SIX WEEKS LATER

“Vive La France!” Krystie happily exclaims in my ear, over the noise of the crowded Parisian nightclub.

“This is so cool!” I happily reply as I dance with my friend, the two of us attracting the attention of virtually every boy in the club in our tiny clubbing dresses and extra-high heels- not to mention our voluminous hair and heavy make-up!

“Yeah, who needs BOYS anyway?” Krystie asks.

“I’ll try not to take that personally!” Stuart yells over the noise of the club, handing us our drinks and leading us back to our table in the club’s VIP section.

“To being single!” Krystie toasts.

“Never thought I’d be toasting being single with my ex,” Stuart jokes as we clink our glasses together.

“And on Valentine’s Day too,” I laugh. “Well, day before Valentine’s Day anyway. This’ll be my first Valentine’s single in three years…”

“Yeah, mine too,” Krystie sighs, before a sly grin creeps over her face. “Hey, how about today, for one day only, we say we’re girlfriend and girlfriend? That way, we won’t have to be single on Valentine’s…” I giggle in response.

“I think you’ve had a few too many drinks!” I reply.

“I dunno, you’d make a cute couple!” Stuart laughs.

“Come on, give me a kiss!” Krystie insists, leaning in towards me. I initially recoil, but the alcohol flowing through my veins quickly lowers my resistance.

“Fuck it,” I say with a smile. “There aren’t any cameras around. No one wants to film single people on Valentine’s Day.” Grinning, I lean in and give Krystie a long kiss on the lips, which ends when we both break down in fits of giggles!

“I kissed a girl and I liked it…” I tunelessly sing, much to the delight of my two friends!

“First time you ever kissed a girl?” Krystie asks.

“…I maaaay have snogged Charlotte once in the past,” I tease, making Krystie’s jaw drop.

“Oh my god!” The tall girl squeaks. “Please tell me it was because you lost a bet…”

“Of course,” I laugh. “God, I reckon Stu should be covering his ears right now!”

“I reckon I need to hear more!” Stuart laughs.

“How about ‘me and Charlotte were wearing skin-tight gymnastics leotards when we snogged’, then?” I say.

“God, that’s even making ME hot!” Krystie laughs. I giggle and lean in close to Krystie, playfully giving her another kiss.

“Oh come on,” Stuart complains, “no love for me?” Krystie and exchange a brief glance before leaping out of our chairs and sitting down next to Stuart, peppering his cheeks with kisses and leaving a ridiculous amount of lipstick on his face!

“This’ll do!” Stuart says happily, pulling his phone out and taking a few selfies of me and Krystie fawning over him.

We stay at the club until just after 11:30pm, at which point we stumble back into our vast city centre hotel. Stuart excuses himself quickly- his room is on a different floor to ours- but I follow Krystie back to her room.

“Heyyy,” I say coyly as Krystie opens her door, “I, um, don’t suppose, you know…”

“Are you asking what I think you’re asking?” Krystie asks.

“Oh come on,” I plead. “I haven’t had anyone in my bed for AGES, I don’t want another night alone in these huge beds, especially not tonight!”

“We… Will be just sleeping, right?” Krystie asks.

“Of course!” I reply. “If it makes you feel any better, Charlotte spent most of her time in my bed when she was separated from Keith last year…” Much to my relief, Krystie rolls her eyes and giggles.

“Come on in,” Krystie says- and needless to say, I didn’t need to be invited twice. Much to my surprise, Krystie immediately removes her shoes and dress, climbing under the bed clothes wearing just her G-string.

“Should I avert my eyes?” I ask, warily stripping off my own shoes and dress (though I’m wearing a tiny lace bra in addition to my G-string).

“Oh please,” Krystie snorts dismissively. “As if the whole world hasn’t already seen my tits.”

“Yeah…” I say carefully. “Sorry about that, I can’t help but feel responsible.”

“Oh don’t,” Krystie says softly, sitting up in bed and giving me a full view of her body. “It was my mistake, if I hadn’t done that topless shoot I wouldn’t have been fired by my agent, I wouldn’t have signed with Joshua, and I probably wouldn’t be an Angel now!”

“Those photos wouldn’t be as widely circulated as they are now,” I say quietly.

“Oh whatever,” Krystie laughs. “I’m hardly the first reality TV star to have a topless shoot in her past, Maria Fowler, Sam Faiers, they’ve both gone frontal, didn’t hurt their careers.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” I muse, climbing under the sheets next to Krystie.

“And Kate Moss went FULL frontal for Playboy,” Krystie laughs. “That’s probably braver than I’d be!”

“I dunno,” I tease. “I’m going to be paying a LOT of money for my vagina, I’d kinda like to show it off!”

“Says the woman who paid a lot of money for her tits yet is still wearing her bra in bed!” Krystie teases. I sigh and roll my eyes, before unclipping my bra and hurling it to the floor.

“Happy now?” I say, sitting upright and giving Krystie a full view of my body.

“For now,” Krystie says smugly, switching off her light. “Sweet dreams, Jamie.”

“You too, Krys,” I reply, settling my head down on my pillow.

“Oh, they will be!” Krystie teases.

We’re both asleep very quickly, which is a good thing as our alarms on our phones wake us up the following morning at 8am. Somehow, in the night, I’ve managed to wrap my arms around Krystie’s slender body, resulting in some awkwardness as I try to extricate myself. After pulling my dress and shoes back on, I excuse myself and head back to my room, where I quickly run through my morning routine and change into a cute pink short-sleeved minidress, translucent black tights and pink stilettos. After throwing on a sky blue bolero jacket (Paris in February isn’t very warm!) I grab my already-packed overnight case and head downstairs, where most of my ‘gang’ is already waiting for me- and it’s a ‘gang’ that’s significantly grown over the past few weeks.

Our reality show’s premiere was a huge hit, as predicted. It even received some positive reviews from the critics, who noted that it was a breath of fresh air to have ‘characters’ in these shows who were genuine and likeable. Sure, the press tried to dig up some dirt on us- Krystie’s topless shoots, Mary’s pregnancy and Charlotte’s earlier infidelity were all dragged up- but Joshua managed any scandal like the experienced professional he is, gently reminding everyone that people aren’t perfect, and that everyone is entitled to make mistakes and learn from them. The ‘breakout character’, though, has been Hannah- and by miles. The tall blonde stunner- as the press are so fond of describing her- has become the face of so many brands that it’s a wonder she has any time for holidays and parties like the one we’re on now. Though as she is the only full-time model out of the six of us, it does make sense in a way. And it’s not like the rest of us aren’t inundated with offers of work! Despite my increased workload, I’ve managed to catch up with my studies, and Viks and Mary are both keeping up with their studies (as Mary’s baby is due in July, it shouldn’t impact on her uni too greatly).

Needless to say, there are camera people waiting for us in the hotel reception- so everybody who’ll be on camera is of course looking their best (myself included!). Everything that’s taking place this weekend is being recorded for a future episode of ‘Angels’- the romantic night in Paris (for those of us who have boyfriends, anyway), the sightseeing we’re doing this morning, and last but not least, Mary’s wedding tomorrow in Belfast!

Obviously, it being Valentine’s Day, it not just the Angels who are in Paris, but partners too- Keith, Dan, Jonathan and Martin (Charlotte, Mary, Viks & Hannah’s partners respectively), as well as Stuart, Stuart’s sister and Krystie’s brother who are now an item, Joshua and his wife, even Joshua’s niece and her boyfriend have tagged along despite them being only seventeen! Joshua’s clearly lining up Adeola (his niece) and Rebecca (Stuart’s sister) as future ‘Angels’, given that he signed them both to contracts last month. In additional to being beautiful young women, they both have AMAZING singing voices, so recording contracts are no doubt in the pipeline for both of them. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if they also ended up making cameos in this particular episode…

“Hey Jay!” Charlotte enthuses, giving me a big hug as I step into the hotel reception.

“Hey Charlie!” I say, happily returning my BFF’s hug. “How was the big date?”

“Oh you know,” Charlotte says coyly.

“I USED to know,” I sigh, making Charlotte giggle and give me another hug.

“Here comes the bride!” Hannah yells excitedly as Mary steps out of the elevator to mass cheering.

“Oh, you guys,” Mary sighs embarrassedly. “Can we save all the fuss and attention for my actual wedding day, please?”

“Absolutely not!” Charlotte insists, rubbing Mary’s slightly-expanded belly in what has become an Angel ‘ritual’.

“Maybe if you told us the gender…” I say cheekily as I give Mary’s belly a quick rub.

“Give me a break, I won't find out myself for another month!” Mary laughs.

“Hands off my goddaughter!” Krystie jokes, stepping out of the elevator and immediately giving Mary’s belly a rub.

“Ah, so we're sure it's a girl, then?” Hannah asks as she and Viks give Mary’s belly a rub each.

“If it wasn’t before, it will be with all the girl rays you’re shooting into it!” Riley, Krystie’s brother, jokes. Needless to say, the six of us almost double over with laughter!

“Oh, I’m sorry Riley, I shouldn’t laugh,” I say, regaining my composure.

“No trust me, you SHOULD laugh,” Krystie teases.

“Girl rays…” Viks giggles. “Makes us sound like some sort of superhero group!”

“SuperheroINE group,” Hannah corrects her BFF. “The girlvengers!”

“Nah, I still prefer the Angels,” I say between giggles. “Still though, as a superpower, it’s pretty cool. Girl rays!” I hold up my hand as if I’m firing my ‘girl rays’ at Riley, who sighs embarrassedly in response.

“Forget I said anything,” Riley mumbles.

