Before midnight.

•19•

[Three months later.]
[Wednesday.]

Alex
<<Can we talk please?>>
Alex
<<This is all just fucking ridiculous.>>
Alex
<<My fault for even taking an interest in you.>>

'Perrie?'
'Ehm... what?'
'Are you even listening?! The show's in two weeks!' Leigh-Anne shouted annoyed.
'Shh! If my dad or Jane hear you, there will be no show at all!' Perrie replied almost whispering. 'I just got distracted for a moment. What were you saying?'
'Leigh keeps on insisting we should sing "Wings" but me and Jesy think it's not a very smart idea.' Jade said, sounding worried.
'I agree with Leigh.'
Jade and Jesy sighed.
'Think about it: we've got one chance. Just one. Wendy... Mrs. Chamberlain, said that a lot of producers and important personalities attend her shows every year. We need to give our all. If we perform a cover, we're gonna be just like everybody else. If we go in with our own song instead...'
Leigh's face was gleaming, whilst Jesy and Jade still had their doubts.
'Listen girls, I'm risking everything for this. You know that if my dad was to find out that would be the end of me at least until I'm eighteen. Or worse, I'd have to move to New Zealand with my mum. We NEED this to work out.'
'Right, I'm in.' Jade rolled her eyes smiling at her friends' enthusiasm.
Jesy ended up agreeing as well.
'I promise you, it will be terrific!' Perrie winked at her friends before they all hugged each other.
'P, this is the happiest I've seen you since you broke up with Christian.' Jesy casually said. 'I'm glad you're going back to be your usual self.'
'Yeah... getting there.' Perrie faked a smile whilst looking back down at her phone.
'Jes, my sister's here. Did you still want a lift?' Leigh-Anne started to gather her belongings, followed by Jesy.
'Yes please. So we'll see you tomorrow at five at the Academy, right?'
'Sure. See you later girls.'
Jesy was right about one thing: Perrie was at her happiest after her breakup. The point she was wrong about, was that Perrie was never sad about her breakup with Christian. It was her breakup with Alex that tore her apart.
Since then, Perrie decided to put all of herself into the only thing that always made her happy and never let her down: her music.
Alexander, Perrie's dad, was still very sceptical about her music career, but he didn't think any of it when Perrie found a little job on the side helping Mrs. Chamberlain at her academy. And Wendy, who on the other hand couldn't help but recognise Perrie's talent, offer her to use her recording studio for free from time to time.

'Right, now that they're gone, tell me what's wrong.'
Jade said as soon as the girls left the room.
Perrie smiled knowing she couldn't hide anything to her best friend.
'It's Alex. I saw him yesterday.'
'Why didn't you tell me?! Where? When? What was he doing?'
'Me, Jane and Cait passed by Jonnie's place to give him his birthday present and Alex was there with a few more friends.'
'Did you talk?'
'No. He just waved at me then went to the back to smoke with Justin.'
'Are Alex and Jonnie friends now then?'
'I guess so.'
'Do you know if he's going to Jonnie's birthday party on Friday?'
Perrie threw her head on her pillow. 'God, I didn't even think about it. What am I gonna do?!'
'Well... absolutely nothing. What do you want to do? Me, Leigh and Jesy are gonna be there, he's gonna be with his friends. You'll be just fine.'
'I don't know, Jade. Seeing him yesterday made me feel...'
'...what?'
'I don't even know how it made me feel!'
'I think you still like him. Are you regretting breaking up with him?'
'I'll always like him. But it's too late for regrets, don't you think?'
'It's never too late, P.'
'After his last messages? It was late back then, its definitely too late now, three months later.'
'You already regret breaking up with him, I don't want you to regret not reaching out to him too. Think about it.'
'I regret the way things ended between us but I still stand by my choice.'
Jade looked at her friend in a compassionate way.
'I gotta go now, but call me if you need to talk. Love you.'
Perrie thought Jade was right, but sometimes things are easier said than done. She took her friend to the door, then joined her family at the dinner table.
'Just in time. Dinner's ready darling.'
'It smells. What is it?' Perrie sat next to Caitlin, pulling a disgusting face.
'It's fish cakes.' Jane said surprised. 'You like fish cakes.'
'It just smells very... fishy.'
Perrie started to move her food around her plate without really eating it. Caitlin started to copy her.
'Perrie, stop please. You should set a positive example for your sister.' Alexander said very seriously.
'Sorry.' Perrie knew she couldn't avoid eating her dinner.
'What's the matter darling? You seem a bit off.' Jane asked.
'Not much, I'm just tired. Been busy lately, you know.'
'Well, maybe you should take it easy this weekend then.'
'Bad luck, I'm going to Jonnie's party.'
'I was just thinking that maybe...'
'No, dad. You already said I could go! You can't change your mind now, it's not fair!'
'I never said I changed my mind, but if you raise your voice at me again, they you definitely won't be going.'
'Sorry, I thought... sorry dad.'
'You can go as long as your friends are there and nothing stupid happens. And you have to be home by midnight.'
'I know the rules, dad. Don't worry. And Jonnie said there's just a few friends of his coming. It's not gonna be a big thing.'
Perrie reluctantly finished dinner with her family, then went back upstairs. She immediately checked her phone, almost as if she was waiting for a message that obviously never arrived.
The girl couldn't stop thinking of Alex. She thought about him whilst watching a movie with her little sister; she thought of him whilst the hot water from her shower almost burnt her scalp; she kept thinking of him as she tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep.

Perrie 1.34am
<<Hey! How are you? :) Hope everything's good.>>

[Friday morning.]

Perrie 9.55am
<<Sorry Jonnie, I don't think I'll make it tonight.>>

[Hello everyone :) how are you all doing? I'm going back to work tomorrow after the Christmas break and my anxiety is beginning to kick in again, but I'm trying to keep positive as I'm sure everything will be okay :)
Back to the story.. a few more twists and turns lol
The issue with this book is that I've stopped writing for so long and I'm finding it hard to get back into it, so unfortunately I think it's gonna end pretty soon.
The good news is that I'm working on a new one that I'm absolutely loving writing right now! So I can't wait for you all to read it once this is over ;)
Let me know what to think xxx
Peace and love to everyone xxx]