"I don't like surprises." I grumbled as I sat squashed shoulder to shoulder next to Tori, who hadn't stopped smiling all morning. She'd bribed me to wake up with a steaming hot coffee placed just under my nose; the smell woke me up first followed by the heat.

"I know." She smirked, shining her caramel eyes at me.

"I also don't like mornings." I pointed to the new black watch on my wrist. "It's not even 9am yet."

She rolled her eyes playfully at me. "I know it's your birthday today, but quit moaning. It'll be worth it."

I really did hate surprises, even if Tori was the one arranging it all. For some people, it's because they automatically assume surprises are going to be bad, like the surprise where your parents are splitting up, or the surprise where you're getting expelled, or surprise you're getting a baby brother. I guess my reason wasn't any of those really. I just hate not being in control.

"And-"

Tori cut me off quickly. "You hate buses, I know." She half giggled a slight undertone of nerves in her smile. "But you don't hate me, right? Even when I drag you out of bed at 8am on your birthday?"

I shrugged my shoulders casually. "I guess." I watched as her smile dropped slightly, a devious smirk on my face. "You know I don't hate you Vega."

"Seemed like you did last night." She motioned towards her back, her cheeks glowing red.

I cocked my eyebrow up at her. "Baby, that's not me, hating you." I nipped at her cheek gently, my mouth staying close to her earlobe. "That's me loving you."

A slight gasp left her lips as I bit my teeth into her lobe softly. "Then I guess you love me a lot." She breathed out hesitantly, crossing her legs tight.

"An awful lot."

Outside, the sun was newly raised and the sky looked as if it was stretching and yawning across the horizon, preparing to brighten up and start the day. Although the sun was now forcing its way into the bus the inside itself was cold, almost too cold. Although compared to the heat of Hollywood in the summer I was glad to be inside the freezing bus. It also enabled me to pull Tori into a warm hug as I wrapped her jumper around our legs. I laughed to myself at the color difference between us. Tori was always such a beautiful shade of brown, her legs almost shone against the sunlight; whereas mine were closer to fresh snow on a winters morning, paler than that if possible. We mixed well though, like ying and yang and I liked that.

…

"Jade, wake up." I felt my shoulders being pulled at slightly as I brushed my sleepy eyes open carefully. "Jade, we're here." My eyes began to focus on Tori's smiling face. Her smile was so big it looked as though her cheeks might pop; her eyes glistening with excitement.

"Okay, I'm awake!" I rubbed at my eyes, forgetting I was wearing a ton of eye shadow today. "Shit." I mumbled as I wiped the dark colors from my hand onto the seat beside me. Finally as my eyes opened properly I took a good look around. "Where are we?"

Tori looked at me dumbfounded. "You honestly don't know?" Her mouth had dropped into an 'O' shape.

"Nope." I shook my head at her as she continued to look at me with complete disbelief. "Should I?"

"You really weren't' kidding when you said you'd never been here before!" She shook her head slightly. "I just can't believe you've never been here, I mean you've lived in California your whole life! Everybody's been here at least once!" From beside her feet she grabbed a white lace backpack and flung it onto her back as she stood up. "I am even more excited to see your reaction now!"

"Give me a clue?"

A contagious smile fell upon her face as her eyes lit up. "It's a magical place where dreams come true."

"You didn't!" I fought against everything in me to beam with excitement. The goofy smile on my face gave it away within seconds though as Tori grabbed my hand and dragged me off the bus.

"Welcome to Disneyland, Jade!" Tori held her arms above her head, pointing to the large colorful sign about her.

My heart began to race as my eyes read the bright sign. "I can't believe it." I felt like a little kid again, something I hadn't felt in such a long time.

"I can't believe your parents never took you here!"

I shrugged my shoulders, playing it cool although my heart was racing a 100 miles per hour. "My Dad hates theme parks, and people. And my Mom preferred going to the mall and shopping all day over taking her kids to fun things."

"Well I'm glad I can be the first person to take you to Disneyland! Are you ready?" Tori pulled out two tickets, handing one to me as she walked as well as pulling out a large map of the park. "Okay, I've made a list of the best rides and the average queue times so we can get the maximum amount of time on the rides!"

I took the map off her, laughing to myself. "You dork." My eyes scanned across the vibrant map, not knowing where to focus first. "The Haunted Mansion. Let's go there first!" I could feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter fast as we got close to the entrance, the castle and Main Street clearly in sight.

"You're the birthday girl!"

We scanned our tickets and entered so fast I almost tripped over my own feet. I could barely concentrate there was so much to take in; so much to look at and listen to and even smell. It was like I'd stepped into a different world, a world where nothing matters, there's no worry and everyone is a big kid. Everywhere I looked I could see a Mickey or Minnie Mouse, whether it be in a balloon, on a building or even on the floors. It was all so bright and happy. Music from the 50's played in the background of the streets giving it an even more authentic feel. It was seriously like magic.