“No way!” Krystie jokes.

“Aww, cheer up babe,” Rebecca jokes, slipping her hand into Riley’s back pocket. “Or I’ll shoot girl rays into your ass!” Riley huffs in protest as the entire hotel reception once again descends into fits of laughter.

The sightseeing tour of Paris was amazing, despite the cameras following our every move. Naturally, with it being the most romantic day of the year, and the most romantic city in the world, the couples soon split off and did their own thing, leaving myself, Krystie and Stuart hanging out by ourselves yet again- though this time we did at least have a camera following us, unlike last night, when if you weren’t in a couple, it was like you were no one.

“Seriously, if you hit me with your ‘girl rays’, I’ll never forgive either of you,” Stuart jokes as we stroll along the Champs Elysees.

“As if we would,” I gasp with mock, horror, before holding my hand up behind Stuart’s head and mouthing ‘girl rays’ at Krystie, who nearly doubles over with laughter.

“I’m immune to girl rays anyway,” Stuart jokes. “Is it your first time being a bridesmaid?”

“Yep,” I say. “Outside of a studio, anyway.”

“You got so many bridal shoots from Joshua!” Krystie teases. “You’ve worn more wedding dresses than Katie Price!” I blush a little as I’m reminded of the way I constantly pestered my agent for bridal photoshoots- which were (and still are) by far my favourite kind.

“How about you, Krys?” I tease. “First time being maid of honour?”

“Maid of honour yes, bridesmaid no,” Krystie replies. “My aunt got married when I was 13, it was when I spent a whole day trying on bridesmaid dresses that I knew I wanted to be a model when I grew up. Soo… How about you, Stu?”

“Yeah,” I tease. “Are you going to be the first person ever to be a bridesmaid AND a groomsman in one lifetime?”

“I assure you I wouldn’t be the first, far from it,” Stuart says confidently. “And… To answer your question, yes, once, when I was nine, it was probably the most embarrassing and frustrating experience of my life. I’m not exactly what you’d call a wedding ‘fan’.”

“Oh come on,” I say. “Even guys get the opportunity to dress up and look sexy, how can you not love that?”

“It’s a hot, heavy, sweaty tuxedo,” Stuart moans. “Thank god the wedding’s February in Ireland rather than July in Southern Spain, I’d probably have melted!” Krystie and I both giggle at Stuart’s extended moan.

“Obviously we know better than to ask for pictures of you in your undoubtedly cute bridesmaid’s dress,” Krystie says.

“Good,” Stuart interrupts.

“…But,” Krystie continues, “If you were nine… Your sister would have been four, right?”

“Yep, sounds right,” Stuart says, a sly grin creeping across his face. “And I probably could find a few pictures of her in her flower girl dress, provided there was something in it for me, of course…” Krystie giggles and leans in close to Stuart, whispering something in his ear that makes him laugh uncontrollably.

“Deal!” Stuart says, giving the other girl a quick squeeze as I lag behind the two of them, my hands in my pockets. I know I shouldn’t feel lonely, or jealous- I had my chance with Stuart, after all- but I AM the one who introduced him to the group, and yet I’m the one who feels most left out.

Our sightseeing tour only lasts a few hours before a luxury coach comes and whisks us all away to Charles De Gaulle Airport, where we sit in the very posh private departure lounge, waiting for our plane.

“…I’ll try not to take it personally that you’ve chosen an airline that’s known for hiring transsexual flight attendants,” I joke, sitting next to Joshua and his wife.

“Jamie,” Joshua replies, “I booked the plane because we all deserve to fly in the lap of luxury, regardless of what the stewardesses have in THEIR laps!” I roll my eyes and smile- in addition to transsexual stewardesses, Soixante-Trois airlines ARE also known for extremely high levels of comfort.

“Even if it means we can only fly as far as Dublin and have to get yet ANOTHER coach to Belfast?” I ask cheekily.

“It’s a luxury coach!” Joshua jokes, making me giggle yet again.

For the flight to Dublin, Joshua had the idea of sitting all the couples together, so once again I’m left feeling excluded from the ‘festivities’. Fortunately, I have Dan’s best man, Paul (no, not my ex-boyfriend, thank god!), who’s also single, sat next to me for the duration of the flight- even if he isn’t very talkative (Dan mentioned a while ago that he’s uncomfortable talking to women).

“Hi,” I say to the anxious-looking man.

“Hi,” Paul replies. “Umm, it’s Jamie, right?”

“Yeah,” I reply with a smile. “Well, technically it’s Jamie-Lee, but just Jamie’s okay.”

“Okay,” Paul says, “’just Jamie’.” Despite myself, I can’t help but giggle at Paul’s awkward attempts at flirting.

“Have you ever been to Ireland before?” I ask, trying to break the uneasy silence.

“Nah,” Paul replies, triggering another uneasy silence.

“I’m thirsty,” I announce, pushing the button for service and being greeted almost immediately by a very tall girl in a blue uniform.

“How can I help you, miss?” Elsa- the stewardess- asks in a very distinctive German accent.

“A glass of white wine, please.” I say. In truth, I’m not really in the mood for anything alcoholic, not with Mary’s ‘hen night’ later, but I figure some alcohol would help break the awkward silence between myself and Paul. The stewardess returns with seconds with my glass, carefully placing it on my tray table before mincing off in her impractically tight skirt and high-heeled shoes.

“It’s Paul, isn’t it?” I ask, sipping my beverage.

“Yeah, Paul Kennedy,” my travelling companion replies.

“Oh, well, Irish surname at least!” I joke. “My ex’s name is Paul, thank god I’m not sat next to HIM!”

“Heh,” Paul laughs. “Actually, my ‘Kennedy’ comes from Scotland, not Ireland. You- your surname’s ‘Burke’, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I was born ‘Travis’,” I explain.

“Ah,” Paul says. “I can see why changed it, something-Lee Travis isn’t really a good name for a public figure right now!”

“Yeah,” I laugh half-heartedly.

This awkward conversation continues for another three glasses of wine all the way to Dublin (thankfully, the camera crew were all focussed on Mary & Dan), where I’m able to persuade Krystie to swap seats on the coach- arguing that the maid of honour should be sat with the best man anyway!

“God, that flight sucked,” I complain as I park myself in the seat next to Stuart.

“Yeah, I can kinda smell it on your breath,” Stuart laughs, handing me a mint. “Paul’s not what you’d call the most charismatic man in the world.”

“Doubt I helped much,” I sigh, checking the bus to make sure we’re not within earshot of a camera. “Can I tell you a secret? Part of me is DREADING the wedding.” I giggle a little at my unintended rhyme. “Being the only single girl there…”

“What, has Krystie suddenly ceased to exist?” Stuart laughs. “We’re not seeing each other again if that's what you're thinking, far from it!”

“But- in Paris?” I ask, making Stuart chuckle.

“YOU’RE the one who shared a bed with her, remember?” Stuart says. “We’re just friends, friends with very occasional benefits.”

“I don’t want to come across as bitchy,” I say quietly, “but there’s a part of me that’s glad.”

“What, you want me all to yourself, or her all to yourself?” Stuart teases. I giggle and give my favourite transman a quick cuddle.

“You’re sexier,” I joke. “Give me pecs over tits any day of the week!”

“Attached to someone else’s body, right?” Stuart jokes, making me giggle yet again.

The coach arrives at our posh Belfast hotel just after 8pm, giving us just enough time- once we’ve fought through the scrum of local reporters desperate to get a photo of the hometown girl- to check into our rooms and, in the case of myself and the other Angels, change into our tiny clubbing dresses and huge clubbing stilettos and hit the town. It may be Valentine’s Day, but it’s still Friday night, and even though for obvious reasons she can’t drink, Mary’s getting a hen night whether she likes it or not! Needless to say, when we arrive at our first club, Mary’s mere presence sees us (and, of course, a cameraman) escorted straight to the VIP area with a round of drinks on the house!

“Wow, you really are the Princess of Belfast!” Charlotte laughs.

“God knows that’s not saying much,” Mary laughs as she sits down, looking slightly uncomfortable with her little black dress and sparkly ‘bride to be’ sash covering her slight bump.

“No, you should be proud!” Hannah exclaims. “Here it’s not ‘The Angels’, it’s ‘Mary’s Angels’! It’s so cool!”

“It’s so embarrassing!” Mary giggles.

“It’s gonna make it hard for you to be a teacher, all this attention you’re getting…” I tease, sipping my lethally strong cocktail.

“I know, I know,” Mary sighs. “God knows I’m DREADING my first placement. But… It is always something I’ve wanted to do.”

“Take it from one teacher to another,” Krystie says. “You’ll be AMAZING at it! But, before you become a teacher, you’ll become a mummy, and before you become a mummy, you become… A Bride!” Krystie yells and hurls a flurry of confetti over Mary, making the bride-to-be squeal with shock. Krystie then hands packets of confetti to the rest of us, which we eagerly hurl over Mary!

Ninety minutes and several drinks later, I’m touching up my make-up in the club’s posh restroom, listening to Krystie gush over the upcoming wedding.

“God above,” Mary complains as she rearranges her dress, “I’m going to be picking confetti out of my cleavage for YEARS!”

“You haven’t seen how much I’ve got lined up for tomorrow!” Krystie squeaks. “This is so exciting! You know, this is my first ever hen night?”

“Me too, obviously,” I interject.

“NOT my first one,” Mary says. “Thank god I have an older sister, it’d have sucked if my first-ever hen night was my own!”

“Why would it have sucked?” I ask as I straighten my fishnets. “You’re getting married to a guy you’re madly in love with, right?”

