Strings Of Fate & Falling

Roxanne stared at them both in turmoil, they'd fought before, and she really didn't want them to again.

Kieko huffed before taking a deep, calming breath as he gave Max a look of warning. "Now, Max. We don't have to fight about this. I'd rather not fight a friend." he said, looking him straight in the eye.

"Exactly, which is why it calmly asked you to back off" max said giving the same look of warning to kieko. His eyes not moving front kieko as he looked him in the eyes. 

Lenora frown. "Ruby should we do something before this escalates?" She asked.

"Let's not get involved." Leorik said. "Let them figure it out on there own.they're old enough to settle there differences"

Ruby looked at them both cautiously. "We knew this was coming, and if they don't settle this now, they'll only do it again later." she said.

Kieko exhaled through his nostrils. "If I back down now, Max, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I'm not backing down just because you said so." he said, his brow furrowing slightly into a frown.

Max snorted. "Then you know there's only two ways to settle this" max said glaring at him. "Neither of us are going to back down. Either roxy has to choose one of us. Or things get violent"

Roxanne was about to speak again, but something was stopping her. With a growl, she stepped forward. "Guys. You cannot fight about this here and now, hell, I don't want you two to fight at all, okay? Not when I'm having such a good birthday." she said sternly, glaring at them both.

Kieko snarled as he reluctantly backed down, looking down at the floor guiltily, but, he couldn't shake the sharp jealousy of them. Roxanne was close to being taken away from him.

Max glared at kieko, but for Roxanne's sake he backed down as well. But he wasn't goig to give up Roxanne. And he would fight kieko for her I've he had to. Friends or not.

Roxanne knew she couldn't prevent this fight. It was in the prophecy and everything else the angel had foretold had occurred, so she knew very well Kieko and max were going to fight at some point, but she'd be damned if she'd let them get away with fighting at such a good birthday party. Plus, they'd risk damaging Max's garden.

She looked around. "Anything else you guys planned for today?" she asked, wanting to change the subject.

Max leaned against the tree before he face palmed. "I'll be right back" he vanished quickly.

Lenora smiled knowing what he was going to get. "Sit at the table dear. Max made this himself

Roxanne smiled a little as she nodded before wandering over to the table. She sat down as she looked at them.

Kieko wandered over to, almost ashamed and embarrassed as he was close to an outburst.

Roxy suddenly wondered what Max had made.

Max appeared moments later with her birthday cake. Large in size but crafted like a work of art he set it down on the table in front of her and as he snapped his fingers all sixteen candles lit up. Each one placed in a preside place and each part of the cake telling the ire story from when they first met

Kieko rolled his eyes as he scoffed to himself. This was getting almost ridiculous now.

Roxanne gasped at the cake, as it was the biggest and most decorative one she'd ever set eyes on. Max must've put so much effort into this as well. She kind of admired him for it.

"Wow." she gasped, a big grin on her face. "You've really out done yourself here Max."

Kieko snorted at that.

Max smiled. "This is by far one of my greatest culinary achievements. Like I said  only the best for the birthday girl" he said backing away.

Roxanne grinned but then glared at them all. "You dare sing 'happy birthday'..." she growled, to which he mother put her hands up in surrender as she smiled.

Just for old times sake, Roxy made a wish before she took a breath and blew out the sixteen candles, coughing briefly at the smoke.

Max smiled as he cut her a piece of the cake and handed it to her. It was he favorite flavor. As well as a nice vanilla frosting.

Roxanne and the others eventually had a piece each and before long, the party was over as Ruby and Max's parents started to leave as it was getting late. The hours had flew by to their surprise.

Roxanne stayed behind a while to admire the garden some more, just sitting down near the stream, watching the water as she found it calming. It wasn't long before Kieko joined her, kneeling down next to her. "Was it as bad as you thought it would be?" he asked.

"No. It was almost perfect." she replied, smiling a little.

"Almost perfect as in kieko and I almost screwed up royally" max said sitti in a nearby tree feedi his animal friends who took refuge in his garden

Roxanne sighed, looking up at him. "Well...close." she said, before flicking her hand in the water again.

Kieko grumbled to himself as he stepped back to lean against the tree. He wasn't going anywhere soon.

Max glared at kieko. He wasn't about to leave either. And he knew roxy wasn't about to just choose one of them. "So how do we settle our little problem" his tone and question primarily directed to kieko

Kieko knew Max directed that at him as he glanced up into the tree. "How should I know? This is how my other family members used to settle these sort of situations."

Roxanne sighed, looking into the river at her reflection. It was time to choose she supposed.

Kieko was feeling the same bitterness and jealousy from before and it was getting increasingly difficult to hold it back as he stared at Max.

Max stared back at kieko,ready to defend himself if kieko decided to attack. Though the only things holding him back right now were roxanne and the danger of his garden being destroyed.

Roxanne sighed before she remembered something important. "I got to go back briefly to talk to my mother." she looked between them. "Can I trust you two?" Although she already knew the answer, as all she could do was be as quick as possible.

Kieko grunted, looking away.

She merely frowned before she walked out of the garden, running back home, regretting it instantly but she had to talk to her mother.

"So long as he doesnt harm the garden" max said calmly as he jumped to the large center tree to feed the anmals there.

~

Lenora was with ruby, " do you think everything is ok, its gotten awfully quiet"

Kieko looked to the stream Roxanne had been looking at. "I wouldn't." he said.

~

Ruby shook her head. "It should be okay at the moment. They have self restraint." she said, before she spotted her daughter, who looked in turmoil.

Roxanne came in looking between them, like she was afraid she had interrupted something.

"Everything okay, Roxy?" her mother asked in concern.

"Yeah, I - can I just talk to you for a minute?"

Lenora smiled. " ill head back to the house, emily promised she'd call when she moved into her new house" she said walking towards her home

Roxanne smiled gratefully before she approached her mother. "You know I hate coming to you whining about...you know...girly, teenager stuff, but what's going on with Kieko and Max - " she clutched her head. "I don't know what to do..."

Ruby gave her a look of empathy before she placed her hands on her shoulders. "No, it's the opposite isn't it. You know what you have to do, but it's just difficult. I know, honey, I know."

"I think...I don't - I think I love them both...how am I supposed to settle this? It'll never end if I don't."

"Roxanne, I know it's your decision, but, from a mother's point of view, I can already tell you feel for one more than the other. And I think deep down, you know too."

She looked at her with innocent eyes, slightly teary.

"Think of this, in the end, it comes down to who makes you feel more alive than you ever have and who makes your heart beat faster." She snorted. "Cheesy, I know, but it's the truth."

~

Kieko was silent for a while, before he looked up at Max. His jealousy peeking through finally. "It was always you two. It was always you two from the start." he said through gritted teeth.