“Mmm,” I moan as the image of Sarah in her wedding dress fades and my brain starts swimming back to reality. I blink my eyes twice, turning my sore head to shield my sensitive eyes from the bright light streaming through the window.

“Morning, beautiful,” Sarah says, giving me a quick kiss on my forehead.

“Morning, se- Gah!” I exclaim as I open my eyes and am greeted by the sight of Sarah wearing the same grey cat-like mask she’d worn the night before. I sigh tiredly as Sarah doubles over in a fit of giggles, before taking off her mask and padding over to her en-suite. I smile happily as I stare over at the costume I wore last night, before laying back down in bed.

Last night was Saturday, but it was also Krystie’s 23rd birthday, so rather than the usual ‘girls night in’, we did something extra-special- more specifically, an old-fashioned masquerade ball. Sarah and Lauren, having completed all their college work, worked extra-hard creating long, slinky dresses to wear, which were especially fun when combined with the fancy masks, the bicep-length evening gloves and the extra-tight corsets we all wore last night. In total, Sarah and Lauren created five dresses- one for each of them, one for me, one for Katie, one for the birthday girl… And none for Dannii, who once again wore an off-the-rack dress to the party.

Even at her own eighteenth birthday the previous month, Dannii was snubbed by the rest of the ‘Teen Angels’, despite our bosses’ best efforts to get us to celebrate as a ‘team’. Dannii’s party had a ‘1997’ theme, meaning boys dressed as David Beckham or the Gallagher brothers and girls dressed as the Spice Girls or one of the girls from Friends. Dannii herself looked great in her tiny Union Jack dress, and seemed to be having fun… But Sarah, Katie, Lauren and I would’ve given anything to be somewhere else.

After I take Sarah’s place under the shower, I dress in a very plain black miniskirt and light yellow tank top as I watch Sarah throw various items of clothing, swimwear and make-up into her suitcase, before we head to my house where I similarly pack a suitcase.

“Excited yet, girls?” Mum asks as we dump our suitcases in the entrance hall. “Your first big holiday away together, four days of sun, sea and sand…”

“A bit,” I say, trying to force a smile on my face.

“Only ‘a bit’?” Mum laughs. “You know how bad I feel that we were never able to give you a proper foreign holiday when you were growing up… Guess I can start feeling less guilty about that, heh.”

“I never really missed it,” I say. “Trust me when I say that you and dad have nothing to be guilty about!"

“Though it WILL be different going somewhere other than America this year,” Sarah says. “Just wish we were going by ourselves…”

“Really?” Mum asks. “I’d have thought that going on holiday with your friends would be the dream holiday for an eighteen year old girl. A whole group of you having fun, hopefully NOT drinking too much…”

“Four of us going on holiday together would be a dream,” I say.

“FIVE of us, on the other hand…” Sarah sighs. We spend the rest of the day relaxing, checking and double-checking our suitcases and making sure our passports and our foreign currency are securely tucked away, before heading to bed for an early night. As I cuddle up next to Sarah, I can feel just how tense her body is about the prospect of the holiday, and it’s not hard to guess what, or rather, who’s making her so tense.

“Come on,” I say, burying my face in Sarah’s bare shoulder. “Holidays are supposed to be a time to relax, and this is technically our first holiday together…”

“I know,” Sarah sighs. “And I keep telling myself that I need to let go of my worries, I try to use those techniques my counsellor’s been teaching me, it’s just… Ugh. Four days with her there every second of the day? I don’t think there’s any coping technique that can deal with THAT…”

“Just forget about Dannii,” I say. “Concentrate on us. It’s our only holiday before you get too busy with university, anyway…”

“Very true,” Sarah says, rolling over and giving me a kiss. “Get some sleep, beautiful!” Sarah rolls back over and immediately shuts her eyes, which I take as my cue to do the same, as has been the case every time I’ve raised the topic of university. Sarah is still undecided as to where she wants to go to university- the unconditional offer from Salford is still on the table, as is an unconditional offer from the University of Lincoln, but both those places are way in the north, miles away from London and miles away from me… Sarah still talks about moving away, living the ‘proper’ student lifestyle… But every time I try to talk to her seriously about it, she changes the subject. I’m hoping her reluctance to confirm her place for next year is because she hopes that LCF will accept her, but even then, Sarah would have to compromise, give up her dream of being a ‘proper’ student. I actually feel guilty, in a way- if it wasn’t for me, the decision for Sarah would be easy… But at the same time, as neither of us are wearing a ring on the third finger of our left hand, there’s evidence to suggest that Sarah’s ALWAYS had difficulty reaching a decision.

I promised myself that I’d put all thoughts of proposals and engagement rings out of my head until Sarah’s made her decision about university, but as hard as I try, I can’t shake my obsession with the ring that I know Sarah still owns. Whenever I feel that I can get away with it, I search through Sarah’s drawers, desperately looking for the ring, but I never find it. I even occasionally try to feel for it through the lining of Sarah’s handbag, but if it’s in there, it’s too well-hidden for me to find. I still carry mw own ring with me everywhere I go. I even have it packed in my hand luggage, ready to take on the plane with me, though I don’t imagine for one second I’ll get the opportunity to give it to Sarah at any point during the holiday.

Even though it’s the middle of summer, it’s still dark outside when my phone’s alarm wakes me, forcing me to drag my groggy body out of bed and to the bathroom, where I shower as quietly as possible so as not to wake the rest of the house. After Sarah and I have both showered, I dress in a very short blue summer dress, before grabbing my handbag, my sunglasses and my suitcase and heading out the front door, Sarah following close behind.

A short while later, just as the first slivers of sunlight poke over the horizon, we arrive at London’s vast Heathrow airport, which is already bustling with activity. Even despite the crowd, it doesn’t take long for us to find three familiar faces, each of them looking as tired as we feel- though one of those faces is doing a good job of not showing its tiredness.

“Hey girlies!” Dannii squeaks as she excitedly bounces up and down. “Or should I say ‘Ola senoritas’?”

“You failed your Spanish GCSE!” Lauren chuckles at the tall girl, who simply brushes off the comment.

“Come on,” Dannii moans. “I wanna get checked in, then we can get some breakfast, and maybe a little sangria…?”

“At 5 in the morning?” Sarah asks.

“That what the siesta’s for!” Dannii shrugs. After we check in, the five of us head to the comfortable departure lounge, where Katie and Sarah take the opportunity to get a little extra sleep- and Dannii takes the opportunity to keep talking at a million miles an hour, seemingly unaware that no one’s interested in listening to her.

