Elliot and roamed about in every single street of Birmingham that we ever hanged on. We even invited Sasha when we were sitting in a café that was near her house and chatted for a while before heading home. At home, we were greeted by Nanny Delilah, Uncle Scott, and an eight month along Aunt Nancy. After they left we headed off to dinner and had a short talk catching up on each other's lives.

The next day was spent in somewhat the same fashion. However, we had a thanks giving feast at night with Sasha's family over. We sat together for a while opening presents. Elliot got me a new Burberry bag, which I must say was very nice of him to keep in mind that I am absolutely crazy for sling bags. Dad and mom got some money into my account and honestly, that was more than enough. Mom was filled with ecstasy when she saw the locket that Arthur had bought for her. She went, 'this so pretty! Thank you darling!'

I loved the fact that she liked the present so very much. After the dinner we headed back to our rooms. I fell on my back on my bed sighing heavily and stared at the ceiling. It was a fun day all in all. I had missed all this fun a bit too much. And finally, I was feeling like I was in my old life again. Apparently, I had been looking forward to this. And then the next afternoon I had to leave for London.

I heard my phone ringing somewhere. Sitting up I listened carefully, locating where the sound was coming from. It was from somewhere behind me, had to be the nightstand. I got up and attended to the call.

'Enjoying thanksgiving, Chast?' Blake's voice came from the other side.

I laughed. 'Aren't you?'

'Not really, but I am going to, soon.'

'What are you going to do?' I asked, sitting back on the bed and kicking my ballet flats off my feet.

'Something sneaky,' he said, cheekily, making me laugh. 'What are you doing tonight?'

I shrugged, though he couldn't see. 'Going to sleep a bit.'

'Do you want to come hang with us?'

I laughed. 'I am in Birmingham. And us, as in?'

'Arthur and I,' he said as if he was thinking something. 'Have you ever snuck out?'

'I would love to give it a try,' I said but then added with a giggle, 'but if you haven't heard, I am in Birmingham.'

'Don't worry about that,' he said as if winking at me. 'You just stay ready for the call.'

I raised a brow, involuntarily. 'It's a long way.'

'Leave that to me. Just throw on some good clothes. And text me your address.'

I laughed. 'You have gone crazy Blake.'

'Boredom does that to people. See ya.'

And then he hung up. Amused as I was, I could only laugh. Getting up I went to my suitcase and pulled out something to wear. A white sequined top came out to be teamed with black jeans and a black jacket. With the cold air outside, I couldn't afford to go without a jacket. I shuddered at the thought. The thought itself sent shivers down my spine. After having got dressed I slipped on my black boots and put on the watch dad had given me today. It was a two hour drive from London to Birmingham. I wondered how he was going to manage that. It was ten already, and even if he turns up at the middle of the night I wouldn't be home before four in the morning. Nevertheless, I texted him my address. It felt a bit odd to having got dressed so early when I knew he wouldn't be turning upon before the middle of night.

I was so tired that I even dozed off for a while before hearing my phone ring again. I sat up quickly holding my phone in my hand and stared at my screen blinking the sleep off my eyes. I saw Arthur's name flashing across the screen and it was only eleven thirty.

'Isn't it a bit late to call a girl?' I asked.

He chuckled, 'I guess it's even late to be outside her house.'

I squeaked and jumped off the bed running over to the window in the room and looked down at the road removing the lace curtains. I couldn't believe what I was seeing in that moment. 'What is happening?' I asked him.

He chuckled on the other side of the line. 'I am going to sneak you out for the night. Now are you going to come down or should I come and get you?'

'I'm coming down,' I said instantly and hung up. I ran over to the bathroom first to fix my hair and get the last minute touch ups. I fixed the strands of hair that were out of place and set my waves by running my fingers through then for the one last time and swiped my strawberry lip balms over my lips before hurrying out of my room.

I ran down the stairs. As far as I knew, everyone in the house was asleep. Well, should've been asleep. I was tip toeing down the stairs about to cross the living room and head for the door, when I heard someone call my name.

'Chast,' said voice from behind as I was crossing the room.

I stopped in my tracks biting at my tongue and turned around slowly. Elliot was standing in the kitchen doorway, with a bottle of water in his hand. His hair was messy, which was quite normal at this hour of the night. He was in his flannel pyjamas with a loose grey T-Shirt.

