The Truth Is a Terrible Thing

Amelia woke up the next morning with a small headache and the bright sun shining in through the large window next to her bed. She tossed her comforter over her head in attempts to rid her eyes of the sunlight but the brightness was still there. With a grunt of annoyance she tossed the blanket off and sat up, reaching over to pull the curtains shut and hopefully cut off the light. She could care less if her movements woke Josh up or not; she just wanted the sun gone so she could sleep for a few more hours. She was currently leaning over Josh's face, her chest just inches away from him. He lay on his back, one arm behind his head, the other on his chest rising and falling with every breath he took. He hadn't looked like he moved since he fell asleep.

She had just finished moving the first curtain when she felt a movement underneath her. "I have never woken up to a more perfect site," Josh said as he looked at Amelia's boobs.

"Oh sod off Josh. Could you not stare at my chest?" she asked, pulling the last curtain shut. It was finally dark enough for Amelia to fall back asleep, or attempt to at least. She lay back down, earning a small grunt of displeasure from Josh.

"Why'd you have to go and move? Now I'm stuck looking at your desk," he whined.

Amelia put her face in the pillow and sighed. "Keep it up and you'll be stuck looking at the floor," she mumbled into the fluffy white pillow.

Josh chuckled and rolled over to face the girl next to him, her hands tucked under the pillow and face buried into it. She felt him looking at her so she took her face out of the pillow and turned it towards him. "Go back to sleep Josh," said Amelia.

Josh smiled and closed his eyes untroubled. Josh was not one who let his problems known, he was a rather unceremonious man. Very easy going, relaxed and lay back, but that was in the publics eye, behind closed doors he was a mess of sorts. He wasn't one to confront his feelings or share them with others unless it was absolutely bothering him. He lived as if there wasn't a care in the world when he was with Amelia; she envied that about him. Her perpetual worrying was always in the way of finding true felicity. Everything about Josh was carefree though. She watched his face as he breathed in and out of his nose. She couldn't help but notice the stubble on his chin from his lack of shaving, the bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep, the soft pink of his lips and how when ajar the bottom of his top teeth showed. Their whiteness evident even in the dark. She was so lost in his features she almost didn't hear him chuckle. The rumbling sound in his chest boomed in the silence of the room. He opened an eye, a tooth less grin growing on his face. "You done admiring my godliness?" he asked.

"If you count stubble, bags, and that pimple you've got coming in on ya forehead godliness, than yes."

Josh chuckled closing his eyes again. He wrapped an arm around Amelia, pulling her into him, like he often did in the morning. It was just a friendly gesture in Amelia's eyes, though she could never pinpoint the friendliness of it. "Go back to sleep M. The more we sleep the longer I can stay," and oh how true that statement was. Sleeping was his only excuse to stay here if Hanna was to call, and she was going to. Amelia knew that even though spending the day sleeping meant not seeing each other or taking the time to reminisce about the past or discuss the future, she was still spending time with her best friend. Josh didn't like talking about the future though. He would much rather just live life in the present. Amelia had lost count on how many times she had heard him say, "the future is the future, no need to discuss, just discover."

"You're gonna have to go back home soon," says Amelia after a few moments of silence. "Your girlfriend's already going to kill you for not coming home, probably have you hung for being here of all places."

He rolled his eyes through closed lids at Amelia's words. He could care less if Hanna was going to kill him, Amelia was his best friend and after all he had known her longer than he had ever known Hanna. Amelia would always be the girl in his life, no matter what. "She can deal without me for a night or two. Just sleep, I'm not ready to face the day quite yet," he mumbled, his chin resting on her soft brown hair.

"I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep now," she whined into his chest.

"Just try, it never kills to try."

Amelia let out a long breath and pulled the thick white comforter over their bodies. She breathed deeply, taking in Josh's scent. His scent never changed. He always smelt like a mixture of laundry detergent, cologne, and the mint of his toothpaste, which at the moment was not present. She always loved his smell, it was unique and she took it in every time he left for tour, knowing that he would return smelling the same as when he left. His scent was nothing like what the other lads smelt like. Max smelt like smoke and lavender shampoo. Chris smelt like lemon shampoo and honey body wash. Dan smelt only of axe, and Matt, well Matt smelt like vanilla. Matt smelt like his girlfriend.

"Do me a favor," Amelia said. Josh let out a small moan in response. "Sing for me."

Josh looked down at Amelia for a split second before shaking his head. "It's the morning."

Amelia smiled. "Last time you said that you had a boner," Josh didn't say anything. "Oh my god, you don't have a boner do you?" she asked pushing herself away from Josh.

