The Best Is Yet to Come

NOTE - I quickly want to add a small declaimer. Again, I do not believe that this is actually what happened – this is for entertainment purposes only and I don’t mean to imply the band is caught up in drugs or violence. This is only a fan fiction and I don’t mean to imply any offence.

‘Yeah we are
Talking about
Plastic girls,
With egotistic guys
Oh yeah talking about
It looks void
Oh how we lie
So you can
Brace yourself that
Oh-’

And the sound was gone. My large chunky headphones were ripped from my head. I automatically dipped my head down.

“Shit!”

I shoved my laptop away from me until it hit my pillow and made to roll over on my bed to look up at my attacker. Someone was hovering over me, their legs either side of me, their hands either side of my head and their lips crushed against mine.

I made a strange squeak of surprise against the familiar lips, my hands braced on their shoulders as I made to push him away. He resisted well. I gave another shove. I could faintly hear the rest of ‘This Turbulence Is Beautiful’, my headphones had come out of the socket of my laptop and was now blaring through the speakers.

He finally gave in, understanding my shoves and lifted his head away from mine. Blue locked with green.

“What. Are. You. Doing?!”

Wasn’t he supposed to be mad at me?

“I’m apologising,” Josh answered swiftly, kissing my jaw line. Urgg, why did he have to do that? It… disorientated me. My focus was lost for a bit.

Lips and skin. Lips and skin. Lips and skin.

“For what?”

My mind went blank. I couldn’t even focus on the screaming that filled the room. I only just noticed his fingers close around my wrists, holding them gently down as his lips found mine again. Then he sighed gently.

“Being a douche,” he mumbled quietly, stopping to look at me.

“You’re not a douche,” I answered blankly. I was suddenly very conscious that my pulse was pounding against my wrists underneath his thumbs and my breathing was embarrassingly fast. There was a flicker of smugness across his face and my cheeks burned.

“I’m still sorry,” he said quietly and seriously. His eyes flickered to my laptop that was still blaring his voice.

“Came on shuffle,” I lied to his unspoken question. I swear my cheeks were getting reader and reader.

“Sure,” he teased, kissing my nose and rolling off me.

I made a noise like a forlorn puppy.

“You don’t want it,” he said and sniffed. He was looking away from me but he was grinning that beautiful smile I adored. He was messing with me. “I can take a hint. I was kind of making it up to you, my form of apology…”

“Apology accepted,” I growled, launching myself at him.

***

Guilt crept up on me as I began counting Josh’s gentle snores. It struck me cold and hard in the stomach after I’d come down from my dizzying high. Now I had what felt like a stone sitting in my stomach. I felt sick.

Josh hadn’t done anything wrong and yet he’d apologised to me.

With a heavy sigh, I used my little finger to gently trace down his nose and smiled faintly when he twitched it like a rabbit. Why was he so tuckered out?

He had to be gone by eleven and my parents couldn’t find him naked when they got home…

I gently laughed to myself and kissed the tip of his nose. He stirred slightly.

“Come on, I wasn’t that good,” I teased, tracing down his nose again.

“Huhh?” he asked, his voice cracked and dry. He was so damn cute!

“I don’t have the amazing skills your sleeping seems to imply.”

“Ohh, sorry,” he mumbled, opening his eyes. “Haven’t had much sleep lately.”

It came as a fresh blow striking me hard in the gut. Josh looked like he instantly regretted saying it.

“Cause of me?”

He didn’t answer.

“Oh Josh!” I sighed, sinking down into the pillow and pressing my palms to my forehead. My face was so warm.

“It’s not just the fight with you, I’m falling behind in college, I’ve got to write all these new songs and I’ve got no inspiration, and I miss you…” He was wide awake now, his eyes sought mine as he held them desperately.

“Miss me?” I asked in confusion, rolling over to my side, resting on my elbow. His nose was an inch from mine. My laptop lay on the floor, All Time Low’s ‘Remembering Sunday’ filling the room and the silence. It had gotten dark outside, the sky painted an inky black, dotted with stars and a huge moon.

