I hugged Ben tightly as I said goodbye, already wishing I could be back to spend some time with him. He was making a bit of a scene at the airport, but I didn’t mind too much. He was finally pulling away when a voice on the intercom stated:
            “Flight BA284C has been delayed. We apologise for any interference caused.”
            The message repeated in German, but I could barely hear it over Ben’s squeals. He sat down on a seat in between Mark and Christian, and pulled me onto his lap.
            “We got longer to talk, Tone!” He smiled happily. I smiled back, and looked at Christian, who smiled too, and tried to ignore the tut that escaped from Mark. I looked at the seats opposite, where Del sat, looking through some papers, next to Paul, who was playing with his mobile absent-mindedly, staring into space in the direction of Christian’s crotch. That wasn’t the Paul I’d spent the weekend with, but then again, he’d been like it since he had a walk on his own this morning. I decided to find out what was wrong.
            “Paul? Is everything okay?”
            He carried on staring at Christian’s crotch.
            “Paul? Are you all right?”
            Still nothing. Del nudged him hard, and he came back to his senses.
            “Huh? What?” He asked as he returned to reality.
            “Ben’s sister’s checking up on you.” Del muttered as he circled something. Paul looked at me.
            “Are you okay Paul? You look like you’re on another planet.”
            “Yeah, yeah . . . I’m fine.”
            “What you thinking about?”
            Mark tutted again, and Del gave me an odd look. Paul made eye contact and shrugged.
            “Just thinking about my phone call with Siobhan earlier.”
            Ben stiffened, and Mark sat forward.
            “You’re talking to her again? What happened? What did she say?” He rambled. Paul shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
            “I’d rather not say.”
            Mark flew up, and hit my back solidly as he did so.
            “Why not? Did she mention me at all?”
            “It’s none of your business.”
            “Paul, she’s my girlfriend, I deserve to know.”
            “No, Mark, she’s your ex-girlfriend, you don’t need to know a thing about what we’ve said, which is good because we’re private.”
            “PAUL! Just tell me!”
            “NO!”
            “Why not?”
            “Because she said things she only wants me to hear, I said things I only want her to hear.”
            “So now you’re sharing secrets? Paul, you said you’d tell me everything that went on between you two! What’s going on?”
            Paul stood up too, as close to Mark as was possible, craning to make eye contact.
            “Maybe I see in her what you saw, except I’m not fool enough to ruin it. I’m not doing it anymore Mark, I’m not playing with her like you want me to. I told her what you’re up to, and she isn’t going to take it. But hopefully, she’ll take me.”
            Paul turned and walked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. Del noticed, and threw his papers on the seat before haring after Paul. Ben put me onto Christian’s lap gently before standing up.
            “Mark? What was Paul on about?”
            Mark turned, defeated.
            “I asked him to help me test her, to see if you’re right or not. I don’t know what’s got into him.”
            Ben nodded, and shifted uncomfortably.
            “You’d do that for me? Even though you’re nuts about her?”
            Mark nodded, and Ben threw his arms around him. I looked at Christian and smiled, but he was staring at the door that Paul and Del had disappeared through. I turned back to Ben and Mark.
            “I love ya, Mark.”
            “Love you too Ben. I can’t believe we fell out over some girl.”
            “I thought you were crazy about her.”
            “I am . . . but you’re more important.”
            “Cheers. What do we do about Paul though?”
            “Let him chill? I’ve never seen him like that before.”
            “No, he’s been that weird before once. Can’t remember why.”
            “It was about a girl.” Christian spoke up. “But it wasn’t just her, there were other things going on. I hope Del’s talking sense into him.”
            I shifted uncomfortably on Christian’s lap, and he pulled me closer before looking at the door again. Ben was frowning.
            “Some girl? You mean, he could be after her?”
            “I dunno Ben, that was last time. But if he is, what do you think is going to happen?”
            “Well, he’d-she’d,” Mark tried to answer, but had to stop and think. “If he wants her, and she-but . . . she wouldn’t would she? She isn’t going to prove Ben right, is she?” He looked at me, and I shrugged. “Come on Toni, you know her, give me a bit of help here.”
            “Look, Mark, in the entire year and a bit I’ve known her well for, and the two years I sort of knew her before that, you’ve been the only guy she’s been out with. I don’t know whether that’s because no one else was interested, or because she doesn’t know that many guys or because you happen to be famous and rich or what, she hasn’t said, so I don’t know whether anything would happen between them. I can’t find out for you either, she isn’t talking to anyone. The only one it looks like she is talking to is Paul.”
            Mark looked ready to explode, but my flight was called, finally. Christian hugged me tightly, before letting me say goodbye to Ben. I turned to Mark to say goodbye, but he had disappeared. Ben walked me as far as he could towards the plane before hugging me again.
            “See you in Devon, next week. There’s a driver waiting for you. I’ll call you sometime in the next week, okay?”
            I nodded, and walked the rest of the way onto the plane. As soon as I was in my seat I relaxed, although my back was starting to smart after Mark hit it. But my mind was reeling-what was going on with Paul and Siobhan? She still hasn’t spoken to anyone in the group, and it’s been two weeks since she split up with Mark. There’s no way of knowing what she’s thinking . . . but I don’t think she’d be with Paul so soon. I don’t know. Only one way to find out.

