I looked up from the magazine I was reading to find Alli curled up into a ball and snoring lightly. I cautiously made my way out of the bed and slipped on my flip flops. I stuffed my pillows and stuffed animals under the covers. After I was finished, I took a step back to observe my masterpiece.

Well, if you closed your left eye and squinted, then closed your other eye, it looked kind of okay.

I guess I'll just have to turn off the night lamp. I flicked the switch off and continued my plan. What was my plan anyway? Oh yeah, to get out of this house without waking anybody up. Knowing me, that was definitely going to be a challenge.

Challenge excepted.

I gently closed the bedroom door behind me and tip-toed down the hallway. I stopped when I noticed a dimmed light coming from Tom's room. Curiousity got the best of me as I opened the door wider and stepped inside.

There was a night light that reflected Tom's silhouette under the covers. He was shifting back and forth while making different movements and hand gestures. "Kill it with fire!" He chanted. "Kill it with fire!"

I gasped and stepped backward, closing the door half-way behind me. Curiousity killed the cat.

Shaking my head in confusion, I continued my inaudible journey down the stairs. When I got to the last one, I tripped over one of Tom's toy cars and fell face first onto the floor. I groaned in frustration as I rubbed my head. Where was Cody to help me back up when I needed him?

Oh right, at the beach, waiting for me. I quickly stood up and sprinted toward the door, locking it behind me. Even though the beach was only a short distance away, I still had to use my iPhone to guide my path. It was a cool night and every star was in view.

My steps were getting heavier in no time because of the sand. I found a white notecard on the center of the beach beside a red object. I hesitated whether I should check it out or not, earlier events of Tom's chanting reciting into my brain. Oh, what the heck?

I jogged toward the white card and looked around before reading it, half expecting for someone to jump out at me. I could recognize that neat and scriptive writing anywhere.

Santana,

Do you remember the first day I met you? You fell out of a tree because of Alli and blamed me. Well, this is my payback for that day.

Just kidding. Instead, I have something special instore for you. Keep walking and you'll see.

I smiled to myself as I read the note. I began walking down the beach before I tripped on a bright red object. I picked it up and examined it. It was an apple.

(Flashback - 9 years ago - Third person's perspective)

"You're going to have to come down sooner or later, sweetie." Autumn warned her loving daughter.

That only made her daughter hang on harder. "No way!" She cried. "I don't want to become friends with a boy." Santana refused.

"If only you could think like that forever," Autumn murmured, chuckling softly to herself. "If you're not gonna join the party, then the party's gonna come to you." With that, she turned on her heel and entered the house.

Santana wiped her forehead with the back of her hand in relief. "Phew," she breathed out. She thought that was the end of the story, but it was only the beginning. A frown formed on her face as two young kids approached her.

"Why are you up on that tree, silly?" The youngest one, Alli, curiously asked. "Are you like, a monkey or something?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "No, I'm a worm." She sarcastically responded.

Alli shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worms squirm around and come from the dirt?"

"You can't believe everything you see on T.V." Santana stated.

"Why don't you come out of that tree?" The second oldest, Cody asked. "We can all play tag."

"With you?" Santana scoffed. "A boy? Yeah, I don't think so."

Cody frowned. "What's wrong with boys?"

"You have cooties and other icky germs!" Santana screamed.

Alli leaped up into the air. "You do? Why didn't you tell me, Cody?" She began, stepping away from her older brother.

"Come down from there and kiss me." Cody teased, pretending to climb up on the tree. This only made Santana more intense.

"Get away from me, you creep."

"Oh baby, I love your little pet names. You can be my queen."

"I don't wanna be your queen!" Santana roared. "Now get off of my castle."

Cody found amusement in bothering her. He continued to trail up the tree, which was only about five feet high. By the time he reached the top, Santana was already on the edge. "Don't come any closer."

"I know you want me." Cody cooed, winking.

Santana pretended to throw up. "You're gross!"

"I'm hot."

"You're not!"

She turned her back to him before feeling a push on her back. She fell off of the tree and face first onto the ground. Cody and Alli were quickly by her side, helping her up.

"Whoa!" Cody said in awe. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Santana snapped, "you're the one who pushed me. Why don't you find out, too?" With that, she was already on her feet and chasing after him. When she thought she had him at a corner, she pushed forward, only to fall onto the ground once again.

"Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me." Cody smirked, leaning down toward her face and puckering his lips.

It was later found out (and when I say later, I mean years later) that Alli was the one who had thrown the apple that caused Santana to fall head first.

- - -

I smiled at the memory and continued my journey down the beach. A few minutes later, I found a small post with an envelope attached to it. I ripped open the envelope and read the next note.

Do you remember the time I had my first loose baby tooth and you were fully convinced you were a doctor? I know I do -- it was a traumatic experience!

A rubber tooth fell out of the envelope next. I leaned down to pick it up, chuckling softly to myself at the sudden memory.

(Flashback - 7 years ago)

"Alli, we have a problem."

"What is it, Dr. De Laurentis?" Alli played along.

"There is a patient with a loose tooth in Room 106. I repeat, Room 106." Santana said.

Alli rolled her eyes. "Quit your yelling, woman. I heard you the first time."

"Hey!" Santana cried. "I'm a doctor. See? I'm even wearing a white coat. So, you have to respect me."

