Silver Linings

Chapter 18 & Epilouge

18 - Epilouge

I woke up the next morning to my Dad knocking on the door. I rolled over and looked at him walking in humming 'Happy Birthday.' "Daaaadddd" he didn't say anything but kept humming. He sat on the bed a frosted sprinkled donut with a candle stuck in it. "Happy birthday to my baby girl." "Thanks dad." He kissed the top of my head and told me to make a wish. My wish was simple.

I wish I had Daniel next to me. It'd be the first year I would have not have him with me. I got up eating the donut as I got dressed. I pulled on a plaid dress and a jean shirt over since it was a strapless dress. I pulled on a pair of tan boots and clasped on a gold layered necklace. I put my earrings in and headed to the bathroom. I curled my hair quickly tying my hair back with a plaid bow that matched the dress and headed downstairs. My dad was on the phone behind the counter. "It's your brother." I ran over taking the phone, "Happy 16th Danny!!" "Happy 16th Er. " I heard my twin brother smile through the phone. "Did mom make a big fuss this morning?" "Oh you bet. I asked Adam to drive me to school since she was emotional that her kids were sixteen." "How did I know?" I laughed stirring my coffee. I heard the door alarm go off with a 'beep-beep-beep' and it be shut. "Because it's our mother." I laughed shaking my head. I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist as I picked up my coffee. "That's true. Alright, I've got to go or I'll be late for school. I'll text you?" A kiss to my neck. "Yeah. Alright love you." "Love you too, Dan." I hung up and set the phone on the counter softly leaning into the familiar frame behind me. "Hey." I spoke smiling before taking a sip. "Hey there birthday girl." A kiss on my cheek before I found my own balance and turned around. "Happy Birthday, Eraphant." I giggled as Shawn kissed my forehead. "Thanks babe." "You ready for school?" "Totally." I groaned. "I'm going to make this good. I promise." He spoke grabbing my bag off the floor. "You're going to make being stuck in room with work and just you in it 'good'?" "Well now I feel offended." "I didn't mean it like that." "I know you didn't I'm just joking with you." I slapped his arm gently and shook my head walking out the door.

We got to school and Shawn insisted I have my eyes covered. "Shawn," "please, it'll be good I promise." I groaned and let him cover my eyes. He led me to what I knew was the guidance office just by the noises around me. A door clicked open, and I heard Shawn whisper, "Open." As he pulled his hands away. When I opened my eyes a banner was hung on the wall that said "Happy 16th Erika!" And a pile of presents stood on one of the tables. I turned around to Shawn, mouth agape. "Who let you do this??" "Guidance. They felt bad you wouldn't get a normal birthday at school and allowed me to do this, also since they know that we're not doing standard testing since we're in advanced classes." I shook my head and hugged him. "Thank you. Just thank you." He rubbed my back softly and kissed my head. "Anything for my girl." I smiled up at him and pulled away to sit down. We didn't have any work since testing was going on and some of our classmates were taking standards. So Shawn pulled out a couple board games out of his back pack and his laptop. Our school wifi allowed Netflix so, we played Clue, Connect 4, Battleship, Monopoly, and Life before watching multiple movies like Pretty In Pink and Sixteen Candles along with Feris Bueller's Day Off. Great movies with a great guy.

Later during lunch Shawn pulled out Subway for himself and a Olive Garden take-out box for me. "You are way too much." "Nope. I'm not. I'm only giving you a great birthday." "I feel like my gift to you was like... Crap." "It was anything but crap Erika. It was hot. Just plain hot." I giggled playing with the noodles and shaking my head. "Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you." "You don't. You deserve someone better than me." I set down my fork looking at him. "Shawn, honestly there is no one better than you. Not a single soul. Not even Ed Sheeran and you know him he's I mean he's him. You've treated me so well these past eight months. I don't know how you're not sick of me yet." "I don't think I ever will." I smiled giggling and shook my head. "You're way too much Mendes. Way too much."

