Locked (l.h)

Five

"Jane!" Ashton calls from the other end of the hallway.

I turn and see him and his friends making there way through the crowds towards me.

"Have you got our homework?" He asks.

"Yeah, it wasn't even that hard, you could've done it yourself." I sigh, pulling the papers out my bag.

"I was too busy partying."

"How many parties since Thursday then? 'Cause I know you weren't out yesterday."

"How do you know that? Are you some crazy stalker? Please don't say you fangirl over the band, that would just be weird cause you sit with us in math and-"

Calum elbows his in the ribs, "Ashton, shut up."

"What band?"

"I didn't say there was a band." Ashton backtracks.

I shake my head, "Anyway, I wasn't stalking you, just if you go out partying you guys always end up drinking the next day. And you are neither drunk or hungover."

He laughs, "Good point, I'll see you in math." He grabs the pile of paper out my hand and wrestles his way through the crowds towards the exit.

*

"Jane!" Sarah calls, running towards me, tears emerging in her eyes.

"What is it?" I ask, putting down my sandwich and pulling her into a tight hug.

"James- he..I... I think he's been talking to them again."

"What's wrong with that? I know what James is like, he won't do anything stupid."

"He's planning for some friends to come over to his tonight, he invited you by the way, and I think he was talking to them earlier."

"It'll be absolutely fine, just go along tonight, enjoy yourself."

"Jane Smith, you better be right about this." She forces a smile.

"Don't worry." I grin. "I normally am."

At 8pm Sarah picks me up from my house and takes me to James's. She bites her lip as she drives and I know she's still nervous.

"Sarah, it's fine."

"But what if it isn't?" She blurts out. "What if he goes back to how he was before? I was finally happy, but now, oh god, it can't go back to that."

She spends the remainder of the journey muttering to herself about what could go wrong, and I spend the time convincing her everything will be fine. Eventually our car pulls up outside a house, very similar to mine, only on the other side of town.

"Hello." James smiles as he opens the door.

"Hey" I reply, following Sarah into his house.

"Who else is coming tonight?" I ask as he leads us into the kitchen.

"Just a couple of friends."

"What friends?" Sarah asks.

"Just some guys from school."

"What are their names?"

"Babe, why are you being so nosey today?"

"I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be, it's just four friends. That's it, I'm not having some massive house party. We can just play video games, watch movies, it'll be great."

He was right about one thing, it was just four friends, well, to begin with. First Luke, Ashton, Calum and Michael arrived. Then so did the rest of America.