Not So Jasey Rae.

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Skylar was awoken to the sound of off-tuned singing and yelling. She opened her eyes to see everyone –Zack still laying in bed besides her, Alex, Jack, Rian, Kara, Taylor, Nicole, and even Amelia singing to her the same birthday song they sang for Zack’s birthday.

She laughed when they finished, and looked at everyone. Zack looked fine, content. Jack looked excited. Rian looked kinda tired, yet happy, and the same was with Kara. Taylor and Nicole were having fun, which was apparent. Amelia looked bitter standing next to them. She looked like she hated the world, and couldn’t wait to get out.

Alex was last, standing by the door. He looked like shit, in Skylar’s eyes. She had always thought he was extremely good looking, but he looked horrible. His hair wasn’t as ‘perfect’ as he normally made sure it was. It was messy, scraggly. His clothes were as well; they were wrinkled, and didn’t match.

This wasn’t like Alex.

“’Lex, you okay?” She asked with concern after she had thanked them all and blew out the candles, wishing for nothing but Amelia’s happiness. Life was perfect for her right now.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Amelia flinch upon seeing that Skylar was actually concerned about Alex’s well-being. He smiled lightly, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little hangover. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Alex.” She said, before getting up.

“Where are you going?!” Jack practically squealed as she made an attempt to leave the room. “It’s like, and unspoken rule that you have to stay in bed for breakfast in bed on your birthday!”

“I never have followed the rules, Jack-Jack, and I’m not planning to start.” She joked before grabbing Alex’s hand and leading him to the kitchen, leaving the rest confused.

“Did you take anything?” She asked as she began to set up the blender that the hotel provided.

“Yeah, a few pills this morning. Didn’t do much.”

“Exactly,” She grabbed some ice and milk, pouring it into the blender before cutting up a banana quickly, dropping it in, too. She searched the cabinets. “Do you guys have honey?”

“Yeah,” Alex answered, pulling an un-opened bottle out. “Jack needed some for some special drink. He never ended up using it.”

“Well, that’s just lucky, isn’t it?” She smirked at him, plucking the bottle out of his hands and pouring some into the blender, before starting it. She noticed Jack and Rian peeking their heads out the bedroom door, trying to go unnoticed.

And failing, miserably.

Alex must have noticed it too, as he ruffled Skylar’s already messy bed-hair, before yelling in their general direction, “We’re done with our quickie now, you can come in!” Skylar hit his chest with the back of her hand before grabbing a cup out of the cabinet, and filling it up all the way to the top with the liquid.

She fished out a bendy straw, knowing it would be easier to drink that way, and handed it to Alex just as the others came into the kitchen. “Drink that. It’s a banana smoothie with honey, and judging by the confused look on your face, you’ve never used it to help a hangover. The banana helps calm the stomach, and with the honey, builds up blood sugar levels. The milk soothes the stomach and rehydrates your system. It’ll make you feel better a little quicker.” She smiled before walking out of the kitchen, and into the bedroom, to grab clothes and get ready for her day.

They made sure she would have fun.

|~|~|~|

Everything was in place. Alex, Jack, and Zack had planned it all, while Rian knew the people they needed. Their birthday surprise for Skylar was to be split in two parts and it was seven thirty at this moment in time, when they were all loading into the van. Everyone was there; Zack was driving with Jack navigating, Kara and Rian shared a seat in the middle set, her on his lap, with Alex and Nicole sitting on either sides of him. The other three girls took up the very back three seats.

About thirty minutes into the ride, Alex grabbed something from his bag and turned around, facing the girls. He beckoned Skylar closer, and being cautious, she did, and let him wrap the bandana around her eyes and head, making it impossible for her to see anything.

The ride went on for about fifteen more minutes.

When they finally stopped, Sky had Zack help her out of the car, seeing as she still couldn’t see. They guided her inside the building, it was quiet for the most part, but only because it was supposed to be closed. Again, Rian and his connections.

Amelia groaned when they saw that Skylar was sniffing as they were being seated. “You… you guys…. Seriously?!?!” She screeched, “You brought me to The Magic Time Machine!?” She laughed. The room went silent.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” She heard Alex mutter behind her as his hands untied her bandana. She slid it off once it was loose enough as Alex took his seat in the booth. She looked around.

They were in Mickey Mouse’s wizard hat, the circular table, Skylar sitting right next to the little door, then Zack, Rian, Kara, Jack, Nicole, Amelia, Taylor and Alex. How it had managed to fit all of them was a mystery to her, though it was a nice sized table.

She laughed, continuously thanking them, and telling them about how she hadn’t been there in years, and old memories of when she had, until the waiter came. He took their drinks, some of which sounding suspicious, and left them.

“How did you manage this? It’s closed on Sundays!” She commented as her eyes breezed over the menu.

“That would be me,” Rian commented. “My family if very close with the owner of this place, and he likes me, so we got in, our own little private party.”

“This is amazing you guys, seriously.”

They ordered off the expensive menu, Skylar being very amused seeing as Harry Potter was the waiter.

They were talking about everything, most having separate conversations, when Skylar felt a small kick under the table, not enough to hurt her. She looked in the direction of the kick to find Alex smiling at her. He nudged her again. She kicked him back, lightly. She tried to kick him again but his feet caught hers in between his, holding her captive there. Then there was a kick from yet another direction, they looked over at Jack who was now laughing, “Footsies!” He kicked again, as Alex let go. Sky looked over to Zack to see that he was laughing as well.

