“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Samantha! Happy birthday to you!” My parents, Suzy, Glinda, Jessica, and Emma cheered. I gazed into the fifteen flames that were burning bright. All the flames seemed to morph into one as my vision blurred. I blinked rapidly and focused my eyes again on the fifteen candles. I took a deep breath and as I let my air blow out the candles the name Zac flowed through my mind. The candles were out and everyone clapped.

“You are now officially my age!” Glinda shined as if that were some great accomplishment. She ran up to me and hugged me and my other friends followed her into one giant group hug.

“Say cheese!” My dad brought out the camera. Cheese was it. I felt like I was in the middle of a Sweet Valley High book. “Oh there’s only three more shots left on this roll, let’s use it up!”

“How about I get one of you with your parents Sam?” Suzy offered.

“That’s a great idea, thank you Suzy,” my mom said.

As soon as that picture snapped Glinda was quick to direct the other two, “We’ll sit over there in front of the mantle!” She lead the pack, “how’s my make-up look?” She asked Jessica. It amazes me how superficial my friends can be sometimes. Glinda, Jessica, and Emma aren’t really my crowd although I didn’t know Jessica or Emma very well. I just assumed since they hang out with Glinda so much that they must share a lot of Glinda traits. Posing in front of the mantle with my “friends” I missed my real friends from back home in Tulsa: Zac, Taylor, Isaac, Jessica, Avery, Mac, and little Zoe that I’ve hardly gotten to see.

Almost instantly, as if he was thinking of me at the very moment I was thinking of him, the telephone rang. I bolted to get it.

“Hello?!” I was hopeful.

“This is your birthday song, it isn’t very long! HEY!” Isaac, Taylor, and Zac all sang in a short unison.

“Hey guys!! I’m so glad you called!”

“Happy birthday Sam! It’s just Isaac now. What’s up?”

I walked out of the kitchen and up to the stairs so I could have some privacy. “Just blew out the candles actually. How’s it going with you?”

“Pretty good. Our first single, This Time Around is getting radio air play!”

“That’s great! I can’t wait to hear it! What’s it about?”

“Actually we sent you a promo copy of the cd the other day so that should come soon, you’ve got to let us know what you think, we put a lot of work into this one. Um, This Time Around is about breaking free of oppression, fighting for what you believe, you know?”

“Sounds deep! Did you finish your love song?”

“Oh yea! I did, that’s on the album too, called it Love Song. Lyrics came out pretty nice if I do say so myself.”

“Can you sing some of it for me? Pleaseeee...” I begged, I’d been dying to hear how he finished it, the guitar part I heard before sounded so pretty.

“All right since it’s your birthday and all,” he laughed then began to sing, “In this life long love song you can love right, you can love wrong, in this love song you can love long but if you love wrong it doesn’t mean loves gone. It doesn’t mean love is gone just because you’re feeling low and it doesn’t mean love is gone cause you feel like you want to let go-o.” Isaac’s voice flowed full of soul.

“Wow, Ike, that was really nice. I think I have a new favorite song!”

“Wait until you hear the other ones, then tell me you still like my song best.”

“Ehh, I think it sounds really sweet. I mean personally, I guess I can relate. If you love wrong it doesn’t mean love is gone... do you believe that Isaac?”

“It came from the heart and I believe it from the very bottom Sam. I think you should believe it too..” He trailed off, “Looks like my turn is over, happy birthday again, here’s Tay!” Isaac was gone before I could ask him what he’d meant by that last comment.

“Samantha! How’s it going?” Tay’s voice was full of energy.

“It’s going all right, say, where are you guys right now anyway?”

“We’re home! But not for long! It’s promotion time!” He said “time” with a heavy accent and it sounded more like tahm. I giggled.

“I wish I were there with you guys!”

“Haha, sounds like Zac’s new song for you! Did you get the cd yet?”

“No, not yet, he wrote me a song?”

“Sam, he’s ALWAYS writing you songs. Anyway, you’ll hear it, you’ll know which one I’m talking about when you do hear it.”

“I can’t wait! So Tay, how’s it going with Zac’s, um, girlfriend?” I felt a little embarrassed asking Taylor about it but it would be even more awkward to ask Zac.

“Uhmm, I’d tell you, but it’s Zac’s turn to talk, he’s waiting soo patiently right here,” Taylor chuckled, “So maybe you’ll ask him?” Taylor sounded quite sly, “Anyway, happy birthday, we’ll see you soon!”

“Hi,” Zac’s voice was deep and sounded friendly.

Feeling the need for more privacy, I walked up the stairs to my room, “Hi Zac. How are you?”

“I’m doing just fine, how about you birthday girl?”

I glanced over to my nightstand where I saw the necklace Zac had given me just a little over two weeks earlier. I picked it up and held it tightly in my hand remembering that night when Zac had placed it back in my hand for me to keep. It was too nice of him, to give me that and to let me keep it. Definitely too expensive. I know he can afford it, but still, I didn’t deserve such a luxury. “I’m all right, I kind of wish this birthday was back home, but what can I do.”

“Yeah.. it’s great here, I know what you mean. You can still come visit some time. You haven’t seen the new house yet! It’s huge compared to our old house.”

“Thanks. I’d like that,” my comment was followed by an awkward pause, “Soo..” I broke the silence.

“We’re coming back to the city,” Zac stated.

I wasn’t sure if he meant that he’d want me to come see them or if he was just saying that to make conversation, “That’s cool, what are you guys up to there?”

“Promotion. We’re doing TRL I know that. End of the month, we’ll be there the 30th,” he proclaimed.

I looked to my calendar. March 30, it was a Friday, very doable, I tested it, “That’s a Friday, maybe I’ll come check out the show..”

“Uh yeah, that would be pretty cool. Do you want to come to TRL?” he asked.

“Sure.”

“Okay, we can get you on the list. I’ll tell you the details later cause I don’t really know them now.”

“That’s fine. It’ll be really great to see you again,” I confessed as my face reddened; I couldn’t help it.

“Mmmhmm..” Zac didn’t quite agree or disagree with me, “So did you get the cd in the mail yet? We mailed you the promo copy,” he changed the subject.

“Nope, not yet. I can’t wait to hear it! Ike sang me a bit, it sounds great!”

“Yeah, we helped produce this one, it was fun. Too bad only one of my songs made the album cut,” Zac didn’t sound very bitter, he said it more matter-of-fact like.

“I heard.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot that you and Tay have been talking a lot. Ironic, isn’t it?” He didn’t wait for an answer, “But yeah, Tay’s got the lead on most of ‘em this time around. Pun intended.”

I laughed for a minute and feeling more comfortable now, I asked, “So how is your girlfriend?”

Zac paused, then replied, “She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just someone I’m seeing. It’s too hard to have a girlfriend when you’re doing promotion, you know? Anyway, her name is Hannah.”

Hannah. What a nice name! It had a much nicer ring to it than Sam. Sam is a boy’s name, Hannah is a name fit for a queen. The jealousy bubbled in my mind, but I did not let it slip from my lips, “That’s a pretty name.”

“Yep,” was all he replied. Things were getting too awkward.

“Zac, thanks so much for calling, it was nice to hear from all of you, but I should be getting back to the party, I don’t want to be rude.”

“Yeah, of course, nice talkin’ Sam, we’ll give you a call later about TRL, k?”

“All right, bye!”

So I was going to get to see the Hansons again! I smiled warmly envisioning them. And Zac... we actually talked. I guess this means that we will be friends again. So what if there’s a Hannah in his life, I’m back in his life again too, and that means a lot.