Chapter 59

I hear loud noises coming from the TV downstairs and I also hear shouting. What a lovely way of waking up. I block out the noise and try and go back to sleep with Conor’s arm still wrapped around me but it isn’t working. I grab my phone off Conor’s nightstand and text Jack.

To - Jack: PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP

A few minutes later, I hear the TV turn down loads and I can no longer hear racing cars and shooting.

“Sorry!” Jack shouts. I roll my eyes and try to go back to sleep but I physically can’t. I have a huge migraine and I’m not even tired anymore. I go on my phone again and reply to my texts.

From - Mum: where are you? And when are you coming home?x

To - Mum: sorry, I’m at Conor’s and I don’t know when I’ll be back x

She’ll kick off at me when I get home for not texting her where I am...

From - Neb: have you noticed yet?;)

He’s changed his name to ‘Neb’ on my phone. That’s what he was doing last night.

To - Neb: omg I get it now hahaha, love it

Conor’s still asleep and has his arm wrapped tightly around my body. After replying to few Snapchat’s from Jack, I finally decide to get out of bed. I currently have no clothes on so I grab Conor’s black t-shirt he was wearing yesterday and throw on his sweat pants. I look stunning.

I lumber down the stairs and meet Jack and Alex in the living room.

“Hey” Jack smiles at me, then quickly returns his attention to the huge TV.

“Hey” Alex does the same.

“Hello” I smile, sitting with Anna behind them on the sofa. “Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah are you?” she replies, playing some game on the iPad.

“I’m good” I laugh. She pauses the game and looks up at me.

“You’ve died your hair!” she gasps, running her fingers through the ends of it.

“Yeah” I laugh.

“It’s well nice! I want mine like that” she sighs.

“Yours is beautiful how it is. I wish I had your hair”

“Mine’s boring though”

“Don’t be silly! It’s beautiful. I’d kill for your hair” I laugh and she starts smiling. Her hair is a really nice blonde and falls just below her shoulders.

“Why are you wearing Conor’s clothes?” she frowns, eyeing me up and down. Jack and Alex turn around and raise an eyebrow.

"This should be good" Jack smirks. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to Anna.

“Because I didn’t have anything to sleep in last night so I had to wear this” I laugh. That’s half true I guess...

“Oh right” she nods.

“Lucy” I hear Conor moan from upstairs. I roll my eyes making Anna laugh, and I run upstairs to see what he wants. “Where did you go?” he asks as I jump into bed with him.

“I couldn’t sleep so I went downstairs with Jack and Alex” I explain. “You okay?”

“No. I have a headache” he moans.

“Same” I sigh. I kiss his forehead before getting out of bed again. “I’ll be right back”

I run downstairs and fill up a glass of water and bring up some tablets.

“Thanks” he laughs and I just smile. “Stay with me?”

“Ok” I nod and get into bed with him.

“I’m sorry about last night” he whispers and puts his arm around my waste.

“It’s fine” I mumble. He’s said sorry so many times...

“Did I make it up to you last night?” he asks and I can feel a smirk playing on his lips. I turn my body around to face him and smile. I pretend to think about his question.

“Hmm, nearly” I giggle.

“Well what else can I do then?” he sighs, teasingly.

“I don’t know” I shrug and he starts smirking. He places his hand on my cheek before leaning in and kissing my lips slowly. I place my hand on his bare chest while responding to the kiss. He pulls my body on top of his so I put one leg at each side of his body as he holds the back of my thighs.. We eventually pull away from each other and he starts smirking.

“Now am I forgiven?” he pouts.

“I guess” I sigh dramatically and he starts laughing. “I’ve decided what I’m getting you for your birthday”

“You don’t need to get me anything” he shakes his head.

“Well I am” I smirk and he rolls his eyes.

“What are you getting me then?” he sighs. I don’t know exactly what I’m getting him but it’ll definitely be something to do with his voice.

“It’s a surprise” I laugh.

“What’s the point in telling me that you know what you’re getting me then?”

“I don’t know. Gets you into the birthday mood” I shrug and he raises his eyebrow. “What shall I get Jack?”

“I have no idea” he laughs. “I’m thinking about getting him a PS4 though”

“Do it!” I gasp. I know how much he’ll love it.

“How about I get him a PS4 and you get him games for it? We’ll go to town after school” he says and I nod.

