Strange

When I turned 26 it was a big year of celebration. McFLY were releasing their 6th studio album and an autobiography, Tom and Dougie had written a children's Christmas story book, Tom was getting married and Jo was finishing school. Everyone was excited about this year.

On my birthday I got loads of gifts. Some novelty ones off Dougie, Practical ones off of Tom and my family, Stupid ones from Harry and the best gift ever from my older sister Vicky. Vicky is known for getting cool presents but I didn't think she would pull a stunt like this. She had brought me eight tickets to go to America for six weeks during the summer. It was perfect but who would I take with me?

Tom and Giovanna were my first choice because while my house was being redecorated I had been living with them. That has been for over 7 months and they both adore Disney. Dougie was my next choice with Lara and then Harry and Izzie they were all my best friends and it would have been weird not to invite them. I had recently come out of a break up and didn't have a girlfriend so who else do I take with me as I still had the one spare ticket?

Then it hit me. Jo. I should take Jo. She was always talking about how she wants to go to America so why don't I take her. Her parents will be cool with it because Harry will be there and they trust me. She was having relationship problems as well and it would be lovely for both of us to go there to get away from everyone. Also because it was during the summer we would be out there during her birthday which meant we had to make it better than any other party or birthday she had before. It was a birthday she never for got as well.

On the day we were leaving everyone was meeting at Harry's house. As we all got in the taxi to leave I realized Jo wasn't here and then I remembered I had to pick her up because she couldn't drive. I thought she was going to kill me when I arrived. I was wrong though because as I pulled up outside Jo and Harry's parents' house she was on the phone to her best mate. Jo looked amazing in a pair of very short shorts and a vest with one of those hats that Olly Murs wears. She also had a pair of Aviators on but hers were extra special because Harry had paid for her to get her glasses lenses put in them. It always shocked and amazed me how she never had a boyfriend. Okay, she did have a boyfriend but she caught him at a party shagging the local slut. She took the whole "catching her first ever boyfriend having sex for the first time with someone who wasn't her" badly to put it nicely. We all try not to mention the situation when she was around because she found the ordeal very humiliating and embarrassing.

One of the good things about mine and Jo's friendship was that we got on like best friends even though there was a nine-year age gap.

"Hey Sexy, you're looking beautiful today as usual!" I called over to her with a smile as she cut off the phone and started walking towards my BMW.

"Of course I do honey. I have to look good for my customers isn't that right Pimp!" She said with a serious voice before we both burst out laughing. "So who's first? Is it the sexy but slightly weird Mr. Poynter or the delightful Mr. Fletcher?"

"Jo darling you know they both have girlfriends," I said trying to keep it jokey

Jo then looked up at me with a sour look on her face "It didn't stop that fucking whore did it!?"

I then realized I had upset her and reminded her of "The Incident" I really didn't mean to and I made myself feel shit. As we arrived at Harry's, everyone had shot gunned their seats so me and Jo were stuck at the very back of the taxi. She still wasn't talking to me so when we sat down I did the only thing that I know calms her down when she is around the four of us lads. I got her to cuddle into me and she acted the same as she did on her tenth birthday. She snuggled in close and fisted onto my t-shirt as if I was going to leave her.

At the airport we checked in and got to the plane when Dougie noticed Jo was still upset so instead of sitting next to his girlfriend, he sat Jo between us two and forced her to watch the best film in the world ever (apart from Back To The Future in mine and Dougie's opinions) "The Notebook". When the film had finished we were all getting weird looks from people on the plane because we were all in tears. As I looked over to Jo and Dougie I realized Jo was snuggled into my side half asleep. The next thing I knew we were being asked to fasten our seat belts because we were due to land.

When we had got to the hotel, we grabbed our keys and raced each other to our rooms which we all near each other. Then I realized that we had four rooms for the four couples. We were all cool with that but the rooms only had a king sized double bed and a sofa. I told Jo straight away that she would be staying in the bed and I would have the sofa. She was quick to disagree with me and said that it was my birthday and that I should have the bed. I told her that it was her birthday in a couple of days so she should have the bed. This argument went on for a while before I grabbed hold of her and pinned her down on the bed and told her "You will be staying here okay?!"

"YES DAD" Jo said in the really droning voice that teenagers use when they don't wanna do something. I laughed at her before getting up and crashing out on the sofa due to the jet lag.

The next morning Jo and I were late for breakfast by five minutes and they wouldn't serve us so we just went and sat down with everyone else and decided that we would go to Starbucks after getting ready. As we got to everyone Jo started to giggle, as did I, at the sight of our best friends snuggled up in their couples. It was sweet but Jo and I liked to take the piss a lot.

"Piss off Danny stop being a dickhead" Dougie mumbled and we just got the finger from Tom and Harry but this only made us laugh more. Harry then stood up to give his sister a hug and ask how her night was.

"My night was good apart from the fact that my pimp here pinned me on the bed and forced me to stay there all night." Jo said to Harry while snuggling close into me.

"Danny is this shit true!!" Harry asked in a very serious tone as he glared at me

I quickly replied "Yes but she was gonna sleep on the sofa so I was being a gentleman and giving her the bed. She argued that I had to stay there because it was my present and stuff so I just pinned her down and told her to stay there. She knows full well I would never hurt her. Plus if I didn't keep her there she was planning to some fun from Dougie." I winked at Harry before me and Jo burst out laughing again. Slowly Tom and Dougie got what we were laughing about. Harry then got the joke and smirked.

After that, everyone bar me and Jo had finished their breakfast we had decided on a relaxing day by the pool. Tom was the first out closely followed by Harry with Dougie on his back. Everyone was laughing and having a joke.

Because of our lateness, Jo and I had to walk down the road towards a Starbucks in the sun. It was lovely. On the walk I put my arm around Jo's shoulder and pulled her close because she looked upset.

"Hey, what's up baby?" I stopped walking and waited for an answer

"Nothing."

"Jo babes I have known you long enough to know that there is a problem so tell me what's wrong"

"Promise you wont laugh!"

"Darling I promise you. No wait I pinky promise you." I pinky promised her the traditions Tom's sister got us into.

"I felt really uncomfortable around everyone this morning because they acted all sweet and ... coupley and ... they reminded me of him and how we used to act" Jo managed to splutter out before bursting into tears.

I pulled her into a hug and allowed her to cry onto my chest. When she had calmed down we got our drinks from Starbucks before taking a nice stroll along the beach and back across the street to the hotel.

I enjoyed the walk because not only did it calm and relax Jo it was peaceful and it calmed me down. I don't know why but we never told anyone about what happened on the walk. Maybe it was because it was personal to us. When we got back though Harry was worried because we were so long but we just said the queue was long.

As all the couples sat there cuddling I dragged Jo over to the bar and asked her if she wanted a drink.