“Oh my god,” Dannii enthuses, irritating not just myself and Lauren but many of the other travellers as well. “I haven’t been to Spain in years! Last time I went it was me and my parents four years ago, we went to Madrid, then went to Benidorm for the day, it was SO cool, I had such an awesome tan when I went back to school that September!”

“I remember,” Lauren says, obviously trying her hardest not to sigh. “Think my family went to Disneyland Paris that year…”

“Ahh, I went there when I was eight,” Dannii giggles. “Oh my god, that was ten years ago! This holiday is going to be SO amazing…” A quick glance over my shoulder reminds me of exactly why Dannii is so enthusiastic this early in the morning- the tired-looking camerawoman and sound man following our every move.

Despite the Angels’ reality TV show losing viewers in its second season, it was still renewed for a third season to be broadcast in 2016. Virtually everyone involved, however, believes that the third season will likely be the last one, so Joshua- the owner of the agency to which the Angels and the ‘Teen Angels’ are signed- has decided to ‘mix things up’ a little and have an episode or two focussing on other ‘Angel groups’, such as mine. Now that all five of us are eighteen, we’re able to consent to having our every move filmed for the show, though all of us- except for Dannii- quickly came to regret that decision. Still, we are getting paid for the privilege of having our holiday filmed, and the holiday was partially paid for by the agency, so it’s not ALL bad… Even if Dannii is, somehow, still talking as we board the small, cramped plane.

“Oh my god,” Dannii moans for what seems like the hundredth time. “Couldn’t they have given me the emergency exit seat? Still, it’s hardly the worst flight I’ve ever been on, one time we went to Istanbul, oh my god, that flight was just EVIL!”

“It’s your fault for having freakishly long legs,” Katie sleepily moans, making Dannii giggle even as her legs are squished up against her body.

“The cameras are off now,” Lauren sighs. “Honestly, get some rest before we get to Spain…”

“I can’t sleep, I’m too excited!” Dannii squeaks. “My first girly holiday, OUR first girly holiday away…”

“How is she still so energetic?” Sarah whispers to me out of earshot of the other three girls. “Do- do you think she, you know, took something before getting on the plane?”

“I don’t know, I don’t WANT to know,” I sigh, resting my head on Sarah’s shoulder. “Still, she does have a point, this IS our first girly holiday away…”

“You know,” Sarah says, “when we went to LA in 2012, I tried to persuade my mum to bring you with us so you could spend a whole week as a girl, going to the beach, wearing a bikini… Of course, we were both only fifteen back then, she’d never have gone for it…”

“I’ll just have to make up for it this week by wearing a bikini everywhere I go,” I say, making Sarah giggle and give me a quick kiss as the plane roars down the runway. Before long, we’re in the air, heading south into the sweltering Spanish heat.

Five hours later- after a two hour layover in Madrid- our plane touches down in the small airport just outside the Spanish town of Malaga- our home away from home for the next four days. After grabbing a light, but still very tasty lunch at the airport, the five of us head to the hotel to check in, before changing into our swimwear and heading to the beach. Sarah and I have a room to ourselves, so I get to enjoy every second of Sarah stripping out of her dress and pulling on her tiny off-white bikini. Of course, I return the favour for my lover, letting her watch as I pull on my own lilac bikini. My bikini may not be quite as skimpy as Sarah’s- more through necessity than any modesty on my part- but it’s still small enough to show off my flat tummy and my healthy cleavage. After applying sunscreen to each other’s smooth, hairless skin, we both pull on loose, floaty sarongs and wide sun hats before heading down to the beach, where our friends (and a discreet camera crew) are all ready and waiting for us. Katie, like myself and Sarah, has pulled on a bikini and a sarong, whilst Lauren has opted for a tight purple one-piece swimsuit with cutaway panels that show off her enviable curves. Dannii, of course, has gone for the most extreme look of all of us- she’s wearing a pristine white bikini that has only just enough fabric to cover her nipples, and has a narrow, almost thong-like back that bares most of her buttocks to the sun as she lays on her towel allowing the sun to brown her skin.

“God, the sun feels SO good,” Lauren sighs happily as she stretches her short body out on her sun lounger.

“So then,” Dannii giggles. “Got your eye on any hunky Spanish men?”

“I’m perfectly happy with the hunky ENGLISH man I have back at home,” Lauren giggles. “How about you, gonna make use of your single status and your mile-long legs this week?”

“My legs, yes, my single status… Kinda doesn’t exist anymore,” Dannii giggles. “As you’ll find out when my new bae arrives on Wednesday!”

“Wait, what?” Katie asks. “You’re bringing your boyfriend along even when me and Lauren were specifically asked not to?”

“He’s only coming out on Wednesday,” Dannii argues. “We’ll both be flying back on Thursday, he just wanted a day in the sun so I told him he could come out for one night. Why d’you think I got a double room all to myself?”

“Umm, because the hotel only has double rooms?” Katie retorts. “I can’t believe I have to share a bed with Lauren when you get to share it with a guy…”

“No offence taken,” Lauren says indignantly, whilst Sarah and I watch and grow ever tired of the argument.

“Want to go for a dip in the sea?” Sarah asks.

“Ehh… Been a while since I last did any swimming,” I laugh.

“You used to be on the school’s swimming team!” Sarah giggles.

“Only as an excuse to keep my arms and legs shaved,” I remind my lover. “And besides, I’ve never swam with these before…” I playfully cup my breasts, making Sarah giggle even harder.

“Come on,” Sarah says, taking my hand and leading me to the water’s edge as our three friends continue to argue.

As the sun begins to set later on in the day, the five of us- complete with our fledgling tans- head back to the hotel, changing back into our light dresses before eating dinner.

“So,” Sarah asks as we eat. “Anyone got any plans for tonight? Maybe hit one of the local bars, the local clubs?”

“They’ll probably be quiet on a Monday,” Lauren says, still clearly seething from the earlier argument on the beach. “I’ll probably get to bed early, sleep off the flight. Assuming Katie doesn’t mind, of course…”

“There’s always a sofa if you’d prefer it…” Katie mumbles under her breath.

“Girlies,” I say before Lauren has a chance to respond. “We’re here because we want to relax, we want to have a good time… We should probably all get early nights, the flight was long and cramped, I’m sure we’ll all feel better after a decent night’s sleep.”

“You’re right,” Katie sighs. “Is this your first ever holiday as a girl, Nikki?”

“It’s my first ever holiday AT ALL,” I say. “You know my parents aren’t that well-off, other than the occasional day out to Brighton or Southend we never really had the chance to get away when I was younger…”

“Oh, that sucks,” Lauren says. “You never even went anywhere like Alton Towers, or Disneyland?”

