Just a quick NB! Wanna say, this is supposed to be as (auto)biographical as possible, so unforch, this chappie contains Paul . . . well, you’ll see. It’s supposed to be end of October by this thing but shhhhhhhh, what I don’t know won’t hurt me, so I’m like, a fortnight out, so what? Let’s pretend that the first chapters were set in September instead ;). This is a chapter I would like to be known as ‘PaulandZeeonthephone’. Would also like to add that atm Paul looks V appealing to this budding young writer, so who knows, maybe I’ll throw an ickle bit of romance his way . . . or will I? Starr, don’t kill me for liking your man!!! Please be so kind as to read&reply! xxx zee xxx

         “Mark, if th-”
         “It’s Paul. Siobhan, we need to talk”
         “Depends what we’re talking about”
         “Mark, but I’m not asking you to get back with him”
         Siobhan sighed.
         “I actually wouldn’t mind if you did. I miss him like crazy”
         “Well . . . this may not be what you want to hear then”
         “Please Paul, tell me”
         It was Paul’s turn to sigh.
         “I think you should know that Mark’s planning on seeing you soon, and based on what you said about me, well . . . he wants me to talk to you first and sort of come on to you”
         “Why are you telling me this?”
         “Because, he’s testing you. He’s still worried that you’re using him to get to me so it’s like, his major test to see if he can trust you” There was a silence on the other end of the line. “Siobhan? I’ve done the right thing by telling you, right?”
         “Yeah, yeah you have. Thank you Paul”
         “Are you alright?”
         “Not really. I miss him so much, and I thought as for some strange reason he seems to want me back now that later I’d tell him I want the same and this mess would be sorted but now I know what’s really going on. I do appreciate you telling me, I honestly do”
         “Hey, it’s okay. I consider you a friend now, and I’d do anything for my friends. There’s just one thing though”
         “Shoot”
         “Okay, you just said you miss Mark, twice, but when Mark asked Toni for advice she said you’d mean it when you said you didn’t want to know”
         “Yeah, sometimes I mean what I say, usually the nice things or the really poisonous things I say in the heat of the moment. The rest of the time, like when I’m explaining things, I’m most likely to be bullshitting. Usually it ends up as the truth, so I look dead intelligent then”
         Paul laughed.
         “But what you said to Mark, what was that?”
         She sighed again.
         “I don’t know. I let Mark in once and I got hurt. I guess it was just a barrier to stop him managing it again”
         “He didn’t mean to hurt you. He just thought you wanted me”
         “Why would I have been with him at all then?”
         “Some girls would go to any lengths to be with one of us”
         “YOU THINK-”
         “NO! No I don’t! Not you, no way! But it’s happened to us before, so we can never be sure of anyone”
         “Who did it happen to?”
         “It was between Ben and Mark. A girl Mark was seeing was using him to get close to Ben. Ben thinks you’re just like her, but Mark swears you’re not”
         “What do you and Chris think?”
         “We like you, and Toni, but we’re not going to get involved in Mark and Ben’s mess”
         “You like me?”
         “Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t keep phoning you otherwise, or told you Mark’s plan. Why’d you ask?”
         “Not many people do”
         “Toni does, doesn’t she?”
         “I think hers is more of a toleration. I’m not saying I’m friendless, I have about seven close friends who are nuts enough to like me. They even say nice things about me. But most people can’t stand me, or don’t even care to know me. I’m too annoying or quirky or whatever”
         “Hey, seven close friends is a lot. I get why you said what you said to Toni now”
         “You do?”
         “Yep. We’re very alike, but you didn’t want me to see me for the lowly person I am. Not saying that you’re at my level or anything”
         “Paul, you’re wonderful! I could never reach your level! And you write the most amazing lyrics I’ve heard! And you’re proud to be short too!”
         “Okay, we’re speaking everyday, you’re giving me confidence. You’re short?”
         “Yeah. Five three and an ickle tiny bit. A couple of inches shorter than Toni”
         “Ha! I beat you by two inches. I have to meet you now, it’s going to be weird thinking I’m not the shortest person on the planet otherwise”
         “Okay, that’d be cool”
         “It will?”
         “Yeah! We should hang out sometime”
         “We should, yeah. We can do it when I’m not busy”
         “Great”
         “Yeah . . . can I ask you something else?”
         “Of course”
         “Well, Christian was talking the other day, and well . . . he said something about the way he saw you, like how you reacted when you saw Mark and stuff. He said you didn’t seem comfortable with anything public, like hugging and kissing. Is he right?”
         “Why do you wanna know?”
         “Just answer my question, please”
         She drew in a deep breath.
         “I wish I was more comfortable with that sort of thing, I kinda get jealous when I see my friends hug and they won’t hug me, I think something must be wrong with me. But at the end of the day, I guess I’m a little too secretive, and I’d rather do that sort of thing in private, avoid hurting anyone who’s just been dumped or whatever”
         “Makes sense I guess. You aren’t secretive”
         “Yeah I am”
         “Not around me”
         “Yeah, but . . . I dunno, you seem trustworthy, like you know what to keep to yourself and what to share with others. I don’t usually let in people who aren’t like it. Except Mark it seems”
         “Hey, you can trust him. I think Ben just psyched him out until he was at breaking point and I came along and accidentally finished the job”
         “It wasn’t your fault”
         “Thanks. Siobhan?”
         “Yeah?”
         “Can I tell you something that no one else can know? Not until I’m ready for them to know”
         “Sure. Go ahead”
         “I’m leaving”
         “What?”
         “I’m leaving a1, completely quitting”
         “Why???”
         “Because I’m not happy, I’m sick and fucking tired of Ben and Mark being at each others throats! I’m going to keep doing the music thing though, just on my own”
         “But . . . but it won’t be right without you”
         “All good things come to an end sweetheart, we’re just kidding ourselves now. Ben and Mark can barely stand to be in the same room as each other and it’s tearing us apart and Christian and I are the ones to deal with the backlog. Besides, I’m getting tired of the music we do, I wanna do my own thing”
         “What, more ‘Isn’t it cheap’?”
         “Yeah, probably”
         “Cool, I don’t know anyone who dislikes that, whether they’re a fan or not”
         “Really?”
         “Yeah. We’re gonna stay on touch though, aren’t we?”
         “Of course. As long as you don’t leak”
         “I wouldn’t! I’ll tell you if I have this undying urge to tell someone”
         “Thanks”
         “No problem”
         “Look, I’d better go. See you sometime soon”
         “Yeah, see you Paul. And hey, good luck with the solo thing”
         “Thanks babe”
         “Bye”
         “Bye”