                        ‘Hey, Sio! Hows it going? Whats up wiv u&Paul?’

            I don’t know if I expected her to text me back or not-she’d rather waste her credit on her internet ho’s. I wasn’t expecting the reply I did get at any rate.

                        ‘Hmmm, u spent2days wiv him&hav2ask me? W@u up2? Or is this Mark/Ben?’

                        ‘No its me. How ru? Evry1s worryd. Paul sed sum@&it sounds lyk u2r v friendly’

                        ‘Duh, were m8s. Leave me alone-not in the mood’

            I reread the text a couple of times and sighed. I got the feeling she blamed me for Mark splitting up with her. Maybe I was a lot to do with it, but at the end of the day it was his decision. Yeah, that sounds good.

          “So how’s it going?”
          “Not good. Toni just texted me.”
          “Oh. What’s she said?”
          “I dunno, they know about us talking so she’s interrogating me.”
          “Oh, for god’s sake! How pathetic!”
          “I know.”
          “It was worse at the airport, Mark heard me say we were speaking and wanted every bloody detail.”
          “What did you do?”
          “Um . . . cheesecake?”
          “Paul? You can tell me.”
          “I might have pushed him a little, and snapped.”
          “Oh, okay. You didn’t need to lie about that.”
          “I thought you’d be mad.”
          “He probably deserved it.”
          “Oh, he did, don’t worry. He’s acting like you’re trying to get me in bed still.”
          “I was joking when I said that. Sorta.”
          “You know, if you were trying to get me into bed, I wouldn’t mind.”
          “Paul!”
          “Nah, seriously, rubbing up against you-”
          “Paul, you’re sick, stop it!”
          “-getting hot, sweaty and naked-”
          “I’m warning you, Marazzi!”
          “-you don’t do foreplay, do ya?”
          “Hanging up now!”
          “Okay, okay, I’ll stop it. You were laughing though.”
          “Yes, okay, you made me laugh.”
          “Good, you needed to.”
          “Did I?”
          “Yeah. The entire time I’ve known you-”
          “-All three weeks-”
          “-all three weeks, you’ve never once seemed happy.”
          “I don’t want to talk about it.”
          “Why not? I could help you.”
          “No, you couldn’t.”
          “I could try.”
          “Could you give me an entire personality transplant?”
          “You’re not that bad!”
          “Yes I am.”
          “Siobhan . . . you’re not going to kill yourself or anything, are you?”
          “Suicide’s selfish.”
          “Um . . . okay. Are you okay though? You’ve got me worried now.”
          “It’s nothing.”
          “This whole Mark thing hasn’t depressed ya, has it?”
          “I don’t need some petty guys influence to feel like this.”
          “Feel like what?”
          “Can we drop this?”
          “No. I’m worried. Are you depressed?”
          “Well, if I am, no one would care to notice. They didn’t last time.”
          “I care, I noticed. When was last time?”
          “Four years ago. I almost stabbed myself.”
          “Almost?”
          “Yeah, but someone walked into the room before I could. I didn’t want them knowing. I was just some stroppy teen to them, they wouldn’t believe I was depressed.”
          “Oh . . . wish I knew what to say.”
          “Why make me talk about it if you really can’t help?”
          “I just wanna know you a bit better. This has nothing to do with him then?”
          “Mark?”
          “Yeah.”
          “No, Mark’s got nothing to do with it. This is about me not being good enough for my own standards more than anything. That and my mother demanding that I be perfect, because I’m her only child to get into a grammar school when all the others got to doss at comps.”
          “All the others?”
          “Yeah. My stepbrother’s a bigger genius than me, but didn’t want to go to the grammar school he got into so he doesn’t get this pressure. The other five get to totally relax. Well, except Chloe, she’s youngest so mum wants to prove I’m not the best child and that she is. But I’m still stupid If I don’t get ‘A’s. I’m going on too much, aren’t I?”
          “Rather talk about you than me.”
          “Well, if you get bored, just say so.”
          “I’m not bored. I just can’t believe perfection’s so important.”
          “Says the guy in the industry where perfection is a must.”
          “But you’re seventeen, you should be out enjoying yourself.”
          “Out? Enjoy? They come in the same sentence?”
          “Don’t be like that. Listen, we’ve got this party in Norway tomorrow night, come with me.”
          “No. Monday’s a school night, I don’t think my passport’s in date, you have no idea what I look like and you change too often for me to be sure, and I’m not facing Mark’s crap.”
          “Just come as my friend, please? I’ll come and meet your parents and talk them around if I have to.”
          “Is it that important to you?”
          “Yes. I wanna see if you’re okay, and these parties are full of strangers, I’d rather have someone I know by my side.”
          “Okay, okay, but you’re talking to mum. Good luck-she changes her mind and her story as often as I change my underwear, and she tends to put words in your mouth so she sounds better.”
          “That could be fun!”
          “Paul!”
          “Okay, okay. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon, okay?”
          “Okay, thanks.”
          “No Problem!”