“Nope,” I sigh. “Think I went to Legoland once, but that was it…”

“Well then,” Dannii says. “We’re going to have to make sure that this first holiday of yours is EXTRA special, aren’t we?”

“Yeah!” Sarah says, involuntarily squeezing my hand.

“Yeah,” Lauren and Katie says in a much less enthusiastic voice. I force a smile on my face despite my tiredness and my dread over what Dannii could mean by ‘special’- though as she has a boyfriend now, hopefully that’ll mean that she’s no longer obsessing over me…

The five of us head to bed just after 10pm, which still technically counts as an early night as it’ll only be 9pm in London. Even though I lay my head on the pillow hoping to quickly fall asleep, the presence of Sarah’s smooth, warm arm snaking itself around my torso tells me that I’ll be awake for a while longer…

“Mmm…” I dreamily moan as the alarm on Sarah’s phone goes off.

“Buenos días, preciosa,” Sarah says, gently kissing my shoulder. “Want to get up?”

“Do we have to?” I ask, making Sarah smile happily. “It IS our holiday, after all…” I give Sarah a long, lazy kiss on her lips, and we soon disappear back beneath the covers…

“And precisely what the hell kept you two?” Katie asks as Sarah and I walk into the hotel’s restaurant hand-in-hand, both wearing loose, short dresses over our bikinis.

“Oh, use your imagination, Katie!” Lauren giggles, making the freckled girl roll her eyes.

“Where’s Dannii?” Sarah asks, almost making me double-take- normally Dannii’s absence would be a cause of celebration for Sarah.

“Still in bed,” Lauren sighs. “Or gone out early, I dunno.”

“Can’t believe she’s bringing her boyfriend along,” Katie moans.

“I know,” Sarah sighs. “This was supposed to be the last holiday for us before we head off to university…”

“Whoa,” I say. “Enough of the ‘last’, please? It’s also supposed to be our first holiday together…” I wince a little as I stare at Sarah’s disapproving face- I’ve clearly touched a nerve.

“You’re right,” Lauren says with a smile. “The first of many! At least, until we start getting married…” Another glance at Sarah makes me wince even harder- Lauren clearly touched an even more sensitive nerve…

“ANYWAY,” Katie says. “I need breakfast, and fast!” The three of us smile as we follow Katie to the breakfast buffet. We all select delicious Spanish Omelettes to eat and fresh orange juice to drink, and by the time we’ve filled out bellies we can’t wait to head down to the beach for another relaxing day of sun, sea and sand. However, before we can move from our table, we’re interrupted by the arrival of the fifth member of our group.

“Hey girlies!” Dannii squeaks excitedly as she sits down between Lauren and Katie. “Sorry I’m late, I went for a pre-breakfast dip in the hotel pool… So, what did I miss? Is Katie as cuddly in bed as Michael?”

“Heh,” Lauren grunts, clearly trying to avoid the question.

“Is that ‘heh yes’ or ‘heh no’?” Dannii probes.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Lauren asks.

“No,” Dannii giggles. “Got to save room for all the alcohol I’ll be drinking tonight! But first, this skin needs a LOT more sun!” Just as suddenly as she had appeared, Dannii disappears again, leaving the four of us almost speechless at the table.

“…So I guess she didn’t want breakfast, then?” Katie asks.

“I gave up trying to work out what was going on in her head a LONG time ago,” Lauren says as she wearily rises from her seat. “Notice anyone else missing this morning?”

“The camera crew?” Katie asks. “Thought they went home yesterday?”

“Maybe,” Lauren sighs. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s footage of Dannii swimming in the pool included on the broadcast…” With Dannii inevitably already at the beach, Sarah and I head back to our room where we change into fresh bikinis and sarongs, before donning our sunhats and heading back to the beach where we were yesterday. Obviously, every time we top up our sunscreen, we attract quite a lot of attention from the (mostly British) male holidaymakers- especially when we have to untie the backs of our bikini tops. After one such occasion- when Sarah had to all but remove my top- I take a deep breath before raising a topic that Sarah had brushed off at breakfast, but that I wanted to talk more about.

“Sarah,” I cautiously ask my lover. “About what you said at breakfast… Do you really think this will be the only time the five of us will be on holiday like this? You know, together?”

“Well, four of us plus Dannii, anyway,” Sarah giggles, but I’m in no mood to let her change the topic just like that.

“Seriously, though,” I say. “We’ll always be friends, right, the five of us? Or ‘the four of us plus Dannii’, if you’d prefer?”

“Well…” Sarah sighs. “Who knows where the future will take us?”

“Places like Salford?” I ask, visibly souring Sarah’s mood. “Or Lincoln?”

“Can we not talk about this right now?” Sarah growls.

“We haven’t talked about it at all over the last month,” I whine. “I kinda need to know if I have to live without you for weeks at a time, because- because I’m not sure that I could…”

“We’ve got the rest of the holiday together,” Sarah says.

“I don’t just want ‘the rest of the holiday’,” I moan. “I want the rest of our lives!” I gulp as I see Sarah shiver. I hadn’t meant to propose, not now, not until she’s certain about her future… Is Sarah taking this as a proposal?

“I’d like that too,” Sarah whispers. “It’s just… We may not be able to share ALL of the rest of our lives…” I grab Sarah’s hand and hold it tight, hoping futilely that this one gesture will be able to keep Sarah with me forever- though I’ll settle for just the next thirty seconds.

We stay on the beach until late in the afternoon, and after the sun starts to set we head back to our hotel rooms where we exchange our sunscreen for a thick layer of make-up, our bikinis for tiny, tight clubbing dresses and our flip-flops for extra-high heels. Dannii, of course, is wearing the highest heels of all of us, and when we enter the first club we come to, she actually has to duck her head to get through the door.

“I had a look at this place online,” Dannii yells over the noise of the club. “It’s a popular place for tourists so everyone here speaks English. The downside of course is that there are no hunky Spanish guys to stare at!”

“Or fiery Spanish girls for you two!” Katie giggles at myself and Sarah.

“Oh, no no no,” Sarah says, wrapping her arm around my waist. “I am strictly Nikkisexual!”

“And I’m strictly Sarahsexual!” I giggle, also wrapping an arm around Sarah’s tiny waist before giving her a kiss, much to the delight of our three friends- and virtually everyone in the club!

“First things first!” Katie yells. “I need alcohol!” Sarah, Lauren, Dannii and I all giggle in agreement as we head to the bar and the two very well-built young men behind the bar.