"You see that above the fire department?" Tori pointed, breaking my gaze. "That's Walt Disney's old apartment. And you see that light in the window? That never goes out; it's there in memory of him."

As we walked down the street I stopped. "Wow!" I whispered under my breath. My eyes focused on the large castle that was at the end of the street.

"The castle?" Tori replied. "I know, it's beautiful isn't it!"

"You think Maleficent's in there? My favorite parts about Disney movies are the villain's."

Tori chuckled at me. "That doesn't surprise me." She grabbed my hand, heading away from the castle. "Come on, The Haunted Mansion is this way!"

We arrived outside the grand building and began to queue, my eyes exploring every detail of the gothic building and surroundings. "I read once that there are real dead people in this ride. Think it's true?"

Tori nodded. "Yeah it is."

My mouth dropped open at her. "No kidding?"

"Yeah, not like bodies." She laughed. "People bring ashes of loved ones here and sprinkle them in the ride. It's totally illegal but people still do it."

"Awesome." My eyes lit up as we got closer to the entrance. The Haunted Mansion is beautiful; it's surprising, textured, and focused on artistry and detail. This is not the soft, cuddly Disney I was expecting. As we entered the ride, we're ushered into a large room with paintings on the walls. The paintings expand downward, so that previously idyllic scenes become dangerous and gruesome as we slowly traveled down. A nice older man in a suit turns out to be standing on a keg of dynamite in his underwear. A happy woman holding a rose is actually sitting on her husband's gravestone. And a young woman holding a parasol turns out to be standing on a tightrope above an alligator.

"This is awesome." I whispered to Tori, squeezing her hand gently as we sat in the ride.

"I know. Now shush." She squeezed back, rubbing her thumb against my hand as she rest her head on my shoulder.

The ride wasn't overly scary but that was the beauty of the Haunted Mansion. The details are dense, and behind every detail is a story. The ghosts aren't particularly scary at all, but the stories they tell are dark; dark, funny and beautiful.

"Did you like it?"

My eyes stung slightly as we exited the ride and were thrust back into the bright Californian sun. "Oh yes, it was ever so fun!" I mimicked.

"I don't talk like that!" Tori folded her arms at me. "Where ever you want to go next is up to you, it's your birthday!" Tori smiled back at me, pulling her map out.

I rolled my eyes at her. "What's your favorite ride here?"

Tori frowned slightly in concentration. "Probably, Big Thunder Mountain. As kids Trina and I would ride it so many times in one day! I was always too scared to go on the bigger rides with her so she'd settle for that one."

"How many times have you been here?"

"Hundreds." She explained. "At one point when we were like nine and ten our parents got us annual passes and we'd come almost every weekend!"

"That's insane."

"I know. The magic never changed though or get boring. We were still obsessed with meeting the princesses and going on all the rides. We loved it."

"You can say that again."

Following the strums of the banjo music and the smell of the smoked turkey legs and it lead us right to the old-time wild west of Frontierland; filled with cowboys and Native Americans.

"Jett would love it here."

"We'll get him something from the gift store. And maybe one day we can take him here." Tori smiled sympathetically at me.

"Sure. Unless my parents decide to take him before we do." My eyes rolled sarcastically at Tori who in return chuckled at me as she dug her elbow into my ribs.

"Your parents do love you, you know."

"Got a damn funny way of showing it." I huffed. "I'm used to it and anyways I don't need that much fuss and love; I'm not like that. But Jett, that kid thrives off shit like that and I'm the only one who pays him that much attention."

"And he loves you for it. You can tell he thinks the world of you. You're a good big sister, Jade. Even though you do try and hide your emotions sometimes." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Right enough of this, which end of the train is better? Front or back?"

Tori's eyes sparkled. "The back! Trina and I have sat pretty much in every seat in the train and the back is definitely the fastest!"

"Good, after that slow ride before I need something faster paced!"

"I thought you liked it?"

"I liked the design and the idea of it, but it was a kid's ride Vega. I'm 16 today, not 6."

"I know the perfect ride for you then." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down at me, a mysterious grin on her face.

After queuing for over an hour to go on Tori's favorite ride we had finally rode the train and were done very quickly. She'd grabbed my hand and raced me off to 'Fantasyland'. Fantasyland is based on Disney's classic animated films and is the place where children and adults of all ages can step right into a fairy tale. Cinderella Castle is the gateway into this land and its walls stretch across Fantasyland separating it from the rest of the Magic Kingdom. Here it felt like anything was possible. The attractions in Fantasyland take you back to your childhood. Experience such classics as it's a small world, Pete Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Mad Tea Party. I went on all the kids rides with her just to humour her. I could tell she was having a blast and didn't have the heart to ruin it for her, clearly Disneyland was her favourite place to be and although I can be a bitch, today I didn't feel like it.

