexy," Drew, my gay best friend, stated emphasizing the word sexy.

I thought Cole and my brother had left and gone to class but, just my luck, Cole came up to me and put his arm around my waist. I turned and glared at him.

"Cole. What the HELL do you think your doing?" I asked.

He just smirked. "So Dahlia you gonna let me take her out for a drive?"

I smirked in response. "Yeah." I said in a sultry, seductive voice. "The same day that you stop being an ass."

I turned my heel and walked toward the school. I made it into my first period English class just as the bell rang. Cole unfortunately was late. Poor thing...hahaha.

Our teacher, Sister Mary Lawrence, was particularly pissed when Cole slowly walked though the door. "Mr. Cole Thomas, would you like to elaborate on why you are late this morning?"

"Sure." He smirked at me.

"Oh no." I muttered under my breath.

"I am late today because I was left mentally broken down, when I was turned down this morning by Dahlia Greene," his smirk turned into a pout.

Every one of the girls in my class turned and glared at me. Cole is considered a 'sweetheart' by everyone, well except me.

"Now Dahlia, why did you do that?" Sister Mary asked.

I looked around to the glares around me. "He wanted to drive my new car! Its not like he asked me out or anything. Now that the pity trip is through can we please go back to English?"

English seemed to fly by, the hour and a half class was over just as we finished writing our daily journal entries. Mine was titled:

Oh My Sweet Jezuz-Birthday!
Seventeen years ago, at 5:53 pm, i was born. Bright blue eyes and blonde curly hair made my parents truly believe that they had been sent a gift from god.
I now look at myself in a compact mirror as i write this daily entry. Blue eyes turned green and blonde hair turned red. Typical irish girl.
Well today's my birthday and i was given a new Mustang by my parents. I appreciate them so much...

As I was walking to my next class, Trigonometry, Cole came up to me in the hallway to pester me again.

"Please Dahlia," he was basically begging on his knees. "Please can i drive your new pony?" He took my right hand and began to kiss it.

"No Cole," I replied, snatching my hand away from his lips. "Do you even know how to drive a stick shift anyways?" I shook my head and began to walk away from him.

"Well at least let me take you out tonight for your birthday?" he asked still on his knees behind me.

I froze where I was, literally a foot from my classroom door. I turned back towards him, an awestruck look on my face. My brain was screaming at me, "NO NO NO."

Cole got up from where he was still kneeling. "Come on Dahlia. Ya know that I owe ya one.