“Hola,” Sarah giggles nervously at the tall man. “Cinco vasos de sangría por favor!”

“You are English, aren’t you?” The bartender asks as he pours the drinks. “You and your friends… Just finished your first year of university?”

“Just about to start,” Sarah says, leaning forward and giving the bartender a good, long look at her cleavage. Needless to say, this puts a frown on my face, a frown that only deepens as Sarah’s giggles get louder.

“Two can play at that game,” I mumble to myself as I slide up next to Sarah and surprise her with a long kiss on her lips.

“Hey Nikki,” Sarah says with surprise in her voice. “I’m just getting in the drinks…”

“You two… you are a couple?” The bartender asks.

“Yep!” I say, tossing my hair back and leaning forward just like Sarah. A smug grin creeps across my face when it becomes immediately apparent that the bartender is just as interested in my cleavage as he is with Sarah’s.

“Nikki,” Sarah says privately to me, “What are you doing?”

“Getting to know the locals?” I reply, earning a frown from my lover, who pays for our drinks and drags me back to our table.

“You- you were flirting!” Sarah says accusingly.

“So were you!” I retort.

“Yeah, well-“ Sarah says, before pausing, and finally sighing.

“Don’t tell me it’s okay for you because you’re ‘really a girl’,” I say.

“I’d never say anything like that,” Sarah says. “You know that… But you were giving him the impression that he could have a threesome with us!”

“How is that any different than you giving him the impression he could have a twosome with you?” I retort.

“Well- ugh,” Sarah spits, realising that she again has no answer. “Can we try to have a good time, please?”

“Sure,” I say, sipping my drink. “It was weird, though, flirting with a guy… Never realised just how hypnotic these things are!” I give my chest a quick shake, causing Sarah to almost choke on her drink with laughter.

“Never mind ‘girl rays’,” Sarah laughs. “Try ‘girl cannons’!” Sarah smiles as we look deep into each other’s eyes, before sharing another long, soft kiss.

“Wanna dance?” I ask, making Sarah smile even wider.

“I’d love that,” Sarah says, taking my hand and leading me onto the heaving dancefloor. Two hours later, with our heads buzzing and our feet aching, Sarah and I return to our table hand-in-hand, where Katie and Lauren are already waiting for us.

“Great night!” Katie yells, her breath giving away the fact that she’s had a LOT to drink.

“Great WEEK!” I laugh. “Kinda wish we could stay a little longer, even despite the jolly blonde giant… Where the hell is she, anyway?” I scan the dancefloor, trying to see Dannii- someone with platinum blonde hair who stands 6’ 5” in her heels should be easy to spot, but there’s no sight of her anywhere…

“I need the little girls’ room,” Lauren announces, finishing her drink. Of course, Katie, Sarah and I follow Lauren to the restroom- even though I don’t really need the toilet, it’s still an excuse to touch up my make-up. When the four of us enter the room, however, we‘re greeted by an unexpected- and highly unwelcome- sound.

"Yes!" Dannii's unmistakable voice yells. "Yes! YES!"

"D-Dannii!?" Lauren yells.

"L-Lauren!?" Dannii yells back, causing the soft 'banging' sound we'd been hearing to be replaced by a loud, singular thump of something heavy hitting the cubicle door. The four of us watch, our jaws on the floor, as a tall, muscular man stumbles out of the cubicle, leaving Dannii alone with her panties around her ankles.

“Mierda mierda mierda mierda!” The man says, zipping up his fly and hurrying out of the restroom

“What. The. FUCK!?!?” Lauren screeches at her former best friend. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Oh, whatever, I’m on holiday,” Dannii shrugs as she catches her breath and tidies herself up. “What happens in Malaga stays in Malaga…”

“I’m guessing by the Spanish that I just heard that he ISN’T your new boyfriend?” Katie asks. “And unprotected, too?”

“I’m on the pill,” Dannii shrugs as she fixes her make-up, her hands shaking slightly from the alcohol she’s consumed- and for other more obvious reasons. “Stop judging me for god’s sake, you’re all so… So… Boring!”

“Seriously?” Sarah asks. “So in your mind, to be ‘interesting’ I have to hump every guy in sight?”

“Only the really cute ones,” Dannii shrugs.

“Is that in addition to or instead of the boyfriend you supposedly have?” Katie asks.

“Oh for god’s sake,” Dannii sighs. “It’s not cheating if you don’t get caught. Loosen up a little...”

“Yeah, and you’d know all about being ‘loose’, wouldn’t you, Dannii?” Sarah says with a smug look, prompting a truly evil glare from the tall blonde girl.

“Girls!” Lauren shouts as Sarah and Dannii begin to square up to each other.

“I’d rather be ‘loose’ than an ugly, frigid bitch who doesn’t know how to have fun!” Dannii spits. “You ought to be thankful that I’m here, knowing you you’d probably spend the whole holiday indoors reading or something…”

“The only reason you’re on this holiday is because the agency insisted we brought you with us,” Sarah retorts. “That’s basically all you are- a giant, blonde suitcase that everybody hopes get lost on the way home!” My eyes go wide as Dannii lets out a truly terrifying-sounding screech before launching herself at Sarah. I barely get between them in time, but I immediately wish I hadn’t as Dannii’s extra-long nails claw at me, leaving three deep red trails on my upper arm. Dannii’s jaw drops as she sees the blood slowly trickle down my arm, before grabbing her handbag and storming out of the restroom.

“Oh my god, Nikki…” Katie whispers. “Are- are you okay?”

“Umm, I guess,” I say, wincing as the adrenaline and alcohol begin to thin in my blood and the pain begins to set in. “Ow…”

“We should get you out of here,” Lauren says, leading me out of the club as I press a wad of paper towels into my wounds.

“And prove Dannii right?” I ask.

“You’re not going to have fun if you’re bleeding everywhere!” Lauren says, getting out her phone and finding directions to the nearest hospital.

“And we’re not going to have fun without you!” Katie insists. I smile as my three best friends lead me to the nearest A&E department. It especially means a lot to hear Katie say what she did- in the two months between her turning eighteen and me turning eighteen, she partied harder than anyone, seemingly showing little regard for the fact that I (and by extension, Sarah) couldn’t join in, so to hear her say that she wouldn’t want to have fun without either of us truly means a lot.

Fortunately, my wounds don’t need any stitches to repair- just disinfectant, a weird sticky gel and a roll of gauze.

“Bye-bye tan,” I moan as I exit the hospital, my friends following closely behind.

“Do you want to go back to the hotel, call it a night?” Katie asks.

“Umm, the night’s still young, and so are we!” I laugh.

