Chapter 1;
Natalie p.o.v
"What do you think of this one?" My best friend asked me as he hit the play button on his ipod. I had a bud in my ear and instantly the music started playing.
My name is Natalie Stewart, I am 22 and I live on my own in London. My family live close by, but unfortunately we didn't really speak as much as I'd like - we were always so busy.
The music in my ear was making me tap along to the beat, nodding my head in approval. "This is good! What's it called?"
"This one is Till I Break." He smiled. "I need a drink, you want one?"
"Yeah, please." I replied as I continued bobbing along. At this point, I should probably mention that my friend is Eric Saade.
We had met quite a few years ago when I was in college. It was the first day and he hadn't long moved from Sweden, so he didn't know anyone but I was amazed at how good his English was - damn near perfect, in fact.
He had come over with his mother and a few siblings but went back to Sweden often to see his father and other half siblings. We were in the same tutor and we had been paired together for an English project.
I couldn't think of him as anything else other than my friend. To me, he wasn't famous. He had only got got a record deal a little under a year after he had moved here, so he wasn't well known until our 2nd year.
All the girls in college had found out and were instantly all over him, but he had turned them all down. Don't get me wrong, he had had girlfriends but they had never lasted long.
"Tallie? You awake?" He laughed, pulling me from my thoughts. He held out a glass that I took with a "thanks".
Only Eric called me Tallie - I hated anyone else calling me anything other than Natalie. He had misheard me on the first day, I had corrected him, he had laughed and apologised, but the name had just ... stuck.
"So, you're still up for Sophie's party on Friday?" He asked as he plonked down on the sofa next to me. We were in my flat at the moment but we often spent time at his flat.
We only lived about 10 minutes away from each other, which often came in handy for after parties, or even just if one of us was bored.
"Sure - I need it after this week!" I laughed, sitting back on the sofa clutching my glass.
"Work been stressful?" Of course, as best friends, we spoke about everything and knew everything about each other.
We sat talking until late, but I had work the next morning and he had meetings about a new record deal.
"Alright," he groaned as he got up from the sofa "I should go - I'm exhausted!" He pulled on his jacket and walked to the door.
"I can't get up - you can let yourself out!" I yelled. I seemed to have melted into the sofa, my muscles not wanting to work.
"Lazy!" He laughed from the doorway.
I replied with a quick "yep, that's me!"
I heard him yell a goodbye and him laughing as he let himself out. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep on the sofa.