He was delaying, deliberating. He snagged his lower lip, pulling on it gently and I could see the torn expression in his eyes.

“Josh?” I asked quietly, lifting my hand to gently stroke down his face, down his neck and over his bare shoulder.

“You, I miss you, I just don’t feel I see you as much…” There was meaning in his eyes. I knew he was trying to avoid another argument. My heart sank into my already twisted guilt torn gut. My face contorted as it all suddenly became too much and I dissolved into tears.

“Woah, woah, woah!”Josh cried, his arms around my instantly, burying me into his bare chest. It didn’t help that it had come to the end of ‘Remembering Sunday’ – a song that always upset me. I gasped a sob, clutching onto him, my nails digging into the back of his neck.

“Shhh,” he cooed, stroking my hair but he just seemed to accept I needed to let it out. Four songs and seven tissues later - I finally managed to keep steadying breaths.

I loved the fact that Josh still gazed down at me with adoration and concern despite my face being a puffy, red, mascara covered mess. I fucking love him. Again, I threw myself at him, pulling his head down to mine and kissing him with a hot sense of desperation. He was stunned at my reaction but responded just as eagerly.

I knew it was stupid, we’d just spent the last hour doing this, but I wanted him all over again. I needed him. Josh was my everything.

***

“Someone’s happy,” Emily chirped happily as she reapplied her eyeliner.

“Yeah, well this week has gone perfectly,” I said, running the straighteners through my hair. Honestly, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me, but the weird part was I hadn’t noticed it had been there in the first place. There hadn’t been any arguments or dramas this week, I’d caught up with all my friends, we were going to a fancy dress party at Charlie’s and to top it all off, mum had bought me my costume.

“Glad to hear, nice to see the old you,” she said absently, pulling on her eye to get right in the crease.

I ignored that. I was still set on the belief that I hadn’t changed. I didn’t want to pick a fight so I changed the subject.

“How’re things with you and Charlie by the way?”

Emily reacted exactly how I hoped she would. She spun around to face me, her hair catching on her lip-gloss. She spat it out and gaped at me.

“What are you talking about?” She recovered calmly, turning back to the mirror to frame her eyes in black but she smudged it. “Fuck!”

“Come here,” I ordered, snatching my makeup and grabbing a pillow. “Sit and I’ll do you up for tonight.”

I put the pillow on my legs and she rested her head there.

“I’m not stupid okay?” I said, applying foundation to her light skin. “You’ve spent the past half hour reapplying your make up, that’s not like you. You’re trying to impress, And.” I cut across her before she could voice her protests. “I saw the way you were looking at him after that fight.”

Pink flooded against my hand as Emily blushed.

“I’d never thought of Charlie like that, he’s such a good… guy,” she said quietly, closing her eyes as I did her makeup. “And he’s so damn hot.”

I burst into laughter, lifting my hands away from her face to ensure I didn’t smudge my work.

“Okay agreed,” I grinned after I recovered, blending bronzer into her skin. I decided to give Emily a slightly different style to her usual and decided to enhance her features.

I stroked her cheeks with the bronzer brush to give them slight definition. I only put eyeliner on the top of her eye before flicking it at the corners. I used a decent amount of mascara to extend her lashes and artfully painted her some smoky eyes. I put on a fine layer of nude pink lip-gloss and curled her hair.

She looked so damn… hot when I was done with her!

“Fuck Em,” I gasped, stepping back to admire my work.

“What?” she asked desperately, clutching at her hair and turning to look in the mirror, a look of horror on her face. It soon vanished when she caught her reflection.

“Oh my,” she breathed, teasing her hair, puckering her lips. “What did you do to me?”

“Making you down right irresistible,” I answered, handing her her cat costume. “Charlie’ll be glued to you all evening.”

“Oh ha ha.” Despite her sarcasm, I could see the mysterious pleased glint in her eyes as she turned to check out every angle. I smugly changed into my cave girl costume and it took me then to realise that my tan had fucked up.

