With Every Strike Of Lightning.

I was standing on my balcony, watching the sunrise. I was thinking about my birthday, and how close I was to telling Joe that I loved him. I hadn’t slept all night, I couldn’t. Lauren’s sobs from the next room kept me up, all I wanted to do was go in there and cry with her but instead I came out here and had been here waiting for morning to come.

It was seven in the morning when I walked out into the kitchen to see Mandy sitting on her suitcase to try and do it up.

“Good Morning Claire!” Jordan got her loud, chirpy voice from her mum.

I winced, suddenly feeling my headache. “Morning Mandy, what time is our flight?” I asked going to the cupboard and getting painkillers out.

“Nine, I think we better start waking the gang up now.” She said going in to wake Steph up.
I tiptoed into Lauren’s room, knowing she didn’t get to sleep until an hour ago. I left a glass of water and a painkiller on the bedside table, before closing the door and going to wake Danielle up.

I then decided to get in the shower before there was about three people fighting over one shower. I got changed into a pair of sweat pants and my Forever True hoodie. Every time I looked in the mirror to see my ginger hair, I couldn’t help but sob a little.

“You will be getting it dyed tomorrow, don’t worry.” I jumped a little.

“Geez, Danielle you scared me.” I said going back to drying my hair.

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well. I heard her crying all night.” Danielle had taken to calling Lauren her. Lauren had started calling Danielle it.

“I didn’t sleep at all last night, neither did Lauren I don’t think. I’ve left her to sleep in a little longer.”

“Oh, I thought you had all forgot about her, so I woke her up a minute ago.” Danielle put her hand over her mouth; I could tell she was being fake.

“Never mind, at least now we will all be ready in time.” I said before walking out leaving Danielle to get ready.

In true Jordan style, we all had to have a shot before we left the hotel room. Mandy and Steph took the first shots because she was the oldest. It then went Danielle and me, I really didn’t want to take e a shot but Jordan gave me the look so I just downed it and then ran to the bathroom to be sick.

We were on the private jet by half nine, I fell asleep as soon as I sat down in my seat the lack of sleep finally catching up with me. I was shaken awake, by Danielle a few hours later we were landing.

“Bye, Jordan we shall see you on Tuesday night.” Lauren said hugging Jordan.

“I’ll be blonde again by the time you see me!” I smiled.

“You’re hoping.” Jordan laughed before we walked down the steps, Danielle had already got off the aircraft.

We said our goodbyes to Demi and Selena. They both had to be on set for their own programmes this afternoon. Danielle rang Kevin to see if he was back, she was annoyed when Joe told her they wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night.

“Can I stay at yours tonight?” Danielle asked.

“You can’t, we are going to get our tattoos and then Claire’s got to get her hair dyed before we get on a flight early tomorrow morning to England.” Lauren explained harshly.

“You know Lauren; you don’t have to be a bitch all the time.” She snapped before hugging me and getting into a taxi.

I didn’t say anything, I could tell Lauren was trying not to laugh beside me. We got in the awaiting SUV, in silence and it stayed that way all the ride home. Lauren seemed to sense my mood so she just went upstairs her room.

I retreated to my room, not bothering to unpack, I collapsed on my bed before falling asleep. Someone knocking on my bedroom door woke me.

“Stupid LA, why does it need to be sunny?” I said yanking my curtains shut. My head was pounding.

Lauren peeked her head round the door. “Still have a hangover?” She asked with a laugh.

“Don’t I always.” I replied walking into the bathroom Lauren following me.

“Here you go, take these. I’m leaving in ten minutes if you still want to get the tattoo done.” Lauren said handing me some paracetamols.

“Okay, let me just change into-“

“We haven’t got time for you to change you take ages. Besides I don’t want to keep Emily waiting.” Lauren cut me off dragging me out of my room.

“Emily, the girl from the airport?” I asked.

“Yeah, we are picking her up on the way.” Lauren explained unlocking the car door.

Emily came bounding into the car, unaware just how unusual this time was to Lauren and I. We hadn’t argued all day.

“So, the needle draws a picture on you. Does it bleed?” I was panicking, we were waiting in the waiting room for our turn.

“Some tattoos do, some don’t. It’ll only sting for a bit then you go numb anyway.” Emily smiled at me.
“Claire has a phobia of needles.” Lauren explained why I had gone all pale and shaken.

“Next!” Came a voice from the other room, I looked at Lauren before Emily dragged us both in the room.

Emily insisted we go to this one tattoo parlor she knew, it was in a small little side road. In the room there was a chair like dentists have, there was a mirror on the wall and the radio was playing.

“Who’s going first?” The man who had about ten tattoos up one arm asked.

I looked at Lauren, sending my best pleading look at her. She sighed. “I will.”

The tattoo we were having was a simple black star with F and T on either side of it. We were both getting them in the same place as Emily had hers to, on her wrist. I couldn’t watch Lauren having her tattoo done, because I didn’t want to see the needle before I really had to. I heard Lauren suck in air every now and then, to ease the pain I guess. It didn’t even take five minutes much to my displeasure.

“What is that it?” I said nervously peeking round to see Lauren’s tattoo.

“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt that much, just try sing along to the radio or something.” Lauren said as I said down in the chair.

“My god, how big a needle do you want?” I screamed when the man brought the needle into my view.