Wrong Number~ The Vamps (Short story)

12

Jade waited in line. She wasn't so stupid to not know who she was texting; unless it was pure coincidence that those names matched up to more than just her late brother's old friends. She used to talk to them, except not Bradley, him and her brother had lost contact way before his death. But all of them stopped talking years ago. However these were not the boys Jade had been talking to. The boys she'd been talking to for the past week and a half was, quite possibly, The Vamps. And here she was, waiting to meet them in person. A strange way to meet someone who she was talking to already. She was the last one in line, which was probably better for her. It was more time out of the house, where Mitchell and his awful girlfriend, Georgia, had probably realised she was gone by this point. The queue took ages to go through, and by the time Jade had got to them, the nerves had built up and the boys were looking exhausted.

"I'm the last one," Jade told them, "Don't worry."

"Hi," Connor said, with a smile, "What's your name?"

She limped closer, "guess."

"There are a million different names in the world," James said, "How are we supposed to get yours?"

"I'll give you a clue," Jade smiled, rolling up her left sleeve and showing the cut, which was healing now, "It turns out, I missed a piece of glass from it."

"Jade?!" James asked, shocked.

"Hi," She sighed in relief, "I'm glad my prediction was right otherwise that would've been awkward."

"Wait Jade as in... Jade?" Tristan asked.

"Mhmm," She nodded, "Glad to finally meet you."

"Jade, are you okay?" Brad asked, "I mean, from what James told us, things don't sound okay."

"I said things would get better," Jade told them, looking at James, "And it just did. I got to meet you guys. That's something to be happy about."

"Look, I don't think you should go home," James said to her, "We need to talk."

"You need to learn how to kidnap someone," She replied, "Generally people use a white van and lure the child in it with sweets or something."

"Not the time for jokes," He sighed while the other three were concealing laughter.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Jade asked, "Have a break down and tell you everything that's gone wrong in my life?"

"It would be nice to know why your cousin was shouting at you like that and the actual explanation for your arm and ankle," James retorted.

"Okay, maybe I lied. But it's for my own good," She sighed, "Look, it was nice meeting you, but I should probably go. It would be nice to be alive tomorrow."

Just as she went to walk off, one of them grabbed her arm, her left one, making her gasp in pain. "Sorry," Tristan said, "But James is right, you can't go home if it isn't safe."

"But-"

"No, you can't go back," James said, "Come stay with us for a bit. Have just a night away from them."

"Fine," She sighed, "But when my funeral comes, you better play High Hopes as they bury me, just to make everyone uncomfortable."

Brad started laughing, "I like her."

"Come on," James said, "We can go now."

With Tristan still lightly holding her arm, Jade followed them, but at this point, her ankle was in agony. She knew it was probably broken, but she couldn't go to the hospital because then people would find out about how it happened.

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked her quietly.

"Just my ankle," Jade replied, fighting the urge to cry. She didn't want to cry in front of them.

"Piggy back?" He offered.

"You sure?" She asked.

"I wouldn't offer otherwise," He pointed out, stopping the two, "Is that a yes?"

"Yeah," She answered. Tristan crouching in front of her and she hopped on.

"Wow, you're really light," He commented, adjusting the two so he wouldn't drop her and then continuing. "Do you not eat?"

"Do you really want the answer to that?" Jade asked, cocking a brow.

"You don't eat!" He gasped, shocked, "You need to eat."

"Not my choice," She sighed, resting her chin on his left shoulder.

"We need to get you some food then," Tristan said.

"No, it's fine," Jade replied, not wanting to be a bother to them.

"Jade you need to eat otherwise you start passing out because you're running on nothing," He lectured, "When did you last eat?"

"Yesterday morning," She answered, "I had a hobnob I found in the cupboard. It was really good." Then she yawned, having not slept for a few nights.

"Aww," Brad said, joining their conversation and leaving James and Connor as they walked ahead, "You know it's barely ten."

"I know," Jade answered, "Doesn't mean I can't be tired."

"You're adorable, even when you're being a smart arse," He laughed.

"Thank you," She laughed, yawning again. Then smelt something. "What's that!"

"Food," Brad replied, "We're starving."

"What food specifically?" Jade asked.

"Jade, there's no strawberry jam I'm afraid," James laughed.

"That's illegal!" She declared, getting put back on the floor by Tristan. The boys all sat around the room, mostly just snacking after their performance. Jade went and sat on the end of one of the sofas, next to Brad.

"Jade you can have something too," Connor said, "We won't finish it all."

"Yeah, eat," Tristan said, "You said you haven't eaten since yesterday."

"It's fine," She replied, feeling her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket. She took it out and saw Mitchell was calling her, then gulped slightly. Watching the phone ring in her hand. Until Brad took it and declined the call.

"You don't have to worry about him," He said, then handed her some food, "Now eat."

"Okay," Jade said quietly, taking a bite of what she'd been given. For a minute it was quiet, until she asked, "Why didn't you say who you were?"

"Would you have honestly believed me?" James asked.

"I said I knew the band, the names matched up as well," She said, "I figured it out anyway. Bet you weren't expecting this failure to do that."

"Hey, you're not a failure," Connor said loudly, and almost sadly.

"Tell that to everyone else," She sighed.

"I will," He replied, "Tell me who and I will."

"You want to start with my cousin?"

"Not right now but I will," He persisted.

After finishing the food she got given, the tiredness had grown stronger over her. But she couldn't fall asleep. Not here. Not with the boys. Though, even though she tried to stay awake, Jade fell asleep, leaning on the arm of the sofa, her head resting in her arms and her hair over her face.