“Don’t feel pressured because of what Dannii said,” Lauren says. “Your hands are still shaking… You’re obviously not up for anything else tonight.” I sigh and nod my head- Lauren is, of course, right.

“Doesn’t mean you three can’t enjoy the rest of the night, though,” I say.

“Umm, no?” Sarah says. “I’m not going ANYWHERE without you!”

“Same here!” Lauren and Katie both agree, giggling as they lead me back to the hotel. As I climb into bed, though, I can’t help but wonder how sincere Sarah is when she says she’ll never go anywhere without me…

I wince as I roll over onto my still-stinging arm and open my eyes, blinking to adjust to the sunlight streaming into the room.

“Morning, flirty!” Sarah giggles, rolling over in bed and giving me a long kiss.

“Morning,” I sigh happily, rolling off of my wounded arm and kissing Sarah back. “I would say ‘want to hit the beach?’, but, well…”

“You’ll still be beautiful even with a lop-sided tan,” Sarah says with a warm smile. “I’m going to hit the shower first though, don’t want to soak my feet in all your blood!” Sarah laughs as I hurl a pillow at her, narrowly missing her naked form as it disappears into the en-suite. After showering myself (and changing the dressing on my arm), I pull on a comfortable dark blue one-piece swimsuit, before throwing on a loose, short-sleeved dress that thankfully covers my bandage, before heading down to breakfast with the woman I love.

“Hey…” Katie says softly as we approach the table where she and Lauren are sat. “How’s your arm?”

“Stings a bit,” I sigh. “Where’s ‘suitcase’?”

“You really care?” Lauren snorts. “Haven’t seen her. We were planning on heading into town today after breakfast, do a little shopping…”

“Sounds great,” I say, before grabbing myself another delicious Spanish Omelette to eat. Once all four of us have filled our bellies, we start to head out of the restaurant, only to once again be intercepted by the fifth member of our group.

“Hey, girlies!” Dannii says with a smug smile that almost makes my blood boil- and looking at my friends, I can tell I’m hardly the only one feeling irritated by her mere presence. “I’ve got a surprise for you all…”

“Does it involve drawing blood this time?” I ask.

“Or an apology?” Sarah asks.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve forgiven you all for last night,” Dannii says, eliciting gasps of shock from the four of us. “Anyway, I wanted to introduce you all to something that just got into Spain an hour ago…” Sensing his cue, Dannii’s new boyfriend steps out from behind the restaurant door, and my jaw drops when I see exactly who it is.

“Hello girls,” the familiar man says with a smug smile as he wraps his arm around Dannii’s tiny waist. “We have been formally introduced before of course, but let me do the honours again. I’m Paul, Paul Gould. Nice to meet you all!”

“…Jamie’s ex-boyfriend?” I ask.

“Her loss,” Paul laughs, before planting a long, deep kiss on Dannii’s lips. “My gain!”

“Aren’t you, like, ten years older than Dannii?” Katie asks.

“EIGHT years,” Dannii says. “And whatever, we’re both adults, we can make our own decisions…”

“Yeah, you certainly proved that last night,” Sarah says, earning another filthy stare from Dannii.

“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Dannii asks, almost as if she’s daring Sarah to spill the beans about her infidelity.

“Oh… nothing,” Sarah says with an obviously fake sweet smile. Clearly she wants Dannii to know that she COULD drop her in it at any time, and having that power over Dannii is preferable to just dropping her in it here and now.

“Anyway,” Dannii says. “I’d love to stay and chat, but my new bae and I have plans elsewhere. See you all for dinner!” Sarah, Lauren, Katie and I address the new couple with withering stares as they flounce off together, Dannii’s hand firmly installed in Paul’s back pocket.

“In fairness,” I say quietly, “Jamie has told me that he’s REALLY good in bed.”

“Meh, they deserve each other,” Lauren sighs as we resume our trek back to our rooms. “We’ve still got euros that need spending before we fly home tomorrow, meet you in the reception in half an hour?”

“See you there!” I say before heading back to my room with Sarah.

The four of us spend virtually the whole day walking around the town (wearing flats rather than heels, obviously), buying souvenirs, eating lunch at a local restaurant (which allowed Lauren and Sarah to show off their knowledge of Spanish) and enjoying the sun away from the crowded beach, before returning to the hotel for a late dinner. Once we’ve eaten, we prepare to head back to our rooms to pack for tomorrow’s flight home, when- for what feels like the hundredth time this week- we run into Dannii entering the restaurant.

“Hey girlies!” Dannii squeaks excitedly, making the four of us all grimace. “I had simply the BEST day today with Paul! What are you girls up to tonight? There are plenty more clubs in Malaga to explore…”

“We had a good day too, thanks,” Katie says. “And we’ve got an early flight tomorrow, we can’t afford to stay out too late…”

“Oh, just sleep on the plane,” Dannii says dismissively. “So come on, who’s with me for one last Spanish night out?” I open my mouth to tell Dannii exactly what she can do with her night out, only to be suddenly interrupted by my lover.

“Sounds great!” Sarah says with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. “See you in reception in half an hour!”

“See you there!” Dannii squeaks excitedly before turning on her heel and leaving the restaurant.

“Seriously,” Katie sighs. “Will that girl ever come in here and actually eat?”

“Why exactly are we going out with Dannii tonight?” I ask. “To give me a matching wound on my right arm?”

“Just get back to your rooms and get your slap on,” Sarah says. “I think we need to ‘treat’ the suitcase to a night she’ll never forget…” With quizzical looks on their faces, Katie and Lauren head back to their room, whilst I follow Sarah to ours, where we once again go through the meticulous process of preparing ourselves for a night on the town. As with yesterday, we apply a thick layer of make-up to our tanned bodies- thick eyeliner, false eyelashes, dark eye shadow and loads of different colours on our lips- before squeezing our tired bodies into our tiny black dresses and tying ultra-high heeled strappy sandals to our tired feet. After dousing herself in a cloud of perfume, Sarah turns to me with a smile on her beautiful face.

“Ready?” My lover asks.

“No,” I sigh, trying to stretch my toes so they won’t be TOO tired to dance on all night. “Why exactly are we going to a club with Dannii?”

“Oh, we’re not going to any club,” Sarah says with a devilish smile as we intercept Katie and Lauren en route to reception.

“Hey girlies!” Dannii- wearing a tiny, strapless black dress and even higher heels than last night- squeaks as we meet her in reception. “Ready to go, go, go?”

“Oh yeah,” Sarah says, her wicked smile growing ever wider as she stares back at Katie, Lauren and myself. “Now.” On cue, I rush forward and grab Dannii’s legs, pulling her off her feet as Katie and Lauren grab an arm each, totally immobilising the tall girl.

