The show must go on

Chapter 39 - maybe one day

Narrator POV

"It's beautiful," Perrie blurts out the second Jade opens her eyes.

"What?" she asks, confused as she tries to blink against the brightness of the room and has to take in her surroundings before she is able to process Perrie's words.

"Your poem," Perrie explains tersely and Jade's gaze remains confused.

"I read the last page, your poem. It's beautiful. You've always been such a talented writer," she says and only now Jade's gaze falls on the book Perrie is still clutching tightly, her book.

"Thank you," she says slowly. "But you weren't supposed to read it yet."

"You know me, I couldn't resist," she justifies herself, earning a knowing grin from Jade.

"It's not a poem, though," she explains.

"What is it then?"

"It should be a song, some day apparently," she confesses.

"Really? What's the melody?" Perrie asks with a smile on her lips.

"That's the thing, I don't know, I...I haven't had the right idea yet," Jade says quietly. "But now that you've read it, maybe you can help me out."

"Me?" she pauses, confused. "Songwriting is more yours and Leigh-Anne's specialty, isn't it?"

"She helped me write it," Jade replies. "But I need your input, your musicality on the melody...It's kind of our song."

"We already have a song," Perrie reminds her.

"Well...our relationship isn't based on stolen moments behind the curtains anymore. You can hold me in the streets and kiss me on the dance floor...theoretically, whenever you want to. If I wouldn't be chained here. I think it's time for an update," Jade explains in a heavy voice. "Will you help me?"

"I'd love too," Perrie says, heavily touched.

They didn't see or hear from Sam and in quiet moments it caused an uneasy feeling, a feeling of fear, of worry, of uncertainty. But working on the perfect melody for this particular song distracted them from all that. It made the vibe more positive because music, and especially making music, has always done that. It became the only occupation that kept both of them halfway sane.

It took not one day but a whole week for Sam to contact them via Facetime. Leigh-Anne and Jesy also got in touch then, who also kept a low profile throughout the week.

But then finally the redeeming news came into the group chat. An emergency Zoommeeting of the band with Sam.

"Two weeks," Sam announces fervently as she sees all four faces on her screen. Instead of the expected shouts of excitement, however, she only earns two confused looks.