It was entirely too early in the morning to deal with the fact that my best friend Perrie's hair was now blue. Not even pale blue but electric blue. I had only seen her the day before and it had definitely been blonde then. God, the girl worked fast.

"What the hell have you done?" I asked Perrie as she climbed out her mum's car. Perrie just grinned back at me. "Your hair is blue." I said even though that really didn't need to be said. Perrie obviously knew what colour her hair was.

"Way to state the obvious there Riley." She said while she made her way over to me, backpack slung over one shoulder and a suitcase trailing after her. "We're not silly little school girls anymore, I fancied a change."

"We finished our exams last week, that's hardly enough time to suddenly stop being 'silly little school girls'." I pointed out. "Still, it looks good...once I get used to it." It was going to take a lot of getting used to. Her hair was really, really bright.

"She still ruined three of my best towels in the process." Mrs Bryers, Perrie's mum said as she walked up to us. She wasn't the only parents standing in the car park waiting for our coach. I saw several others all looking as tired as we felt. I hadn't even realised there was a 5:30 am until this morning.

"Mum!" Perrie whined, rolling her eyes as if her mum was the most embarrassing person ever.

"I hope you never plan to do that to your mum's towels Riley." Mrs Bryers said.

"She'd kill me if I even mentioned the words 'hair dye'." I said. Not that I ever would dye my hair. I was pretty proud of my copper hair, even if it sometimes looked orange in the sun. Though, my freckles I could live without. Damn Irish grandparents.

"Where is Aine this morning?" Mrs Bryers asked, looking around the car park for my mum.

"She dropped me off then had to head back home, she needs to get to work." I said with a shrug. My mum and I had said our goodbyes in the car. She really didn't need to stand around with me and wait for the coach when she had to get off to work. She was surgeon at the nearest hospital so she worked crazy hours.

"I know that feeling." Mrs Bryers said before looking at Perrie. "I don't really need to remind you to behave. Have a good trip and please don't do anything stupid. I'm not flying to Spain or Italy to bail you out of jail." She said to her daughter.

Perrie rolled her eyes again but nodded. Mrs Bryers gave her a quick hug before getting back into the car. She gave us one final wave before driving off.

"And we're officially on holiday!" Perrie cried as she flung her arms around me. This wouldn't have been an issue if she wasn't still wearing her backpack. She crashed into me and we both tumbled to the floor. Several people turned to look at us. I felt a blush creeping across my cheeks. I'd had enough to people from school staring at me.

"Get off me, you crazy lump." I said as we scrambled up off the floor. "We're not really on holiday. This is an educational trip."

"No Riley, it's a holiday and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it." Perrie said.

Six weeks of travelling around Europe to see countless historical sights. It was a dream come true. The trip had been organised by our school and everyone who took A-Level History could take part in the trip. I had jumped at the chance and spent the past year saving up all my money for the trip.

Perrie wasn't a History student, Art and Design was her jam, so originally she wasn't even supposed to be coming on the trip but then the school extended it to the A-Level Art students. We would be visiting so many museums and galleries that it only made sense for them to come too. It was safe to say that Perrie was treating this whole thing as one big holiday.

"Don't be a loser Riley. This is the coolest thing our school has ever done." Perrie said. "After the past crappy year, we need this. You need this Quin."

"Please don't bring up-"

"I mean, it's just so awkward!" Perrie said. "I sit next to him and we're still friends. He asks about you all the time. I know he misses you. He wants to talk to you." She pressed. 

"Perrie, can we please not talk about Sebastian for the next six weeks?" I asked. All I wanted was to forget about my mistake of a relationship. I had no idea what had made me date Sebastian Quaid but I knew exactly why we broke up. Not that I wanted to go over that with Perrie for the millionth time.

"Fine." Perrie said with a shrug as the two of us walked over to where everyone else was stood waiting for the coach. I waved at a few people from my history class and got sleepy smiles in return. It was obvious we'd all be sleeping for the entire trip to Dover. Jessie, a girl from my history class, was holding onto a large travel mug of coffee like it was a lifeline.

"It should be a crime to be up this early." Jessie said between yawns.

"I haven't been awake this early since...well, never." Perrie said. The girl loved her sleep.

"Holy fuck Perrie, your hair is bright blue." Jessie said finally looking at Perrie's new hair colour. "That is going to fade like hell though."

"I came prepared." Perrie said with a grin and a wink.

"How prepared?" Jessie asked with a quizzical look.

"Ten bottles of hair dye." Perrie said smugly.

"We're gone for six weeks, not six months. Plus you're not going to have a chance to dye your hair with all the travelling around we're doing." I pointed out.

Perrie rolled her eyes at me but I had to give her props. At least she'd thought ahead, I was pretty proud of her. That was until I remembered that Perrie was, well, Perrie. She was the most disorganised and forgetful person in the world. I spent as much time mothering her as her own mum did.

"You've forgotten your toothbrush haven't you?" I asked.

"Good thing you brought a spare?" Perrie guessed. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. I had brought a spare. Mainly because I just knew Perrie would forget things. That was also why I had brought extra shower gel, shampoo and toothpaste.

"Jesus Christ Perrie, you'd die if it weren't for Riley." Jessie said between gulps of coffee.

"Tell me about it." I said with a roll of my eyes. Perrie stuck her tongue out, whipped out her phone and began texting someone, probably her on/off boyfriend Mike. As far as I knew, they were currently off so Perrie could flirt with Parisians without feeling guilty.

