Unexpected.

Chapter 1

I must have eaten an entire tables worth of chips and dip by now. Here I am standing next to the nearly empty food platters. Only now, there was no dip left and I didn't know what to do with myself - it was only quater to nine.

Normally at a party, I'm singing along and dancing away. Yet here, its nothing more than awkward. It was my Grandma's birthday party. All the adults were constantly mingiling and making conversation over the horrid music. Out of the fifty odd people here, there were only three around my age, and even though they were my cousins, I didn't feel like starting up a conversation with them because we live quite far from this side of the family and I hadn't seen them in almost two years. I was quite happy making like a ghost in the corner and eating the food. That suited me fine.

It didn't make it any better that I was missing the X Factor being here.

"Cas, love, your not still in a sulk are you?" Mum appeared with another glass of wine.

"Mum, can we go? I'm so bored." I moaned.

"Dont say that, go and find one of your cousins, you havent seen them in ages; go and catch up with them!" she slurred, practically throwing me into them.

"Off you go, Casandra!" She laughed. Before I realised, I was standing infront of two girls.

"Oh hey Cassandra!"

beamed one twisting her blonde hair between her fingers

"Cassie," I said quickly "I mean, you can call me Cassie if you like" I smiled.

"We haven't seen you in what feels like years! How're you doing?"

"Yeah I'm great thanks um..." I said, trying the hide the fact I had completely forgotten her name. Oh my god what was her name?! How can I forget simple things like this, shes my cousin!

"...How have all you been?" I said looking down to the smaller girl standing beside her.

"Yeah, yeah we've been great! This is my little sister, Caitlin by the way."

It seemed as though Caitlin pretty much read my mind and chirped,

"This is my older sister Ashleigh!" and beamed a smile with her two front teeth missing. I breathed out, things were improving. Now I didnt look like a talking plum. Actually we (and by that I mean mostly me) started talkin and didnt stop, she was quite nice - and listened to me, unlike any other family member I have.

However, after a while, my mum came over laughing like a hyena. Inhaling helium. With hiccups.

"Having fun then? About time ya moody sod!" she chuckled.

Ashleigh froze, with an awkward smile not knowing whether to run and hide or laugh along. I know which option I'd choose. But before either of us had the chance to do anything, mum carried on.

"You know that Cassie here, little miss grumpy pants, didn't want to come tonight? To her own grandmothers birthday! " She wrapped her arm around my shoulder

"and you know why?"

"Oh my god, mum." I muttered, embarrassed.

" No, shush." She covered my mouth.

"She didn't want to come because she said she didn't want to miss that silly X Factor show with that boy band, one way something rather. Ridiculous!!" My mum cackled away. I felt like crawling up in a ball.

"Mum, its One Direction."

"Don't get smart." and she hobbled to get another wine.

We both laughed at how she walked and Ashleigh started

"So you like One Direction?" Ashleigh smiled to herself, as if she was thinking of something funny from ages ago, and randomly remembered it. "Well I know them, in a way."

My jaw dropped so far, it was swinging round my ankles and my eyes went wide. I felt like doing cartwheels, even though I knew I couldn't.

"What?! How?"

"Well I'm going out with Harry, and they all came over to Holmes in the summer and I got to know them quite a bit, so yeah, I guess it's pretty good," she said.

Well I'm not sure thats what she really said, but somewhere along those lines; the only part I heard was that she was going out with Harry.The rest was blocked out by and angry beast inside my head roaring WHAT?!

Mum had come back with her wine during my internal epileptic shock.She shrieked with laughter, as if it was all a joke,

"Dont say that, Cassie won't sleep tonight!"

"Aw, do you really like them?" she asked sweetly, but she already could tell I was extremely jealous.

I couldnt reply at first, I may have been having a stroke, I'm not really sure. I tried my best to be cool about it but eventually I croaked, "Yeah, I love them! You're so lucky!"

"Well, we've kept it on the down low for now. We told everyone we were finished or else everyone would ask me about him, and I would caught up in the press. " she said. "But I guess more people will find out soon enough...I mean, in just a few days I'm going to London to be with him."

All of a sudden, my jealousy swept away and my eyes shone. "R-really? You're going to visit him?"

"Yeah, don't think i've seen him for... two weeks now!" she trilled. "i miss him a bit " she laughed.

"Wow!" I cried.

There was a slight pause, while Ashleigh was thinking and I was dreaming... and then I never loved my mum so much - she is (embarrassingly) wonderful!

"Why doesnt Cassie go with you? She'd love that! And its a chance for you to bond! What an experience that would be, eh? That'll be a laugh."