We never pay attention to those little things around us; until they get bigger.

-THEO

Caleb Parks' POV

So far, the Gala was going according to plan.

In a bid to celebrate Halloween, we all had masks on.

I had met with various businessmen who asked for my talents or presence in their events.

It's cliché for people to believe that money rolls out faster when a musician is in the room, but who was I to complain?

It got to a point where everyone looked antsy as if they were waiting for something, and I had a feeling I knew what it was.

Dinah approached me and offered me a warm smile, "The guests are requesting you to sing. How 'bout that?"

I nodded in response and quickly downed the rest of my champagne. I stalked forward to get to the middle of the room while Dinah gripped my coat.

I turned around, giving her a questioning look. "Can we talk when you finish? There is something I need to tell you."

I reassured her that I would come to her after I was done singing.

I continued walking to the middle of the room and saw Jack talking to Mr Leonard. I fought the urge to grimace.

In the music industry, everyone needs someone to rise to the top, and someone needs everyone to get the money rolling.

As I said, a musician in the room is sure to draw in money.

Mr Leonard is Marcel's rival in the music industry. He hasn't had any luck finding the next big hit, as he likes to put it. Because of that, he has been trying to get me to sign out of Wellington records and start working for Stuart studious.

I approached them and nodded at both of them. Whenever I am forced to be within three feet of that man, I turn into Shawn.

"Have you changed your mind about joining me, son?"

Only Marcel calls me that, so it's not my fault my face undergoes a chemical reaction. My expression changed from the neutral one I got going on tonight to icy and irritated.

"Not sure if there was anything to consider in the first place, right Jack?"

You see, as a public figure, I can't disrespect someone at a party like this. Sure, if we were in a place where no one in the room had been a guest star on E! News or Kentertainment. And if the place wasn't crawling with undercover paparazzi, then I would have no qualms in putting this man in his place, for trying to paint Marcel as the bad guy or take his place in my life. And it doesn't help matters that Marcel is not here.

Jack got the hint and continued my dig at Mr Leonard, "That's right, Caleb. Why would we leave the house and go into a trash can."

But Jack was not a public figure; he was my manager. So if he were to insult anyone. Nobody's reputation goes down the drain except if the person who was at the butt of everything were to react.

"So are you gonna perform because if you are, I'll have a contract out before you finish?" He says. Our slight insult to his profession goes over his head.

Jack rolls his eyes and sighs, "Mr Leo, your offer has been recognized and declined for like the 20th time this evening. Do us a favour and stand back. So that I can introduce Caleb to the guests?"

Mr Leonard wore a grim expression but complied.

Jack used a fork and hit the top of the wine glass in his hand. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Welcome everyone to the party. I hope that you are all enjoying yourselves, but not too much, " A slight laughter filled the room at Jack's attempt to make a joke.

"It's time you guys had a live visual on America's most loved musician. A round of applause for the sensational Caleb Parks."

I grinned at the crowd, who erupted into applause, and a spotlight from nowhere appeared on me.

This is not my first rodeo; it didn't come as a shock when the guests started bringing out cameras and notepads with pens.

I started singing the new song I wrote. Surprisingly, it felt like I was going down memory lane. And I felt a bit saddened by the fact I wanted someone who would hear this song and not see me as just a person who was good with words or a boy with good vocal cords.

Someone who would not only listen to the song and dance to the beat but feel the lyrics and see the story I paint, but that person was in a high school party.

I finished the song and cast a smile on the crowd. It didn't reach my eyes, but it's not like anyone would notice.

I walked through the seas of people towards Dinah's office.

I knocked on the door and walked in. Dinah still had on her dress, but she had an apron on top of it, a paintbrush in one hand and a pallet in the other.

I shrugged off my suit jacket, put it on the floor and rolled up my sleeves.

"That was quite the performance you put on. Are you going to tell me what was going through your head? Or am I going to have to trick it out of you?" She didn't turn around and continued to paint a dress.

"Since it's Halloween, can't I get a treat first?" I grinned at her.

"Well played, but last time I checked, treats are for good little kids that do what they are told."

"Good thing I'm not a kid then." I huffed and went to stand beside her.

"Well played. She is rubbing off on you already. Jack told me about your earlier splat with Leo."

I rolled my eyes as his name was called. I decided to not comment on it because the last thing I need is to go into this with Dinah. She already how that man tried to make me bite the hands that fed me.

"You can act mute all you want, but I know you like her."

I threw my resolve out the window, "What gave you that idea?" I gave her an incredulous look.

"It is a mother's intuition. I saw the way, you two looked at each other the other day. Too bad you are both too stupid and stubborn for your own good. Funny how you both complement each other." She went on to continue her painting.

The yellow and red cluster around the canvas, and some parts have a more orange hue than others. The red creates a chaotic effect, while the yellow calms the chaos. It was like a flame of fire.