“Oh shit,” I hissed, looking down at my tanned arms and white hands. “Forgot to blend!”

“It’s not that noticeable, honest,” Emily said in a high pitched voice, grimacing at the sharp difference. I just sighed and added the rest of my make up.

The doorbell went off about five minutes later. Emily audibly groaned, her face dropping in disappointment.

“Only Josh!” I said quickly, dumping my camera I’d been playing with on the bed. Her face relit instantly. I grabbed my heels and hurtled down the stairs to open the door for him. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“What?” Josh answered innocently, shutting the door behind him. I scanned over him.

“It’s supposed to be a costume party!”

He was dressed in jeans, a bright blue t-shirt, hoody and a black beanie hat!

“Yeah? So? None of the rest of the guys are dressing up.”

“Tools,” I hissed, narrowing my eyes at his ordinary attire.

“Hello and love you too,” Josh said quickly and smirked.

“Mmm,” I hummed, leaning forwards, sliding my hand onto his hip to kiss him.

CLICK.

I looked wildly around. Emily was holding my camera high and laughing at the picture she took.

“Thanks Em,” Josh said, laughing. Then he saw her properly. “Wow. Em you look…”

“Wonderful? Beautiful? Fit?” I offered, taking my camera back off her whilst Emily blushed.

“Yeah,” Josh breathed, taking her in a bit too much.

“Hey!” I said, snapping my fingers in front of his face. He started but then his eyes found me. He raked over and over me. I could see the fire blazing again.

“And you,” he said softly, in a growl, he pulled me towards him and kissed me passionately again.

“S’gonna be a good evening!” I said rather breathlessly when he was done, my optimism sending good vibrations through me.

I was so happy.

***

“Why did she get invited?” Emily snarled, sneering at Amelia’s matching cave girl attire as she ran her hand down Charlie’s arm.

I ignored her, doing my best to avoid my argument.

“Chris have you seen…everyone else?” I asked, keeping one eye on Amelia. Emily growled next to me.

Chris was also watching Amelia and Charlie, his face matched Emily’s sneer of disgust.

“Huh? Oh… no actually,” he answered, looking around the room. “Lewis is out back.” He looked at me meaningfully and I sighed. Lewis was still doing drugs then.

“Does Charlie know?” I whispered, taking a step closer to him. I watched Chris’s eyes flicker uncertainly towards Charlie and he hesitated. “No then.”

I sighed, resting my head on his arm before groaning.

“There’s nothing we can do Jase,” Chris said quietly, slipping an arm around me to pull me into a hug. “It’s his life decision.”

“But it’s fucking with my nerves,” I grumbled, pouting like a small child. Suddenly I had a drink thrust into my hand.

“Here, drink this.” The familiar voice sent tremors of happiness through me.

“Thanks Matt,” I said gratefully and took a large sip of the beer.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” I commented thoughtfully. “Or you Chris…”

I saw Chris’ eyes flash to Amelia before finding Matt’s. My heart sunk down into the pit of my stomach. It was like someone had poured ice down my throat.

“Never mind, I understand why,” I grumbled, doing my best to keep my voice steady.

“Oh come on kid,” Matt said and I could see his face falter, my shaking lip was getting to him. He pulled me from Chris to give me a hug. “It’s not you we’re avoiding. We miss you like fuck.”

“Me too,” I whispered into his chest.

“Cheer up ki-,” Matt told me. Then he paused. I looked up at him. He had that strange expression on his face – the one Josh often got when words stood out to him.

“Hey, hey, hey, there’s my people.”

“Max!” Emily and I cried together whilst the guys groaned.

“He’s drunk,” Matt announced, recoiling from Matt when he put his arm around him. He was right, Max stunk of alcohol. Who knew the smallest of the guys could consume so much? Alcohol, sugar and coffee all had the same buzzing effect on Max. Thank God Max didn’t do drugs, he’d literally be bouncing off the wall. Nicotine had the opposite effect. I’d take him aside for a fag later to cool him off.

