Hey There, Delilah - A 5 Seconds of Summer story

Chapter 6

The next month and a bit flew by in a blur of exams, songwriting, singing practice and stress.

All too quickly, Christmas was over, it was December 30 and Emilia and I were standing at the airport saying goodbye to our families.

“Have a great time, Em.” Her older brother, Ian, said as he gave her a hug. “Don’t flirt with those boys!”

“Ian!” Emilia gasped, holding a hand to her heart and sending a nervous look at her parents. “I would never!”

“Sure, sure.” Ian laughed, ruffling her hair.

“Goodbye, sweetheart.” Dad said, giving me a huge bear hug. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” I pulled back and looked at him sternly. “You get too lonely, you call me and I’ll come home.”

“Delilah.”

“Don’t ‘Delilah’ me. Call me, ok?”

“Ok. But I have friends, you know.”

“I know. But I also know that I’m your favourite.”

Dad laughed. “Have a safe flight, Del. Call me when you land.”

“Will do. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you.”

All of a sudden, we were boarding. Emilia was an experienced flyer, having family living in America that she visited frequently.

Thanks to her advice and talkative manner, I made it to Sydney without a nervous breakdown.

“I still don’t know how you convinced Johanna to let me come.” She said, as we collected out bags from the conveyor belt. “And I still can’t believe she let Alison stay.”

I shrugged; I’d told Emilia the full story before we’d left. “Jo said it was fine. And Alison’s not her fault. It’s Coco’s.”

“Coco Stewart.” Em wrinkled her nose. “Now that’s a problem for you.”

“Huh?”

“One of the classic Stars Off The Rails acts; clubbing and partying from dusk until dawn and sleeping around. She has a decent enough voice. Dresses like a slut, though. Bet you anything she’s been sent to Australia to clean up her act. She’s not as good as you.”

“I like this girl already!” There was a new voice from behind me.

“Jules!” I grinned, hugging her. “Long time no see!”

“At least it was a month this time rather than a year.” Jules rolled her eyes. “Now introduce me to your replacement me!”

“I’m Emilia.” Emilia smiled. “And please tell me that by ‘this girl’, you meant me and not Coco?”

“Jules. And yes, absolutely.” Jules grinned back.

The car trip to the hotel was great. Jules and Em got along perfectly, which suited me fine. It was like the three of us had been best friends our entire lives.

“Are you sure you girls don’t want to stay at our place?” Kath asked, for the fifth time. “We have the room.”

“Mum. It’s supposed to be a bonding thing.” Jules waved her hand. “We really don’t mind. Besides, we’ll see you at the New Years Eve party in Hyde Park, yeah?”

“Yes. Have a good time, darling. Take care, Delilah. And nice meeting you, Emilia.”

“Thank you!” We all chorused, and jumped out of the car.

Jo met us in the lobby and let us to our rooms, chattering animatedly all the way up about the most random of things.

“Here’s your room, girls.” She said, brightly, when we reached door 245 of floor 17. “The boys are just across the hall.”

“Thanks, Jo.” Em said, grinning. “When can we meet said boys?”

Jo laughed. “A girl after my own heart! They’re at a meet and greet now, but I’ve arranged a dinner tonight.”

“Sounds perfect.” I said. “We’d better go and shower and such.”

“See you at six, girls!” Jo waved as she waltzed off down the hall.

We entered the room and saw that there was only one double bed.

“No!” Jules moaned, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t like to share!”

“I know.” I said, dryly. “You’re a blanket hog.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Well you curl up so small you don’t need any blanket!”

“Do not!”

“Yeah you do, sister!” Em interjected, with mock-evil eyes.

“Well Em’s a kicker!” I countered.

“Am not!” Em gasped in outrage.

By that stage, we were all laughing.

“It’s almost three.” Jules said, wiping her eyes. “Time to get ready?”

“Perfect.” Em said, seriously. “I dibs first shower!”

“Guys, we have three whole hours.” I said, in disbelief.

“And we need to dress up!” Em reminded me. “So go find a dress.”

I rolled my eyes. But to my surprise, the three hours rolled by very quickly, to the tune of Hot Chelle Rae songs.

Soon, it was ten to six, and we were all spritzing on perfume and hairspray and attaching jewelry.

Emilia looked incredible as always. She’d tamed her tousled hair into smooth blonde ringlets, and was dressed in a baby-pink sleeveless dress with pale pink lace over the bodice and white flats.

Jules looked hot with her black hair dead straight to her waist, dressed in a sheer, white, sleeveless collared blouse (with a peach bandeau underneath for modesty’s sake), over a short, black, tight skirt and low black heels with bright red lipstick. Jules loved to stand out.

Me, on the other hand, was dressed in my normal style of comfort. I was wearing a royal blue dress with a black collar and triangle cutouts underneath, with white socks and dark purple Vans. I’d pulled my hair into a messy fishtail braid that hung across my right shoulder.

“You’re such a boy.” Em tutted.

“It’s why you love me.” I said, cheekily.

Then we stepped outside and caught sight of the boys.

Even the sight of Luke reduced my stomach to butterflies.

This night would not end well, I was sure of it.