Alli smirked and pulled on a piece of the white fabric. It ripped right off. "Yeah, but when you're not wearing a white coat, you're just plain old Santa. I don't see anything special."

Santana narrowed her eyes at Alli. "You're fired!"

"You can't fire me. This is my house!" Alli demanded.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies." Cody cried. "Hello? A patient with a loose tooth that needs some serious looking into, here."

Santa blushed. "Oh, right."

"What's first, doc?" Alli excitedly asked.

"We're gonna tie this string around his tooth and to the door handle. Then we're gonna pull the door open and end his suffering." Santana replied.

"That sounds," Cody gulped, "painful."

"It won't be." Alli reassured him, doing what Santana instructed. After they were finished, Santana opened the door and looked at Cody.

"On the count of three, I'm gonna pull." She said.

Cody nodded furiously, closing his eyes.

"One."

"Two."

She didn't even get to three before slamming the door shut. Cody's screams of agony could be heard all around the neighboorhood. "I thought you said it wouldn't hurt!" He cried, narrowing his eyes at Alli.

"I know." She nonchalantly replied.

"Then why did it hurt?" He demanded.

"I lied."

- - -

By the time I reached my third stop, I was already tired. I was happy when I noticed a small table burried into the sand. I plopped down beside it, letting my feet rest, and dusting off the sand. There was a picture frame on the table, and as I got a closer look, it was one of Cody and I.

When was this? Maybe four years ago.

I noticed a small yellow note attached to the back of it.

This isn't an ordinary picture of you and I. This picture was taken the day I realized I liked you more than a friend. How can you tell? The sparkle in my eye tells it all.

I examined the photo. My face was hidden by a half eaten watermelon. Of course I didn't eat all by myself, Cody helped me too. He could eat as if he were carrying triplets. Cody was biting his lower lip and blushing as he looked at me. It was the fourth of July and our family had gone to a lake for a B.B.Q.

Our hair was wet and pushed into our faces. We looked cute and innocent. Then we grew up.

Cody became famous.

I met the biggest regret of my life.

Cody met Bella.

They dated.

And everything went down hill from there.

I removed the photo from the small picture frame and slipped it into my back pocket. This picture was too cute to lose. I continued my adventure down the beach where I noticed a long silhouette of some sort of instrument.

As I got closer, I realized it was Cody's guitar.

Below it was a note attached.

You were my inspiration to begin writing music.

I almost burst into tears right then and there. I played with the strings of Cody's guitar before taking in a deep breath and continuing. I had to keep my composure. Cody couldn't see me crying. He has many times, but today (or tonight) was special. Besides, they would be tears of joy.

Pewh. I spit out a cluster of sand from my mouth. If I didn't look good before, I must have looked drop dead ugly now because I was lying on the sand. I must have tripped over something. There's no surprise there. As I got up, I noticed a white sheet of paper. I picked it up and recognized the words on the paper.

It was the lyrics to Cody's song "Guitar Cry." There was a yellow note attached, and I read it first.

Remember about a year ago when you were dating that loser, Jonah, who mistreated you and made you cry almost all of the time? No matter how much I hate to admit this, I don't regret any of it. You wouldn't have seen how much of a jerk he was, and also, you came to me.

I would hold you and comfort you whenever he did you wrong.

No more secrets.

This song is about you.

I took off the sticky note and read the lyrics to the song that I had already memorized by heart. If I wasn't crying then, I was definitely crying now. I couldn't help but let the tears stream down my face as I read the song over and over again. None of that mattered now. Cody and I were together and happy. That was all that mattered.

That was all I cared about.

I wiped the tears off of my face and continued walking down the beach.

And then I saw him. I stopped dead in my tracks. Oh great, he had to chose this moment now -- after I just finished crying? But, the moment couldn't have been planned any better.

He took strides over to me, holding something in his hands. I stared at him in confusion as his face was only several inches apart from mine. He was holding my white flip flops in his hands that I had taken off earlier.

"You'll remember this in the future one day," he spoke. "The shoes that you were wearing the day I got to do this." He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

As if one cue, it began raining. We both smiled into the kiss as the raining grew harder. This was perfect. Actually, a little too perfect.

"I know what you're thinking." Cody murmured against my lips. He pulled away from me gently. "Alright, guys, I think we're done for the night."

A group of camera men stepped walked onto the beach out of nowhere. I could see the Beach House from where I was standing. Wow, I thought I was walking for miles. I really need to get into shape.

What surprised me most was when the Simpson family stepped out. Alli pulled me into a hug and began dancing up and down. "You were in on all of this?" I asked her in between squeals of happiness.

"Yep!" She replied, not letting go of me.

"This was all recorded?"

"Yep!"

"Is this gonna be aired on T.V?"

"Yep!"

"Are you serious? America's gonna watch me fall flat on my face several times?"

This time, it was Cody's turn to answer. "No. They stopped filming thirty minutes ago."

"Oh," I sighed in relief. "Why?"

"Because what we're about to do when we go inside is Rated R and can't be shown on T.V." He mumbled into my ear.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

LOL, I promise you they don't do the dirty or anything (; Oh my gosh, Alli has always been so dang evil! I lo-ove it!

Did you guys like this chappie? Comment & Vote for a sooner update! I love y'all :*

HCHC,

Hugs and Cody