The Dates.

Jake and I waited outside the school for Em. Even over the music he has blaring from his phone (Eye of the Tiger - do you even need to ask?) I could hear him smacking on a piece of gum. I checked my watch for the third time in the same minute and shook my head at Jake but he was too in the music zone to notice me much. The invisible drums are there again.

Accepting that my fate was to be here for God knows how long with just Jake and his private gig, I took to staring about at the other people milling around us. Rebecca Grey swooped past dramatically with two of her pasty pals bringing up the rear, all of them eyeing me with looks of complete disdain. I shrunk a little into Jake's shadow, choosing to cast my gaze else where or risk being cursed or something.

My eyes happened to land on Rebecca's polar-opposite: exuberant, colourful and with an extreme obsession for me, Lucy Davies breezed by - all bright blue hair streaks and sparkly eye make up - blowing kisses at me until she trampled right into Jake. I should probably make a mental note; just get a girl with eccentric dress sense to waltz into him to get his attention. He pushed his phone (music still playing and all) into his pocket and greeted her as about enthusiastically as he could in the circumstances. She had broken rule number one: never mess with music time.

"Davies, what the hell?"

Lucy was unperturbed by Jake's indignant tone, barely even acknowledging that she walked into him and he was pissed about it.

"Hello, Jake. There's a buzzing noise coming from your pocket - sounds a bit weird, I would check on that if I were you." she said, turning her back on his red face and instead putting all her efforts into dazzling me with a wide smile. "Andrew, it's been a while. You haven't forgotten me, have you?"

I took a moment to assess her outfit of choice today: blinding, green tights, tiny skirt, an emerald checked shirt. I don't think I could have forgotten her if I tried, as much as I wanted to at this precise moment. Jake looked like he was rapidly beginning his transition into the Hulk and all I could do was to get Lucy away from him as quickly as possible before he kicked off big time.

"Blimey, that's an, er - interesting outfit." I said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"You think so?" she gushed, holding her arms out so she could show off the shirt. "It was my Mum's, it's practically retro. I don't buy anything from the main shops - I think you have to support local industry."

Jake was shaking, I should hurry this along.

"Yeah, I agree." I said quickly, not really knowing what I was agreeing with. "Look, I - "

"And this skirt? I made it from curtains. It's so cool, right? Nobody else is doing it."

"Uh, right - "

Lucy cut across me again. "I got the tights from this cool, little shop away from the high street. They just sell really different, unique things in there. You can't get it from anywhere except that shop!"

"Hey, that's great but I really should - "

She started to waffle on about independent stores in the town and I was becoming more and more aware of Jake behind her, his face beetroot red and the other students edging cautiously away from him. I didn't know what to do, I panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"How about we meet up sometime then?"

Time slowed down as the words left my mouth. I wanted to grab at them and shove them back down my throat but from the look of Lucy wonderstruck face and Jake suddenly going from blood red to paper white, I realised it was too late and I had done the unthinkable. I had asked Lucy Davies out on a date. Maybe she hadn't really heard?

"What did you say?" she asked in a hushed voice. "Did you just ask me out?"

Ah, crap.

"I guess I did..." I muttered, shifting uncomfortably on my feet and shooting a look at Jake for help.

Now, the most wonderful thing about Jake is that he can always, always, think of an exit plan. Like, any sign of danger and he's on the ball. Even in that desperate minute of complete and utter panic, I could see Jake's mind whirring through his eyes and when a smile cracked on his face, I swear I heard the ping of a light-bulb go off somewhere.

"He can't." Jake said shortly. "It'll break the rules of our interviews - no dating allowed until the actual, you know...dates."

Lucy looked crestfallen but she tapped her chin, thinking.

"You're right, we shouldn't break the rules. But I know you'll choose me, Andy." she giggled, fluttering her fingers at me before she squeezed her way through a group of parents waiting for the younger kids. They all eyed her nervously, clearly hoping that they weren't looking into future of their children's lives.

Jake turned on me the minute she left.

"What the hell, man!" he cried, punching my arm. "As if you just asked her out. She's bonkers, mate."

I dragged my hands over my face, groaning miserably. I don't make errors consistently but when I do, they're pretty bad. Good job Jake was here to save me - but I'd never tell him that.

"God, I think my subconscious is trying to tell me I'm getting desperate."

Jake chuckled and switched his Ipod off. A gaggle of fourteen year old girls tripped past us; one of them had their phone blasting out music.

"One Direction, Andy. I think they're the new Justin Bieber - or a group of clones of him or something." Jake informed me wisely.

"Didn't peg you as a 1D fan, Jake." I laughed, dodging the oncoming slap he sent my way.

"Hey - they're like, Beatle-famous now. Girls go wild for them..." he trailed off, a thoughtful look clouding over his face. "Maybe we should study them - find out how they do it."

"No. Just...no, Jake."

"Ah, come on. You need all the help you can get - "

"Jake, you're not serious - "

"- I am. Really, we should - "

He broke off. Em had found us and had snaked her arm through Jake's whilst he was talking. I'd never been so thrilled to see her in all my years of knowing her.

"What's up, guys?" she asked as we started our walk home.

"Jake, obsessed with One Direction apparently." I said knowingly, grinning at her uneasy expression.

"Hey, I am not!" he piped up, managing to slap the back of my head.

"Ah, jeez. Sorry."

His smile turned evil and he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Tomorrow you will be. Remember, Samantha's interview is tomorrow." he said, cackling as I rolled my eyes.