“Well… Yes, but…” Mary sighs.

“But what?” I say. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet?”

“Mary… Is everything okay?” Krystie asks, genuine concern on her face.

“It’s just… Everything’s going too fast,” Mary moans. “I mean, I’m only 23! I’m not meant to be a wife OR a mum yet. I was meant to have another two years modelling, then get my degree, go into teaching, now I’m a national bloody celebrity and having my wedding photographed by a national magazine!”

“You do know there are people who would kill to be able to say that?” I ask, making Mary sigh and nod.

“Yes, I know,” Mary replies. “Two years ago I’d probably have been one of those people! But now… I miss the days when the four of us could go out WITHOUT a camera crew following our every move. And I don’t want my baby growing up in the public eye, that’s for damn sure.”

“Aww, you’re so maternal!” Krystie says, giving her BFF a gentle hug and patting her belly. “Whether you’re 23 or 33, you’re going to be an AMAZING mummy, and I know Dan will be a perfect daddy. As for perfect hubby… You’re probably in a better position to say than I am!” Mary giggles and wipes a stray tear from her eye.

“You’re right, you both are,” Mary says. “And I’ve been with Dan for two years, I already live with him... It’s not like I’m jumping into making a commitment!”

“That’s very true,” I say with a smile. “You know, since Charlotte & Keith’s problems last year, that’s the longest current relationship out of the six of us?”

“And that’s the way it’s going to stay,” Mary beams, pulling her sash back on and confidently leading us back out to Charlotte, Hannah and Viks on the dancefloor.

We eventually arrive back at the hotel just after midnight, all of us (except Mary) considerably the worse for wear. Fortunately, the camera crew managed to miss me throwing up all over the pavement! It goes without saying that when my alarm goes off at 7am on the wedding day, it feels like a jackhammer’s pounding away at my skull.

“Jamie!” Charlotte yells, banging on my door and making my hangover infinitely worse. “Come on! Time to be a bridesmaid!” What else is new…? I self-pityingly think to myself as I slide out of bed and quickly freshen myself up, pulling on a skirt and a very casual hoodie. There’s no need to dress up any more- not when I have a very special outfit waiting for me!

After a very quick (but very needed) cup of coffee, the six of us congregate in Mary’s vast suite, where a team of beauticians is ready and waiting to turn us from hungover young women into beautiful- but obviously, not TOO beautiful- bridesmaids. Our lingerie is first- a strapless bra, thong and suspender belt, all made from expensive lilac satin. Creamy silk stockings cover our legs and feel AMAZING as they brush against each other with every step. After a liberal layer of fake tan, our faces are made up immaculately, our nails are coated and recoated with glossy red polish, and our hair is tied into sophisticated updos. The five of us are all wearing matching jewellery- simple gold chains on our wrists and hoops in our ears, and dark purple chokers around our necks. Our shoes are next- high heeled purple pumps for myself, Charlotte and Viks, lower heels for the much taller Krystie and Hannah. Last, but not least, come the dresses- gorgeous strapless satin gowns in a deep purple with long, straight skirts that come down almost to floor level. The dresses, of course, fit like a glove, and have a corset-style back to keep them firmly in place throughout the day. After the five of us grab our bouquets, the door to Mary’s bathroom opens and she steps out, making our jaws drop at her radiant beauty.

Her face, hair and nails are as immaculate as the five of us, and her jewellery is beautiful- the highlight being a white gold diamond necklace- but her dress is simply STUNNING. I’ve worn countless wedding dresses in my time as a model, but none come even close to this magnificent gown. It’s strapless- like ours- but in a pure, brilliant white, with tiny jewels sewn into the many layers of the voluminous skirt. The bodice is sculpted to just disguise Mary’s bump enough that you’d wouldn’t see it unless you knew what you were looking for, and her face is covered by a translucent white bejewelled veil. She’s obviously wearing SERIOUSLY high heels as well- it’s a bit jarring to see the 5’ 3” girl look nearly the same height as the 5’ 9” Hannah!

“Here comes the bride!” Krystie excitedly squeaks. “Are you ready, the future Mrs. Carter?” Mary casts a knowing glance in both mine and Krystie’s direction, and beams a wide, happy smile.

“I’m ready,” Mary whispers. “Nervous as hell, but ready!”

“Where is she?” Booms a voice from the doorway- and judging by its deep baritone and unashamedly thick Belfast accent, it can only belong to one man.

“I’m right here, dad!” Mary says to the middle-aged man, who despite his tough image, almost breaks down in tears at the sight of his daughter, the bride.

“I can’t believe my baby girl is actually getting married,” Mr. Logan says, taking Mary’s small hands in his own. “You are truly the most beautiful woman in the world, and Daniel doesn’t know how lucky he is. Who’s the maid of honour?”

“Right here!” Krystie says excitedly.

“Our car’s waiting for us,” Mary’s dad says, holding out his arm and leading Mary out into the hotel lobby, with Krystie following immediately behind.

“She looks so beautiful,” I sniffle.

“She always does,” Viks says, her voice betraying her own emotion.

“Hard to believe that this is it,” Charlotte sniffles. “The end of an era. I mean okay, she’ll still be an Angel, and she always will be…”

“But it won’t be the same,” I finish my BFF’s sentence.

“Then we’ll just have to make 'it' better!” Hannah exclaims. “Come on girls, we’ve got bridesmaiding to do!” With wide, happy grins, we pile into our own limo, which whisks us off to the church.

There wasn’t a single point during the ceremony where at least one of the Angels- myself included- WASN’T crying. Dan looked so handsome and sophisticated in his tuxedo, and Mary’s incredible beauty drew every gaze in the church toward her.

“…I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest says, bringing tears to the eyes of almost everyone present. “You may kiss the bride.” To loud cheers, Dan lifts Mary’s veil and plants a long, loving kiss on her waiting mouth.

After signing the register- which Mary signs as ‘Mary Carter’ for the very first time- everyone congregates outside for the photographs- which seem to take forever- and the all-important throwing of the bouquet! Standing between the statuesque Krystie and Hannah, I thought I stood no chance at all of catching the bouquet, and I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t make too obvious an effort to get it, but obviously, as it flew toward the assembled women, I found myself jumping high to try to grab it. Imagine my surprise, then, when the bouquet flew straight into Charlotte’s outstretched hand! As down as I felt after that, you can only imagine how far my heart sank when Dan threw Mary’s garter at the assembled men and hit Keith square in the chest.

After a full day on my feet in really uncomfortable shoes- which includes the obligatory dance at the reception (Stuart stepped in as my dance partner, despite the fact that I towered over him in my heels)- I’m grateful for the opportunity to finally sit down as the dancefloor starts to fill with all the wedding guests.

“One more?” Stuart asks cheekily, holding out his hand before sitting down next to me when my withering gaze answers his question.

“Can’t say I blame you,” Stuart says. “Hell, MY feet hurt, I can’t imagine how yours feel.”

“Never mind imagine, you can’t even REMEMBER?” I ask, earning a withering gaze of my own from my favourite transman.

“Never anything like those monstrosities,” Stuart answers, pointing at my ostentatious stilettos. “Though no doubt there were plenty of people in that church who thought we should’ve swapped outfits…”

“Tell me about it,” I sigh. “Had to keep my eyes on Mary throughout the whole ceremony so I didn’t get distracted by all the judgemental eyes.”

“And of course, the ironic thing is that you don’t look even remotely masculine,” Stuart says, before chuckling. “Wonder how many people accidentally shot judgemental stares at Charlotte thinking she was you?” I can’t help but snigger at the thought of the super-sexy and ultra-feminine Charlotte- who’s still dancing with Keith, despite her shoes being as uncomfortable as mine- being mistaken for a transsexual.

“I’m not going to be the one to tell her that,” I say. “I still can’t believe Mary’s actually married…”

“She won’t be the last of you to get hitched,” Stuart says. “Welcome to the wonderful world of growing up. And you know, it wouldn’t have killed you to tell me that I don’t look even remotely feminine…” I giggle and blush at my ‘faux pas’.

“Sorry, you ultra-macho, buff and sexy stud muffin!” I say, making Stuart chuckle.

“A bit OTT, but I’ll take it,” Stuart says. I sigh happily and tiredly rest my head on Stuart’s shoulder, catching him a little by surprise. After a short while, though, Stuart happily rests his head against mine and wraps an arm around my slender waist. Stuart’s not wrong- aside from smaller than usual hands and his bone structure (which is easily disguisable under male clothing), there’s no way you would be able to tell that Stuart was born female. Even his smell is unmistakably male- for all the good AND bad that brings. As he rests his hands on my waist I feel my heart rate increasing, much to my surprise. Yes, I find Stuart attractive, and we did (very briefly) date, but these feelings are new- and scary and exciting in equal measure.

The reception continues until well past midnight, at which point I slink off back to my hotel room. Fortunately, I haven’t had much to drink, mainly because our elaborate dresses meant we needed to use the bathroom buddy system again, and Charlotte was buried so deep in Keith’s arms I didn’t dare try to prize her out. After carefully folding my dress away and stepping out of my expensive lingerie, I climb under my bedsheets, quickly falling asleep.

Unusually for a Sunday, I’m awake before my alarm goes off, and after my morning routine (including a moderate layer of make-up), I dress semi-casually in a tight black miniskirt, black tights and a tight dark green jumper. I eschew yesterday’s (almost literal) killer heels in favour of comfortable ankle booties with a 3” heel, but I make a point of wearing the special jewellery all the bridesmaids wore yesterday. After checking the clock to find that it isn’t even 9am yet, a devilish grin creeps over my face as I head to Krystie’s bedroom. Mary and Dan are attending her local church with their families, but Krystie- ever the atheist- managed to duck out of that ‘tradition’ and put away a LOT of booze last night.

