French Vanilla

"Hi. Welcome to Dunkin' Donuts. Can I help you?" I muttered off for the hundredth time that morning. It was eight in the morning, and it was already busy. Today was the last stop for Vans Warped Tour, so adding to the usual business rush, we had the added billion kids coming in for coffee first thing in the morning. They all looked like excited zombies, if possible.

"'Ello. Can I 'ave a large French Vanilla Cappuccino very very very sweet. Like add a 'undred sugahs." The man laughed, speaking in his melodic euro accent.

I looked up, and smiled. That was my drink too. "Jeez! Are you Tom Sykes?" I practically yelled, a smile spreading quickly across my face. I earned a weird look from my manager that was too busy helping out on drive-thru to say anything.

"Oi! Hush! I don't want to cause a riot at Dunkin' Donuts at eight in the mornin'!" He looked eerily at the other kids waiting in line and I muffled a laugh.

"You're right, I'm sorry." I went and made his drink and handed it to him. He took a sip before handing me the money.

"Yeh're one of the few birds that can actually make my drink righ' the firs' try."

I grinned proudly. "Well, that's my drink too."

"Oh yeh? No wonda' why it's perfect." I smiled and looked down, letting my purple bangs fall into my eyes. "Yeh shouldn't cover yeh're face like tha', love. Too beautiful." I raised my head, letting my eyes fall onto his.

"Thank you," I muttered, slightly embarrassed. The line grew longer and the next kid looked very irritated at our extended conversation. Tom noticed, but didn't seem to care.

"Are yeh goin' teh come teh Warped Tour afta' work?"

I shook my head no. "No money for tickets. I've got a few things to save up for so that means I have to make some budget cuts."

He wrinkled his nose and fished something out of his pocket. "Well, 'ere yeh go. If yeh feel like comin', don't be too shy to say 'ello." Tom placed the paper on the counter as my manager, Kevin, walked over.

"Is there a problem?" He asked, noticing that Tom has been here a while.

Tom shook his head and smiled, "no, just talkin' to yeh lovely employee is all." He nodded his head, walking away, obviously annoyed. "Well, 'opefully I'll catch yeh lata'." Tom grabbed his coffee and walked out of the store. I grabbed the paper and glanced down quickly. 'VIP ALL ACCESS.' I grinned, shoving the pass into my back pocket and calling the next person in line over to me. It was going to be a long day.



I stared at the second hand on the clock watching it tick by. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up! The hand finally made it to the twelve causing the minute and hour hand to shift. Three o'clock: my favorite time of day. I yanked off my headset and visor, flinging them onto the wall. "Wahoo!" I yelled out, dancing around. A few customers looked concerned but the employees just shrugged or laughed. I was always hyper. I practically ran out of the building and jumped into my Jeep.

I drove home, running a few stop signs in the process and quickly changed into jean shorts and an Enter Shikari tank top. I re-did my makeup and pulled my purple hair down, straightening it in the process. I threw on a pair of old beaten up chucks and grabbed my keys, phone, and pass, running out of the door. Again, I drove a bit dangerous. There wasn't any traffic because of how late I got there. First thing I did was go to the board and check out the set list. Bring Me The Horizon played at 5:30 on the Main Stage. I looked at my phone noting the time. It was 4:30.

I smiled and walked towards the fence that barricaded the people out of the area where all the tour busses were. I showed the security guy my pass and he let me through the gate. I stuck my tongue out at a couple of people that were giving me dirty looks.

I groaned, weaving in and out of all the buses. I had no idea where I was going. A little euro accent graced my ears making my smile grow. "So yeh decided to show up, eh?" I turned around to see Tom.

"Yea, I figured it wouldn't be THAT torturous."

He laughed, "well good fing I spotted yeh. They're all by the stage now. I was juss 'eadin' there mehself. Good fing I came back for my camera or else you woulda' been walkin' around fo' ages."

I laughed, and walked over to him. He had this huge Nikon camera around his neck, and I couldn't help but to stare. The thing was fucking beautiful.

"Yeh like photography?" He asked as we walked back towards the fence where all the kids were standing.

"I love it!" I looked down at his camera again, almost tempting to touch it. Almost. I'm not that creepy that I would just grab the really expensive camera from a guy I just met. Then again, I was hanging out with the guy I just met. I guess I am a bit crazy.

"'Ello? Are yeh in there?" Tom asked, knocking on my head.

I grinned up at him, swatting his hands away from my head. "I spaced out! Sorry!" He laughed as we approached the gate, a few girls giving me envious looks. I stuck my tongue back out at them, earning a middle finger from the one with pink hair. I very gratefully returned her the same gesture.

"Yeh're goin' teh get jumped o' somfin," Tom laughed looking at the girls. "Girls like that are a bit crazy."

"Well they should just fuck off."

He smiled down at me as we kept walking to the main stage, getting stopped a few times along the way by fans. The fifth time we got stopped, I groaned and turned around. Tom was, yet again, signing stuff for some girls. One asked him to sign her shoes, another asked for Oli’s number earning her to get completely ignored, and the last girl, the one with pink hair, asked him to sign her chest. He did, handing her the sharpie back and turned to walk away, quickly being stopped.

"Come stay with me tonight, Tommy!" The girl with pink hair whined as we started to walk away. Tom turned to face her again, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorreh, love. I got plans alreadeh," he said as he smiled apologetically.

Her eyes grew wide and her smile took up most of her fake face, "I can come with you! I know you want to spend time with me." She smiled, pushing her chest out slightly. It was very noticeable to me. I tend to recognize whores when I see them.

Tom looked nervously at me and then quickly grabbed my hand. "Sorreh, love. Really, I'd love teh, but I already got plans wiff meh girlfren."

She scowled and walked away with her group of whores friends. Tom quickly retreated his hand and rubbed the back of his neck again, something I assumed he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

"Sorreh about tha'."

I smiled up at him, "it's fine, Tom."

"Wan' teh 'ear somfin funneh I juss realized?"

"What?"

"I still don' know yehr name!" He exclaimed the last part flailing his arms about.

I chuckled at his outburst, as we were finally getting to the main stage. "Well, I'm not telling."

"Wha? Why not?" He asked as we showed security our passes and walked behind the gate again.

"Because I'm in the mood to be mysterious." I grinned up at him and he laughed as we approached some guys sitting on amps and benches in the back. The tall blonde noticed Tom and waved him over.

"'Ey, is tha' the girl yeh were talkin' 'bout that might come?"

One of the others with long hair just passed his shoulders turned and looked. "It 'as teh be! She's got the purple 'air!"

I smiled at them as Tom sat down on one of the amps. "Oi, Tommy? Aren't yeh goin' teh introduce us?" The tall and lanky one asked. I recognized him as Oli. Yeah, being a fan of the band helps knowing names, kind of.

Tom shook his head, "Can't. Don't know 'er name."

Oli scrunched his eyebrows together and the man I recognized as the drummer spoke, "Don't know 'er name?"

"Then why the bloody 'ell are yeh 'angin' wiff 'er?" Oli finished for him, laughing lightly.

Tom smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that's Matt, Vegan, Lee, Jona, and Olleh." I nodded my head recognizing their names. I remember looking them up on Wikipedia a few years back when I first heard them. If that sounds creepy, oh well. "And lads, this is juss some bird I met gettin' my coffeh this mornin'."

Jona laughed and messed with a string on his guitar. I laughed too, tucking a stray piece of purple behind my head. A man peaked out from behind the stage and yelled to them. "Bring Me The Horizon to stage set up!"

The band stood up and walked towards the backstage entrance. Tom stood up, smiling at me, "Well, are yeh ready?"