I flew back to Melbourne that afternoon, and returned to daily life.
The week passed in a blur of studying for exams and chilling with my best friend in Melbourne, Emilia James.
Emilia was brilliant, with blonde ‘beachy’ wavy hair and hazel eyes that most girls envied, a sarcastic soul and a wicked tongue, but ultimately had a heart of gold.
Emilia was ecstatic at my success. “I told you so!” She squealed, hugging me tightly.
“Em!” I half-gasped, chuckling. “I can’t breathe!”
“Sorry.” But she wasn’t, I knew, when I saw her cheeky grin. “So, any chance I can come along?”
“I wish.” I bit my lip, something I always did when I was nervous, or thinking hard. “I could ask? Maybe you could be my personal assistant.”
“Yeah! I could be your stylist! And it’s not like I’ll have anything to do over the summer with you gone!”
“Aw! I’m so loved!” I winked. “But what about Davey?”
“Him?” Em flapped a hand. “We’re over.”
“What?” I sat up. “Why? How? Does he need his ass kicked?”
Emilia snorted. “Del, he’s twice your height and size. Don’t mess up that pretty face before you get famous. You can’t afford the plastic surgery just yet!”
We laughed again together, and it felt so good, like all the stress of seeing the boys again had melted away.
“So what’s 5SOS like?” Em wanted to know. “Are they cute?”
I took a deep breath. “I actually kind of know them.”
“What?” Em’s jaw dropped. “YouTube. Now.”
Em spent the next few minutes exclaiming over the band’s hotness and their incredible voices. “How do you know them, Del?”
Here is comes: big confession time.
“We were best friends, not Ashton, though. They didn’t know him then. It was Luke, Calum, Michael, Jules and I. Jules was my best friend in Sydney. But then Luke got a horrific girlfriend and she caused a fight and we sort of…broke up? I don’t know if that’s the right term. But we moved to Melbourne the day after and I hadn’t heard from them since.”
OK, so I gave her the basics.
“Woah. Del, that’s crazy.” Em muttered.
“Yeah.” I made a face. “And I’m seeing them tomorrow.”
“Maybe text your mate Jules.” Em suggested. “See what she can do.”
“Em, that’s a brilliant idea!” I gasped. “You’re a genius!”
“Evil genius.” Em corrected. “Now, about my job as a stylist…”
*
I released the armrests on the plane seat as I touched down. Dad wasn’t with me this time, and it was the first time I’d flown alone.
It didn’t help that I hated flying with a passion. Being in there scared me senseless, bringing back memories of the flight to Melbourne when Mum was sick, and the awful turbulence in the plane…
Shut up, Del, you’re thinking too much.
I scanned the terminal anxiously, my Country Road bag clutched in onehand.
Then suddenly, I was enveloped in a huge bear hug. Long dark hair tickled my face and I almost sneezed.
“Jules!” I exclaimed. Hugging her back tightly.
“Del! I can’t believe you’re really here!” Jules said, finally pulling away and grinning madly, her green eyes sparkling. “It’s been too long! I can’t believe you were here last week and you didn’t even tell me!”
“I know, I know.” I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“But you’re here now!” Jules said. “And you’re staying for the whole weekend! When’s your interview?”
“Two o’clock.” I said, shoving my bag onto my shoulder and following Jules out to her mother’s car.
“So we’ll go home first, let you freshen up.” Kath Mayer, Jules’ mother said. “Hello, darling. How are you?”
“I’m good. It’s great to see you, Kath.” I hugged the woman who had practically been my second mother.
“Your hair looks incredible!” Jules said, without a hint of envy. “You look amazing, Del.”
“Like you can talk.” I scoffed. Jules had always looked amazing, and growing up had only improved her features. She was tall and slim, with inky black hair now almost reaching her waist and green eyes glittering with a crazy sense of humour.
I, on the other hand, was short and skinny with brunette hair I dyed fire-truck red and stormy grey eyes. Jules and I were a good contrast.
The Mayer’s house was exactly as I remembered it.
“It hasn’t changed a bit.” I smiled in delight.
“Delilah!” The exclamation came from the stairs, and a small version of Jules came thundering down. “Hi!”
“Hey, Caitlyn!” I gave the younger girl a hug. “How are you?”
“Great! I’m turning thirteen in two weeks!” Caitlyn said, hugging me back.
“Cool.” I said, suddenly lost in the memories of the two weeks leading up to my thirteenth birthday. The two weeks where my mum had gotten worse and worse, holding on to see her baby become a teenager. She’d died the day after.
Kath sensed the situation. “You can put your things in Jules’ room, Delilah. You can have her bed and she’ll sleep on the floor. You can freshen up there and then we’ll go.”
“Thanks, Kath.” As we made our way to Jules’ room, I whispered. “I can have the floor, you know.”
“Like mum would let you, even if I would.” Jules rolled her eyes.
Her bedroom looked very different, with a new colour theme of black, white and red. It was very different to Emilia’s room, which was an explosion of colour, and mine, which danced between white, sky blue and lilac. “Nice room, Jules.”
“Thanks, I redecorated last year.”
“It suits you.”
“Get changed you sentimental twit.”
We were nearing the end of spring and drifting into summer now, so I changed out of my distressed blue shorts and Superman t-shirt and into a black Ramones t-shirt tucked into maroon high-waisted shorts and black military boots.
Jules glanced up as I came back downstairs. “You’ve changed, Del.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I believe you exact words were to ‘get changed you sentimental twit’.”
“No. I mean you’ve changed your style.”
I shrugged. “Oh. I don’t have a style. I wear clothes. That’s it.”
“Right. Well, mum’s in the car. Let’s go.”
We reached the office at ten minutes to two. I’d called Jo previously, to confirm the time and ask if Jules could accompany me. Jo had said yes, provided that I she would behave. I think she was joking though.
“Jules.” I said, suddenly. “Do you know who 5SOS are?”
“Yeah.” Her mouth pressed into a firm line. “Luke. Calum. Michael. And that Ashton guy.”
“Yeah. Well, you know how I’m going on a national tour, opening for a new-ish band that we’re meeting today?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, they’re it.”