“I am not!” Max protested, sloshing his drink slightly. I frowned at the sailor hat on his head.

“Who’s the lucky first mate?” I asked eyeing his cap with raised eyebrows. Max’s hand automatically patted his head. He looked confused for a second and pulled it off. With a sly smile he put it on Matt’s head.

“Some girl gave it to me,” he explained to me whilst Matt shook it off. “I can’t remember who…”

“Max mate I can actually feel you vibrating,” Matt laughed, stepping away from his friend and taking his drink away.

“Fucking bitch,” Emily gasped. We all looked over Max’s head to see Amelia diving in for a kiss, but Charlie actually dodged, skilfully, away. He held up his hands but the music was too loud to hear the words. Charlie was kind, he let her down slowly before walking towards us.

“Having fun birthday boy?” Max slurred, tossing the sailor hat at Charlie.

“It’s not my birthday,” Charlie chuckled as we all burst out laughing whilst Max baffled over his statement.

“Good, because I didn’t get you a present!” he said, thumping Charlie on the arm.

“Not liking the cave girls tonight?” Emily asked hopefully. I had to turn away to hide my smug smile when Charlie saw her. I swear his eyes actually popped out of his head. It took him a moment to reply. He even had to clear his throat.

“No, not my cup of tea to be honest, no offence Jase,” Charlie said quickly when I turned back.

“None taken, I have my beautiful singer to adore me, speaking of,” I said quickly and meaningfully. I doubt the guys were going to get me. “Josh wanted a word with you all, something to do with the band…?”

I grabbed as many arms I could, mainly Max’s, and yanked them away from the flirtatious Emily and Charlie.

“Jase you’re hurting me!” Max complained as I pulled him away quicker. I rolled my eyes and led them outside. There were loads of people outside. The back garden was completely lit up with various lights ranging from fairy to a disco light.

“I’m going to get Charlie onboard as our lighting designer,” Josh said, amused. We all turned around to see him sitting against the back wall. Lucy and Dan were to his right, half leaning towards him as if we’d just interrupted a serious conversation.

“Is that what you wanted to tell us?” Max said, his eyebrows puckering in annoyance that that was all Josh had to say.

“What?” Josh asked in utter confusion.

“What?” Max responded flatly.

“What was I supposed to tell you?”

“You tell me,” Max defended, picking up Josh’s drink.

There was a pause.

“What?” Josh stared at his friend, lost. I shook my head and gently smacked Max on the back of the head.

“Boys are idiots,” I muttered to myself, taking my bag of Josh’s lap. I took out a packet of fags and lighter.

“I thought we were giving up?” Chris teased with a huge grin, taking one that I offered him.

“Mmm, that’s rich,” I said, my lips tight from holding the small stick in my mouth. I dropped the lighter back in and my hand brushed my camera. “Max was supposed to give up ages ago.” I took the small device out and held it up to Dan’s serious face.

“Anyone seen Ash?” Lucy asked quickly. She was glancing over our shoulders, her eyes were tight and she looked rather desperate. I dropped my raised arm to frown at her meaningfully. Girl communication. She just gently shook her head at me and bit her lip.

“He was with Lewis and some of his mates last I saw,” Max offered helpfully, holding out a hand for Lucy to take. “C’mon, I want another drink, we’ll go find him.”

“Yeah same.” There was a hint of a sigh in Dan’s voice. He looked mega stressed. He followed Max as he led their way back into the bursting house. Music flooded out along with the stench of sweat. I tried to catch Dan’s eyes as he left but he wouldn’t look at me. There was something up.

I found Josh’s gaze, which was fixed on me, and he shook his head too. With a small smile I climbed up onto his lap, facing him and hissed his forehead. He laughed and offered me his drink.

“Nicotine and alcohol, dangerous combination,” I teased as I put my bag and camera down on the seat where Dan had been. I

“I’ll look after you,” he promised, grinning like a fool.