“Wh- what? What are you doing?” Dannii yells in a state of near-panic. “Put me down! Help! Help!”

“It’s okay, we’re friends,” Sarah says to the bemused onlookers. “Right out the door, girls,” Sarah says, and despite Dannii’s squirming, we carry her along the front of the hotel to our ultimate destination, the sight of which makes Dannii screech in terror.

“No, please, no!” Dannii begs. “Lauren, please, we’ve been friends for seven years…”

“And believe me, I’ve wanted to do this loads of times over those seven years,” Lauren says.

“Oh hey, we’ve got a crowd,” Sarah says, waving at a group of onlookers who are recording the spectacle on their smartphones. “Smile for the cameras, Dannii!” Wearily, Dannii snarls at the giggling crowd, actually trying to lunge at and bite one particular onlooker who gets too close to the five of us.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Dannii says. “I’m sorry I was mean, and bossy… Please, please don’t do this!”

“Umm… Nah, I’m still going to,” Sarah says. “On three, ready?” Lauren, Katie and I all nod, our limbs quivering with excitement as Sarah counts us in.

“One,” the four of us say in unison. “Two, three!” On ‘three’, Katie, Lauren and I hurl Dannii high in the air, squeaking with excitement as she lands, hard, in the hotel’s swimming pool. Our laughs only intensify as Dannii emerges from beneath the water, her make-up trashed by the chlorinated water and her dress tightly clinging to her body.

“You- it- I-“ Dannii gasps, before she lets out a small chuckle, followed by another, and another, and before too long she’s laughing as hard as anyone watching.

“Oh. My. God,” Dannii laughs as she slicks her soaking wet hair back on her head. Sensing that we’ve been instantly ‘forgiven’ for the prank, Katie, Lauren, Sarah and I look at each other and nod, before simultaneously jumping in the pool ourselves, laughing as the warm water almost immediately destroys our make-up and dresses.

“You!” Dannii laughs as she playfully splashes a handful of water over Sarah. Our impromptu ‘pool party’ quickly descends into a splash fight, before the five of us are ordered out of the pool by a very angry-looking lifeguard.

“Really wish I hadn’t worn such a short dress now,” Sarah laughs as she tugs the hem of the shrunken garment down.

“Trust me, it’s worse for me,” I say, tugging the hem of my dress down as Sarah and the lifeguard help me out of the pool. Two and a bit years of oestrogen has meant that my ‘anatomy’ is usually more than able to hide itself, but clubbing dresses can be ‘awkward’ at the best of times, let alone when they’ve had a soak in a swimming pool. I keep my knees pressed firmly together as I help Katie and Lauren out of the pool, but when it comes time to help Dannii out, the tall girl has her own devilish smile on her face, and as Sarah and I pull, Dannii pulls back, quickly dunking myself and my lover back in the pool, much to the delight of the assembled crowd.

After accepting our telling-off from the hotel’s manager (though he did mention that it was hardly the most outlandish thing that had ever happened at the hotel), we head back to our rooms to change out of our ruined dresses. Sarah and I initially decide to get ready for bed, but the ‘prank’ has re-energised us, put us in such a good mood that we don’t want the night to end. I smile as I change back into the dress I had worn earlier, even smiling as I change the dressing on my arm, before heading to the hotel bar to meet up with Katie, Lauren and Dannii- all of whom are clearly as happy as Sarah and I are.

“Do you know how many Spanish YouTube channels I’m going to be on tomorrow?” Dannii asks.

“Just a shame Joshua’s camera crew went home,” Katie says, making Dannii playfully threaten to throw a handful of nuts at her.

“Heh, I guess I do owe you guys an apology,” Dannii sighs. “Especially you two…” Sarah and I smile sadly as Dannii gestures in our direction.

“Apology accepted,” I say.

“Again,” Sarah chuckles.

“I kept thinking to myself over the last few months that the ‘Teen Angels’ wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for me already being signed was Joshua,” Dannii muses. “But really, it wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for all five of us, if you know what I mean.”

“I think I do,” I say. “It’s not ‘one of us and her four sidekicks’, it’s ‘five equals’.”

“Exactly,” Dannii said. “Just wish I hadn’t needed a dunk in the pool and a ruined dress to realise that!”

“I love this,” Katie sighs. “The five of us hanging out together, no ego or jealousy or resentment getting in the way… Just wish things could never change, that we could be like this forever.”

“Things ALWAYS change,” Sarah sighs.

“Well not us!” Dannii says confidently. “Teen Angels forever?” Dannii thrusts her hand into the middle of the table expectantly, and within seconds, Lauren, Katie, Sarah and I have all laid our hands on top of Dannii’s.

“Teen Angels forever!” The five of us cheer, much to the bemusement of the other patrons of the bar.

“And if you’re speaking about people not changing,” I say, eliciting giggles from my four friends.

“Okay, we’ll not change, unless it’s for the better!” Dannii giggles.

“The much, much better!” Sarah says, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

“You guys will never know how much easier you made the last two years,” I sigh happily. “You three were the first real friends I ever made… You accepted me for who I am, and I’ll always love you for that.”

“If they’re your first real friends,” Sarah asks, “then what am I?”

“My soulmate, of course!” I say, giving Sarah a long kiss.

“I wish we could just stay a few more days,” Katie sighs. “Don’t want to go back to England, not yet anyway…”

“We’ll just have to come back out here next year,” Dannii shrugs.

“I… May not be up for much travelling this time next year,” I say, prompting confused stares from my friends. “I had always said that I’d have it done after my first year of uni, I’m not going to uni but it’s still the sort of time I had in mind…”

“Time for what?” Lauren asks.

“Time for the reason I was keeping my knees together after my dress shrank to a size 2,” I say, making Lauren’s eyes go wide with shock as she realises what I’m talking about. “You didn’t think I was just going to leave it ‘undone’, did you?”

“But aren’t you, you know, a little young to have it ‘done’?” Katie asks.

“I’ll be nineteen next summer,” I shrug. “Plenty of girls have had it ‘done’ younger… And I’ve already been on the hormones two years, it just makes sense.”

“And will you be happy to share a bed with someone who’s been ‘done’?” Dannii asks Sarah, who tightens her cuddle.

“I told you last night,” Sarah says. “I’m ‘Nikkisexual’. Doesn’t matter what she has going on down there, as long as she remains my all-time favouritest girl!” I lean into Sarah and give her a cuddle of my own, her words almost moving me to tears.