“Ok”

“Don’t mention it to anyone though. Someone will tell him”

“My lips are sealed” I pretend to zip my lips and he rolls his eyes.

After making plans for Jack’s birthday, we eventually decide to get out of bed and socialise with Jack and Alex.

“Conor, have you thought about making a YouTube account yet?” I ask.

“I’ve made one but I haven’t put videos on. The camera sound would be shit” he shrugs and I nod. Oh my god, I could get him a recording studio! Nothing big, just something in his room that he can record his voice on and edit things and stuff.

“Jack, we need to talk” I grab Jack’s arm and pull him out of the living room, leaving Conor, Alex and Anna in there on their own.

“What do you want?”

“Well I think Conor’s going to start putting videos on YouTube but he was saying his camera sound would be shit, so do you think I should get him like, a little studio? With a microphone and editing software and stuff?” I ask and Jack’s eyes go really wide. “What?”

“Lucy that would cost so much!” he gasps.

“So? It’ll be worth it. He’ll get famous off it” I shrug.

“You can’t be so sure about that” he trails off.

“I am. Jack, he’s an amazing singer and he actually has the confidence to put stuff on YouTube. I know he’s going to get somewhere in life with this” I explain and Jack starts to think.

“Well it’s up to you. I just don’t want you spending that much money on him. You know how he’ll react...”

“Oh well” I shrug.

“Anyway, I think he’ll love it. It’s a good idea” he nods.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive”

-

As soon as I get home that day, I go on the laptop and start finding the perfect studio, just the right size to go in the corner of his room or something. I must’ve been on at least fifty different websites now but I refuse to give up.

“Lucy, what the hell are you doing on there?” Mum asks, sitting on the sofa next to me.

“Homework” I mumble, not taking my eyes off the screen.

“Don’t make me laugh!” she fake laughs. She leans into the screen and frowns. “Since when can you sing!?”

“I can’t”

“Well why are you looking at recording studios then?”

“It’s for Conor. His birthday is on Wednesday” I smile.

“Oh right. He can sing?” she gasps and I nod. I continue scrolling through the website until I find one that catches my eye. It has a small condenser microphone with a pop filter, 2 small black speakers and some other technical stuff that Conor can work out how to use.

“Mum can I get this?” I plead. She takes the laptop off me and starts looking through the pictures of it.

“How much is it?”

“Um” I scroll down the page and find the price. “One hundred and ninety”

“ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY!?” she repeats and I nod. “We’re not made of money Lucy!”

“No but it’s his sixteenth. It needs to be special” I pout and she frowns.

"I wouldn't even spend that much money on you" she jokes.

I laugh dryly, "Come on Mum, he'll love it"

“I don’t know...” she trails off.

“Please Mum. He’s such a good singer and with this, he can actually do something with his voice! He’ll be famous with this” I smile proudly and cross my arms over my chest.

“It’ll be me paying for it though!” she argues.

“I’ll pay twenty pounds” I offer and she laughs.

“Oh that’s ok. I’ll only have to pay one hundred and seventy pounds” she shrugs.

“See!”

“Lucy, I was being sarcastic” she mumbles.

“Please Mum. You know you want to” I persuade her and she raises her eyebrow.

“I definitely do not want to”

“But you love him” I pout.

“Shut up, you’re weirding me out” she shudders.

“I’m weirding you out?” I repeat and she laughs. “Don’t say that again Mum”

“Do you want this studio or don’t you!?” she bribes me. I put on an innocent face and nod. “He better appreciate this Lucy”

“So you’re getting it!?” I gasp and she hesitantly nods. After paying for the item online with Dads permission and credit card, I go up to bed and call up Jack to tell him I’ve ordered it. I can’t wait for Wednesday.

-

“Right, keep it at yours until Wednesday, and I’ll take him out that day to go to the game launch thing while you and Jack set up the studio in Jack’s house. Agreed?” Alex runs through the plan one more time at lunch during school.

“Great” I nod. Alex is taking Conor to a place where he basically gets to play all the latest Xbox games (including things that haven’t even been released yet) and stuff for a day. It’s cost Alex loads but Conor will love it. He’s only getting this because it’s his sixteenth. Everyone’s sixteenth needs to be special...

I’m going to town after school today with Conor to get Jack’s presents which I’m literally buzzing about. Dad gave me money to buy Jack's games with. He’s being very generous lately... I’m not complaining. It did take a bit of persuading though.