I had gotten everything from clothing to a new pair of headphones. Shawn was spoiling me like crazy and I didn't know what to do. When school let out his mom picked us up. I thought we'd go home but we ended up on the highway. "Shawn.. Were are we going?" "It's a surprise. Duh." "Oh my god just tell me." "I'm afraid I can't do that." "You suck. You literally suck." "No I don't. I most certainly don't. I stink sometimes yes but I don't suck." I shook my head at him before pulling out my phone and tweeting, "Thank you all for the birthday wishes! Currently in a car w/ @ShawnMendes and I honestly don't know what's happening." I looked out the window and noticed we were in the outskirts of Ontario. "Shawn Peter Raul Mendes what do you have planned." "I am afraid I can't tell you." I groaned once more and turned to him. "You know you're making this day worse by not telling me." He sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this.." I looked at him raising my eyebrow. "We're doing a meet and greet. We wanted you to have a great birthday so we wanted you to meet more fans." My heart sunk. But it wasn't like an anchor. It was like a sudden drop on a roller coaster. You don't expect it, but when it happens, you're scared out of your wits. "Oh." I spoke after a few minutes of silence. I was hoping for something maybe focused on me not on the guys. "I'm sorry... I know that's not what you wanted to hear on your sixteenth birthday but the guys drug me into it." "Did they actually drug you to agree to it?! You knew it was my birthday Shawn!" I shook my head and turned to face the window, watching as we got further and further downtown.

We got to the hotel and I heard tons of screaming and sighed. So not what I wanted to hear. I took Shawn's hand even though I was mad at him, just for the sake of protection. I knew what these girls could and would do to get close to Shawn. I wasn't taking my chances of dying a virgin at sixteen thanks. I followed Shawn into the back of a ballroom. It was almost dead silent except for the voices of a small group of people. "They haven't let anyone in yet. So it's just the guys and Mahogany at the moment. Stay right here." He disappeared behind the curtain that was in front of me and I patiently waited. "Erika? Oh my gosh you so aren't ready for this meet and greet, come darling." I heard Mahogany behind me as she took my wrist and drug me back to the girls bathroom. "I was supposed to-" "You'll be back in time believe me." I sighed as she handed me a different outfit to put on and shoved me into the handicapped stall. It was a navy lace dress, a brown leather jacket, boots with floral print on the insides and a necklace. I changed and exited the room before being dragged in front of the mirror, Mahogany starting to straighten my hair. She left some side pieces out as she pulled the rest of it up and tied it. She freshened up my makeup and and then turned me to her. "You look adorable. Happy Birthday by the way." "Thanks. I just really don't want to be here on my birthday." "I know, it sucks. But hey! At least it's some sort of gathering right?" I giggled nodding. "Yeah." I followed her back out to the same spot before she disappeared like Shawn did. I was stood in the same place and the curtain was thrown open. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIKA!!!" A bunch of Youtubers, Viners and friends of the guys and me stood in front of me. The lights where dimmed and I was on a stage like Magcon. I rose my hands up to my mouth when I realized what was happening. He prepared a surprise party for me. I looked around and saw Shawn smiling as he climbed up on stage. I ran over to him hugging him tightly. "You are the best. You are absolutely the best." "The best isn't the best even if you say. The best is not at all close as to what's to come so don't go throwing that word around. " I smiled and quickly kissed him looking at him after I pulled away. "Shawn can I ask you something before we go eat and celebrate me dying essentially?" "Shoot cupcake." "Why do you love me?" "See, that's a difficult anwser." He thought for a moment before speaking. "I sat down and started naming everything about you that I loved. And I gave each thing a star that night. I was doing great until something happened." "You ran out of things to love about me." "No. I ran out of stars." A smile appeared on my face and I wrapped my arms around his neck gently and kissed him deeply. I pulled away setting my forehead on his. "You make everything better. Even the awful times you just bring a happy side to it. You're my silver lining to all of my problems." "I hope I always will be."