When her slice of cake came around, Harry was followed by Jack Sparrow and Batman to sing her happy birthday.

Alex and Zack both watched her as she laughed. Both were happy that she was happy, and both had done everything in their power to make it that way.

They were both fighting for her.

|~|~|~|

Skylar once again found herself blindfolded later that night. She heard as the car came to a silent stop. Sky listened closely as she heard the driver’s door open and close, and she knew Rian was driving this time around. Everyone began talking and it wasn’t long before Zack turned in her direction and laughed. “You look so confused.”

“That’s ‘cause I am, smartshit.”

“Babe, it’s gonna be worth it in the end.”

“You don’t sound too sure, Zack.”

“I am.” He said in a more confident voice. “I’m just worried, it may be too much, and I know you don’t like surprises…”

“What did you guys do…” Sky asked cautiously.

“Nothing!” Taylor piped from up front. So she was in on it.

“Whatever,” Skylar said, crossing her arms, and laying her head back on the seat.

She knew this would be a long night.

|~|~|~|

Finally, about twenty minutes later, Rian came back out and had Zack carry his girlfriend inside to wherever they were. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her face into his shoulder, not wanting to fall. She didn’t like being carried bridal style, it scared her.

She listened as they opened the door, and Zack set her down, wrapping his arms around her waist to steady her. She heard Rian murmur, “We ready?” Silence. “Okay, one, two, three!” The blindfold was released, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted by thirty or so people, yelling ‘surprise’, or ‘happy birthday’. She jumped a little in shock, but slowly came to the realization of what the boys’ had done for her. She turned as everyone began to move around, some going to the makeshift bar, others to dance in the large open space to the fist pumping music pulsing through the speakers.

“Did you guys do this? Where are we?” She asked, laughing slightly.

Rian answered, “My family. The family I came to see when we first met you, this is their house. They… kinda owed me.” He said, smiling as he shifted forward on his heels.

“And Nicole, Amelia and I went through all our contacts and found all your friends from high school. No one’s given up on the party scene quite yet,” Taylor said winking.

Alex laughed, “Smooth. We came here before, and met the fans we had that were attending so that we wouldn’t be bombarded later.”

“We hired a bartender for the night, and an actual DJ from that club we went to for my birthday.” Zack said as he gestured at said people, Skylar recognizing the ‘bartender’ as a friend from school.

Jack spoke up last, “Now, no more questions, time to party!” He grabbed Skylar and Nicole’s hands, dragging them towards the makeshift bar the boys had set up.

This was nice.

|~|~|~|

Skylar was sitting perched on a stool, Jack Daniels in one hand. She took a sip of it as the music pumped through the speakers. She and Zack had just finished dancing -more like making out- and she decided to take a little break. Alex walked over to them.

“You having fun?” He asked as he himself took a gulp of his beer.

“Yeah, this is great. No, seriously you guys, this was the perfect twentieth birthday I could ask for.” She was a little tipsy. “Can I get hugs?” She held her arms out to Alex, who hugged her lightly before she moved on to Zack. She left them then, they saw her walking in Jack’s general direction.

“She’s funny,” Zack mused.

“Yeah. She’s also on her way to being drunk off her ass. Watch out.” Alex tried not to sound jealous of her boyfriend, and was glad he could lie well.

“Nah, man. You know I wouldn’t take advantage of her like that. Ah, look, here she comes. Sky rounded the corner smiling before taking her seat once again.

“Where’s your beer?” Alex asked, looking down at her empty hands.

She shrugged, “Dunno,” She looked at him. “Where is my beer, Alex?”

He laughed a bit, before waving in the DJ’s direction, and turning to look at Zack, “Is it okay if I steal your girlfriend for a little bit?”

Zack smiled, glad they seemed to be getting along, “Of course, it’s not my place to say, ask her.”

Alex looked at Skylar and held a hand out as a familiar melody began playing. She listened as a smile adorned her lips. Taking her hand, he pulled her out into the now slow mass of moving people.

“I just want the best for you girl,
But I don’t think I really know what that means.
I know you bring the best out of me,
And I know you’re sick of abstract things.
But time has been kind in a weird kind of way,
‘Cause I’ve been waiting for this feeling to leave.
If I can hold on to this feeling this long,
Maybe I can get you to hold me.”

He murmured the first verse of the song into her hair, and moved down to her ear as he began singing the chorus a bit louder.

Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.

I won't be sorry if you leave me girl,
‘Cause I'm the world's biggest fan of clichés.
I'll set you free then I'll love like I'm not,
Hurting in the world's worst ways.

But I don't know if I can make it alone,
And I don't have much more left to lose.
I can't say for sure just where I'll end up;
I just want to end up there with you.

Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.

When the darkness never ends,
And my world's crashing in.
And it starts to turn again
Will you believe?

When I won't get over you
And my world splits in two
When I just can't make it through
Will you believe?

Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
Don’t you believe, girl, you change the world,
At least you change the world for me.
At least you change the world for me,
At least you change the world for me,
At least you change the world for me,
At least you change the world for me,"

She stepped away quickly when she realized the song was over. “Th-thanks,” She stuttered, turning away and walking quickly to the ‘bar’.

She needed a drink.

And I’ve been waiting for so long, but she’ll never know.