With a small laugh I leant forwards and pressed my lips to his. I would never ever ever ever ever tire from kissing Josh. Then I heard a click again. Surprised, but giddy from the high of three wonderful things all at once – nicotine, alcohol and Josh, we both looked up to see Matt holding a camera to our faces.

“Do you mind Barnes?” Josh asked and it was hard to disguise the slight suggestion of annoyance. Matt grinned at his lead singer.

“We following in our brothers footsteps?” I asked, snatching my camera back, but pleased I had a picture of that moment. I couldn’t stop smiling. Everything seemed to have picked up from a week ago…

…And then it all came crashing down around me.

There was the sound of someone getting punched.

There were the cries of outrage.

Then someone hit the floor.

“SHIT!”

The screamed, horror drenched word drifted out the open door with a cacophony of gasps and small screams. We all froze.

“Someone call an ambulance!” That was Charlie. His voice was quavering, shaking in pure shock. “Fuck… Get the fuck out of my house!”

There was a slam as someone collided with a wall.

“No, stay!” That was Dan, his voice bitter and broken. “I want your good for nothing fucking arse to go down in jail if anything bad happens to him!”

Matt and Josh launched themselves off the chairs we were sat in. I was still struggling to move when Josh pushed us up. I dropped my cigarette and Josh’s glass. Staggering, I fell forwards but Josh caught onto me and we all hurtled into the kitchen. I kicked off my heels.

There was a mass of people in the kitchen - those at the back clambered up on top of worktops or chairs or other guests to get a better look. Nadine was on the phone in the corner whispering into her mobile for an ambulance. Wordlessly, Josh and Chris lifted me up onto their shoulders. I still couldn’t see.

“Get the fuck out of my house!” Charlie repeated and there was a sound of a scramble. “Get out now! Everyone get out!” I’d never heard a more frightening command. “If you aren’t a friend of Ashley’s...”

I went ice cold. Ashley. What had happened to Ashley?

One of the boys holding me up swayed slightly and I almost lost my balance.

“NOW!”

Then everyone moved. I slipped down from their shoulders, Josh caught me very hard around my waist, winding me slightly, before my feet hit the floor. We pushed against the tide of people as they struggled to escape the house. I was dragged along in the blur of movement.

Then we saw the scene. Dan and Emily had Lewis pinned against the wall, his druggie mates retreating from the house as fast as possible. Max and Lucy were kneeling besides an unconscious Ashley. Fuck. Lucy was silently crying, her eyes puffy and red. Charlie was looking around his home desperately. Then I saw Abby, sitting against the wall, staring up at Lewis and Dan, Amelia and Genna at her sides.

“What happened?” Matt demanded, crossing over to Dan whose fists were grasping Lewis’ collar.

“Overdose,” Charlie breathed, staring down at Ashley’s unconscious form.

“Drugs?” Josh asked for me, I didn’t have to look at him, I could hear the horror in his voice.

“Cocaine.”

My knees went weak and finally gave way. There was a desperate swipe behind me as someone tried to stop my fall. I crawled forwards and felt for Ashley’s pulse on his neck. It was still beating, but not as strong.

“Cocaine?” Chris winced in shock. I looked up to Lewis. He was pressed hard against the wall. His face completely white.

“Cocaine?!” Matt screamed, taking a step closer to Lewis. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I didn’- We wern- He didn’”

“Save the excuses,” Emily spat. She looked like she wanted to rip Lewis’ eyeballs out with her bare hands. “What were you doing? Ashley would never touch drugs-”

“He wasn’t so hard to convince!” Lewis defended, struggling against their grasps.

“HE WAS PISSED YOU IDIOT!” Lucy screamed, climbing to her feet to yell at Lewis. She dug her sharp fingernail into the centre of his chest. “You told him it would impress me whilst he was completely smashed. What stupid world to do you live in?!”

Then she slapped him extremely hard. The sound had me wincing.

