Truth

noun – 1. the quality or state of being true. 2. that which is true as opposed to false. 3. a fact or belief that is accepted as true.

Only to a certain extent dictionary...

"You did WHAT?!"

I jumped and turned to face Tasha as she, Sophie and Charlie all turned to stare at me. I had been talking to my best friends during an ICT lesson, aside from Lucy who was in the top set with Xandrell who, considering he was an alien who had been taught from a young age how to work with technology such as this, found the subject a doddle.

"I kissed him back, so what?" I said nonchalantly with a shrug.

Tasha's jaw dropped, Charlie sniggered while Sophie gave a tiny squeal. "That's brilliant!" she said happily. "So are you going out now?"

"I don't know." I admitted. "We've not said we are or anything. It might be one of those things where you don't have to say it but you both know it, you know what I mean?"

Sophie shrugged while Tasha frowned. "Surely you know if you're going out with him or not."

"Well how do you know?" I asked curiously.

"Well, do you love him?"

"Yes, but do you love your Mum?"

"Yeah..."

"Are you going out with your Mum?"

Charlie sniggered until Tasha shot him one of the most evil glares I'd ever seen Tasha give. "That's just plain wrong!"

"Exactly, which thus proves being in love with someone does not mean you're going out with him!"

"Is that what we're arguing all of a sudden?"

"Why are we arguing about this at all?"

"Oh, just shut up!" groaned James and we all glanced up at him. He was sitting looking somewhat sad but at the same time, thoughtful. "Both of you, sitting there bickering away. It's like you're six, not sixteen."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's eating at you then?" I muttered. "We bicker. It's how we express our friendship, being able to argue over stupid things and not care."

He shook his head at me with a smile. "We're officially freaks, Amy."

"Since when has that been a bad thing?" Sophie chimed in, grinning.

I grinned too. Yeah, we were like the outcasts of the school, but when the popular kids lost all of their backstabbing, man stealing friends, we all knew we'd never lose each other, so when school life was getting us down, when we were being bullied for one thing or another, we held on to the fact that we had each other. It was comforting, knowing I'd always have them on my side in the end, no matter how many times we fought.

After ICT we met up with Lucy and Xandrell and made our way down to music for break, discussing our next lesson, English, most hated of all lessons. It was taught by a woman, whom James and I had come to call the Supreme Over-'Lord-of-the-Flies', but to everyone else, she was just 'Mrs Green'. It shocked us how anyone so foul could be a Mrs.

"...and then she told me that my work read like an eleven year old had written it, rather than a Year Eleven." ranted Sophie. "And then thought about it and said that that was actually offensive to eleven year olds."

"Bitch." muttered Charlie, making Sophie laugh.

It suddenly occurred to me how little James was contributing to this conversation. Normally by now, he would have chimed in something about dropping a piano on Mrs Green which would teach her a lesson for never letting us go to music classes. Also the fact Xandrell hadn't launched himself at me, trying to kiss me by now made me slightly concerned. I turned and looked around for them. I suddenly spotted Xandrell vanishing out the door. I frowned. What on Earth was he doing? And was James with him? This was a recipe for disaster. I quickly glanced over at my friends, who were all involved in a very important conversation involving what Sophie had done the night before at a night club, before following Xandrell out of the door. Once in the little corridor section before you got out into the courtyard, I noticed the door to one of the practice rooms was not closed properly. I moved forward to close it before someone claimed it was a fire hazard when I heard James speak.

"So... you and Amy huh?"

I froze. I knew that voice. James only used that voice when he was annoyed. What was he doing, questioning Xandrell like this? He was bound to give the wrong answer! I bit my lip and waited for Xandrell's response.

"Yeah. Me and Amy." said Xandrell coolly. I frowned. He was actually sounding cooler than I would in this situation.

"Hmm." James sounded seriously deep in thought now. "And what exactly are your intentions with her?" What was he my father or something?

"Well..." Xandrell sounded hesitant... here it came, the wrong answer. "I love her." He said quietly. "She's all I've ever wanted, and I know I'm never going to love anyone the way I do her again. I want to protect her, be there for her when she cries, just to be with her. She is my world." I turned my head slowly to look in the direction his voice was coming from, feeling my heart melt. My mother hadn't been exaggerating.

James was quiet for a long time before I heard him sigh. "You're a strange boy, Xandrell. Maybe that's why you've gone for Amy." Thanks James. "Then again, maybe she needs you."

"I don't know why she needs me." he said, and I could almost imagine him shrugging as he said it. "I assure you she doesn't need me as much as I need her."

"I'm sure of it." said James in a much quieter, almost more dangerous voice. I bit my lip again, praying he'd keep his temper. "Tell me, Xandrell, what do you think I'd do if you ever hurt her?"

"Why do you think I would ever hurt her?" asked Xandrell, sounding confused. "I assure you, I only mean well, I love her."