“Yoo-hoo!” I call, knocking on Krystie’s door, giggling at the sound of muffled moans on the other side.

“Go away Jamie!” Krystie yells.

“Oh come on,” I yell, happy for once to be the one WITHOUT a hangover. “We’ve got ages before our flight, let’s explore Belfast!”

“Let’s not,” Krystie says, opening her door wrapped in just a bed sheet. “REALLY not a convenient time, Jamie!”

“Why? Have you got someone in there?” I tease.

“How did she know?” A familiar-sounding male voice yells from under the bed’s quilt. My jaw drops as the quilt pulls back to reveal a familiar male face.

“Paul?” I ask. “Paul Kennedy?”

“Umm, hi Jamie,” The naked man in Krystie’s bed says shyly.

“Jamie,” Krystie says, “you know I love you, but please, for the love of everything holy, piss off!”

“You go, girl!” I say with a smile as Krystie slams her door in my face. As I walk back to my room, however, my mood plummets as I realise that I was indeed the only Angel to have slept alone last night. The sight of Adeola leaving her hotel room hand-in-hand with her boyfriend only compounds my misery, and when I head down to breakfast and see everyone sitting together in their neat, tidy couples, something snaps inside my head. I reach into my handbag and pull out my phone, pushing a number on my speed dial.

“Jamie?” Stuart asks, clearly having only just woken up. “What time is it?”

“What room are you in?” I ask bluntly.

“Umm… 215,” Stuart replies. “Are you at breakfast?”

“Not yet,” I say. “Want to grab it together?”

“Sure,” Stuart replies. “Just give me a second to get dressed.” Not a chance… I think to myself. After heading back to my room and adding more make-up to my face, I head to Stuart’s room, ‘accidentally’ bumping into him as he leaves it.

“Hi Jamie,” Stuart says with a genuine, warm smile on his face. “You’re looking great today!”

“Thanks,” I say, giggling flirtatiously. “You’re looking hot too!”

“I’m wearing jeans and a sweatshirt,” Stuart retorts. “The only way I’d be ‘hot’ is if they cranked up the thermostat.” I giggle a little more as we head to the restaurant.

“Jamie…” Stuart sighs, stopping in his tracks. “Something’s different with you, and I think I know what it is. It’s Krystie & Paul, right?” I sigh and look sadly at the handsome young man.

“Is it that obvious?” I pout.

“It’s never fun being the only single person at a wedding,” Stuart says.

“That’s the whole point,” I say, linking my fingers with Stuart. “We don’t HAVE to be…”

“Jamie,” Stuart sighs. “You know how much I like you, but-“

“Is it about me being pre-op?” I ask, to which Stuart sadly shakes his head.

“I’m not THAT much of a hypocrite,” Stuart chuckles. “It’s just… I love you too much as a friend, I’m worried that sex would just make it awkward, Especially considering all the additional ‘help’ we in particular would need…” I laugh at Stuart’s risqué joke and sigh- he is, of course, right.

“I love you as a friend too,” I say. “Sometimes I can tell you things that I can’t even tell Charlotte… On that note, can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course,” Stuart replies, keeping his fingers linked with mine.

“When I went to see Keith, after he and Charlotte separated… I nearly ended up having sex with him,” I confess, making Stuart’s eyes wide and his jaw drop.

“Seriously?” Stuart asks.

“Seriously,” I say, nodding. “It got as far as a lot of kissing, both of us used our hands… But that’s it.”

“Who called it off?” Stuart asks.

“I did,” I answer truthfully. “Obviously, you can NOT tell Charlotte, or let Keith know I told you. He actually said, and I quote, ‘sometimes I think I dated the wrong girl’.”

“Jesus,” Stuart breathes. “You know- and I want you to know that we don’t mean anything by this, we’re just taking the piss out of Keith- sometimes we, by which I mean ‘the boys’, tease Keith about you and Charlotte looking so similar, but he always insists he’s NOT attracted to you in any way.”

“You think he’s just ‘keeping up appearances’?” I ask.

“I’m certain of it,” Stuart sighs. “Poor guy… I don’t think he’s really been happy with Charlotte since they got back together. Can I tell you something, as long as you promise not to tell Charlotte or Keith?”

“Sure,” I reply.

“The engagement ring that Dan gave to Mary… He bought it from Keith,” Stuart says, making my jaw drop and my whole body nearly spasm. “He was going to propose to Charlotte at some point last year, probably at Christmas, but obviously, that didn’t happen. Now… I doubt he ever will.”

“I had no idea,” I breathe.

“You saw just how heartbroken he was,” Stuart says, unlinking his fingers from mine but still holding hands with me. “He worshipped the ground Charlotte walked on- you know that better than anyone. When she cheated on him with that footballer, I think a part of him got irreparably damaged.”

“Poor guy,” I mumble.

“Anyway, I’m getting hungry,” Stuart says, lightening the mood. “I’m guessing you don’t want to sit alone at breakfast?”

“You guess right,” I say with a smile.

“Good,” Stuart says, tightening his grip on my hand and leading me to the restaurant.

After breakfast, we all head to George Best Airport, where- with tears in our eyes- we wave Mary & Dan off as they fly away on honeymoon. Joshua’s shelled out a lot of money to send them to Dubai for a week, though they will of course have a camera crew accompanying them! Before too long, the rest of us- weary from the weekend’s events- are on a plane back to London. I’d originally been due to sit next to Paul again, but fortunately I was able to swap again so I was sat next to Stuart. Unsurprisingly, Krystie didn’t need much persuasion to switch seats!

“Home at last,” I joke as I stretch out next to Stuart.

“You sound almost glad!” Stuart jokes. “Though if you’re away as much as you are for work, I suppose sleeping in your own bed can seem like a novelty at times.”

“Yeah, my own bed’s pretty cool,” I say with a smile. “And even though I know it would be ‘awkward’, the offer to share it is still on the table…”

“I’ll… Get back to you on that,” Stuart laughs.

“But that’s not a firm ‘no’?” I ask expectantly.

“I’m being offered sex from one of the most beautiful girls in the world, of course it’s not going to be a firm ‘no’!” Stuart says. “Yes, I find you sexy as hell, all you Angels are, and yes, if it were just the act of sex, I would have sex with you in a heartbeat, but you and I know we wouldn’t be able to keep it as just ‘that’.”

“I know, I know,” I sigh. “I just- I have needs, you know?”

“Oh believe me, I know,” Stuart laughs. “Dunno if Beverly told you what it’s like for FTMs, but when the testosterone hits us, it hits us HARD. Before I started transitioning I was basically asexual, by the time I started uni 2 years later I was drooling over anything in a skirt.”

“So basically, you became a man?” I ask, prompting a chuckle from Stuart.

“Man and proud,” I’m reminded.

“Sounds like we both have needs,” I muse.

“If you’re suggesting a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement…” Stuart says. “…I’ll give it some serious thought.” Stuart gives my nylon-covered thigh a playful squeeze, much to my delight!

It’s almost 5:30pm when I finally stagger through my front door, suitcases in hand, where I kick off my booties and collapse dramatically on the sofa.

“…So you’re just going to leave your cases there, then?” Dad asks sarcastically.

“You expect me to move them with these nails?” I retort, showing my father my expensive manicure.

“Ooh, are these your wedding nails?” Mum coos over my beautified fingers.

“Yeah, well the wedding’s over now,” dad chuckles. “And our living room isn’t a storage closet!”

“Mark!” Mum playfully chastises. “Give the poor girl a break, she’s only just come through the door!”

“’Poor’ girl?” Dad asks, barely able to keep a straight face. “’Poor’?”

“I’ll move them after dinner,” I say, laughing at my parents’ playful teasing.

Sure enough, after dinner I spend virtually the whole evening packing away my clothes, taking special care when hanging up my bridesmaid’s dress next to all the other beautiful costumes I’ve worn over the years. I just have enough time before going to bed to grab my trusty iPad and start a new Facebook conversation with the girls- though it should go without saying that out of all the girls, Mary wasn’t online!

After an evening of non-stop gossip about Mary, the wedding and Krystie’s tryst with Paul- which has apparently evolved into a fledgling relationship- I climb into bed, exhausted but exhilarated from the weekend’s events. I try to focus on the positives in my life- I may not have a boy in bed next to me, but I have countless friends who are only a Facebook message away at any time.

My alarm wakes me the following morning at 8am- it may be the day after the biggest event of the year so far, but it’s still a Monday, so there’ll still be a dance lesson this morning! After running through my morning routine, pulling on a fresh thong and applying a light layer of make-up, I giggle loudly as I rummage through my dancewear drawer for something ‘appropriate’ to wear. Normally, Krystie insists on a plain black leotard and pink tights in her non-beginner classes, but on certain days throughout the year, she relaxes the dress code for our students- including us Angels! Today is one of those days, and the theme is ‘Valentine’s’, so I roll a pair of opaque white tights up my soft, hairless legs, and stretch a pink tank leotard- that shows off a decent amount of my chest and back- over my slender body. After scraping my hair back into a tight ponytail, I pull a black denim skirt and tight grey jumper on over my dancewear, before slipping my feet into a pair of cute flats, grabbing my handbag, dance bag and keys and heading off to the studio!

After picking up Charlotte- whose snow white legs tell me she’s had the same idea as me regarding our dancewear- we arrive at the class to find Viks’s car there bright and early, as always, but when we step into the reception, she’s the only other girl there.