"Let's believe for a second that I feel something for her." Dinah let out a mocking sound to that, but I ignored her. "How do I get her to like me for who I really am?"

She huffed and finally turned to look at me with an exasperated look.

"I would have sworn I raised a competent young man, but you proved me wrong." She said in annoyance.

I furrowed my brows, "Thank you."

"You like her, and she likes you. All that's left is for your pair of idiots to grow a pair and face the truth headstrong." Her features softened as she wiped away some paint from my face.

"You both need each other to face your demons before they eat you up." Then she had a cheeky smile.

"Now, how 'bout that treat?"

-

After I was done with my chat with Dinah, I was still unsure how to handle my situation with Peyton, but at least I may have an idea.

The party had eased up slightly and became less busy, which meant that the real guests were leaving. The press that came here were gearing up to speak to me or the remaining popular people in the room.

I walked over to Jack, who rested on a pillar taking small sips of a transparent liquid in a glass in his hand.

I leaned on the pillar next to him and crossed my arms. "What are we looking at?"

He took one more sip before downing the whole glass. "Never thought I would live to see the day that Jacob was charming the pants off a girl but not to get into it."

I followed his gaze to see Jacob and a girl talking. Her face was flushed, a clear sign that she had either blushed or laughed too much, but Jacob was grinning like a loon. It looked like he wanted to get to know the girl. She had pale skin and her black hair in a sleek low ponytail. Her dress was one of a kind because of the hood that came with it.

As if he sensed our piercing eyes on him; Jacob turned back to look at us and winked. He whispered something to the girl, and she blushed furiously. He took her phone to most likely put his number in it.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her hair and started coming our way.

Only if my life were that simple.

While the girl's eyes darted to us for a split second before she put up her hood and walked away.

The three of us walked out of the mansion and into the limo, heading back to the Penthouse. There was a back-and-forth interrogation between Jack and Jacob, but I chose not to participate.

The press were bringing on their 'A game' tonight; 'cause the roads around the mansion were crawling with them, not to talk of the ones we met at the lobby.

I lost a jacket and one leg of my shoe to them. Jack and Jacob didn't look too lucky either, but we made it up to the Penthouse in one piece, if you could call it that.

The girls were standing in the middle of the living room when we walked in.

Gail squealed with excitement, "Great, Caleb is here. You can both read me a story now," She cast her cheeky grin on Peyton.

Her face was wiped free of the makeup she wore before, and her eyes were puffing but did she just sniff?

"It's alright. I'm sure Peyton is tired from having to spend her night with the kids. I'll tell you the story, and then she can sleep." I offered her, but Gail was not having any of it.

She stuck out her low lip and made it quiver a bit.

I sighed because I wasn't going to win this.

"Fine. Go change into your PJs; we will be right behind you." Gail ran to her room.

Peyton went to follow her, but I held onto her hand; it felt so cold.

"You okay, cause if you don't feel up to it. I'm sure Gail will understand."

Up close, I have concluded my suspicions that she had been crying.

She avoided eye contact and muttered, "I'm alright. I need you to contact your pilot to please get my friend from the Bahamas."

I knew she was hiding something, but I decided not to push it.

We made our way toward Gail's room. I knocked on it, and we both walked in.

"So what kind of story are you guys reading me tonight? Is it another version of Mulan?" Gail's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Peyton let out a slight laugh and shook her head.

"Caleb, get in bed with her." She commanded.

I raised a brow at her, "Why?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed me to the bed without even breaking a sweat.

Gail and I both rested on the headboard of her queen-sized bed as we looked at Peyton expectantly.

She took a chair and sat on it.

"Once upon a time, there was a Scottish village. The king had a daughter who was a force to be reckoned with. He also had three sons after her. Her name was Merida.

She had a thing for wanting to be herself and defy the traditions set in the land. Since she was a girl and the rightful heir to the throne, they wanted her to be married off to a man who would reign as the king after her father stepped down and she would be queen, but she wasn't having any of it.

The men interested in having her hand in marriage were to best each other in a game of archery while her mother Elinor made her sit prim and proper with her bright red hair scraped and tucked away in a stiff white cap.

I believe her exact words were 'I wed meself'." Gail giggled a bit at her horrible accent, but she continued with the story.

"She came down from the makeshift throne they made her seat on and went towards the targets. With one arrow each, she launched at the ones of her suitors, slicing them in half as she hit the bull's eye.

Her mother was angry, to say the least, and lashed out at her. Merida ran through the forest and discovered a witch who gave her a magic cupcake to change her faith.""

"Did she get married in the end?" Gail's eyelids were already dropping with sleep, and I knew that Peyton would not be able to finish this story no matter how much she summarized. I was already feeling my eyelids grow heavier.

Peyton's grin was the last thing I saw before I heard, "Yes, but she needed no man to prove that she could rule the land."

