French Vanilla

I walked up the pathway to the Sykes' house. Everything seemed normal, except one thing: it was quiet. Nothing about this house was quiet. There was always Carol yelling at one of the boys, Oli and Tom laughing, the Bring Me The Horizon band over and playing games, anything really. But no, tonight, it was too quiet.

I walked up to the door and twisted the knob. "Hello?" I fumbled for a light switch in the dark and finally flicked it on.

"Surprise! 'Appeh Birfday!" The crowd yelled.

"Holy shit!" I laughed, my face turning a bright red.

They all laughed in return and Oli's voice piped up over the crowd. "Let's get this parteh started!" He put on some loud music and everyone started dancing and cheering. This was the loud I was accustomed too.

My eyes scanned the crowd and they landed on the boys from the band. "Hey guys!" I beamed up to them.

"Appeh Birfday!" Matty cheered and pulled me into a hug.

"My turn!" Jona yelled, pulling me from Matty and hugging my body to his chest.

"Aye! Me next! 'Appeh Birfday!" Vegan grinned and hugged me.

"She lives wiff meh! My turn, yea?" Oli smiled and I hugged him back.

"'Appeh Birfday Skylah," Lee smiled lightly and I smiled back.

"Thanks so much for all of this!" My eyes landed on Oli and I tugged at the hem of my shirt. "The clothes and the party and all."

He shook his head, a smile never leaving his face. "Well I onleh 'elped a little. It was mostly Tommeh."

"Where is he, by the way?" I leaned up on the tip of my toes and tried scanning the crowd.

"You'll nevah find 'im tha' way, shorteh," a voice came from behind me. I jumped and turned around seeing Tom. He snapped a picture of my face and everyone laugh.

"Tommy!" I yelled, throwing my arms around his waist. "Thank you so much for all of this!"

He laughed and hugged me back, receiving a few teasing 'awes' from the band. "It was no problem realleh. I like makin' yeh 'appeh."

"You're the best Tom-Tom." I grinned looking up at him and turned around to face the band. One of Tom's hands stayed firmly on my waist and I had to fight the blush that was creeping up on my face.

"Aye Tommeh," Oli started. "Yeh should get 'er a drink. It's 'er birfday. She's got teh loosen up, yea?"

Tom nodded and reluctantly peeled his hand from my waist and made his way to the bar where are the alcoholic beverages were.

"So yeh and Tommeh are getting pretteh close, huh?" Jona piped up, a smirk plastered on his face.

The blush that I was fighting finally became visible. "Uh, yea I guess."

They all laughed and Matt Kean shoved my shoulder playfully. "Aye, he's a tough one teh break lass. Good luck wiff tha'."

My brows furrowed, "what does that mean?"

Matty took a sip from his beer and grinned. "It means that yeh got teh fight fo' what yeh want."

"Yeh didn't fink yeh are the onleh one tha' 'as his eyes did yeh?" Oli piped in.

"What are you-"

"Aye, leave the poor bird alone. It's 'er birfday." Tom piped in. He smiled and handed me a concoction in a red cup. With all the questions brewing through my head, I didn't even care what it was. I chugged the whole thing.

"Damn!" Lee commented, laughing a bit.

"The American bird can drink!" Kean laughed and shoved my shoulder playfully.

"Needed to loosen up," I defended, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Sure," Oli said sarcastically, a grin never leaving his face.

I rolled my eyes and looked at Tom. "Want to dance?"

"Dance?" He asked incredulously.

I nodded my head and grabbed his hand. "Yup. It's my party and I want to dance. You're coming with me." He laughed and let me pull him to an area where a few people were dancing. I just needed to be away from the band. I didn't want their words to haunt my mind.

"Can yeh even dance?" Tom asked into my ear.

I shook my head and put a smile on my face. "I dance like I'm drunk." He chuckled and we both put our arms into the air, jumping to the beat flowing through the air.

"Aye, I got teh show yeh somefin!" Tom yelled into my ear over the music.

"What?" I yelled back.

