Alex

We zipped through the streets of Baltimore, a little longer than we usually would as if we were just wasting time, but I didn't care. To me, wasting time with Jack was the best way to spend my birthday, and considering the fact I thought he didn't know what today was, it was made all that better by the surprise element. It seemed spontaneous and not overly cliche like in the movies or from a fairytales. It was real, all of it.
Turning on to a familiar street, I looked up at the black sky that was dotted with thousands of silvery stars and I had to try and not let my mind wonder to all the cool space facts that were orbiting my mind, and just absorb how romantic December nights were.
We came to Jack and Rian's street and even through the revving engine, I could hear booming in the distance, and when I peered over Jack's shoulder I saw that his house was practically glowing and there were a few people outside. When we pulled up, we took our helmets off any everyone was stood smiling at us, red cups in hand. I held Jack's hand in my own as I quickly scanned the crowd and spotted Rian, Zack, Matt, Brendon, even Patrick was here! I recognised a few people from school that I didn't really know who were still smiling nonetheless.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX!" They all cheered at once which made me blush.

"Let's get this party fucking started!" Jack yelled, throwing his other helmet clutching hand in the air.

Everyone rushed inside and out of the cool winter air and I pulled Jack back as he tried to leave with them. He spun around, looking confused for a moment before I grabbed him by the shirt and connected our lips together. He quickly smiled into the kiss and his helmet fell to the grass with a soft thud as he held on to my hips, bringing me closer.

"Thank you," I mumbled against his lips.

"What for?"

"Today," I smiled, pecking him again, "Just....thank you."

"Hey, what are amazing hot guitarist boyfriends for?" He laughed, nudging his nose against mine, "Now c'mon, let's party!"

-

After an hour or two, and after Jack repeatedly saying that I didn't have to drink alcohol, it was fair to say I was more than a little tipsy. It was my first time drinking and I didn't know what went with what, so my stomach was churning already. But I couldn't care less right now, it was my birthday, and I wanted to celebrate. Preferably with my boyfriend, but he wandered off a while ago to take shots with the rest of the band. I thought spirits was pushing it slightly so I left him to it and found Patrick in the bathroom childishly smearing toothpaste on the upstairs bathroom mirror. In my 'drunk' state, I found it hilarious and proposed that we went around the house to play pranks on people, and Patrick was pretty out of it too, so he agreed.

"Fucking hell Pat! Shhhh!" I gushed as he tumbled down the last three stairs on our way down.

"It's okay! I got this!" He slurred, picking up his now half empty bottle of beer up from the carpet and pulling himself back up to his feet.

"We need to be sneaky, but act normal because people can't know what we're doing. Okay?"

Patrick vigorously nodded and followed me to the lounge where everyone went to pass out. The rest of the people were gathered in the kitchen as that's where the booze was. I turned on my heel, knocking a cd rack over in the process and grinning evilly at my partner in crime.

"Oooh, what's the plan, batman?" He giggled.

"Quick, follow me!" I whispered, grabbing his hand and pulling him back to the stairs. "Wait no, go back, you need to be on lookout." I said looking around to make sure no one knew what we were doing.

He saluted me and stumbled back to the lounge and I climbed the stairs again and went back to the bathroom. I got inside and immediately forgot what I was looking for, so I bounced to the toothpaste-covered mirror, licked it and then wrote 'secret agent Alex' with my finger in the substance. Laughing to myself, I flipped the lid on the toilet and relieved myself for the billionth time tonight. As I was peeing I spotted what I originally came in for on the side of the bathtub. Once I was done, I grabbed it and went back down to the lounge where Patrick was looking at the records I had knocked onto the floor.

"I'm baaaaack!" I sang, then clamped my hand over my mouth as I remembered I was meant to be being quite.

"Yay! So, what are we doing?" He grinned, his hat falling off.

I held the women's razor up and his face gleamed with excitement. I hauled my friend up and we picked out our victim, a guy in a letterman jacket who I remember being one of Jon's friends, and carefully leaned over his passed out form that was slumped on a leather armchair.

"Y-you know," Patrick hiccuped, "If he finds out this was us, we're dead."

"I knooooow," I answered, wagging my finger and flicking Patrick's nose. "That's why we're not gonna get found out."

He stuck his tongue out at me and I got I work, carefully shaving off this guys left eyebrow and snickered at how ridiculous he looked, but I reminded myself not to be too loud as we didn't want to wake him. I handed the razor to Patrick and he got rid of the other one, dropped it and we darted out of the room quickly an slumped down against the wall in the hallway in fits of laughter.

"What we gon' do neeeeext?" He sang, nudging his elbow in my rib.

I thought for a second about going to look for Jack, but a loud cheer from the kitchen changed my mind. I didn't want to interrupt his night after his first gig and I was having a blast anyway.

"Dunno, but I need some air," I admitted, standing up and dragging Patrick outside with me.

As soon as the cold December air hit my face, it was like the alcohol in me was intensified and I nearly fell down the patio steps. Patrick out a steady hand on my shoulder, laughed and plopped his fedora on my head. A sudden crash startled up both and followed the sound of the bang to the garage where the door was open and the light off. Pulling on the string, I walked in and was met with an empty space, Rian's parents must be out of town or something, well almost empty. There was a blonde girl passed out on the floor with one shoe missing. As if we could read one another's thought, we both searched the room for tools we could use to play a prank on her. I thought about going back to get the razor, but girls are pretty insecure about their eyebrows anyway so I didn't bother. I was about to give up hope, when Patrick cleared his throat from a few feet away.

"Let's paint her!" He squealed holding a can of paint in one hand and a brush in the other.

"Yes!"

I cracked open the can and pushed her hair carefully out of her face and sat back on my feet, watching as Patrick covered her entire face with pale blue house paint. I bit my tongue in order to stop from laughing as I admired our masterpiece. As we both got up to leave, Patrick knocked the can over and it slowly trickled into her hair.

"That's going to be a bitch to wash out!" I laughed, repositioning the hat on my head.

"So's that!" He retorted pointing to my stomach. I looked down at myself to see that I had somehow managed to get paint on my shirt.

"Shit! This is evidenceeee!" I slurred, unbuttoning my flannel, throwing it at my friend and darted half naked to Jack's bike where I left the JAGK top.

I hurriedly pulled it on to find it to be a perfect fit and really comfy. Jack gets the best presents ever. "Mmm Jack," I mumbled to myself as I walked back to the main house, "where are you babyyy?"

Notes

Thanks to my mom for giving me house party memories to use! :')