"Want to go on something big now?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

She took my hand once again and dragged me into 'Tomorrowland'. "Gosh don't you ever stop?"

She shook her head at me. "We only get like twelve hours in the parks we need to use it wisely. After these ride's we're going to go to watch the parade and then go to California Adventure and then we'll come back for the night glow show and fireworks. Okay?"

"So when do we eat, sit down, go to the bathroom?" I held my stomach. "I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, Vega."

"We'll eat after this ride; trust me you won't want to eat beforehand." She pointed to 'Space Mountain'.

I looked up to the queue time. "Seventy five minutes wait?!"

"It'll fly by; and it's totally worth it. This ride is awesome."

"You said that about EVERY ride we've been on so far and the majority of them had snotty, loud kids on them." I crossed my arms over my chest letting out a heavy sigh.

Tori huffed. "You're having a nice time, right?"

I immediately felt bad for snapping at her. "Yeah, of course I am." I pulled her into a tight hug. "Let's just go on big rides for a while, okay?"

"You're the birthday girl." She winked.

….

"Shit that ride was so cool! Can we go again?" I was buzzing with excitement as we exited 'Space Mountain'.

"Sure, but we'll wait till the evening when it's quieter. Don't you wanna eat yet?"

My mouth watered at the thought of food. "Yes!"

Again I was dragged by Tori to our next location 'Refreshment Corner Café'. We both got the best hot dogs I'd ever had, covered with tangy cheese sauce.

"So what's next on the Tori Vega list of fun?" I joked; finishing every last mouthful of food.

Tori chuckled at me. "I take it you like Disneyland hotdogs!" She pulled the map out of her backpack. "Hmm, well it's almost 4pm so the parade will be starting any minute! Do you want to watch it?" Her eyes grew as she spoke, her long eye lashes blinking innocently at me.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yeah sure."

"Ohh, you're the best, Jade!" She wrapped her arms around my neck, catching me by surprise.

"I know." I laughed along with her. I'd never seen her as happy as I had today. She was beaming from head to toe; her smile never vanishing. It was infectious. It felt like a ripple effect, as the day went on and as we did more and more, I felt happier and happier. I just had to smile along with her. Whether it was the Disney effect or just the Tori effect I was the happiest I had been in forever.

As soon as Tori finished speaking the Main Street began to fill with hundreds of people, lining every inch of the sidewalk.

"So these parades are a big deal?"

"Yep. They're pretty awesome, even for adults."

As it started, we moved backwards slightly letting smaller kids at the front to see. They turned around and grinned with toothless mouths back at us.

"See, you can be nice without it hurting you." Tori whispered to me.

I grabbed my heart, doubling over in fake pain. "Don't speak too soon." I stood up straight away, smirking at Tori. "When we take Jett, I'll make sure he gets a front row seat to this."

The parade started with a bang, with some of the most popular music from Disney movies being played loudly. Some of Tori's favorite characters, including Ariel, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and Aladdin paraded down the street in their best attire. Smiling and waving to all the children, and occasionally at Tori. Nine beautiful and colorful floats traveled down Main Street, each telling their own musical story. It's full of unique rhythms and instruments, some even played by Mickey Mouse himself. Tori grinned like an idiot the whole time, swaying her shoulders and dancing to every song. I found my gaze turning to her more often than not, seeing her that happy filled me with emotions I didn't even know I could feel.

...

After the parade we paced into Disney Hollywood Studios. We went straight to The Little Mermaid ride first to please Tori; who sang the songs the entire way around. Then we headed for a few other rides before the Rock n Rollercoaster. The attraction begins with a tour of the fictional G-Force Records. Here we encountered Aerosmith finishing up a studio recording session. They notice all of us "fans" and invite us to join them in their limo as they head to a concert. We all headed to the boarding area and climbed into a 24-passenger "stretch limo" and swiftly accelerated into the Hollywood night. It was awesome. The speed, the lights, the loud music booming through your body as you raced around the track. It was totally my kind of ride.

"Oh god, Jade look at our picture!" Tori pointed to the screen as we exited the ride.

The photo was hilarious. Tori's face was scrunched up, her cheeks puffed out and her eyes the widest I'd ever seen them; whereas I am in my total element and you can tell just by looking at my face. A large grin, my long hair flying backwards and my hand tightly locked with Tori's. "You look like you're about to pass out!"