I walk back to Conor’s house with Jack and Conor and make myself a drink of orange juice while Conor puts our school bags somewhere. Anna walks through the front door and joins me and Conor in the kitchen. Jack went to play on his Xbox...

“Ready to go?” Conor asks and I nod, jumping off the kitchen counter. “Anna, we’re just going to town for Jack’s presents so just stay with Jack upstairs until we get back. And don’t tell him what we’re doing okay?”

“Aw, can’t I come?” she pouts and Conor shakes his head.

“Stay here with Jack”

“Why can’t she come?” I ask Conor.

“Yeah Conor” she backs me up.

“Because you don’t need to get anything” he throws back.

“I need to get Jack a present too!”

“Good point” Conor points his finger at her before sighing. “Come on then”

“Yay!” she squeals and throws her schoolbag to the floor. I start laughing at her sudden outburst and Conor just rolls his eyes, smirking slightly.

We get into town and go straight to the game store. We immediately buy the console, then go and look at games for it.

“I have no idea what he’s into. I just hear him shooting all the time” I tell Conor and he laughs. Conor picks out a few in my price range. They’re so expensive so I only end up getting 3. Conor says it’s fine though because the rest of the games here are shit. Jack will only want these 3 apparently...

Anna buys him a snapback and some clothes and shoes he’ll like and when we’re done, we walk back to my house to wrap them. We go up to my room and get out some wrapping paper and sellotape in the ‘office’ we have.

“Conor, can you even wrap a present?” I ask, watching him roll out meters of wrapping paper.

“No” he shrugs

“Just leave it to me and Anna yeah?” I say and he nods. Anna starts laughing and we eventually start talking about Christmas.

“Conor, we’re getting a tree this year” Anna demands.

“You should get a tree every year!” I gasp.

“He wouldn’t get one last year” she rolls her eyes.

“They make a mess!” Conor defends himself.

“That’s the biggest pile of bullsh-“ I stop myself from swearing in front of Anna, “rubbish I’ve ever heard in my life!”

“Right then, you can clean up all the leaves that fall off it” Conor shrugs.

“They’re not leaves, they’re needles” Anna mumbles and I burst out laughing.

We finish wrapping the presents and stack them all up in the corner of my wardrobe.

“You don’t understand how desperate I am to go on that console” Conor stays in a trance at my wardrobe.

“Well, you can do that on Saturday”

“Too long”

“It’ll have to do” I shrug. “Do you want tea?”

“No thanks. Jack’s paying for pizza tonight” he cheers.

“I don’t want pizza” Anna pouts.

“I’m only ordering an Indian anyway” I shrug.

“Oh my god, I’m so jealous” Anna sighs, walking out of my room.

“Well why doesn’t Anna stay with me while you and Jack get pizza?”

“No way! Come on Anna” Conor pushes her back lightly.

“Why not? She doesn’t want pizza” I argue.

“It’s tight on you. You barely know each other” Conor frowns and I shake my head.

“We can get to know each other tonight then” I shrug.

“Are you sure?” Conor asks and I nod.

“Positive” I smile and Anna starts grinning.

“Right then. I’ll pick her up at nine?” Conor asks. I look at Anna nodding before I look back at Conor and nod.

As soon as Conor leaves, we order our Indian and get out loads of junk food to fill ourselves until the Indian arrives. We blast music and do stupid dance moves until our food arrives. We demolish it in around 10 minutes and continue our conversation about Christmas.

“We decorated Leila’s house on Friday” I laugh.

“Oh my gosh, we never decorate!” she moans.

“How come?”

“Conor doesn’t want to” she shrugs.

“Well what about your parents?” I ask. I know by what Conor’s told me, this is a dodgy subject but I know that Anna won’t mind as much as Conor.

“They’re never around” she huffs. “And I think something’s going on with them two”

“Like what?”

“I heard them arguing on Saturday night while you went out with Conor. I always hear it when you’re gone but Conor tells me to stay away from them while he’s gone so I’m out of trouble” she explains as if it’s nothing.

“Have you told Conor?”

“No. I think he knows about them arguing but I think...” she trails off.

“You think what?”

“No nothing. It doesn’t matter” she shakes her head.

“You can trust me Anna” I smile.

“I don’t know...” she trails off. What the fuck is going on?