It was the middle of June. School had just let out for summer break and nothing had ever seemed more right. Caleb was unbelievably happy here in Rosewood and he owed that all to Aria. She made everything seem perfect, even if it was something as silly as walking around town for her to have a photo day. "You realize people are staring at us right." He said as he walked her sit on the sidewalk outside the court house to get the perfect angle.
"Since when do you care what people think?" She asked him as she smiled at him.
"You have a point." He said as he offered her a hand to help her up.
"I always do." She said with a smile as she got off the ground. He was about to make a comment about her ever present ego when her phone went off. She looked at it for a moment before saying "I need to get going. Mom wants me at home." She said looking carefully at her boyfriend of two months. She leaned up on her toes and gave him a quick peck before running off towards her house. He just walked home quietly thinking to himself about how great everything was going.
"Hey Caleb, get it." He heard Hanna Martin say as she pulled up next to him and rolled down the window.
"Aria's at home." He said as he looked at her.
"I know that much." She said with a laugh. "Just get in the damn car." She said with a laugh. "Aria would tell you to." She said as she reached over and opened the passenger door.
"Fine. Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" I asked her.
"I need someone to go with me to pick up the cake for Aria's birthday party." Hanna explained. "I can get it in the car, but I really need someone to watch it in the back on the drive back from Philly."
"Wait, its Aria's birthday." Caleb said puzzled as he looked at the crazy blonde, who over the past two months he learned to ignore.
"Yeah, don't you ever check your Facebook?" Hanna asked as she looked at him. "I mean I have known Aria a long time and I can totally see her not telling you. She has this whole I don't want to be a bother thing going on, but like a hundred people wished her a happy birthday on Facebook." Hanna said as she speed up.
"I was with Aria all morning, so no I didn't check my Facebook." He replied.
"Wait all morning? Are you two like … you know?" Hanna asked him.
"I picked her up at six and our sex life is none of your business." Caleb said as he looked out the window.
"Well that's a big fat no." Hanna said with a laugh. "So, what are you doing to do about a present?" She asked him. "You do realize you will be like the worst boyfriend ever if you don't get her a present."
"You know you really aren't helping this." He said as he looked at her.
"You want help fine. I will help you find the prefect present for her, just as soon as we pick up this cake." She said as she reached over and turned the radio on. The car ride to Philadelphia was the longest, most painful ride Caleb could remember. It was twenty five minute of Hanna sing along with Katy Perry.
"You do realize that Aria doesn't like cake really, she prefers cupcakes." Caleb said as they walked into a small bakery.
"Wow, you think you know my best friend better than be after just two months." Hanna said as she looked at him.
"Her mother always makes what seems like a million red velvet cupcakes every year and buys her a fancy three tear cake from this bakery because this is where her parents got their wedding cake from." Hanna explained before talking to the lady behind the counter.
"Ah, yes the Montgomery order. You know they are the sweetest people ever." The older lady behind the counter said. "MIKEY I NEED THE FLAPPER CAKE!" She yelled into the back. "You know in all my years in baking this was my first 1920s themed cake."
"Yeah, well Aria, is a special one." Hanna said as she smiled at the lady. It wasn't long before the black and beige 1920s themed cake was in the back of Hanna's car and the two were one there way to some amazing shop as Hanna called it. "You could get her a ring." Hanna said as she looked at Caleb from across the vintage shop she took him to.
"And Bryon would cut off my head right there." He said with a laugh.
"Right…how about this?" Hanna asked as she held up and white backpack that was covered in black flowers.
"Now she would like that right?" He asked her.
"Totally her style." Hanna said as she handed Caleb the bag. Before he knew it they were sitting at the Hasting's lake house. He was sitting on the floor wrapping the last minute gift he had picked up for Aria in the same spot they had danced just months ago.
"Who is the babysitter this year?" Spencer asked with a laugh.
"Aria hates big parties; someone always has to watch her." Emily explained as she looked at Caleb.
"I think it's Mike this year." Hanna said as she walked around the room. "Here." Hanna said as she looked at Caleb. She was handing him a small box wrapped in purple paper.
"What's this?" He asked her.
"We all talked about it and we think you should give her this and we will give her the backpack." Hanna said as she looked at him.
"Trust us she will love it." Spencer said as she looked at them.
"It's too early in the relationship for us to outshine you." Hanna said as she took the larger box away from him.
"Thanks I guess." He said as he looked at them and got off the floor. It wasn't long before the house was full of people Aria not being one of them.
"You have to hate things like this." Lucas said as he approached Caleb. "Don't worry you won't get shot for telling the truth. Aria hates these things." He said as he looked at Caleb.
"SWEETS!" Caleb heard a squeal coming from across the room. "You came." Aria said as she jumped into his arms.
"You can thank Hanna for that." He said as he hugged her closely.
"I will." She said as she leaned in to kiss him.
"Happy Birthday." He whispered as he pulled away from her.
"It is now that you are here." She said softly as she smiled up at him.
"You are such a dork." He replied with a laugh as Lucas coughed to get their attention.
"Lucky pokey, what's wrong?" Aria asked as she looked at the boy that to her surprise had become a close friend since he met Hanna.
"You two are sickening." He replied.
"Hear that Sweets we are sickening." Aria said as she looked at Caleb. He couldn't help but think about the way her big brown eyes sparkled up at him.
"I guess that means we are doing something right." He replied with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around her. He was on top of the world knowing that in the middle of this circus of a party the only person Aria cared about was him. They spent most the night half smiling and chit chatting with people who came up to them as she rested her head on his shoulder and he held her protectively around her tiny waist.
"Aria you need to open your presents." Her mother said as she came up to the couple and took Aria by the arm. Before he knew it Aria was across the room and there was no way he would cut through the crowd to get to her. He found himself walking out to the deck and just sitting there as he looked at the peaceful lake.
"Cupcake for your thoughts?" Aria asked as he walked up to him with a cupcake in each hand.
"The saying is a penny for your thoughts." He replied with a laugh as he took one of the cupcakes.
"Well cupcakes are way better than pennies. Want to know why?" She asked him.
"Why?" He asked with a laugh.
"Because they are yummy." She said with a smile.
"You are such a dork." He said with a chuckle.
"Call me a dork again I dare you to." She replied.
"I can't help that you are an adorable, lovable dork." He said as he looked at her.
"You're in for it now." She said before she shoved the cupcake in her hand at his face.
"You got icing in my nose." He said with a laugh as wipped his nose.
"Sorry." She said with a smile.
"You will be." He said before he did the same thing to her.
"Yum, buttercream." She replied after she licked the icing off her lips.
"Wow." He muttered as he looked at her. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked even with icing on her face.
"What?" She asked him questionably. "You know sometimes I wish I could read your mind." She said as she looked at him.
"You're the only thing on my mind right now." He said before he leaned down and touch his lips against hers.
"Awe, Emily look at them." He heard Hanna's voice behind him before he saw the flash of a camera in the corner of his eyes.
"Way to ruin our moment you two." Aria said as she pulled away from Caleb and looked at her friends. Caleb just sighed as he turned to face the two girls too.
"What did you two do?" Emily asked as Hanna flashed another picture.
"We had a little cupcake fight." Aria explained as she looked up at Caleb.
"It was more like a war." Caleb chimed in as he stared into her big brown eyes again.
"What makes you say that?" Aria asked as she smiled up at him. He was falling head over heels in love with girl with every smile as the seconds passed by way to fast.
"Because everything is fair in love and war." He replied softly as he stopped himself from saying 'I love you'. Even when the voice in his head was screaming it.