MUSIC: Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

Amelia above^

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Amelia's P.O.V: 

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I woke up the next day due to cramps. I decided I didn't want to go to school and I knew the guys wouldn't be either due to the fact that they all hung out the night before for some 'guy time' which was code for getting drunk. I called Jimmy, even though I knew that he'd be asleep, as was greeted by half-asleep, hungover teenage boys shouting at nothing and no-one in particular. I asked them to come over as soon as possible so that we could do something. At 8 o'clock in the morning.

*Insert sarcastically sweet and innocent smile here.*

They arrived just after I finished getting ready. I only knew because they decided to bundle me and squash me enough that I thought my insides may have turned to mush.

"Hello to you too." I grumbled once I got up from the floor. They all stared at me with mischievous glints in their eyes and I swallowed. There was a knock on my door but before I could tell Lilly to leave she barged in with my clean washing in her hands. Jimmy noticed her and immediately started to flirt in the most subtle way possible.

Note the obvious sarcasm.

"Hello there miss...?" Jimmy started.

"Mrs Russell."

"Mrs Russel, it's so nice to meet you, and I am insanely sorry for entering your house at such an ungodly hour."

"Oh. Uh. It's okay, and you're welcome to call me Lilly."

"Ah! Lilly! Such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman!" Jimmy exclaimed and we all rolled our eyes at him except for Lilly since she was blushing as red as a tomato.

"I wouldn't- I wouldn't say beautiful; I mean I was named after-"

"Lilly just shut up." I coldly glared at her, My intention was to burn holes through her.

"Amelia I-"

"No I don't want to hear it. Bye." I said with no emotion before I pushed her out of the door and slammed it after her whilst she simply looked at me with shock.

"Whoa. Now that was some attitude. You may say that you hate her but I hate Cindy and I'm even nicer than that to her. I mean that look in your eyes... You could kill a man." Ryan wolf whistled and I glared at him.

"Yeah starting with you." I threatened before I flopped onto my bed.

"But seriously, I know she's your step mum but damn. There's something more to it. Care to share?" Ryan asked me knowingly, and I thought it over for a while before sitting up and sighing.

"Fine but this stays between all of us and only us. If I hear that anyone else knows then I will personally kill you all with a spoon."

"That's a pretty great death to be fair. 'Death by spoon. The tale of 5 boys and a leaked backstory'. I can see it headlining all over the world already." Jimmy said, gesturing with his hands and we all looked to him in disbelief.

"More like 'Teenage Boy Goes Mental Thinking About Death By Spoon'." Aaron mumbled and everyone laughed but Jimmy.

"Whatever, just get on with the damn story."

"Well, as you guys know, I grew up in care and I was placed there because of how my parents were looking after me. We were broke, to put it simply. Really broke. So much so that I'd survive on a stolen packet of crisps and maybe a bottle of water then an apple from the school fruit box at school. Sometimes at the weekends I'd go without anything, and it drained me. I knew that what was going on at home wasn't right but I knew from TV programs and the news and things that kids got taken away from their parents because of things like what I was going through. I didn't want that and so whenever anyone asked what my life at home was like and why I was so skinny I'd just pass it off as "I do a lot of sports" and "oh yeah my life at homes great".

But eventually a teacher realised that all of this was lies and sent a social worker around. Needless to say they took me away and placed me in care. When I was 9, going on 10 I was finally allowed to start seeing my parents again, and maybe, I was told, I would be able to move in with them again since they had gotten their lives together; but it turned out that my dad had left my mum for a younger, prettier, skinnier, richer woman and I could tell that this had destroyed my mother. And so whenever I saw her I made sure to stray away from any topics involving anything to do with my dad. I kept reminding her that soon I'd be able to live with her again and she was so, so happy every time I saw her. But I guess it was all an act and she didn't have the heart to tell me what she was going to do. Or maybe she didn't know and it all just got too much. I'll never know, but one day I was called into the Head Teacher's office at school and was delivered the news that my mother had committed suicide and from the marks on her body the police assumed that it was because of depression. And they guessed that since her partner that she'd had since she was 16 had just left her, it was most probably because of that. And ever since that day I've made myself promise to hold a grudge over my father and his new partner. Sometimes I look at Lilly and just think of my mum and how if Lilly had never entered the picture my Mum might still have been here. But then other times I look at her and see the woman that she truly is. The nice step mum that's been thrown into a relationship with a man that has a troublesome daughter that she wants to help, but doesn't know how. She's told me before that she'll never try to replace my mother, but she'll always be here for me as the older woman that I can turn to in a time of need. And I just... Sometimes I feel like I should tell her the truth. About my past and my feelings, but then I just... I'm reminded of my mother and I'm just so conflicted. And so I don't show her any emotion, because that way she can't get attached to me in anyway, and that's a good thing. For her and for everybody." I finished explaining and the boys just nodded, knowing that if they said anything along the lines of "I'm sorry" then I'd probably kick them out.

"I just, you're strong Amelia. Stronger than anyone I know. So I give you my respect and I admire you because i'd never be able to go through what you've been through and make it out sane, if at all. So my respect is for you." Tommy said quietly and I just gave him a small smile.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"A. Uh. Amelia, can I uh, can I speak to you alone please?" Ryan asked me quietly and I nodded. Derek offered to make drinks and the boys went down to help him. Leaving Ryan and I alone.

"You said you wanted to talk to me?" I asked Ryan after seeing his expression - furrowed brows, lip between teeth - and knew that he was overthinking things again.

"Oh right, yeah." He mumbled and quickly sat on my bed.

"Right. Here goes nothing. So you told us the story about Lilly and your mum and with what I said about keeping secrets I thought you might want to hear the story about my mum, but it was just an idea. You don't have to if you don't want to I just-"

"Yes, I do want to hear it. Now stop rambling." I cut him off and rubbed his shoulder soothingly. He looked down at my hand touching his arm and licked his lips nervously before he started to talk. 

"Right well; when I was two my dad kicked my mum out. He was a drunk and druggie and believed that my mum was pregnant with another man's child, when we all knew that she would never dare even think about going near another man in any sexual way. And so he demanded that he have me to look after - even though he did a pretty shit job at it - and left my mother on the streets. No one knew where she was but when I was 10 she contacted my father and asked if I could see them. I pleaded for ages until he finally let me with one of his multiple girlfriend's at the time help. And so I saw them. Jade, my sister, was 8 and I was 10. We immediately bonded. We didn't fight, my mother took us to the beach and we spent that day there.  After that we saw each other around once a year, when my mother could travel down from wherever she lived, and the more she wanted to see me, the more I had to sneak out. I stopped seeing them around 2 years ago since my mother developed some type of illness that she refused to tell anyone about, and my sister got sent across the country to live with my uncle. I haven't seen or contacted either of them since. Derek told me that our stories and pasts were similar but yours was so much worse and you.. You're so strong, Amelia. And it upsets me just thinking about my situation, let alone how I'd feel if I was in yours. And you just... I just..." He mumbled quietly, finishing off and I knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't get the words out. I mean, it's rare that Ryan even allows people to hug him in a sign of affection, and so when he confessed a few days ago about... Loving me, even if it's just in a friendly way, it came as a shock. He wanted to show me that amount of affection again but he was struggling.

I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head into the crook of his neck. He returned the hug and we sat there for a moment, just enjoying the peace before I spoke.

"I love you too Ryan. More than you could ever imagine."