“Get out,” she hissed at him. Her nose was pressed to his. Emily let go, looking at Lewis as if he was a piece of shit on her shoe. Dan didn’t.

Lewis looked desperately to Chris, one of his longest friends, then to Max and Josh. Chris wouldn’t look at him. Josh and Max exchanged a long, haggard look, their jaws tight.

“Go and don’t ever show your face around here again, or any of your clever friends,” he said it calmly, only more than a whisper but it sent shivers through me. Emily threw a packet of white powder at him which he caught with shaking hands. Dan threw him a hard punch.

“And don’t go around kissing other people’s girls either!” he shouted. My eyes found Abby, staring guiltily at the floor. My mouth fell open in horror. Abby got off with Lewis?

Something warm and sticky dripping on my hand distracted me. Confused, I glanced down and saw Ashley’s blood drenching my open palm from his nose.

“Uhh...” I was shaking. I wanted to scream and close my eyes and hide in the corner to make it go away. On the verge of tears, I managed to choke out. “He’s bleeding.”

I stared at my quivering drenched hand and thought I was going to pass out. It was that or throw up. A strange strangled low scream escaped my throat in vibrations of terror. I was scooped up. Two people, one around my waist and another around my arm, pulled me to my feet. One let go and one held onto me. They spun me around to face them and shifted me to support all my weight. My wet hand collided with their chest, wiping it on the blue cloth and bumped against my cheek. An urge overwhelmed me too strong to let me fall apart. As Lucy’s scream drowned out all noise, I threw myself from my supporter and headed straight for the kitchen sink. The stench of blood and smoke, the taste of alcohol and cigarettes, the worry and fear had me throwing up into Charlie’s sink.

***

“You can stay,” Josh announced to the room weakly, rubbing his tired eyes as he crossed the room to collapse on the sofa. He’d changed from the clothes I’d managed to handprint with Ashley’s blood. It was getting light outside - it had to be around seven in the morning. We’d spent forever in the hospital room, waiting for some news, good or bad, but none came. Lucy and Emily were still there. After Matt and I had almost slipped from the chairs with exhaustion, we decided to go back to the nearest home - The Franceschi’s.

I only just managed to hear Josh’s announcement, his added weight to the sofa jolted me and with the little energy I had, I crawled up to rest my head in his lap. I heard chatter as I managed to drift off into some form of sleep. It was difficult, the worry that embraced me refused to let me wander off into anything stable.

We ‘slept’ until two in the afternoon where we received a phone call – Lucy to Max.

Ashley wasn’t dying… But he was in quite intensive care.

We all made our way back to the hospital that evening. Lucy was zonked out in the waiting room. She was curled up on the hard metal seat with her head in Emily’s lap. Emily was clutching a very strong looking coffee. None of us, apart from Josh, had gotten changed. We girls still stood there in our short fancy dress outfits and Max was wearing the sailor hat from earlier.

Chris and Max kept vanishing every ten minutes for cigarettes but I couldn’t force myself to join them. Smoking didn’t really appeal to me right now - I still felt too sick. Lucy didn’t wake for a few hours.

“Ash,” she finally choked out in her sleep.

The room went quiet. Nobody knew what to say.

Everyone looked terrible, their eyes heavy with stress, their postures hunched with concern. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone ate anything. I could see the expanded concern on Josh’s face as he surveyed his friends. It was like he wasn’t there as he assessed Dan’s drawn white face. Max looked like he was going to pass out. I watched him. He just shook his head as if shaking off thoughts. He ran his hands through his hair over and over again, tugging at the long fibres as if he pull the thoughts from his brain. He looked crazy.

I didn’t know if it was because they were tired and stressed or if they were seriously completely upset about Ashley but they all looked on the brink of tears.

“No, I need to know how he is!”

My focus shifted to Lewis hurtling down the pristine white corridor. Despite being unbelievably tired, we all jumped to our feet.

“How is he?” he asked desperately, looking to Josh and I more than anything. We hadn’t flipped on him yet.