            I got home relatively late-the driver Ben had arranged turned up late and then decided to take the route most laden with traffic accidents. I crept in my house at two a.m. and found mum and the stepfather in the hallway with a man I’d never met before, all three waiting up for me.
            “You’re late, Toni-Anne.” Mum stated.
            “Yeah, my flight was delayed and my car took forever.”
            “You’ve made your father wait for hours.”
            “Christ’s sake mum, he’s my stepfather!”
            “No, Toni, you’re actual dad.” Mum said, trying to keep her voice level as she glanced to the strange man. I looked him over, and realised how like Ben he looked. He stood up, and held out his hand awkwardly.
            “Hello Toni.”
            “Hi Dave.”
            He cleared his throat.
            “Um, your mother and I have been talking. Next week is half term, right?”
            I nodded.
            “Want to spend it in Eastbourne with me?”
            I nodded again, and Dave smiled with relief, before hugging me, having failed the handshake. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see mum looking disappointed.

          “Who were you talking to?” Mark asked as Paul hung up.
          “What is this? The Paul Protection Programme? ‘All calls must be screened by Mark to ensure Paul’s safety’? Give it up!”
          “No! It was her again.”
          “Oh, here we go.”
          “Paul, I know what you’re thinking, and you can stop it right now.”
          “No Mark, you can’t begin to fathom what’s going on in my head or hers. One thing’s for sure though-you AREN’T going to ruin this friendship.”
          “I don’t want to stop you being friends. But I know what you’re up to and she isn’t interested.”
          “And next time I speak to her, I’ll be sure to tell her what you said she should think.”
          “Stop being unreasonable Paul.”
          “Unreasonable? You know what is unreasonable Mark? Dropping someone you allegedly care about for no reason, with no notice. Letting you best mate, and his little sister-”
          “-I thought you liked Toni-”
          “-decide things for you. Unreasonable is also not considering her thoughts and feelings at all. Oh, and it’s making your good friend do your dirty work without considering his feelings, testing a person you’re supposed to care about for your own twisted pleasure and checking up on a friendship that has nothing to do with you.”
          “Why are you so interested in Siobhan?”
          “Well, I know I’ve talked to her more than you have, but I would’ve thought you could at least begin to figure that out.”
          “Paul, no one dates their mates ex-, it’s like a golden rule!”
          “Please, as if a week matters!”
          “So you’re going to prove Ben right about her?”
          “I can’t help how I feel.” Paul turned and began to walk away.
          “I never thought I’d see the day that you fell for a fan.” Mark sneered. Paul stopped walking and turned Back to Mark glaring, and shaking his head silently, before walking off as he intended.