Chapter 25

 

Hauling her full bag onto the floor by the washing machine she heaved a sigh of relief.  Getting back home from Cardiff had been a complete nightmare, she could have had a lift with Karen and Steph but seeing as things were rather tense after last night she had decided to get the train instead.

 

Now she was back at home for an hour to sort out her washing before moving into the London hotel. 

 

Normally she wouldn’t have bothered booking into the hotel – especially as she lived just on the outskirts of London herself – but now that her friends were out of the way she had decided to book in as it would be the perfect chance to put her plan into action. 

 

She had been thinking a lot about “the plan” during her train journey that morning, what had started off as a simple idea had really begun to take form and she was now confident that by the end of the Wembley dates Christian would be hers and Ella would be gone.

 

Leaving the washing machine churning she raced up the stairs and to her room, tugging open the wardrobe door and pulling out various clothes.

 

“He’s seen them all!” she muttered to herself, pulling out garment after garment.  It was important that the clothes she wore in London were just right, after all one of these outfits was to be the special plan outfit.

 

Giving up on her own wardrobe, she decided to try her luck down the corridor.

 

Creeping quietly to the door, she peered round the corner and was relieved to find that there was no one around.  She moved over to the wardrobe.  Now this was more like it, a whole selection of clothes that Christian had never seen before.

 

Her fingers traced over the various pieces of material, picking out the ones that she liked and throwing them down on the bed.  Some of them were serious contenders, as Lucy went out clubbing a lot most of the outfits were rather skimpy.  One in particular caught her eye and she quickly rushed it back to her own room to pack before returning to her sister’s room again. 

 

This time however she had been caught.

 

“So the wanderer returns,” her sister spat out, picking up the clothes and putting them back into her wardrobe.

 

“What do you want Lucy?”

 

“What do I want?” she replied in disbelief, “you’re the one that’s routing through my wardrobe.”

 

“I’m only borrowing some clothes that’s all.”

 

“Right, so you take off for days and days touring the country with your scabby little friends and then come sauntering back wanting to play happy families.”

 

“Since when did we ever play that?” Mel asked.

 

Lucy ignored the question, instead her eyes scanned over the clothes that were all now back neatly in her wardrobe.

 

“OK, what did you take then?”

 

“Nothing, I swear to God I haven’t taken anything,” Mel said, the fingers that she held behind her back firmly crossed as she thought about the outfit she had stowed away into her suitcase.

 

“We’ll see about that!” Lucy retorted, stomping into Mel’s room, Mel close behind her. 

 

She slammed to a halt as she saw the suitcase that was sitting on Mel’s bed.

 

“You’re going away again aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah … and?”

 

“Where are you going to now? I thought the tour had finished,” Lucy asked in curiosity.

 

“They added extra dates at Wembley and then Butlins.”

 

“And why do you need a suitcase to go to Wembley?”

 

“Cos I’m staying over in the hotel” Mel replied quietly.

 

“Mel, we live half an hour away from Wembley – why on earth do you need to book into their hotel, that’s just stupid.”

 

“I just am OK?”

 

“You are mad!” her sister suddenly announced, “you have completely and utterly lost the plot.

 

Mel knew that this was just yet another sisterly feud, although the words stung her slightly, she was beginning to sound just like Steph had last night.

 

“I’m not mad.”

 

“You are – you’re obsessed with them – you are an obsessed little freak.” Lucy hissed back, obviously enjoying every second.

 

“Get out!” Mel yelled, grabbing at her sister and pushing her backwards.

 

The sudden contact took Lucy by surprise and she fell backwards on the floor.

 

Her shocked face looked up at Mel’s, “You are crazy.”

 

“Get out!” she repeated again, hauling her sister to her feet, grabbing her by the jumper and pushing her backwards so hard that she was practically lifted off her feet.

 

“You need help,” Lucy said, finding herself outside the room.

 

“I don’t” Mel said firmly picking up her suitcase and following her out of the room, “I just want to be left alone.”

 

Leaving her sister behind she ran downstairs and back out of the door, her suitcase clasped in her hand.  She wanted as much distance between her and her family as possible, they didn’t care about her.  Her friends had left her, her family hated her and all she had left was him – she had to go to him right now.  It was almost 6.00 pm, there wasn’t a show on tonight, he’d be in the bar and she needed to see him.

 

True to her thoughts, she was sat in the bar an hour later and they were all gathered around a table right next to her, she had snuck in so quietly they hadn’t even noticed her yet, sat with her back towards them, sipping her drink quietly. 

 

Although she could hear his voice she needed to see his face so shuffling quietly she moved seats so that she was facing their table.

 

Mistake, she was spotted immediately.

 

“Mel!”

 

“Hi,” she said awkwardly.

 

“How are you?” picking up his drink Ben left the group and moved over to join her.

 

“I’m fine,” she said shortly, not wanting the conversation and hoping that may be he’d just leave.

 

“Where’s the rest of your crew?”

 

“They aren’t coming.”

 

“They up in bed?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

 

“Nope, they aren’t coming at all.”

 

“Not at all?”

 

“Nope, they’re not doing any of the London shows, or Butlins.”

 

“Oh, but you’re still with us,” he said smiling, “don’t worry we’ll look after you, can’t have you hanging by yourself.”

 

She turned and smiled at him, he was sweet, she’d give him that, interfering maybe and annoying, but she could hardly hold that against him when he was being so nice to her.

 

“Thanks Ben, I appreciate it.”

 

Her eyes shifted over his shoulder and she looked at Christian, he was deep in conversation with Ella, playing with her hair and whispering into her ear.  They looked so cosy it made her feel ill.

 

“…what do you think?”

 

“Pardon?” she asked, Ben’s questions brought her back to the table she was at.

 

“I asked what you thought about the new single,” he said

 

“Oh – yeah its great.”

 

She was distracted again, Christian had begun to talk a little louder and if she really concentrated she could hear exactly what he was saying.

 

“Yeah we are really proud of that one, we recorded it in…” Ben continued.

 

“Shhhhh!” Mel said to him, returning all her attention back to the next table.

 

“Sorry!” Ben grunted.

 

Mel shook back to her senses, “sorry I’ve got a slight headache and it’s too noisy in here, I’m off to bed.  I’ll see you in the morning though yeah?”

 

Ben smiled at her and reaching over gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, “sure thing,  look after yourself.”