“Where’s Hannah?” I ask the dark-haired girl, who simply shrugs in response.

“I dunno,” Viks replies. “I got a text from her this morning saying she had a last-minute appointment and couldn’t make it.”

“It’s not like her to miss dance practice,” Charlotte muses. “ESPECIALLY as it’s dress rehearsal today.”

“AND she wasn’t herself on the flight home yesterday,” Viks mutters. “She barely said a word the whole way home…”

“Ooh, I would NOT want to be her if she messes up on Thursday…” I laugh, earning a stern stare from my BFF.

“Keith’s birthday will go perfectly, as it ALWAYS has,” Charlotte insists, sticking her tongue out at me and making Viks giggle.

“It’s just the four of us today, then,” Krystie sighs, leading us into the studio where we strip down to our matching pink leotards. “Hannah’s apparently feeling under the weather.”

“I thought she said she had a last-minute appointment?” I whisper to Viks.

“That’s what she said…” Viks replies with obvious concern in her voice.

“Anyway,” Krystie says, clapping her hands. “That just means I get to be the tallest here by miles!” Smiling smugly, Krystie rises en pointe and walks around the three of us.

“Did you really put on your pointes just for that?” I ask.

“Maybe,” Krystie chuckles, remaining en pointe. With a sly grin, I look over at Charlotte, and- despite her initial protests- we lift Viks off the floor so that she’s staring down on Krystie.

“Oh FINE then,” Krystie huffs dramatically, dropping down onto the soles of her feet. “Anyway, regardless of whether there are four, five or all six of us, it’s still the Monday before a show, so it’s dress rehearsal time!” Charlotte, Viks and I all giggle happily as Krystie runs off to the storage cupboard and returns with a rack full of sparkly majorette costumes. Still giggling, Charlotte, Viks and I strip off our leotards and swap our white tights for brand-new fishnet tights before stepping into the costumes themselves. Krystie also take the opportunity to tie my hair into a bun- though I don’t recall seeing the heart shape she ties it into in any stage performances!

The royal blue costume looks like a dress on the outside, but is really a leotard with sparkly fringing acting as a ‘skirt’, a mesh front showing off plenty of cleavage and long mesh sleeves that end in gauntlets that slip over our middle fingers. After Krystie applies our thick stage make-up, we pull on high blue hats and grab our batons. The costume for the performance will also include white knee-high boots with a 3” heel, but Krystie refuses to let us dance in them on her floor.

The rehearsal goes well, though we have to ‘improvise’ when it comes to Hannah’s solo section, and we don’t get much time to practice as both Charlotte and Viks have to head off early for work (Charlotte’s filming a TV spot, whilst Viks is deep in study for the final year of her uni course). After pulling my white tights and my leotard back on, I sit down next to Krystie on one of the seats surrounding the dancefloor.

“Soo…” I tease. “You and Paul, then. How did THAT come about?”

“God, I dunno,” Krystie sighs happily. “It was just when we danced at the reception, something just ‘clicked’. He’s this shy, sensitive boy but he’s got a razor-sharp sense of humour… And he’s PHENOMENAL in bed!”

“’Shy and sensitive’ isn’t really your type,” I remind the tall girl.

“No, but ‘six foot one and really well-endowed’ is!” Krystie giggles. “I dunno, I mean yes, it’s early days, but I’ve got a really, REALLY good feeling about this.”

“Well good,” I say with a genuine smile. “It’s about time someone put that smile back on your face!”

“Oh Jamie,” Krystie says, giving me a quick hug. “You’ll find someone soon, I know you will! There are literally millions of guys out there who would give their right arms to be your boyfriend!”

“I don’t want ‘millions of guys’,” I sigh. “I just want one. THE one.”

“And you WILL find him,” Krystie says.

“I know, I know,” I moan. “Anyway, here I am, dressed in my ballet gear and with my hair in a sort-of bun, and I haven’t actually done any ballet today!” Krystie giggles as I grab my dance bag and make a production out of tying my pointe shoes to my feet. “Any chance I could join in your next class?”

“Given that my next class is at a local primary school, I’d say ‘no’,” Krystie laughs. “The Angels are my only adult class in the daytime, though Joshua’s been trying to get me to give private lessons to some of his other models, most of whom attend my adult classes anyway.”

“Your waiting list is surely long enough you can afford to do that?” I say, dancing a few steps for the delighted Krystie.

“Yeah, I guess,” Krystie sighs. “But I still, you know, want to be a model sometimes. Joshua’s arranged an interview and a shoot for me next week for a magazine, sort of half-ballet, half-street clothes. It’s gonna be SO good to be back in a studio.”

“I know the feeling,” I giggle, sitting down next to Krystie and untying my pointe shoes. “Anyway, I’ll let you get off to your kids!”

“See you tomorrow for practice?” Krystie asks. “God knows it’d be pointless if there were only THREE of us here…”

“Of course,” I say with a smile.

After pulling my skirt, jumper and flats back on, I pull my phone out of my bag and dial Hannah’s number. It’s not like her to skip out on ballet at such short notice, and it’s certainly not like her to lie to at least one of her friends. Much to my relief, her phone answers after 2 rings.

“Hi Jamie!” Hannah says in her usual excited voice.

“Hi Han,” I reply. “We missed you at dance today…”

“Yeah, sorry,” Hannah said with an audible grimace. “My mum wasn’t feeling well, I had to drive her to the doctor.” I roll my eyes at Hannah’s obvious lie, but I make a mental note not to get angry with the girl.

“Hannah…” I say softly. “If- if there’s something wrong, you know you can tell me.”

“Oh god,” Hannah suddenly exclaims. “Jamie- can we meet in person, please?”

“Of course,” I reply, deeply concerned by the near-panic in Hannah’s voice. I try to keep my own emotions in check as I drive to Hannah’s house, wracking my brains trying to figure out what was wrong. Is Hannah pregnant? Is she ill? Have the press unearthed some previously unknown dirt on her?

After I knock on the door, I’m greeted by the statuesque girl wrapping her arms around me in a big hug.

“Jamie, thank god you’ve come,” Hannah says, clearly upset about something.

"It's really no fuss," I reply. "What's wrong? What's happened?" Hannah sighs and leads me into her lounge, where we sit together on her sofa.

"I've... Been made an offer by Spencer & Hall," Hannah says, sounding almost ashamed by what she's saying.

"Hannah..." I say, shocked by the revelation. "That's great news!"

"Is it?" Hannah replies. "I mean yes, six months ago it'd have been phenomenal, but now..."

"...You'd have to leave the Angels," I whisper, suddenly realising why Hannah is so distraught.

"Exactly," Hannah sighs.

"What's Joshua said about this?" I ask.

"He doesn't know yet," Hannah says, causing a lightbulb to switch on in my brain.

"That's very strange," I muse. "When Spencer & Hall offered me representation, they went through Joshua rather than contacting me directly."

"...You think they're trying to poach me?" Hannah asks.

"Maybe," I reply. "Possibly. I dunno, this- we should really tell Joshua about this. Spencer & Hall haven't forbidden you from discussing it with him, have they?"

"It didn't come up," Hannah says.

"Then we're seeing him tomorrow," I say firmly. "Just the two of us. We don't need to trouble the other girls with this news, especially not Mary whilst she's on honeymoon."

"I mean," Hannah sobs, "I know I shouldn't, but it's so much money they're offering me..." I hold Hannah in a tight hug and allow her to cry into my shoulder.

"You have to do what's right for you," I say. "Have you told Viks, or Martin?"

"Not yet," Hannah sighs. "I know what Martin would say. He’s constantly jealous of the amount of time I spend with you and the Angels."

"Which is why whenever we have an Angel party, he's nowhere to be seen?" I ask, making the tall girl giggle.

"He's such a knob at times," Hannah sighs. "But I love him anyway. We're actually planning on moving in together soon."

"That's so cool!" I say happily. "I'm guessing you won't be asking me or Charlotte to do your housewarming party?" Hannah giggles uncontrollably at the thought.

"Maybe not," Hannah laughs. "Thanks for listening, Jamie. Thanks for being there... I'm so glad I've got you in my life. AND the other girls."

"Whether it's Joshua or Spencer & Hall you're signed to, I'll ALWAYS be your friend," I say, giving Hannah yet another hug.

"Thanks," Hannah says with a genuine smile. "And are you telling me I missed non-uniform day at ballet?" Hannah strokes my snow-white thigh, making us both collapse in yet another fit of giggles.

I spend the rest of the day at home, catching up on my uni work and writing my various magazine/website columns, and yet I can't get Hannah out of my head. When Charlotte was signed to Spencer & Hall, and when I had my offer from them, it was just about work and wouldn't have impacted on my social life at all. And yet now, with Hannah, it's different... For better or worse, the Angels are a bona fide brand, and if Hannah leaves the group, our lives, our personal lives may never be the same again...

I chat with the other girls throughout the evening, but as promised, the topic of Hannah's 'offer' never comes up. I eventually get to bed at 10:30pm, but barely sleep through worrying about my friend.

Once again, I'm awake at 8am the following morning- Krystie has a free morning so we've all agreed to get some more practice in ahead of Keith's party, and this means that after my morning routine, I pull on a fresh pair of pink tights and a black short-sleeved leotard over my clean pink thong. After packing my dance bag, I throw a knee-length red sweater dress over my dancewear, slip my feet into a pair of flats, grab my bags and head off toward the dance studio.

Once again- after picking Charlotte up- we see Viks's car parked outside the studio, but once again, when we go inside, Hannah is nowhere to be seen.