"Follow me!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the crowd. He led us both upstairs and shut the door to his bedroom. "That's better," he said sighing.

I plopped down on the bed and tugged at the Drop Dead shirt I was wearing. I looked up and Tom was pacing the floor back and forth. I tilted my head and smiled at the boy. My smile caught his attention and he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck - something I remember him only doing if he was nervous.

"Yeh look like a doggeh when yeh tilt yeh 'ead like that."

I pouted at him. "That sucks. You hate dogs."

"I don't hate dogs! I juss prefer kittehs is all."

"Yeh 'ate meh!" I mocked in an English accent.

He rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed next to me. "Yeh are ridiculous sometimes, yeh know tha'?"

I grinned and nodded my head furiously, flopping my hair into my face.

He laughed and moved the hair from my shoulders. "I 'ave somefin fo' yeh."

"Well I figured that's why you dragged me up here. That or for sex, but I don't give that up to easily."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Well I wouldn't ask that of yeh. And I figured tha' anyway. It took me two days teh know yeh flippin' name and even wiff tha' I 'ad to figure out by mehself."

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled innocently. "Well that's who I am. I'm sorry I'm crazy."

"I like crazy birds," he blurted. A blush crept up on his face and he looked down at the ground. "Sorreh. But I do actualleh 'ave somefin fo' yeh." He got up and went over to his desk. He opened the first drawer and pulled out a long velvet box out. I heard him take a deep breath before he turned around and sat back down next to me on the bed. "'Ere yeh go."

I looked down at the velvet box he placed in my hands and opened it slowly. The light in the room glistened across the necklace making it sparkle. It was a black and white diamond panda necklace on a white gold chain. "T-Tom..." I stuttered, my breath completely taken away. "This is absolutely beautiful," I whispered. I looked over at him, my vision blurry by the tears that were blotting my eyes.

"'Appeh Birfday Skylah," he smiled back at me. I placed the necklace down on my bed and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thank you so much Tom."

He chuckled and hugged me tightly to his chest. "No problem realleh. 'Ere, let me put it on yeh."

I nodded and pulled away, wiping the one tear that fell down my face. He took the necklace from the velvet box and I pulled my hair up off of my shoulders. His hands ghosted my neck as he put the necklace on.

"It looks propa brill on yeh," he smiled and let his hands fall to his lap.

I looked down at the jewelry again and let my hands trace along the chain. "This must have cost you a bagillion dollars Tommy."

He shrugged, "it's whatevah. Don't worry about it."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my hands over my chest, a smile still on my face. "Tom! I mean it. You need to return it and get your money back."

He shook his head and chuckled. "Most birds would freak out wiff jewelry."

"I'm not most girls!" I sighed and looked down at him. "I do love it though. It's so pretty."

"I'm glad yeh like it Batman lady. And I'm not returnin' it so shush. Let's go enjoy yeh parteh, yea?"

I nodded and he stood up and took my hand, pulling my downstairs. My eyes caught the rest of the band by the drink table. I grinned at Jona as we approached. "Jona! I need alcohol now!"

"Alright yeh crazeh bird!" He laughed and turned around grabbing a whole bunch of glasses. When he finally turned around, he handed us a shot glass and a larger glass filled with a drink. He grabbed his lighter and lit the shot glass on fire. "Take it!"

I looked at Tom and he dropped the shot glass into the glass before he chugged both. I mirrored his actions. "Jona!" I laughed putting the empty glasses down on the table. "Are you trying to kill me?"

He ruffled my purple hair. "It's called a flaming doctor pepper. Have fun wiff tha'."

I rolled my eyes as he poured himself and Matt Kean another shot. "Tom?" I looked up at him. "Want to dance again?"

He smiled and grabbed my hand lightly in his. "I'll do anyfing wiff yeh."

I looked down at the floor to block the blush creeping up on my face. When I was sure it was gone I looked back up at Tom and smiled, pulling him to the dance floor. We threw our hands up into the air and let the music take us away together.