-

I can see why Gail likes being read stories. I fell asleep with her during the story that Peyton told us. I thought of how it would look if both of us told our child a bedtime story.

I came out of Gail's room and headed toward the balcony to clear my thoughts.

I find Marci already standing there looking out to the sunrise.

"Last time I checked, you aren't a morning person," I say.

"Then I'm guessing you have forgotten how to use the internet. Not that I'm surprised." She said with a sly smile.

Before I could say a witty comment, Marcel came into the room with his usual booming voice.

"It's six in the morning in Miami, not eight-thirty in Las Vegas! Where is everyone around here?" His voice bounced off the walls.

"Apparently, waking up," Jacob said as he came out of the entertainment corridor with a towel around his neck and a pair of swim trunks.

"Hey, Dad," Marci says as we walk towards them.

She walks closer to them, and he hugs her tightly and places a kiss on her hair.

"Hey, sweetie," He gives her a warm smile and turns his attention to me.

"I heard your new song was good. I came here to hear it for myself."

"At six am?" I look at him in amazement.

"Yes, and to go over the progress of the world tour, I told you that our work was very caught out for us, and it would kick us on our asses if care wasn't taken, didn't you take my words to heart."

"Not really. y=You're not one for jokes." I shrug with a grin.

"Boy, I suggest you get your ass to the music room ASAP."

I shook my head with a smile and started walking towards the music room with only one thought in mind.

'Who made Peyton cry?'

Marcel and I went into the music room and made a beeline for the soundproofed room at the back.

I picked up an English guitar, strummed the intro and started the song. By the time I was done, Jack had joined us. With a solemn expression, Marcel addressed me.

"What about the dance routine?"

I came out of the room and made my way to the stage. I plugged my phone into the stereo and played one of my instrumentals.

The routine was already engraved in my head, and the dance ended faster than I thought.

"So?" Jack asked Marcel because as far as these matters go, he has the final say on things.

His cold expression dissolved, and he broke out into a happy grin, "I'd say that the city of New York will love you when you perform for them after thanksgiving before Christmas."

I smiled at the duo that helped me rise to fame, "We should celebrate our win on helping my career get this far."

Never one to pass up a chance to get free food, Jack was in support of the outing, but Marcel looked grim.

His way of saying that our days of celebrating were far from being near.

"So, what do we have lined up for today?" I asked since we weren't going to drink our livers away tonight.

"The old people's home had requested you to come and sing one of your singles," Marcel said as he tapped away furiously at his phone that had been dinging from time to time.

"Great, I'll go shower, then we'll go," I said and left towards my room. "Not like I was not planning on doing it." I threw at Marcel, but I knew if he wanted to get me back for that little comment; he would.

Without a reply, I made my way to my room, half hoping to run into Peyton, but I was never one to have luck, was I?

-

"Thank you for having me today, guys. It was nice getting to know you all. Cheers to more teeth and happier days no matter how short they seem." I raised my glass with everyone else, and we downed our drinks.

"Orange juice had a better taste when you tasted it from someone else's mouth," Jack commented snidely for my ears only after I had gotten down from the stage.

"I would like to thank the hospital that had the honour of having you at your first hours; they did the right thing by sparing the human race from having to put up with complete nimrods," Marcel remarked while sipping his juice.

I chuckled. I wasn't sure who was at the receiving end of that insult. You could never tell with Marcel's way of words.

I turned my attention to the conversations the older generation had around us. They were ignorant of the half-harmful banter between Jack and Marcel or just not wanting to care.

One little comment struck me.

"My niece is coming in with her whole family for Thanksgiving, which means I get to annoy the pickles out of the young chap that had the bounces to deflower my little girl."

I agree with age comes the forgetfulness of simpler curse words, but this old guy was right about something.

Someone who means the world to Peyton is coming to visit her for Thanksgiving. I don't know whether to be happy that Peyton and I were starting to get on stronger grounds or to be dreading the pickles that will be annoyed me.

-

I felt my heart crack when I saw Peyton hugging that strange dude. This must be the person we came to pick up from the airport, and they looked so happy to see each other. I think this was the wake-up call that I needed.

Peyton and I could never be anything more than employer and employee because every time I thought we were making progress on becoming more than friends, things like this had to happen.

"Let's get out of here." I nudged Jack and began making my way to the airport's exit.

He gripped my jacket sleeve, making me turn around and look at him, "Us being here means a lot to her. Are you sure you want to leave?" He gave me a concerned look.

I rolled my eyes and snapped quietly, "Are you coming or not?"

Jack knew that if I were to go back home, there was a big chance that something would happen before I did. So he sent Peyton a guilty look even though she was still wrapped up in a hug and couldn't see us.

Immediately we walked into the Penthouse, Jack was talking my ear off.