"Another 'last-minute appointment'?" Charlotte asks sarcastically.

"God knows," Viks shrugs. "I'm really worried about her, this is SO out of character..."

"You've known her longer than anyone," Charlotte says with genuine concern in her voice. "You don't have an idea as to what's wrong?" I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from spilling the beans about Hannah's offer, but somehow I manage it throughout the rehearsal (which we do today in our uniforms, rather than our full costumes). Once we have our street clothes back on, Charlotte immediately pulls out her phone and dials a number.

"Who are you calling?" Viks asks.

"Hannah," Charlotte replies. "I'm worried about her, really worried. I haven't known her as long as any of you but I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character, and something's really wrong."

"Maybe," I say, "maybe we should let work out her own problems?"

"Not if she needs our help," Charlotte says. "Even if she doesn't know she needs our help, we've got to offer it. That's what sisters do."

"You're right," I say stoically.

"Damn it, no answer," Charlotte sighs, putting her phone away. "Whatever this is, I wish she'd just tell us..." In the past, Charlotte was never the most altruistic person in the world, but looking at her now, I can tell just how much she loves Hannah, and just how devastated she'd be if anything happened that would result in Hannah no longer being our friend. As I drive Charlotte home I'm almost tempted to let her in on the secret, but I told Hannah I'd keep it between the two of us for now, and that's what I intend to do- even if it puts me in the agonising position of lying to a friend- my BFF, no less- to protect another.

After I arrive home I strip off my dress and my dancewear and change into something more appropriate for a meeting with my boss. I keep my pink thong on, but clip a matching bra around my body, and roll a pair of thin barely black tights up my legs. Rather than wear a pencil skirt, I opt instead for a playful knife-pleat grey skirt, pulling on a matching jacket over a white satin blouse. After making sure my make-up and jewellery are immaculate- and leaving the bun that Krystie so carefully tied in place- I slip my feet into a pair of 4" heeled pointed-toe grey stilettos, grab my handbag and head back to my car.

"Hi Jamie," Hannah says, giving me a quick hug as she slides into the passenger seat of my car in her expensive black suit, which of course includes a miniskirt and high heels of her own that show off her endless legs encased in shiny nude tights. "I hope you don't mind, but Martin said he wanted to come along."

"Sure," I say flatly as the scowling young man sits down in the back seat of my Clio. "I take it she told you, Martin?"

"Yes," Hannah's boyfriend replies coldly. "I don't see that there's anything that needs discussing, it's the same work but a 300% pay rise. It SHOULD be a no-brainer."

"I already make more money than I can spend," Hannah snaps at Martin.

"And why wouldn't you want to make more?" Martin retorts. "You'll make new friends working for Spencer and Hall and be infinitely richer."

"I don't want new fr-" Hannah snaps, before sighing. "Can we please just talk to Joshua first?"

"Fine," Martin huffs, though he's clearly unhappy. When we arrive at Joshua's agency, he's unsurprisingly already in reception waiting to greet us.

"Jamie! Hannah!" Joshua says, giving us both hugs. "Martin Pickering as well! You said this meeting was urgent, so let's get on with it!" Still smiling, Joshua leads the three of us into his vast office, where we sit down on his plush new chairs.

"Let me guess- you and Martin Pickering are expecting a child of your own, right?" Joshua asks.

"Not quite," Hannah replies cautiously.

"'Not quite'?" Joshua asks, his face falling. "Have- have you lost a baby?"

"It's nothing to do with pregnancy," Martin says. "What's happened is-"

"Hannah is speaking," Joshua says, silencing Martin with a wave of his hand.

"Spencer and Hall have contacted me and offered me a contract with them," Hannah explains. Joshua stoically nods- six months ago, he'd have practically leapt over the desk to embrace Hannah, but now, something's clearly different.

"I see," Joshua says. "I had a feeling something like this might happen. Are you planning on accepting?"

"She is," Martin says bluntly, earning himself a truly FOUL stare from Hannah.

"I'm not decided yet," Hannah says. "They've offered me a lot of money, more than any of the Angels are currently making."

"I can see why you'd be tempted," Joshua says calmly. "You are a beautiful and talented model, so do not take what I am about to say as an insult. They want to sign you to damage me."

"I thought as much," Hannah sighs.

"They clearly see myself and the Angels as a threat to them," Joshua says with a satisfied grin on his face. "Hannah, you must do what you think is right for yourself. In losing you, I'd be losing my hardest-working and my most marketable model. Also, I'd have to cut you out of every episode of the Angels so as not to infringe on Spencer & Hall's contract with you."

"That sounds like a huge hassle," Hannah whispers.

"And it would be," Joshua says. "But it's your life, it's your choice. I don't want to force to stay somewhere you don't want to be. Make your decision, and let me know."

"I will," Hannah whispers, clearly on the verge of tears.

Once the three of us are back in my car, Martin wastes no time in making his feelings known.

"He says he's okay with you signing for them, so sign for them," Martin says.

"I've told you, I need time to think it over," Hannah says, clearly irritated by her boyfriend's attitude.

"Well you don't seem to be thinking at all," Martin says snidely.

"There's more at stake here than just money!" Hannah growls. "And besides, there's nothing to say that I wouldn't be making as much money with Joshua in a few years' time anyway."

"But why wait a few years?" Martin asks. "Call Spencer and Hall now! Go on!"

"Do. Not. Order. Me. Around," Hannah says through gritted teeth.

"Look, you're going to sign with them," Martin sighs. "Why wait to reach that conclusion when you can get it over and done with now?"

"You know what?" Hannah snaps. "I HAVE made a decision. But not about Spencer and Hall. Get out."

"What?" Martin asks incredulously.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS CAR!" Hannah screeches at her boyfriend.

"No!" Martin says, laughing at Hannah's rage.

"Get out," I interject.

"What, are you planning on making me?" Martin asks, the same smug grin still on his face.

"It's my car," I say, anger seeping into my voice. "I don't want you in it any more. If you remain in it, I'm pretty sure that's called trespassing." Wordlessly, Martin stares angrily at me in the rear-view mirror and steps out of the car, allowing me to speed away.

"Hannah," I say gently. "I'm- I'm sorry." Aside from a solitary tear trickling down her left cheek, the blonde girl is completely emotionless.

"Don't be, you're hardly to blame," Hannah grumbles. "He's been like this for ages now. Seems to think that because he's a man, he can order everyone around."

"'He is man, hear him bitch'," I spit. "My dad used to be like that."

"Is that why it took you so long to come out?" Hannah asks- and the more I think about it, the more she might be right.

"I don't know," I sigh. "Have- have you made your mind up yet about Spencer and Hall?"

"Not yet," Hannah whispers, now close to tears.

"I think..." I begin. "I think someone needs an ice cream and onesie party right now."

"That sounds perfect," Hannah says, smiling warmly at me.

Rather than head home, we head immediately to Charlotte's house, where she and Keith welcome myself and Hannah with big hugs and Hannah mentions her fight with Martin. Within minutes, we've stripped out of our suits and put on our onesies- me in my favourite rabbit onesie (that I keep at Charlotte's for this very reason) and Hannah in a footless duck onesie.

"She's got legggggs!" Charlotte sings as Hannah sits down next to me on the sofa, her shins completely exposed by my too-short onesie.

"Ugh, sometimes I think they're TOO long," Hannah complains, tucking her bare legs underneath her. "Have you heard anything from Mary yet? I'd have expected a few honeymoon snaps to have hit Facebook by now."

"Nothing yet," Charlotte says. "I'm hoping they're not spending TOO much time having sex, considering her 'condition'! Dubai's such a beautiful place, they need to get out and explore it."

"Wasn't your first job for Spencer & Hall in Dubai?" I ask, inwardly grimacing after the words leave my mouth as I feel Hannah stare angrily at me.

"First overseas job, yeah," Charlotte.

"Shame I'll never get to visit," I sigh, trying to change the topic.

"Any country that can't accept you for what you are doesn't deserve to be visited by you," Charlotte says with a warm smile.

"Too right!" Hannah says. "And I've just had a fight with my so-called boyfriend, I thought I was promised ice cream?" Rolling his eyes, Keith gets up off the sofa, returning seconds later with three pots of ice cream for the three of us.

"Now that's a REAL man," Charlotte says, snuggling into Keith's arms.

"What, constantly under your thumb?" Keith moans.

"No, not 'under my thumb'," Charlotte retorts. "Just constantly at my beck and call!"

"You love it really," I joke at Keith, who simply rolls his eyes before shooting a haunting, sad look at me.

"What did you see in Martin, anyway?" Charlotte asks.

"God, at the start it was perfect," Hannah sighs. "I'd just signed for Joshua, he'd just started work for his dad... He was fun, he'd shower me with attention, he was GREAT in bed... Then he started, you know, getting all controlling."

"Trying to exert control over a model? Good luck with that..." Keith laughs, earning himself a playful elbow in the ribs from Charlotte. "I'm not wrong though, am I?"

"No, I guess not," Charlotte says, making us three girls all giggle!

"And now he's trying to make me-" Hannah says, before pausing and groaning loudly. "God, I can't keep this in any longer, Spencer & Hall have offered me a contract."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Charlotte says warmly. "If I was going to design a supermodel from scratch, she'd look a hell of a lot like you. Have you signed yet?"

"I'm not sure I'm going to," Hannah replies. "I mean, it's a phenomenal amount of money, but I'm already making tons of money from being in the Angels..."

