Simon's Rules

1

Jade POV

Jesy is the first person in the car, quickly followed by Leigh-Anne. Perrie and I walk around to the other side of the car and get in using the other door. She ends up sat in the middle next to Leigh, and I sit on her other side. Jesy takes the seat facing us, and the anger is visible on her face.

I was really hoping for a quiet drive to our next interview but clearly that isn't going to happen. When Jesy gets angry she vents out loud, looking for anyone who will support her opinion. Today though I don't think anyone is going to join in, not even Leigh-Anne.

It's the middle of the football season so she hasn't seen Andre much, and so every free moment when Andre isn't training Leigh is messaging him. She is smiling at her phone so I assume he's on his lunch break and able to respond. It's probably a good thing, if their schedules didn't align then Leigh will just be grumpy later.

Perrie is leaning against me, her head resting on my shoulder, our fingers interlocked. I know for a fact that she's exhausted, absolutely bloody exhausted. Even under all of her makeup, which Adam put on extra thick this morning, I can see that she's paler than normal. On camera she looks absolutely fine but up close I can tell. She's not been sleeping well the past few nights, having a nasty cold that she's only just starting to get over.

"I really fucking hate when that happens!" Jesy shouted, catching my attention from Perrie. I think I was staring again, but I can't help it. I'm not allowed to stare at her in public, smile at her beauty and her adorable clumsiness. I look back up at Jesy and see that she's staring directly at the two of us, Leigh still not looking up from her phone. I'm the best at talking Jesy down when she's angry, whereas Perrie is the best at cheering her up when she's down.

"I know." I agree, keeping my voice calm so that I don't feed into Jesy's rage.

"They really don't give a fuck, do they? We're just girls so we can't possibly think of winning anything. We have a BRIT award and an X Factor trophy. Yet it's all about who will win best artist, Ed, Zayn, or Harry."

Perrie flinches at the Z word, surprising me as I honestly thought she was asleep. I guess she was just resting with her eyes closed, saving some energy for our next interview.

"Sorry Pez." Jesy is calmer now, not intending to upset the youngest member. Even though Zayn left Perrie two years ago, the way things were left still upsets her, and to be honest me as well as I was the one who put her back together again.

"It's fine." she practically whispers, not using her voice too much as she gets over the last of this cold.

"Jesy, I'm mad too, believe me. I'm not even allowed to answer questions like that, Simon's rule. But you need to let it go, you can't go into our next interview still angry. We have to look happy, like we're just grateful to be here."

The older woman scoffs at my words but I know it isn't intended at me. It's for Simon and his rules that are ruining our lives.

"I wish you could answer questions like that, Jade. You're so sharp and would do a better job than me and Jesy." Leigh finally speaks up as she puts her phone down.

That's one of Simon's rules. I can't show off my wit and dry, sarcastic humour. I have to be the childish, meek Jade that the world met during the X Factor. That's the Jade that the public fell in love with, and that's the Jade that sells. Around the girls and my family I can be myself, but around anyone else I'm closer to the bow tie wearing girl than who I am now.

Perrie can't answer questions like that either, Simon doesn't like her looking smart or sometimes even average. Clips of Perrie having blonde moments went viral and brought us a lot of fans, so she has to keep that up. It's insulting to who she actually is, but Simon wants her to be our dumb blonde, the kind of girl who would happily get along with the man Zayn became. Someone who can't think for herself.