Follow You (Oli Sykes Fan Fiction) COMPLETE

Chamomile Tea

The night I arrived in Venice, I was severely jetlagged and wide awake at 2am. It was frustrating knowing that I had to be at my best with only a day to recover, so I took a bath to try and wind down. It wasted some time, but it wasn't working in making me sleepy, so I jumped on my phone and texted Behati and Hannah to see what they were up to.

Behati had a boyfriend now; she'd actually met him about 2 months earlier and I had met him a few times when I was in LA, so she was quite happy without me, hanging out with him. I'd always worried a little about Behati when my career started to take off, with me going away all the time... I didn't want her to be stuck there alone all the time, so the timing of Vincent coming into her life was actually perfect. She didn't reply to me, so was obviously off doing something and Hannah replied but was in a meeting, so said she'd text me later. Eugh. I needed a distraction. I flicked through photos on my phone and looked around on instagram for a while, liking friends' posts and sending a few ' hello' and 'miss you' messages to people, but nobody was responding. I was officially bored.

I knew it was the afternoon in the US, so I tried my luck with Oli - just shooting him a DM to say 'Hi'. I'd had time to think about everything, and the guy had obviously been through some shit, so I guess I felt like I needed to chill the fuck out about it all a bit. The past was the past after all, and at least he'd apologized for being so un-chatty. When I really thought about it, I realized that I wouldn't have known what to say to him if the situation was reversed either. I'd been harsh and I had jumped to conclusions about that night, and I wasn't too stubborn to admit I was wrong.

'Hey.' he replied almost as soon as I'd sent through the message.
'Are you busy?' I asked.
'Not really.' he replied. Finally, someone who had time to chat and relieve my now 3am boredom.
'I'm in Venice and it's 3am and I'm wide awake lol.' I replied. I'm sure he knew all about jetlag.
'Haha, that sucks.' he wrote back. 'Try chamomile tea.' he said offering a suggestion. I was surprised he'd suggested that, but I figured it was worth a shot. I called the 24hr room service number and requested the tea.
'That's so weird... I was literally just about to message you.' he said.
'Really?' I asked.
'I remember you said you'd be back in New York in a few weeks... I don't suppose you're there September 8?" he asked. I was surprised he'd remembered what I'd said during our awkward conversation so accurately.
'I actually am. Why's that?' I asked in response. I figured he was probably playing there on that date, seeing as Bring Me The Horizon were currently touring the country with A Day To Remember.
'We've got a show if you feel like coming.' he replied. I looked at the message and realized that this was his way of extending an olive branch, of breaking the ice... of trying to patch things up a little. It wasn't an explanation about everything that had happened, but maybe it was the first step towards one.
'Sure. Sounds good.' I replied. I didn't just agree to go out of politeness either, I actually did want to go. I'd seen the band only that one time at Download festival, but never at their own show.
'Cool.' he said with a smiley face.

I was actually arriving back in New York on the 7th of September and had 4 days off before New York Fashion Week began, so I was happy to go and him play – and maybe, just maybe, it would make things less awkward with Oli. I didn't really know why I still wanted to be his friend after everything that had happened, but I did, and I figured it would be kind of cool to see the other guys again too. My tea arrived to the room and I drank 2 cups of it. God, if it did put me to sleep, I'd be up again in an hour anyway needing the bathroom!

I was staying in Venice for a whole week which meant I could actually adjust back into the Northern hemisphere timezone, and once I was back in a normal sleeping pattern, it was a lot less stressful, though my days were still packed full of events, premieres and appearances. Oli and I chatted a little more through instagram, not really about anything in particular, just small talk. It was interesting that he was making an effort though since he'd made none for a solid 8 months after London. I mean, even when we were friends last year before things went to shit he was terrible at communicating! He had obviously improved, or maybe back then he was too busy with drugs. I had no idea. My week in Venice went quickly, and next thing I knew, I was back on another long-haul flight; this time back to New York, to my new apartment and to a desperately needed 4 days off.

When I told Behati that I was going to see Bring Me The Horizon in New York, she insisted on coming too. She was flying over to New York for Fashion Week anyway, so she would be there in time. It was weird that she just invited herself, but she was persistent on meeting the famous Oli Sykes; the guy who she'd heard so much about and that I'd had so much mixed history with. I messaged Oli and asked if he'd mind me bringing my best friend and her boyfriend Vincent who was a fan of the band. He didn't mind at all.

When I landed back in New York on September 7, I was exhausted, but I finally got to go to my new rental apartment. It was warm and trendy and even though it wasn't actually mine, it automatically felt very homely. The agency had shipped a box of my things over from LA for me, so I got to unpack a some photos and put my own little touches around the place. It felt like 'mine' very quickly. It was only 1 bedroom, but had a gorgeous black bathroom and kitchen and a pretty view of the streets of lower Manhattan. It was perfect just for me. I was so excited to unpack my suitcase and wash my clothes - and to cook myself food! I flopped onto the couch and let out a huge sigh just knowing I could relax for a bit. 4 days off, then 7 days of Fashion Week meant I was there for 11 whole days and I loved knowing that I could "come home", even after the days I was working.

I was ready for some down time, and I was very excited to have somewhere to call home in New York city.