"You have to do what's right for you," Charlotte says. "I mean, I know what I'd prefer you do, but it's not my choice, it's yours." I can't help but grin at the mature way Charlotte's absorbing Hannah's information and offering advice. 12 months ago, this conversation would probably have ended with Charlotte viewing Hannah as a rival to be dealt with accordingly...

"What's it like, working for them?" Hannah asks.

"Tiring," Charlotte replies. "Hard work, but fulfilling work. You never... Really feel like you're part of a family though, not like you do with Joshua. My agent would probably have had a fit if his nephew dated a model."

"Everything about them is very professional," I say. "Almost to the point that they have no, well, soul."

"EXACTLY that," Charlotte concurs.

"But the opportunities...?" Hannah asks.

"Limitless," Charlotte answers. "Literally limitless. I was signed for them for just over a year and they got me on Strictly. If you signed for them today they could probably get you on too, if not this year than certainly next year."

"God, this is such a hard choice," Hannah moans, slumping back on the sofa. "I don't want to leave the Angels, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity..."

"Sleep on it," Charlotte advises. "Don't make any important decisions TOO quickly."

We're soon joined by Viks and Krystie (and their onesies), who are filled in on the situation and both offer their unconditional support to Hannah regardless of her decision. Viks and Krystie depart after a short while as both have dates, and after I reveal that I'd be staying at Charlotte's house tonight, Hannah all but begs me to let her sleep in my bed. Knowing that I can't turn down a friend in need, I agree, and we both head to bed just after 10:30pm.

"God, I can't believe Viks is getting laid tonight and I'm newly single," Hannah moans as she climbs under my bed sheets.

"You're definitely not taking Martin back?" I ask. "You went out with him for a long time..."

"He's become such an arsehole lately," Hannah moans. "You should've seen him on the double date on Thursday, insisting that he not be filmed yet making every effort to dominate the conversation and ruin it for everyone else."

"Let me guess- Keith was too polite to confront him and he just dismissed you and Charlotte like you were nothing?" I ask.

"Got it in one," Hannah sighs. "Charlotte's right, Keith IS a real man. I mean yes, he can be a bit of a doormat, but he's charming, kind, thoughtful... Why do guys think they have to act like macho morons every hour of every day?"

"They're caveman," I state, diving under the sheets. "But do you know what eventually happened to cavemen?"

"Umm... Tell me?" Hannah asks.

"Evolution," I explain. "They either adapted or they died out. Neanderthals like Martin are a dying breed. There are millions of better guys out there. More EVOLVED guys. And I'd be willing to bet every single one of them would give their right arm to be where I am right now!"

"Well they CAN'T," Hannah says with a confident smile, snuggling into my thick, warm sheets.

"Night, Hannah," I say, turning off the lights.

"Night, Jamie," Hannah replies.

I wake up the following morning at 7:30am, much to Hannah's dismay.

"Oh come on," the tall girl says, wrapping her arms around my slender waist. "Just let me cuddle you a little longer..."

"Buy a teddy bear," I joke, wriggling free of Hannah's embrace. "I've got to get ready, I'm on TV today!"

"Ugh, I've got nothing to do all day," Hannah complains, slumping back into bed. "I was going to surprise Martin at work... I guess THAT's out. Can- can I go with you to the studio? You know, let them have two Angels for the price of one?"

"I'm not sharing my pay cheque with you!" I yell from underneath my shower. "Not if you're going to work for Spencer and Hall, anyway!"

"I told you, I haven't made my mind up yet," Hannah sighs. "Can I least come with you to the studio, even if I don't get on air?"

"Sure," I say, returning to my bedroom with a towel wrapped around my chest and another around my hair. "Um, turn around?"

"Fine," Hannah mock-sighs, burying her face in a pillow. "I still can't believe you're so sensitive about it..."

"'It' will be gone in two months' time," I say, slipping on a clean bra and thong set and a silky camisole. "As far as everyone is concerned, 'it' already is."

"Reckon you'll do any nude stuff?" Hannah asks. "You know, when you get your vagina?"

"Reckon YOU'LL do any nude stuff?" I retort. "You know, because you HAVE a vagina?"

"Touché," Hannah laughs, putting on her suit from yesterday as I blow-dry my hair and apply my make-up. "Ugh, do you have any tights or any leggings? I put a ladder in mine yesterday in that onesie and don't really want to go out bare-legged in this skirt..."

"I'm sure I've got some unworn ones in my drawers," I answer. "Assuming they'll fit those pins of yours!"

"They're not THAT much longer than yours..." Hannah laughs, pulling on one of my pairs of light tights. "You know, for someone who was born male, you really do have a feminine body shape. I can see why people sometimes mistake you for Charlotte based on that alone."

"Thanks," I say smugly, picking a striped designer jumper out of my wardrobe and an A-line black skirt out of my drawers. "What do you reckon? Good enough for TV?"

"Good enough for ANYTHING," Hannah says with a warm grin. After pulling on the gorgeous items of clothing, I roll a pair of shiny black tights up my legs and complete my look with 4" heeled black stilettos. After applying my perfume, putting on my jewellery and grabbing my handbag, I head downstairs, raring to start the day!

"I'm off!" I yell to my part-time housemates. "See you tonight!"

"See you Jamie!" Keith yells back.

"I'm also off, in case you were wondering!" Hannah yells, barely stifling a giggle.

"See you too, Hannah," Keith yells with less enthusiasm.

After a quick stop at Hannah's house to allow her to change- she opts for a casual grey top and another tight miniskirt, but wears flats instead of heels, much to my relief- I arrive at the studio where I'll be spending the next half hour talking about the upcoming Angels show, my life and my upcoming surgery. Before I head on set, I make a quick phone call.

"Jamie!" Joshua booms from the other end of the line. "What are you doing calling me? You should be making the British viewing public love you!"

"Yeah, about that..." I begin. "I was wondering if today I could, you know, share the love? Hannah's had a falling out with her boyfriend and didn't want to be alone, so..."

"If she doesn't mind working for free, and the producers agree, then by all means you can take her onto the set!" Joshua says. "If anything like this happens in future don't even bother checking with me first- I'm marketing you girls as a group, so the more you appear together, the easier my job is!"

"Thanks," I say with a warm smile, before turning and facing Hannah.

"Want to be on TV today?" I ask, making Hannah giggle loudly and give me a tight hug.

35 minutes later, the two of us leave the studio, exhilarated by our latest media adventure. The show wasn't live, meaning we don't have the usual barrage of missed calls on our phones, which gives the two of us a chance to talk as we head home.

"God, I LOVE being on TV," Hannah says. "If I could be on TV every day, I would."

"...If you signed for Spencer and Hall, you probably could be," I say quietly, fearing that I've made my friend's decision for her.

"I know," Hannah whispers, before an awkward silence fills the car.

"...You're still not decided?" I ask.

"Not yet," Hannah replies. "They've asked for an answer by Friday. Jamie I- I really, really want this."

"...Then you should take it," I say, blinking tears out of my eyes.

"I mean, we'd always be friends, right?" Hannah asks, clearly close to tears herself.

"Of course," I whisper. "Always."

I drop the emotional girl back at her home before heading back to my own home, where I kick off my heels and collapse on the sofa, letting out a long, loud moan.

"Are you okay, Jamie?" Mum asks.

"I'm fine," I sigh. "It's just- one of the girls might be moving on, getting a different agent."

"Oh no," mum says with genuine concern. "Which one?"

"Hannah," I say. "She's been offered this mega-contract by the same agency I turned down last year, it's always been her dream to work for them... I dunno, I just always thought we'd be 'The Angels' forever..."

"Nothing lasts forever," mum says, sitting down next to me. "And you never know what life will bring you. I thought I'd have a son forever, but I was wrong, and I'm glad I was!" I grin and give my mum a quick hug.

"Thank you," I whisper. "I mean yes, I can always make a new friend, but I don't WANT a new friend, I want Hannah... Does that make me a selfish person?"

"No, of course not!" Mum says. "You're probably the kindest, most unselfish person I know."

"Well, you have to say that, you're my mother!" I joke.

"I don't HAVE to say it, I want to say it!" Mum jokes back. "But whatever happens, you'll always have myself and your father, and you'll always have at least four really close friends."

"Yes, I know, 'focus on what I DO have'..." I sigh.

"One of these days I won't have to remind you of that!" Mum laughs. "You'll be seeing the girls tonight, right?"

"Yeah," I reply. "Keith and the guys are having a boy's night ahead of the party tomorrow so we're having girl's night tonight instead of Friday. Can't believe it might be the last ever one..."

"Ten seconds and already you've forgotten your own advice!" Mum scolds. "You knew everything was going to change anyway, what with Mary's marriage and her baby..."

"Yes, I know," I say, slouching back in the sofa.

"And then there's your own change in April..." Mum teases. "You aren't having any second thoughts about THAT, are you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I haven't had second thoughts," I reply. "But this is something I want, something I NEED." Just like Hannah wants and needs Spencer and Hall...

I spend the rest of the day at home, catching up on work, but in the evening I change, ready for a night out. As always, my make-up is thick, my hair and jewellery extravagant, my heels extra high and my dress extra short, but tonight, I find it difficult to muster up the enthusiasm for a girls night out. The taxi picks me up just after 8:30pm, with Krystie already nestled in the back seat in her own sexy clubbing dress and heels.

"Hey lover," Krystie teases as I slide into the back seat of the car.

"Hey sexy," I say, giving Krystie a kiss on the lips, much to the taxi driver's amusement! "Is this going to be a tradition now, whenever we're alone together?"

"I dunno, Paul might get jealous!" Krystie laughs.