“Stable, no thanks to you.” Max shoved past Lewis as he made his way back into the waiting room from his fag break. Lewis shouldered Max before he could get completely past. Being as weak and tired as Max was, he didn’t react, he was smacked against the wall. Lewis’ aim at Max finally snapped Josh. His eyes flashed with something wild I’d never seen before. He bounced forwards before anyone else could.

“Lewis mate.” He actually spat the last word. He stretched to his fullest height, meeting Lewis at eyelevel. “I’d get out of here right now if I were you because if you cause my friends anymore harm you are seriously going to regret stepping foot in Surrey.”

It must have been the cracked, defeated element to his voice that was terrifying. He sounded deranged and more dangerous than I’d ever heard him. With Chris, I helped a confused and tired Max to his feet.

“So get the hell out of here!” Josh growled. Lewis glared at him for a long moment, assessing him, he finally knew the friendship was lost. He spat on Josh and then spun around and left. I snatched Josh’s hand before he could react. Then I sucked in a sharp breath. Heading towards us were Abby, Amelia and Genna.

“Oh fucking great,” Josh sighed. He walked away, my hands still wrapped around his arm, and I stumbled backwards slightly.

Dan walked past me, heading straight for Abby, his face hard.

“I don’t especially want to talk right now,” he whispered, but we could all hear it. Abby took a few steps backwards from his surprising height. I was glad I was still holding onto Josh, I could feel his arm flex with annoyance, he was going to get involved any moment.

“He’s okay then?” Genna asked me, ignoring Dan as if he wasn’t there.

“Kind of,” I replied quickly before any of the guys could make snappy retorts.

“You’re breaking up with her?” Amelia demanded, appalled. Dan looked to her, extremely irritated, and bit hard down on his lip. He must have obviously been talking to Abby quietly.

“You’re breaking up with her? You are? I don’t know if you noticed babes but her with her tongue in Lewis’ mouth last night was kind of a big clue.” Genna put her hands on her hips, a smug smile lifting her lips. Amelia let out a short burst of laughter.

“Yeah, she’s being trying to do it for ages.”

Oh crap. This was going to go so wrong.

I was kind of glad Lucy was asleep. She may have ripped her ex best friend apart.

“Dan…” Abby started, looking at him desperately. “I’m sorry I should hav-”

“Don’t bother,” he breathed, running his hands through his hair like Josh did. “I don’t want to hear it. Just… go away. I have real things to be concerned about.”

“Told you you should have told him about that time at the club, would have shaken him off quicker,” Amelia said loudly as they all turned to leave.

Uhh oh. My heart plummeted and my grip on Josh tightened as he made forwards.

“Time at the club?!” Matt shouted, brushing past me to stand next to a distraught Dan. Lucy stirred. Josh slipped out of my grip to go and join them. He wasn’t having his best friends being treated like this. It was all too much.

“Yeah,” Amelia said and Abby ran from the corridor in tears. “I told her she could do better than you lot. You could as well Jase!” She looked directly at me. Jerking her head for me to come and join her. She looked like she meant it – she was being nice to me. It was my friends she had the problem with.

I shook my head, frozen, waiting for it to click for everyone else.

“Wait,” Matt said slowly, his eyes in a different place as he slowly turned around to face me. “You were at the club…” Matt got it.

“None of us thought it the best idea to tell you Dan, we thought it would really hurt you, especially Jasey.” Her voice was calm, rational, the completely contrast to the heart attack I was having. Matt was staring at me in disbelief. Amelia gave me a small wave and I realised she wasn’t meaning to put me in it. She didn’t understand what this was going to do to me. As she left, Dan turned around to stare at me.

“You knew?” he breathed. He looked like the news had crippled him, he was leaning forwards like someone had punched him in the gut. I knew that feeling all too well.

I opened my mouth to reply but when Josh looked at me, his crazed, broken eyes, my words vanished.

And the room was silent. Every eye focused on me - glinting with shock, disappointment and… anger.