The five of us remain in the bar until almost midnight, before returning to our rooms and quickly falling asleep. When Sarah’s alarm wakes me, every atom of my being refuses to accept that I’m going to have to get up, unwrap myself from my lover’s embrace and get ready to head back to England. Nonetheless, within an hour, our cases are packed, our hotel room keys are handed back to the front desk and we- along with Katie, Lauren and Dannii- are in a taxi back to the airport. Unlike the flight from England, Dannii is relaxed and mercifully quiet- though she, like the rest of us, is cooing happily as she goes through all her holiday photos on her phone.

“Oh my god,” Katie exclaims as she opens a video on her iPad. “It’s already up, already had thousands of views!”

“Let me see! Let me see!” Dannii squeaks as well gather round Katie to watch on the small screen as Dannii once again screams whilst flying through the air, before her screams are silenced by the water in which she lands.

“Oh my god,” Dannii says, lowering her reddening face as she’s overcome by an uncontrollable fit of giggles. “Ugh, that’s gonna stay with me for the rest of my life, isn’t it?”

“If you’re lucky,” Lauren giggles, giving the tall girl a playful hug. “Where’s Paul, isn’t he flying back with us today?”

“He’s got a photography job just down the road in Gibraltar,” Dannii explains. “That’s actually why he flew out… Just a nice coincidence that we happened to be on holiday at the same time.”

“I did wonder why we did Malaga instead of Benidorm or Ibiza,” Katie muses. “Not that I’m complaining…”

“But we are DEFINITELY doing Ibiza during your first Easter holiday!” Dannii insists, making us all laugh. “I take it you won’t be, you know, ‘done’ until then?”

“Nope,” I say with a smile. “Ibiza, here we come! Next year.” All five of us laugh again, and before too long we head to the departure lounge where we check our luggage. During the brief time that Sarah’s bags are on the X-Ray screen, however, I can’t help but notice a very small, very faint circular item in the bottom of her handbag- very similar to the item I have in the bottom of mine- that Sarah can presumably also see as she watches my belongings go through the scanner…

Shortly afterward, the five of us board the plane and are soon in the air, touching down three hours later at Gatwick airport. I stretch myself out as I step off the plane and take a deep breath of the comparatively chilly London air.

“In a way, it is kinda good to be home,” Lauren muses. “I haven’t seen Michael in almost a week…”

“I’m gonna have to get on with my pre-course reading,” Katie sighs. “I know it sounds silly because I’ve only just come back from holiday, but I really can’t wait until September…”

“I know what you mean,” Sarah says, bringing an awkward halt to the conversation as we all realise that Sarah still doesn’t know exactly where she’ll be going in September. “Come on, let’s get our bags…”

After collecting our luggage, the five of us head back to our respective homes, and as I open my front door- with Sarah in tow- I giggle as I’m greeted by the sound of babyish laughter.

“Hi,” I shout as I dump my case in the entrance hall. “Eldest daughter just back from holiday!”

“Nikki!” Mum says with a voice of near-relief, before giving me a long hug. “How was Spain? You both look so bronzed! I hope you didn’t spend all your time just sunning yourself on the beach…”

“Spain was AMAZING,” I chuckle. “But I am glad to be home.”

“Really?” Mum asks. “’Cause you sound like you could’ve used at least another week out there…”

“Yeah, like I could afford that,” I chuckle, before heading to the sofa and giving my giggling baby sister a quick cuddle.

“Oh, this came for you in the post on Monday,” mum says, handing me an A4 envelope in exchange for Jenny. “It looks important… We didn’t want to open it before you got back.”

“What is it?” Sarah asks as she sits down next to me.

“I dunno,” I say as I rip open the envelope- though in truth, I have a good idea of what it might be, and my suspicions are confirmed when I pull a small pile of official-looking papers out of the envelope. “Oh my god… I thought it might be…”

“What is it?” Mum asks.

“My gender recognition certificate,” I say with an emotional voice, showing mum the papers. “That’s it, it’s all legal now…”

“Aww, that’s so amazing!” Mum coos, handing Jenny back to me. “Here, hold up the certificate, I want to get a photo of you, all my girls together…”

“Okay,” Sarah laughs, standing up, before being shoved back onto the sofa by my mum.

“ALL my girls,” mum says with a warm smile, before taking her photograph. “What are you going to do now?”

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to get my driving licence and passport changed,” I sigh.

“No, I mean today!” Mum laughs. “It’s only 5 o’clock, are your celebrity friends not throwing a welcome back party for you or something?”

“We only had a party last Saturday!” I laugh. “I think they’re taking us out tomorrow night, though of course we do that every Friday…”

“Guess I’ll go and make some dinner then,” mum says. “You LEGAL girls hungry?”

“Yes, please,” Sarah says, taking Jenny off me as I study my certificate a bit more. “So cool…”

“It does of course mean that if we ever get married, it can’t be in a church as it’d legally be a gay marriage,” I say, before my eyes widen as I realise what I said.

“Umm, yeah,” Sarah stutters. “I- I don’t really believe in god that much anyway…”

“Don’t say that whilst you’re cuddling your GODdaughter!” I giggle.

“Hehe,” Sarah giggles. “I’m really going to miss Jenny if I go away to university…”

“Please, please don’t go,” I moan, bringing tears to Sarah’s eyes.

“You know it won’t be forever,” Sarah whispers, giving Jenny a quick kiss on her forehead.

“One MINUTE away from you is too much,” I sigh.

“We’ve still got two months,” Sarah says. “We should enjoy them, make the most of them…”

“Even though tomorrow I know we’ll have one day less?” I ask.

“ESPECIALLY because tomorrow we know we’ll have one day less.” Sarah says, leaning in and giving me a soft kiss. “I love you, Nikki. I’ll always love you, and only you, no matter how many miles separate us.”

“I love you too,” I whisper, resting my head against Sarah’s. After dinner, we spend the rest of the evening going through our holiday photos and videos. Dannii’s dunking is already in the process of going viral, having been viewed by thousands and shared hundreds of times on Facebook- including by Dannii herself and a couple of the Angels. Perversely, it seems as though our attempt to teach Dannii some humility is actually going to end up INCREASING her fame- though neither Sarah nor me mind as much as we would have done this time last week.

Eventually, and inevitably, Sarah and I end up in bed together, our naked bodies pressed together despite the summer heat. I cuddle Sarah tight as she starts to fall asleep- if we are to be separated, I want to make sure I have as much contact with her for as long as I possibly can…

“It’s so beautiful,” Sarah says as she looks out over the Mediterranean Sea. “I’m so glad we came…” I link my fingers with Sarah’s as I also stare out over the clear blue water, my pristine white wedding dress fluttering in the gentle breeze.