"I thought I was going to!" She chuckled. "How come you look so good?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "When don't I look good?"

"True." She kissed my cheek. "Okay, I saved the best ride for last. I know you're going to love this one!"

At the end of Sunset Boulevard looms the imposing Hollywood Tower Hotel. It's 13 stories high and is home to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror; hands down one of the best attractions at Walt Disney World.

"Shit."

"I know right. This is right up your street." Tori took my hand and headed for the queue. The Hollywood Tower Hotel has been "deserted" and the signs of neglect are everywhere. The queue takes you through gardens of broken stoneware and decaying plants.

When you enter the lobby, you see that everything is covered by dust and cobwebs. From here, you're directed to the Library. The room gets dark, the TV turns on and there in black and white is Rod Serling. With a crack of lightning, the lights in the Library turn back on, a door opens and we enter the "Twilight Zone Elevator". Once we'd fastened our seat belts and held our hands tight, the doors close and the elevator heads up. First stop, the doors open and we saw a very cool optical illusion. The doors close again and at the next stop, we move forward. Then up right to the top of the hotel, the doors open and we get a view across the whole park until we're thrown back down again making my stomach drop so fast I feel like it's going to fall right out of me. We fall so quick we both come off our seats, loud screams escaping from both of our mouths.

"That is by far my favorite ride!" I was buzzing the moment I stepped off the ride.

"I thought it might be!" Tori was still catching her breath. "It always makes my stomach turn no matter how many times I go on it!"

I looked to the watch on my wrist. "What time does this place close? It's already almost 10pm."

"In an hour. If we head back to Magic Kingdom now we'll make it in time for the Celebrate the Magic Castle Projection show!" Tori held her hand out to me one last time for the day, wrapping her fingers around mine and leading me towards the castle.

As we sat waiting for the castle show to begin my mind began to race as I felt overwhelmed by emotions. For the first time in years I felt happy and positive about my life. All things around me seem the same, but better somehow. I keep smiling for no reason at all and people have noticed some good changes in me. I feel like I'm being crazy or delusional.

I keep finding myself fantasizing about a potential relationship with Tori and it sometimes goes as far as marriage and kids. I find myself incapable of ever being annoyed by Tori or irritated by her for more than an hour or so. Just seeing her or hearing from her makes my day. I want to show her stuff that she had never seen before, and take her places that she had never been to before, like she's doing for me today. It felt like I had had all of these awesome experiences that I wished she was around for when I did them.

I am constantly trying to make her laugh (even though I'm not usually like that), and every time she laughed, even giggled, I feel really warm and fuzzy inside. I realized that I wanted to hold her hand because it made her feel safer. I wanted her to walk on the inside of the sidewalk and away from the cars when crossing the street because I didn't want to take any risks with this beautiful, precious gem of a girl.

"Fuck." I mumbled as the show began. "I'm in love with her." This wasn't some silly crush anymore. I was really and truly in love with Tori Vega. It's crazy because I can't even recall when she became so important to me. From that night we met at Beck's party to right now in Disneyland watching a light show on the castle it was like a roller coaster we'd been on, ups and downs the entire way. It's like watching a snowstorm. You see the flakes falling, but you don't realize they're adding up. Then suddenly your whole lawn is covered in snow. All these little things over the last few months have added up; Tori is my snow storm.

As the show came to an end I grabbed Tori as the last fireworks were exploding in the sky. Flashbacks attacked my eyes with every blink. After every fight and laugh, after every long-night phone call and each text in the morning, I couldn't wait another moment to tell her how I felt. Grabbing her shirt, I closed the gap between our lips with one swift movement. There was no longer a need to be subtle. "I'm in love with you." I mumbled into the kiss; a warm tear rolling down my cheek. A swarm of butterflies flew across my stomach as I kissed her again and again.

I felt her lips curl into a smile as she pulled back. The fireworks sparkled in the reflection of her eyes. "I'm so in love with you, Jade." She placed her thumb on my cheek, wiping away the tear. "Who are you and what have you done with Jade?" She smirked.

"Don't ruin it, Vega." I linked our hands once again, my eyes falling onto the sky to catch the last of the fireworks as the most perfect birthday came to an end.

A/N - I know I don't update this as much as I should! I'm sorryyyy :( I hope you guys can hang in here and keep reviewing and reading this because I love writing it so much. Hope you guys enjoyed all the Disney crap! (I went to Disneyland Paris a few months ago and I just had to write about Jori going there! - Never been to the California one so if it doesn't make sense I apologise!)

Also did you guys seem Victoria's JORI snapchat? I am deadddd. It totally insipred me to finish writing this chapter and don't worry this isn't the end of the story, there is still plenty more drama to come so stay tuned! :)