"I just don't understand why you can't just tell her how you feel. If she doesn't like you, you are more than free to cry, and I will personally make sure that you build a bridge and get over it because this is going too far." He had a murderous look, and I could feel the old Jack rising to the surface.

"You and I know how bad things will end if she doesn't return my feelings. I would rather stay old and alone than go down that path again." I say.

Very selfish, but no girl is meant to come and save me from me. After that tragic night, I started to doubt whether I was supposed to have a happy ending, heck if I was even supposed to be alive.

I have escaped death one too many times. The last thing I want to do is bring an innocent girl into the mix.

"Caleb, buddy. You have to let it go. Nothing could have stopped that accident, and there's nothing that will justify your claims to be a rotten old man in the future." He was tired of this argument, but I still heard the amusement in his voice by the end.

"You don't know how it feels to be alone in a room full of people." I scoffed and looked away.

"Mate, it seems like I should jog your memory on how we first met on campus and what you did to make Trisha and I end up together. I would like to return a favour."

"I think that's a story you should save for if and when I have kids." I crack up a fake smile.

Either, Jack knows I'm faking it and doesn't want to comment on it, or he is just ignorant.

With a pat on the back and a smile of his own, he says, "You just need to talk it out and tell her, but if she still sees you as the handsy employer, then so be it. I could bet my favourite brand of popcorn you will get married and have kids even if I have to knock you unconscious for the ceremony."

"And the best pep talker of the year award goes to Jack Guave."

"Mock all you want, but you will be thanking me later." Jack rolled my eyes, and we bumped fists.

As best friends, we can't last a whole hour arguing, can we?

Jack went to his room to call Taryn and catch up. Meanwhile, I decided to stay on the balcony and allow the icy cold of Miami to prick at my skin while I thought of ways to tell Peyton how I felt about her.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't notice a building not too far from here put up a billboard. It was a picture of Peyton and me eating in the pizza restaurant the other day.

I might as well throw out my last hope of ever having a life with anyone because heaven forbid that the press will leave me alone!

The thought of leaving the music industry has become a norm in my head recently, but no matter how much I may like to have kids and a family who do not leave me, that idea is farfetched.

I enjoy singing and dancing as much as I enjoyed animals, but last time I went to the zoo to do just that. I was more ravished than the piece of stake in the lion's den.

-

My hand flew past the pages before you could say bow beep.

If I could describe my thanksgiving weekend in one word, I would say PMS.

The only good thing that came out of it was I met Peyton's brother, but he freaks me out.

I was also close to telling Peyton I liked her more than is appropriate for our usual relationship, but my anger and lust for her got in my head, and I was going way off topic when I got her cornered.

Then dinner was good until Danny said he wanted to have a heart-to-heart with me in a soundproof room. If that doesn't scream potential murder, then I don't know what does.

He proved that he and Peyton were truly siblings because we made a deal. I sang the intro of the song that I am completing.

I decided to give her space, so the next day I told her that she could spend it with her brother while I went to the orphanage. It has been a while, and to say that the kids were happy to see me was an understatement.

Lucy got me to sing them all the songs I had written or performed since my last visit. I even thought I would visit a doctor after that with how badly my throat hurt.

I returned to the Penthouse with Jacob. He explained to me that nothing was going on between him and Peyton. I was ready to give up because chasing happiness would get me more hurt than I already am, but after what he said, there might be hope for me.

Everyone was watching a movie by the time we both walked in. Peyton had fallen asleep on Danny's shoulder, and they were making such a big deal that I should be the person to carry her to her room instead of just waking her up.

I was a bit scared for my life, Peyton was still very much pissed at me again, and Danny was just Danny. He didn't even look like he welcomed the idea, but he had a slight tugging on his lip that made me know it was okay to carry his sister.

In old fashion, I carried her and set her on her bed. Then I got rid of her shoes and tucked her in. Of course, I couldn't resist the urge to kiss.

I knew that if Danny walked in at that exact moment, Taryn's wish for me to die near a bed would be granted.

Even though I knew that her lips would taste better than her forehead, I wasn't exactly in the position to talk.

-

I flipped onto another page, and it cut my finger. I swore heavily but quietly.

"What the hell?" Marcel asked from across the room as he and Jack watched the backup dancers practice.

I looked up and saw that his glare was not on me; but on the two female backup dancers in the middle, where there was a crowd around them.

One was on the floor clutching her stomach while blood seeped from her leggings. The other was begging her not to go into the light.

Someone yelled what the date was, and Marcel and Jack swore heavily.

"November 22."

Time stopped as my injured finger lay in my lap, and I felt numb to the world.

Tomorrow was the day I was abandoned.

Tomorrow is the day I was found.

Tomorrow is the day that I defiled all odds to stay alive.

Tomorrow was the day they died.

Tomorrow was the day I lost them.

Tomorrow is my birthday.