"Yes, but sometimes love can hurt a lot more than any physical pain!" snapped James. "If you ever make her cry, or hurt her in any way, I promise you I will not rest until you are suffering a hundred times worse than her."

For the love of God James, you're a sixteen year old boy, not a mafia boss.

"But, I promise, I'd never make her cry..."

"Yeah well the last boy who said that tore her apart inside!" snapped James, I could almost hear him getting angrier. "Haven't you ever wondered why she's got no confidence in herself? Or why she tries so hard to distance herself from everyone else?"

I froze. 'Don't James!' I prayed in my head. 'I told you that in strict confidence!'

"I have wondered..." said Xandrell. "I never asked her..."

"I doubt she'd tell you anyway." I heard James mumble. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. Had it not occurred to him that maybe I didn't want people to know about these things? "You see, Amy went out with this guy who she'd liked since primary school. For a while, it was the happiest I'd ever seen her. What she didn't tell us, was that when she behaved in a way he didn't like, even when she wanted to hang out with her friends rather than him, he bullied her, hit her, all sorts."

I heard Xandrell snarl and I bit my lip. I didn't want James to tell him this story! For God's sake, it had taken me long enough to forget about it!

"It went on for a year." James continued. "Sometimes, I used to overhear them talking in lessons. He was a foul boy. He was always telling her that he was the only one who'd ever love her. That no-one would ever have any emotions towards her like that ever again. I'm trying to work out what she ever saw in him really. He wasn't anything special. I always remember him being a prick really. I wasn't there when he broke up with her. I just remember the next time I saw him, he had a blonder bustier girl on his arm, and Amy... well she wasn't the bubbly happy girl she'd been before."

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, trying to keep myself from crying. I'd been trying to shut that day out for so long now. He had made me feel special, and gotten it into my head no-one would ever think me special again.

"After that, she just closed in on herself, shut everyone else out, and tried to just let herself be sad by herself. He completely crushed her, her confidence in men, and in herself. Do you have any idea how long it took for her to open up to me? Or to Charlie? Over a year! I was friends with her for well over a year before she really started to let me get close to her."

"Are you glad you did?" asked Xandrell's voice curiously. I wondered vaguely what was going through his mind. "Are you glad you waited that long?"

"Of course I am!" said James instantly. "She's my best friend."

"Do you love her?"

I felt my heart jolt as Xandrell spoke. Did I really want to hear the answer to this?

"Of course I do. As friends." said James quietly. "I'm not sure I could bring myself to like her like that, even if I wanted to. I've seen what a guy can do to her if the relationship goes wrong. I don't think I could hurt her like that."

"So then why did you ask Lucy to Prom instead of her?"

"Because you're taking her you idiot."

I gave a little laugh and I could almost hear them both tense in the room. "Amy?" called James' voice as the door opened and his face appeared there. "Have you been stood there listening?"

"Yes Don Roberts." I muttered folding my arms. "If my father is talking to my possible future boyfriend in there, I personally think I should be allowed to listen at the door, like the naughty teenager I am."

He rolled his eyes at me before lightly punching my arm. "What am I going to do with you, young lady." he chuckled.

"Don't you young lady me!" I said with a grin.

Xandrell stood staring at us, a confused look on his face. "Is this what you call an argument?"

"More like a lover's tiff." sniggered Sadie's voice from behind me.

I turned and glared at her, but Xandrell seemed not to notice. "So this is what you call a 'lovers tiff' on your planet?"

James raised an eyebrow at him. "Erm... do I ask?" he said in a casually confused tone.

"Leave him be, he lives on his own planet most of the time." I said quickly. "Well... all the time..." I said slowly afterwards and James gave a confirming nod. The matter finally dropped and Xandrell quickly left to talk to the rest of my friends, something he was still attempting to make me fall in love with him, despite the fact he already knew I did. It was only then I turned to James.

"Why did you tell him all that?" I asked as we began to walk towards the main music room. "I told you that in strict confidence."

"Yeah, you tell me a lot of things in strict confidence. I didn't think this was that strict." he shrugged while I frowned confused.

"Well... you said you wouldn't say anything to anyone! You swore on your dog's life!"

"Amy... I've never had a dog..."

"... I hate you at times."

He laughed. "No you don't. You love it when I tease you."

I sighed. "Whatever... but you know... I am glad you're looking out for me like that."

He smiled at me. "It's what best friends do."

We grinned at each other for a moment, until Ceci rushed over. "Tash just told me about your new song, Amy. Will you come... oh. Am I interrupting?"

Ceci's bright eyes were flitting between me and James, as though trying to find some kind of invisible force floating around us. Anyone that knew Ceci was well aware that she was a keen gossip. Excellent for entertainment, good for a giggle, not fab for confidentiality.

"Yes!" cried James melodramatically, throwing his arms around. "I was but mere seconds away from declaring my undying love for Amy!"

I burst out laughing. "I'll send you my love vibes James." I spluttered, pretending to waft air towards him.