'Going somewhere, sister?' he asked in his sleepy voice, scratching his head.

I began nibbling my lower lip, nervously. 'If I say I am, will you tell on me?'

He shrugged, chuckling. 'You've kept my secrets, it's my time now,' he said already climbing the stairs, drawing an imaginary halo on his head. 'Be back before the crack of dawn though.'

I giggled. 'Thanks, Elliot.' He waved his head before disappearing in the hallway. Rejoiced, I hurried towards the door before anyone else saw me, or worse, before Arthur came at the door. He sounded pretty determined on the phone.

I rushed out of the door and almost ran into Arthur. When I say almost, I say that because I was going to run into him, but instead he knocked at my forehead as if I were the door.

'OUCH!' I groaned.

'Oops,' was what came out of his mouth before he burst out laughing. 'Sorry,' he said, laughing so hard that he was clutching at his stomach.

Though I wanted to stand there and just laugh with him despite the thudding pain in my forehead. But I hated the fact that I just couldn't because he was laughing so loud that I was afraid to let him continue for another minute; the whole neighbourhood would've accumulated in front of my house to see who was it laughing like a maniac at this hour of the night, let alone my parents.

I clamped my hand over his mouth. He was a bit shocked and he seemed to have tensed up a bit. But the other second he relaxed. I put a finger over my lips and went whispering, 'shhhh! Do you want to wake my parents up and get me caught on my first sneak out?'

He shook his head. I smiled at him and removing my hand from his face. 'Good,' I whispered, grinning.

I started down the porch stairs towards his car standing across the road. He followed me quietly. We reached the car and he held the door open for me. I smiled at him and slid in after saying, 'thanks.' Politeness with him was just natural. When he walked over to the driver's side was when I noticed his attire. He wasn't that formally dressed. He wore washed off jeans teamed up with a white T-shirt and a grey sequin jacket. He looked even more handsome than on the airbrushed pages of the magazine I saw him in last night.

He slid in his seat and shutting the door looked over at me. His eyes glided over me, scanning my outfit up and down, not saying a word. I nervously looked down at myself and then up at him.

'Should I go and change?'

He shot me a confused look. 'What for? You look lovely.'

I sighed in relief. 'You don't look so bad yourself.' I looked down at my shoes after having said that, realizing how stupid it was of me to say that. My cheeks began burning, thank god for the hair I had let down. They curtained my face from him so he couldn't see.

I heard him chuckle and the car start at the same moment as he said, 'thanks, I have heard that a lot.'

I bit my lower lip to hide the smile.

'So you have never snuck out before?' he asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.

I looked over at him and shook my head saying, 'never before. My brother used to, though. And someone had to be there to cover up for him.'

Hiss brows furrowed. 'That's strange.'

'What is?' I asked confused.

'You and your brother get along,' he stated.

'Why would that be strange?'

'I have heard that siblings don't get along much.'

I laughed at his theory. 'Where did you read that? No, it's not always the case.'

'Age difference is a factor, right?' his eyes now dancing between the road and me.

I asked him where did he hear all that and he told me that it was what he had inferred. Well, apparently, Blake and his sister don't get along that well because the age difference was just of two years. However, he and his sister that was four at time did. I told him that my brother was just two years older to me and that the sibling rivalry was there but not that much. My brother was the first mate I had ever had and our parents had taught us to be that way always. They had taught us to stay beside each other no matter what. Also, my brother never treated me different we loved each other too much.

I even told him what all Elliot and I did today, the way we hanged and goofed around. Arthur was amazed but I could tell that he was enjoying and taking interest. Soon we arrived at the venue of the party that was a really big house. The house was booming with music to the beat of Lady Gaga's Poker face. There were a lot of people accumulated. I could tell that it was no pizza and soda party judging by the way all were dressed. Even in the month of November the girls were daring enough to wear little black dresses and little dresses in other colours without any warmers. The numbers of pretty faces in the house made me take a hit at my self esteem.

Arthur dragged me through the crowd towards the kitchen which was at time serving as a coke and Pepsi bar, where the music was not so loud enough. I met Blake there who greeted me with a hug and also gave me some Pepsi to drink. Arthur grabbed the same and also some croissants that were placed in the bowl at the kitchen table. We left the kitchen and Arthur led me towards the backyard. I was pretty amazed by the size of it. It wasn't your regular backyard with just grass bed and bit of some flowers. It was a proper garden with cobbled up path, each variety of flower in every direction and a wall of rose bushes. There was a glass gazebo that shone golden and I was just in the awe of the moment when I found myself asking, 'Where are we?'