Josh laughed rolling over on his back. "Uh, I don't think so-" he said. He lifted the blanket up and looked down. "Nope," he smiled. "Now come on, we've got nothing to do. Just sleep with me."

"I'll sleep with you, but not in any sexual way that may be churning in your head, Joshua," she joked.

Josh raised an eyebrow playfully. "Oh really now?" he asked receiving a nod from Amelia. "Even if I was to make you?" Josh smiled deviously, sitting up in the bed, getting closer and closer to Amelia. He pounced on her, tackling her to the bed. His hands slightly grazed her stomach, lifting the hem of her white tank top. The sensation sent shivers up Amelia's spine but not because it was Josh, more of the fact that she hasn't had any physical male contact like that in almost a year. Amelia giggled as Josh hovered over her, pinning her to the bed, her arms held together above her.

"I'll yell rape," Amelia warned.

"Go ahead. Sex is sex, consensual or not."

"Josh get off!" She yelled, giggling as she did, trying to pry her hands out of Josh's grasp.

"Oh I'll get off alright," he joked. Amelia opened her mouth to say something witty back at him though she had nothing really witty to say but the sound of his phone vibrating on the night stand made her close it. Josh sighed, reaching to grab his phone but keeping Amelia in her place. Amelia feared it might have been Hanna, calling to scream at her boyfriend. To demand him home, and the fight would continue there.

He looked down at the screen before sliding his thumb across. Amelia listened in on the one sided conversation. "Hello. Hey Matt what's up? Me? Oh nothing, just raping Amelia," he said, looking down at her.

"Matt! get your arse over here and help me you proper prat!" Amelia screamed praying Matt heard her.

Josh rolled his eyes. "No, there's no need to stop by, She's fine. No-No, don't. Matthew. Matthew?" he pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at the phone confused. "That fucker hung up on me."

"Is he coming to rescue me?" Amelia asked hopeful.

Josh laughed, shaking his head. "Nobody can save you you're st-" Josh's phone began vibrating again. He scowled at the screen, debating whether or not he should answer the phone.

'And here it comes,' Amelia thought to herself. He pressed the phone to his ear slowly. "Hello?" he said slowly, Amelia knew just from the sound of his voice that it was the one person they didn't one calling. The one person who could make a perfectly good moment turn south. Hanna.

The voice on the other end was loud enough for Amelia to hear every word that was spit from her mouth. Oh was she furious. Amelia had witnessed a few Josh and Hanna fights in her life, she knew how bad it could get. Josh cringed, pulling the phone away from his ear. "Hanna- yes, okay. Look we'll talk about this when I get home," Josh said quickly before hanging up.

Amelia looked up, a sad look on her face. She knew what was coming next, Josh was gonna go home, fight with Hanna before he came to Amelia's and stayed with her. After two or three days Josh would go back home and Amelia wouldn't hear from him for a week or so. That's how it had been since Hanna and Josh began this relationship. They didn't fight that often, not as often as they do now but lately it had been fight after fight and Amelia couldn't help but feel bad. She didn't like seeing Josh so upset like this, the constant bickering couldn't be doing him any good.

Josh ran a hand through his messy hair, letting out a large sigh. "You have to go don't you?" Amelia asked.

Josh nodded, getting off the bed, slowly putting his shoes back on. "I'm proper fucked. She's gone mental this time," he says, sliding on the white dress shirt he wore at the party.

Amelia crawled to the edge of the bed, throwing her feet over. She looked at Josh as he dressed himself, her hands resting in her lap. "Are you happy with Hanna?" Amelia blurted only regretting it when she saw the look on Josh's face. He was completely thrown off by the question. She didn't mean to be so blunt but the question had been on her mind for days now.

"Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, you just seem to argue a lot and not get along as well as you use to."

Josh smiled halfheartedly, shoving his phone in his pocket. "Every relationship has some roadblocks, you just need to find a way around them," he said. Placing a hand on Amelia's cheek he gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later, yeah?" Amelia nodded. "I love you." Josh turned and walked out of Amelia's bedroom. Leaving her there alone with nothing but his scent.

Amelia heard the front door close; taking it Josh had left. Throwing herself off the bed she shuffled out of her room and down the hall towards the bathroom. She tried to be quiet, in attempts to not wake up her flat mate whose room was at the end of the hall. Walking on her toes, she walked down the middle of the hallway, her hand outstretched towards the bathroom door. She grasped the handle turning it thinking she had made it without disturbing her flat mate when her flat mates bedroom door opened.

"Morning Love," Gabby said, pulling the toothbrush out of her mouth.

"Mornin', I didn't wake you did I?" she asked, dropping her hand from the door.

