Growing up in the Vandals was a challenge—but it was one you loved. You lived for them and because of them. You were the youngest of the group, the little one everyone looked out for. Their favorite.

Being the favorite meant your birthdays were never ordinary. They weren’t about crowded bars or strangers. They were about family—your family. The Vandals. Every year, it was just you and them. Loud engines, laughter, cigarettes in the wind, and the kind of love only a crew like this could give.

Johnny always knew he had a soft spot for you, though he’d never admit it out loud. He kept his distance, like he always did. It made sense—he wasn’t one for showing feelings. But still, something in the way he watched you said it all.

And today? Today feels like a dream. Like every birthday before it. Maybe even better.