He chuckled lightly as he sat down on the grass bed. 'This is my grandmother's house.'

I sank down beside him. The house wasn't as big but the garden was really lovely. I could tell that his grandmother was a lover of nature. Then it came to mind to ask him the most basic question that I had been willing to ask him for quite some time now. 'Is this Birmingham?'

'On the outskirts.'

I nodded at his reply. No wonder it didn't take him long to get to my home. 'You live here?'

He shrugged. 'Some times when Granma is out to see her sisters.'

'Why not with her?' I didn't know why but there was a hint of dismay in my voice. I bet I knew the answer.

'I always am busy and rarely get time to visit my grandparents.' And I was right about it. We sat there talking a bit about how his grandparents had supported him through his journey all this time. They had been supportive of him when his own parents hadn't. His parents weren't very happy of the life choices that he made for himself. And his father basically blamed everything on his mother which was why they split up. I felt bad for him since he had never really seen love that I had seen in my parents. His childhood was rough and now to make his adulthood rough there was Marcus. I mean seriously, didn't he have enough for a lifetime? Give him a break, please?

I drifted the topic. I dint like to see him that way and obviously didn't want to ruin my first night out with him. Though it wasn't a date or something, but still it meant a lot to me. We talked about everything, his drive up, my family, his little sister whose name I caught to be Gina, our families. By the way he talked of his sister showed how much he loved her and I appreciated that in him. He talked highly of his mother and grandparents. He never blamed his father a bit for anything. But then we just decided to leave the matter there. No touchy topics for this night.

After a while we lay on our backs just staring at the star studded sky. I showed him how to spot The Orion Constellation, I since it was my favourite one and the only one I could spot. He laughed at that. 'You're really different from every other girl you know,' he stated and added in a serious tone, 'and I do not mean you're weird.'

I giggled. He looked up at his watch and went, 'I want to show you something.' He was already getting up by the end of the sentence. He took my hand and tugged me up. Confused as I was I could only follow.

He towed me towards the gazebo and made me stand a few inches away from it while he himself went to stand inside it, gazing at his watch and smirking.

'Arthur, what-'I hadn't even finished and as if to answer my unspoken question several drops of water began sprinkling in the garden. Stunned, surprised, I stood there watching Arthur have a nice laugh in the gazebo while I was getting drenched out in the cold. It was mesmerizing to see him laugh, but I didn't want to look like a fool staring at him that way with that stupid grin.

'What's so funny?' I asked pouting.

'Nothing.' He was trying to stop laughing but looking at me could only make him laugh harder. 'I though you might enjoy a shower.'

I ran in the gazebo and chased him out. And we ran about in the whole garden, laughing and playing, running behind each other. He caught up to me once and twirled me around. And I could swear I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach at the contact. I had never laughed so much in my life as much as I was while playing with Arthur in the garden of his grandmother's house after having snuck out of my own, not to mention in sprinklers in cold November night.

'You're mad,' I said as he gave me a towel to dry up and lit the fireplace in his room.

'I know,' he gave me a knowing smile.

We stared in each other's eyes standing there for a moment. His blue eyes had a glint in them that I enjoyed watching. But I had to look away as I didn't want to be a freak in his eyes just for staring at them. He drove me to my house after I was a bit dry and warm, though my hair and his were still dripping wet. He parked the car outside where he had earlier and walked me to my door.

'Well, I had a wonderful night miss Ericht.'

'Likewise, Mr. Crawford.'

'I should get going before anyone wakes up.' I said rocking on my feet back and forth.

He smirked and held me by my shoulders making me stand still. The moment he touched me, my heart had stopped beating for once but once his lips made contact with my cheek it went into frenzy, lifting the net off the butterflies in my stomach and they fluttered up to my chest. His cologne was doing something to my head, making it light as if, I were high.

'Goodnight, Chastity.'

'Goodnight, Arthur,' I said, clicking the door to my house open, blushing hard but willing that he hadn't seen that somehow. He watched with a crooked smile as I stumbled my way into the house. I climbed up the stairs to my room only to find my brother sitting on my bed with my laptop in his lap and his iPod plugged to it.

'What on earth happened to you?

Actually, brother, that's a very good question.