Ceci stared between us, and I could almost hear the cogs in her mind clicking madly trying to make sense of it. It was almost common knowledge that James and I were very close for a teenage boy and girl... too close, people like Sadie and Helen argued. The amount of rumours there had been over the past two years were almost unaccountable.

"Anyway..." continued Ceci. "Amy you've got to come and show me this song! I love your music."

"I'd rather not." I shrugged. "What if we practise the one I wrote you for the performance?"

"Ooh, definitely!" she said, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the main music room. "I've got the lyrics in my pocket, I never put them down. Do you still know the chords? Tasha said you lost part of your memory?"

"That was a little white lie." I shrugged as I opened the main door and moved into the main room. "I did lose a bit of my memory, I think, but I never forget my songs."

Somewhat typically, as I said this, Tasha walked past me towards the bin. "Knew it." She said loudly with a laugh.

I moved towards the piano. My friends, who had been sitting chatting animatedly paused looking at me. I stopped, my hand resting on top of the piano. "Hi?" I said questioningly.

Across the room, near the drum-set, an attractive boy in our year was watching me with large eyes, lounging casually against the wall. I racked my brain for his name. Freddie? No that wasn't right...

"Are we ready then?" said Ceci, bouncing on her toes, and crumpled piece of paper in her hands.

"Yeah." I said, flopping down into the seat in front of the piano, clenching my fingers and stretching them. My hands slipped down and struck a minor arpeggio. Ceci opened her mouth and began to sing. I liked Ceci's voice, it was eerily pure and sweet, the sort of voice in a way you fell in love with but that sent a shiver up your spine.

"Don't tell me that you love me

I can see straight through your 'guise

Don't take my hands and kiss me

The love's not in your eyes

Don't put your arms around me

And hug me oh so tight

Don't waste your sweet, sweet words on me

For I know you're going tonight

Don't go and plead with me

I know your awful plan

Don't go begging on your knee

Crying about how you're an awful man.

Don't make empty promises

I know that they're all lies

Don't waste anymore of your kisses

Just say your goodbyes.

Try to understand her

Try to finally see

Don't you ever hurt her

The same way you hurt me

Don't keep her waiting for you,

I'm guessing she won't like that

Don't darken my doorstep anymore

Just get your coat and hat

I guess this is goodbye then...

I didn't think this is how it'd end...

Never really thought that

You'd run off with my best friend..."

Ceci's voice trailed off as a sudden drum beat sparked up blending perfectly with the short piano solo that we had put into it. Everyone jumped and looked towards the drum-kit. The attractive boy had a pair of drumsticks in his hands and was beating happily away at the drums, occasionally crashing a cymbal.

Ceci looked at me startled. I mouthed at her to carry on. She hesitated, looking as alarmed as I felt. We both hated new things, especially when it was sprung on us a suddenly as that.

"Try to understand her

Try to finally see

Don't you ever hurt her

The same way you hurt me"

After a few seconds of Ceci improvising her vocals, with the occasional "ah" or "mm", I held the final chord and the boy gently stroked the ride cymbal with his drumstick, creating a spine-tingling shimmer on the end of the song. Everyone was staring at him, and he gave a sheepish grin.

"I hope you don't mind." He said, in a surprisingly gentle voice. "You're song was lovely, I just wanted to help."

I opened my mouth to answer, when Ceci gave a giggle. "Of course not. That was fantastic, Ferdie." She simpered. I rolled my eyes. Ah the embarrassing cycle of when a girl fancies a boy. I got up to go and slump next to Xandrell.

"Thanks." Said the boy with a slight blush. "It's Frankie by the way." His eyes were wandering over the rest of us. His eyes lingered a little longer on Sadie I noticed, before he looked at me. "Do you need a drummer?" He asked quietly. "I'd like to be able to play them more. I don't get to explore my musicality much."

I opened my mouth again to answer when Sadie piped up. "Their song sounds fine without a drummer, but mine needs one." I closed my eyes, almost praying for patience. I found girls so very irritating these days.

Frankie gave Sadie a radiant smile. "Excellent. When do you practise?"

"Shall we go and decide?" said Sadie, her eyes so creased with a smile, that when she blinked, it looked deceptively like she was winking. Hell, maybe she was winking.

As Sadie and Frankie left the room, Ceci and Helen stared after her. "Did... did Sadie just ditch us... for a boy?!" Helen sounded somewhere between incredibly confused, and outraged.

"Seems so..." said Ceci, shuffling slightly closer to Lucy. "So what do you have next Lu?" Helen quickly followed suit.

Lucy rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag and stalked out of the room, Ceci and Helen at her heels.

"Did anyone else just follow what just happened?" said Charlie aloud.

Xandrell slipped his arms around my waist. "You females are a very strange breed." He said quietly.

I pushed his arms off, and grabbed my bag. "Don't remind me." I said darkly, setting off for my next lesson.