I awoke way too early the next morning, my phone buzzing dramatically on my nightstand.
“Hello?” I said groggily.
“Jess!” my Mum’s voice came through breathlessly.
“Hey Mum.”
“I’ve been texting you!”
“Oh, sorry. Was sleeping.”
“It’s important,” she said.
“I’m sure it is.”
“I’ve been camping out for One Direction tickets.”
“Oh hell,” I muttered.
“Your sisters wanted them. All of the girls’ mums at school are doing it this year and they didn’t want to be left out. It was meant to be their Christmas present.”
“And you didn’t get any?” I sighed.
“Sold out about five people in front of me.”
“Damn, I’m sorry.”
“Jess you have to help me get these tickets.”
“I’m sure Tricia and Kelly will be ok with something else,” I said, referring to my 13 and 14 year old sisters. I was the eldest of five. All girls.
“Lori too.”
“Jesus, she’s 18 this year!” I laughed.
“They were really counting on it,” my Mum said, “I promised.”
“And what do you want me to do?” I asked, “I’m not a ticket broker and I’m definitely not made of money!”
“I need you to do me a little favor…”
“Oh, hell no,” I replied, catching on.
“Please, just ask him if he can help us out. He’s one of your oldest friends.”
“Mum I’m not going to Aston to try and get One Direction tickets, this is stupid.”
“Please sweetie?” my Mum asked.
“Mum!!”
“How about this, your Dad is looking at getting a new car this spring. If you sort this out we can sort out you getting his old car.”
“Yeah ok,” I said sarcastically. I’d been bribed with this about fifteen times since I was 20 and I still hadn't been given my father's car. Instead I drove around a total beater that spluttered and coughed every time I turned the engine on. There was no way I could believe my mother that this time would be different.
“This time I promise.”
“You’re making a lot of promises you can’t keep Mum.”
“Please?”
I sighed deeply, not really happy about the prospects of having to speak to Aston so soon after the incident at my party.
“Fine. I’m only asking once.”
“Thank you.”
I sighed, chucking my phone towards the end of my bed. “Fuck,” I muttered.
My door swung open ten minutes later, Natalie wandering in with two cups of tea. Wordlessly she climbed onto my bed, getting in beside me.
“What?” I questioned with a smirk, taking my tea and sipping it.
“I need a favor.”
“Not you too,” I muttered.
“Kyle’s invited me for lunch. We need to talk about our parent’s Christmas gift.”
“So?”
“He said at least two of the other boys are going to be there,” Natalie said.
“And…”
“Will you come?” she asked, “I don’t want to be alone with all of them.”
“I was going to spend the day at the library!!”
“We can go after, please?!”
“Is Aston going to be there?” I asked.
“Probably,” Natalie shrugged.
“This isn’t a rouse is it? You aren’t trying to get us together or anything?”
“No, I promise I’m not.”
“Ok, fine. But you’re buying.”
“Thanks babe!” she said, “I really need to sort out this gift with Kyle and he’s being very uncooperative. It’ll be best to do it in person but those boys can be such a pain in the ass when you’re alone with them.”
“We can tell the boys off for crashing last night.”
“Good idea,” Natalie said.
I rolled my eyes, sipping my tea and trying to figure out how I was going to breach the subject of tickets with Aston. Especially tickets for a rival boy band.