“I have to go now,” Sarah says, unlinking her fingers from mine and slowly walking away. I reach for Sarah, try to cry out, try to run after her, but no sound leaves my mouth and my feet are firmly rooted to the spot. I start to panic as the beach begins to fade into darkness, before my eyes suddenly jolt open and I find myself back in my bedroom, clinging to Sarah’s slumbering form as though my life depended on it- and the way I feel right now, it just might depend on it.

Sarah and I sleep in until 9:30am- even though I’m technically not ‘on’ holiday any more, the Angels were more than happy to give me the entire week off- before getting up, showering and dressing for the day. We both opt for short, frilly skirts, tight tank tops and flip-flops today- we worked hard for our tans, and by god, we’re going to show them off. After saying goodbye to mum and Jenny, we both get in my car and head to Sarah’s house.

“Mum?” Sarah asks as she opens the door. “You in?”

“At work, I’d guess?” I say as we’re greeted by silence.

“Yeah,” Sarah sighs as she drags her suitcase upstairs and starts unpacking whilst I head into the kitchen. “Can you make us a coffee while you’re down there?”

“Sure,” I say. “Hey, you’ve got some post too…”

“Cool, I’ll check it in a bit,” Sarah says as I lazily flick through the envelopes, freezing when I see one with the letters ‘LCF’ emblazoned on the front. With my legs wobbling and my hands shaking, I lower myself into a nearby chair, holding the envelope as though I were handling a priceless work of art.

“Okay,” Sarah says as she enters the kitchen. “Washing away, packing- well, unpacked… Caffeine time!”

“Sarah…” I whisper, handing my lover the envelope.

“Oh my god,” Sarah gasps, shakily lowering herself into a chair next to me. “This- this is it…” Without any prompting, Sarah opens the letter and starts reading. My heart breaks as I see a single tear trickle down her left cheek- she hasn’t got in, and in a few weeks’ time, she’ll be leaving…

“Sarah…?” I ask, barely restraining my own tears.

“I’ve… I’ve been accepted,” Sarah whispers. “The interview must have gone better than I thought, they’ve offered me a place…”

“Are- are you going-“ I ask before being silenced as Sarah launches herself at me, wrapping me in the tightest hug she can manage.

“Of course I’m going to accept their offer!” Sarah yells, making me cry tears of pure happiness.

“I love you so much,” I blub into Sarah’s shoulder.

“I love you too,” Sarah sniffles, clearly crying more tears of her own. “I- I should text Katie and Lauren, tell them the good news… This is so amazing!”

“A part of me kinda wishes I was going with you,” I sigh. “Guess I’ll just have to settle for having you every second of the day that you AREN’T at college!”

“Are you still planning on joining us together at the hip now that I’m staying in London?” Sarah giggles as she starts composing a text message. “Because, you know, I’d be totally okay with that…”

“Hips, hands… genitals,” I say, distracting Sarah with a long, deep kiss.

“Plenty of time for THAT later,” Sarah says. “The rest of our lives, actually…” After composing her text message, Sarah returns her phone to her bag, but lingers before pulling her hand back out. Now that she knows she’s staying in London, there’s no reason for her not to propose… There’s no reason for me not to either, for that matter. Come on, Sarah…

“We should text Jamie and Charlotte as well!” Sarah says, withdrawing her empty hand from her handbag. “See if we can extort a ‘going away to uni’ party from them for me, Katie and Lauren…”

“Might be tricky, I think that’s around the same time as Jamie’s birthday,” I say. “Doesn’t hurt to ask, though. Even though you’re not technically going ‘away’!” Sarah giggles again before giving me another long, lingering kiss.

We spend the rest of the day at Sarah’s house preparing for her future as an undergraduate student. Needless to say, immediately after releasing me Sarah called the London College of Fashion to accept their offer before switching on her laptop and spending a lot of her savings on course materials including more books than I’ve ever owned in my life. When Beverly returns, we let her know the good news. She’s obviously ecstatic that she’ll get to ‘keep hold’ of her only child for a few more years and is especially happy that Sarah got onto her preferred course, but probably the happiest people- besides myself and Sarah, of course- are Katie and Lauren, who mob Sarah with a tight group hug when we meet up with them for our traditional Friday girls’ night out. Dannii, Jamie and Hannah- also on the night out tonight- also give Sarah tight hugs when they find out the good news.

“So amazing,” Jamie sighs happily as we take our seats in the VIP area of our chosen nightclub. “You’re going to get to be together for at least another three years!”

“Teen Angels forever!” Sarah, Lauren and Katie all giggle simultaneously.

“I… Wouldn’t go THAT far,” Jamie says with a knowing smile. “I know, I shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, but I’m sure you’ve noticed that the ‘Teen Angels’ haven’t been as successful as we’d hoped…”

“So… What? We’re getting dropped?” I ask, my heart suddenly sinking again.

“More like… ‘Promoted’,” Hannah giggles. “That video you recorded? The media LOVE it, especially when they found out that you guys were tight with us. Joshua’s definitely going to use it in a future episode of the Angels.”

“Which we can’t do unless you’re ‘proper’ Angels,” Jamie giggles. “So, I guess, welcome to the club!”

“Oh my god!” Dannii squeaks. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

“Obviously your uni will come first,” Hannah says. “And the show itself will still be about the six of us… But you’ll get more than just fifteen minutes of fame, I guarantee you that!”

“And you’re not the only group being absorbed into the Angels,” Jamie explains. “There’s Out of Heaven as well, and we’re looking at grouping together some of the other girls who are currently signed to Joshua. You just have the ‘honour’ of being the first- well, second, I guess!”

“To the Angels!” Hannah toasts. “ALL of us!”

“The Angels!” Sarah, Katie, Lauren, Dannii and I all toast.

As I drink and dance the night away, I muse on how everything has changed in my life- but these changes are to be embraced, like my gender recognition certificate and my new-found ‘Angel’ status. As much as things have changed, though, all the important things have remained the same- a fact I’m reminded of every time Sarah stares into my eyes and smiles. All my fears, all my panicking over the last few months was for nothing- she’s staying in London, staying with me. And yet, our ring fingers are still bare. The one thing I’ve learned about Sarah is that she may be even more reluctant to embrace change than I am… Even changes that are for the better. And Sarah and I making it ‘official’ becoming wife and wife, or even fiancées… It WOULD be so much for the better. I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She loves me, and wants to spend the rest of her life with me.

Where’s the point in waiting any longer?