"God, where is that damn coach?" Jessie asked.
As if by magic, a cheer erupted. Our chariot, well an old and probably smelly coach, turned a corner and chugged onto the car park. It was then that our main chaperone piped up. Miss Kelly was the art teacher and barely looked old enough to drive let alone be in charge of a group of teenagers.

"Ok everyone! Get into a line so we can count you off, put your luggage on the coach then hop aboard. It's a long way to Dover but the quicker we get onto the coach, the quicker the journey will feel."

"I doubt that." Perrie muttered.

"I plan to sleep and pray that no one draws on my face." Jessie said as she drained her mug of coffee. "And pray this coach has a toilet."

"You're brave. You couldn't pay me to pee in a moving vehicle." I said. It was one of my many quirks according to Perrie. I refused to pee on public transport.

"She's right. We were once sat on a train to London for three and a half hours and refused to pee for the entire journey. She drank four cans of Diet Coke and nearly wet herself at Euston station." Perry said. Jessie snorted loudly while I glared.

"Thanks for that Perrie." I said. I didn't need reminding of that trip. Perrie, Sebastian and I had all gone down to London for the weekend to look at universities. It was mainly for Sebastian and Perrie as I'd already got my place at Cambridge all secured. At the time, knowing that my boyfriend and best friend might not be a million miles away was a brilliant feeling.

Now?

Well, now I didn't care if Sebastian 'Can't Keep My Dick In My Pants' Quaid went to university in the goddamn Arctic, as long as he was far, far away from me.

While Miss Kelly carried on barking out orders, we all got into line by the coach. At the front of the line my history teacher, Mrs Cooper, muttered something into Miss Kelly's ear. I heard a groan from the front of the line.

"Everyone get into alphabetical order, surnames not first names." Mrs Cooper called.

"What?" Someone called out. "Why?"

"Because that's how you'll be sitting on the coach. It's a long journey and we don't want any shenanigans." Mrs Cooper said. Yes, she actually said shenanigans.

The entire line yet out sounds of outrage. Perrie looked downright pissed. We'd planned on spending the whole journey planning on how to have the most fun on this trip. Looks like that wasn't going to happen.

I shuffled myself to the back of the line where Kirstie Reed was stood. Kirstie was an art student and I didn't think we had had ever said two words to one another. From the loud music pumping out her earphones, it didn't look like we would be talking on the coach. Kirstie looked over at me with a strange look. It was the same strange look a lot of the art girls gave me now. Jesus, you'd think it was a crime to break up with someone.

"You're not sitting by me." She said in a deadpan voice.

"Um...we're supposed to sit alphabetically." I said. Maybe she hadn't heard because of her music. Kirstie rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

"No, you're not sitting next to me." She said in a tone that suggested I was an idiot. "Gemma is sitting next to me." She said nodding over to the car that Gemma Ryder was climbing out of. Mrs Cooper gave her a stern look.

"Sorry! There are roadworks by my house!" Gemma said. Kirstie waved her over and gave me a look to say 'move or you'll be moved'. Ok then.

Maybe I could just sit by myself. At least then I get more room and no one would interrupt me while I was trying to read. I had a biography of Peter Alexeyevich I was itching to start. I would be studying him once I went to university and, without sounding like a complete loser, I wanted to know as much as I possibly could before then.

"Right is everyone here?" Miss Kelly called out. She looked down her list then back at the line of tired students. "Wait, where's-" The rest of her words were drowned out by a beaten up old car without an exhaust. Oh shit. I knew that car. I'd sat in that car. Actually, I'd been felt up in that car a few times.

Oh, Jesus Christ. This was not happening. 

My head whipped over to where Perrie was stood and I glared at her. She had promised me that he wasn't going to be coming on the trip. Perrie held up her hands as if to say she didn't know why my ex-boyfriend, Sebastian Quaid, was here.

The car came to a screeching stop in a parking space and Sebastian Quaid climbed out the driver's seat. With a fluid movement, he pulled a backpack and an acoustic guitar out the back of the tiny car. With a slam of the door, he slung them over his shoulders. My eyes narrowed at that damn guitar.

"Let me guess." Miss Kelly called out. "Roadworks?"

"No, just overslept." Sebastian said with a shrug of his shoulders. He gave Miss Kelly a grin and even winked. I tried and failed, to not let out a groan. In front of me, Gemma gave Kristie a knowing look.

"Well, we're honoured you finally decided to show up Sebastian." Miss Kelly said in a very sarcastic tone. Sebastian gave her another wink. "Just get in line next to Riley." Miss Kelly added nodding over to me.

No... oh god no.

Goddamn, my mother and her stupid surname beginning with Q.

Every school had a Sebastian Quaid. If a school didn't then that was a school I would have rather gone to. He was one of those 'tall and arty' types. He was a fantastic artist, even I couldn't deny that, but he was also an A grade arsehole in skinny jeans. That was mean of me to say but I had a reason to think that. For a crazy year, the two of us had dated before I broke up with him. Now I was stuck sat next to my lying, arrogant and cheating asshole ex-boyfriend for the entire trip to Paris.

I probably should have gone to church more, then God wouldn't be punishing me like this. Actually, I should have probably believed in God in the first place. Could he punish me even if I didn't believe in him? The next time I was in Ireland visitng my grandparents I was going to church. Heck, I'd even go to confession.