"Where is he tonight?" I ask.

"Around with the guys," Krystie explains. "Apparently he's much more comfortable talking to strange men than strange women, the wuss."

"Are you trying to imply I'm strange?" I ask.

"You being what you are doesn't make you strange," Krystie says diplomatically. "You being WHO you are, on the other hand, does!" I petulantly stick my tongue out at Krystie, before taking a deep breath.

"Do you know if Hannah's coming out tonight?" I ask, causing the mood in the car to drop sharply.

"I dunno," Krystie replies. "I guess we'll find out when we see Viks."

Sure enough, when we arrive at the club, Charlotte and Viks are waiting for us, but Hannah isn't.

"Hey girls," Krystie says, trying to keep the mood happy. "Looks like you'll all be looking up to me again!"

"It's not fair," Viks mock-whines. "Why do you need such tall heels anyway? You're taller than most of the guys in here even without them..."

"It's my way of weeding out guys who aren't tall enough for me," Krystie says smugly.

"Including the guy you already have?" Charlotte asks.

"Oh please," Krystie snorts. "If he can look but not touch, than so can I!" Giggling, the four of us are ushered into the posh club's VIP area and are treated to a round of drinks on the house, as has become almost tradition for our girl's nights.

"To Hannah," I say, raising my glass. "No matter what she decides, she'll always be OUR Hannah."

"To Hannah," the other girls toast, clinking our glasses together.

"Did she really not tell you about Spencer and Hall until yesterday?" I ask Viks.

"Seriously not," Viks replies. "But she's always wanted to sign for them, ever since you signed." Viks addresses Charlotte, who simply sighs.

"I know the feeling," Charlotte replies. "But what I have right here is far more valuable than anything those over-stuffed shirts could ever pay me."

"Aww," I say, giving my BFF a playful cuddle. "...It was the same for me." Charlotte, knowing that she was effectively the sole reason I didn't sign for Spencer & Hall, returns my cuddle.

We gossip for the next half hour before finally making our way to the dancefloor, where Krystie tries her hardest to send as many cute guys my way as she possibly can- though none take my interest. However, when the taxi drops me off at home- by which I mean Charlotte's house- the figure I see slinking out of the front door very much takes my interest.

"Hi Jamie!" Stuart says happily as he gets in his car. "Hi Charlotte, calling an early end to the girls night?"

"There's only the four of us, and I want to be up early tomorrow anyway," Charlotte explains.

"Four?" Stuart asks, confused. "Oh, right, Hannah. Yeah, Keith explained about her. And about Martin. Not that he'd have come tonight regardless."

"What time will you be round tomorrow?" Charlotte asks.

"Couldn't get the time off of work so it'll be late afternoon," Stuart sighs sadly. "I'd better not miss the big show!"

"Too right you'd better not," Charlotte says with a wide grin. "See you tomorrow, Stu."

"Hey Stu," I say. "Can I have a word with you inside before you go?"

"Um, sure," Stuart replies, getting out of his car and following me up to my bedroom. "What's up?" When I'm sure that we're alone, I place both of my hands on Stuart's chest and lean in close to him.

"I need 'benefits'," I explain.

"Umm... Now?" Stuart asks. "You've kinda had a lot to drink, I can tell by your breath alone..."

"Oh come on..." I plead.

"Jamie," Stuart sighs, placing his hands over mine. "Right now you're feeling vulnerable, what with this Hannah thing, Mary being away on honeymoon... You're terrified things will never be the same again, right?" I nod, frowning at Stuart's insightfulness.

"Casual sex with a friend isn't really going to change that," Stuart advises.

"I know, I know," I moan. "Can- can we at least sleep together tonight, sex aside?"

"Also a bad idea," Stuart says, though I can tell he isn't 100% convinced. "Jamie... I promise you one day, when we both want it, we WILL have sex. How we do it, I dunno, but one of these days, if by some miracle you're still single, and you still want- no, NEED it- then we will. But not today, not when you're drunk and upset."

"Dammit, why do you have to be such a good friend?" I ask the smiling transman.

"See you tomorrow, Jamie," Stuart whispers, leaning in and giving me a gentle kiss.

I strip off my dress and crash in my bed, groaning with frustration. Stuart's right in everything he says, even though my feelings for him are growing day by day. It's been so long since I had sex that I am almost desperate, but all it'd do is ease my need for sex- it wouldn't magically make Hannah choose to stay with the Angels or magically erase Mary's pregnancy from history...

I wake up at 8am the following morning with only a mild hangover that I easily take care of with a couple of aspirin. After running through my morning routine, I change into a knee-length slinky purple dress with long see-through sleeves, pairing it with another pair of the same shiny black tights I wore yesterday. After slipping my feet into a pair of comfortable Ugg boots, I pick up the pile of presents on the floor beside my bed and head downstairs, where- unsurprisingly- Keith and Charlotte are already awake.

"Happy birthday!" I say, giving the tall young man a quick hug- with Charlotte's permission, of course. "The big two-three!"

"Thanks, Jamie!" Keith says happily, sorting through the pile of presents I dropped in his lap. "You really shouldn't have gone to THIS much trouble."

"Oh come on," I joke. "You're my BFF's BF, that's got to count for something, surely?"

"...Okay," Keith says, giving me another hug. "That's a lot of Bs and a lot of Fs, but you're right, it does count for a lot. And I am grateful, so grateful to have you as a friend." Keith pauses as his eyes go wide at what he said in front of his girlfriend. "You and all the other Angels," he continues, hastily covering his tracks. "Just wish Mary and Dan could be here..."

"They'll be back on Saturday," Charlotte says. "Now get opening! I want to see what my BFF got my BF just as much as you do!" Grinning like a small child, Keith tears the wrapping paper off my presents, thanking me profusely for each gift, whether it's a new videogame, a DVD or an item of clothing.

We spend the rest of the morning at Keith's beck and call- normally he waits on us hand and foot whilst we're here, so we don't mind a bit of ironic role reversal for one day each year. Keith's parents arrive shortly after lunch, followed by his friends, including the rest of the Angels & their boyfriends (those who are still in the UK, anyway). Stuart arrives just after 5pm, as promised, with Krystie in tow, as well as Riley (with whom Keith has apparently become good friends) and Rebecca. Last to arrive- unsurprisingly- is Hannah, just twenty minutes before we don our costumes for the big performance.

"Sorry I'm late," Hannah says, visibly shaking with nerves.

"Don't worry about it," Charlotte says stoically as she leads us up to her bedroom, where we change into our spangled majorette leotards.

"Are- are you okay?" I ask Hannah, who quietly nods in response.

"I'll be fine," she whispers. "Let's- let's just do this." I nod, and allow Hannah to change in peace, though I can't help but be worried. Worried that my friend is upset, and worried that this will be the last time we change for one of our performances together. Once we're all changed, the five of us confidently stride downstairs whilst Stuart (our resident music expert) plays the song he pre-recorded for our show. After a full five minutes of baton-twirling, dancing and singing the praises of the birthday boy, we finish in a human pyramid- well, human trapezium, I guess- as Charlotte, Viks and I hoist Krystie and Hannah on our shoulders. After receiving our standing ovation- and Charlotte receives a long, deep kiss from Keith- I go in search of Hannah. Fortunately, as Keith isn't technically an Angel, there aren't any camera crews here, making it easier to be discreet. Before I can go two steps, however, I'm intercepted by Stuart and his sister.

"You look ridiculous," Stuart says stoically. "And sexy."

"Soo..." I say, taking Stuart's playful teasing the way it was undoubtedly intended, "ridiculously sexy, is that what you're saying?"

"Sure," Stuart says, before his straight face cracks and he chuckles at himself.

"I wish I was a majorette," Rebecca sighs, gazing at my costume.

"When's Riley's birthday?" I ask. "You could always dress up, do something special for his birthday, you and your friends..."

"No she COULDN'T," Stuart says, earning himself a playful whack from his sister.

"I'm an adult, I can do what I want," Rebecca says smugly.

"I'm your big brother, that means I can stop you doing what you want," Stuart chastises.

"Make me," Rebecca retorts, slipping her hand in the rear pocket of her returning boyfriend and eagerly sipping from her champagne glass as they mingle with the rest of the party.

"As you may have guessed, she begged me to bring her along," Stuart sighs.

"I wish I had a younger sibling," I muse. "Guess I'll just have to settle for five sisters instead."

"Has Hannah made her decision yet?" Stuart whispers.

"That's what I'm about to find out," I say, catching sight of the tall girl's hat, around which the other hats are congregating.

"So," Krystie says, looking Hannah in the eye. "This is it, I guess."

"Yep," Hannah replies. "This is it." All five of us blink back tears as Hannah looks at the floor and takes a deep breath.

"I turned them down," Hannah says smugly. "Angels forever!" As one, Charlotte, Krystie, Viks and I all fling ourselves at Hannah, nearly tackling her to the floor in the most emotional group hug I've ever known.

"Oh my god," Hannah says, openly weeping. "I love you guys so, so much!"

"And I love you," I whisper. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sure, one day, Hannah will eventually grow apart from the rest of us. So will Viks, Mary, Krystie... Maybe even Charlotte herself. But not today. Today, the sisterhood remains intact and is stronger than ever, and so is my heart. I glance over at Stuart and give him a quick wink to let him know that everything's going to be alright, at least for now. Even though I'm wearing a silly majorette's costume that will probably get hung up in my wardrobe and never worn again, I can't think of a single place I'd rather be than right here, right now, surrounded by my friends- who, as far as I'm concerned, are my family.

And I love my family more than anything in the world.