Gabby shook her head. "No, I've been up for a little while now. You and Joshua seemed to be having fun, yeah?" she smiled, continuing to brush her teeth.

Amelia blushed slightly, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Josh is a prat," she says opening up the bathroom door. Gabby laughed, walking into the bathroom before Amelia.

Gabby spit into the sink, gathering up her hair in a bun before looking back up at Amelia who was putting a towel on the hook next to the shower. "Will you two just fuck already and get it over with. There is so much sexual tension between you two it's smothering the household," she put her toothbrush in the holder and turned around, leaning against the counter.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "And by the household you mean you, yeah? Besides, Josh and I are just friends."

"Friends with benefits. I heard that moan of yours last night."

Amelia stopped pulling the shower curtain back as those words left Gabby's mouth. She looked back at her. "What are you talking about, mate. What moan?" She asked turning on the water.

"I heard you moan around 2 am, and more than once. It wasn't like a constant moan, it was like you two were shagging and trying to keep it a secret."

Amelia laughed. "No, that never happened," she says. "Now out so I can shower."

"Yeah, take one. You smell of sweat, sex, and Josh," Gabby smiled, before leaving the restroom. Amelia quickly hopped into the shower, she couldn't help but think about what Josh was doing. Was he home already? Were he and Hanna fighting? They more than likely were.

Maybe they will break up. She thought to herself but quickly shook away the thought. No, if Josh was happy, and he said he was, than she simply had no right to wish them to breakup. She loved Josh, but was she in love with him? No, honestly there was a time when she thought she did, but she debunked that feeling of just jealousy because she was no longer the only girl in Josh's life. Either way, Josh was happy and as his best friend, she could do nothing more than be happy for him.

&&

Amelia sat on the sofa of her living room, freshly showered, eating a bag of pom-bears that Gabby had so kindly picked up for her from the Tesco station. She was watching whatever Gabby had put on, too lazy to change it when the front door was thrown open.

"Amelia! We've come to rescue you!" She heard. She looked down the hall to see Matt and Max making their way to the living room. Max was running towards her now that he had seen her. Pouncing onto the sofa and onto her.

"Thanks for coming lads but I don't need rescuing now, you're an hour to late," she says pushing Max off her with a laugh.

Max frowned. "We are? dammit it, I really wanted to be your knight in shinning armor for the day."

"You'll always be my knight Max," she smiled making Max smile as well.

"What the bloody hell are you watching?" Matt asked loudly as he takes a seat next to her. "Jersey Shore? You're joking right?"

"Gabby left it on, it's not like there's anything else worth watching."

"You're losing brain cells and IQ points with every second," Matt says reaching for the remote.

"And yet my IQ manages to be higher than yours still," Amelia smiled sweetly, Max chuckled on the spot next to her.

"You're a proper geezer aren't you?" Matt asked changing the channel to the Arsenal game.

Pulling her legs up, Amelia rested her head on her knees, watching the football game in front of her. Max and Matt were instantly sucked into the sport, like they always were. There were many things you could do to keep these lads entertained, but the only thing to get them to drop everything they're doing is putting on a football game. Amelia used this tactic on more than one occasion. She sat silently though, shoving the pom-bears into her mouth not very interested in the game. She was to busy worrying about Josh. She always worried about Josh, he was Josh; how could you not worry about him?

"Whats on your mind Amelia?" Max asked, noticing his friends lack of interest in the game.

Amelia shrugged. "I guess I'm just thinking of Josh, I hope I didn't cause any trouble between him and Hanna."

Max and Matt shared a small glance before shutting off the TV, giving Amelia their full attention. They may have been goofs, and half the time either proper fucked or high out of their mind, but when their friends were upset they knew how to act. How to really listen into what the problem was and figure out how to solve it, or at least make it better. "It's not your fault you know," Matt said. "It was Josh's choice to stay here last night, Hanna should have expected him to stay; he always does."

Amelia smiled halfheartedly at Matt's words, she knew that Josh could have gone home, that it was all his decision but there was still a part of her that felt a little guilty, as if she had brought this upon him. Josh was stubborn sometimes though, she could have told him to go home but he would have refused when he knew very well that Hanna and him would argue. That was just Josh.

"Come on," says Max as he got up from the sofa. "We're going to a pub, we're getting pissed because you're too damn depressing right now."

Matt stood up as well, agreeing with Max. Amelia looked from the two lads to her clothes. "I'm not dressed-"

'Fuck it," Matt cut her off. "Lets go, you need a stiff drink, and few other stiff things you uptight little prat you," he smiled, lending Amelia a helping hand. She scowled but took his hand getting off the sofa and leaving the flat along with her worries.