Chapter 1

I sighed heavily. This was not happening. It just couldn’t; it wasn’t fair!

I grabbed the key and turned the ignition again. Again the engine stuttered and stuttered and threatened to start up, but then chugged to a halt.

“Oooh… c’mon!” I cried, totally frustrated. This is just not what I needed right now.

I turned the key again and the whole process repeated itself. The car was not going to start.

“Oh, this is fantastic!” I sighed, and banged the steering wheel in pure annoyance.

Why was this happening to me?

Why me?

Not today. Not now.

I took a deep breath, and put the car into first gear.

“Now, please start…” I begged, trying to use all the tricks I could think of to make this damn car get going.

Again, I tried the ignition, and the engine tried and tried… and then just came to a spluttering halt.

“Oh God!” I cried. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Good question.

I was stuck in a car park, in the middle of London, on a busy Saturday afternoon, with a load of shopping, and now I had no car to get home. Oh, bloody fantastic.

I sat back in the front seat and took a deep breath. Ok- what now? Well this car obviously wasn’t going to budge an inch, that was pretty plain to see.

And I had absolutely no idea what was wrong with it. It had always run like a dream since I got it for my 19th birthday three years ago. There had never been the slightest problem with it- I’d never even had a puncture! It was unbelievably reliable. All my friends were really pissed off about it because it never broke down, and their ones always did.

But this, my favourite car that I’d always wanted, had now decided to pack up in the most annoying place in the whole of England.

My friends’ll have a field day!

I looked hopelessly at the dashboard, hoping that it would suddenly tell me what was wrong with the car. Like a flashing, neon sign suddenly appearing saying

“CLUTCH! CLUTCH! CLUTCH!”

Or

“TRANSMISSION! TRNSMISSION! TRANSMISSION!”

Or whatever else went wrong with these damn cars.

You see, I wasn’t very good at the mechanics of a car. I wasn’t that good with a car full stop. Typical girl.

I’d failed my test the first time, but passed again on the second time. And I was absolutely useless at refuelling for the first few months, and of course, I had absolutely no idea how a car worked underneath the bonnet!

The meter on the dashboard said I had half a tank of fuel left in, so it wasn’t as simple as I’d run out of fuel. It was something technical. And there was no point in me going to have a look under the bonnet, because I had no idea what I was looking for. It could be anything, couldn’t it?

I felt pretty stupid though.

I mean, I should know all this car- technical thingy. Coming from a girl whose hero’s growing up were people like Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher- you would have thought watching all those Formula 1 races would have accounted for something.

But obviously, no.

I sat there, doing nothing. I felt really stranded. I really didn’t know what to do. I guess I had no choice but to phone the garage. There was nothing else for it.

I had another last gasp attempt at starting the engine, but it wasn’t going to take any of it. Giving up, I reached over to the passenger seat and picked up my bag.

I searched through its messy contents (I really have got to sort that out) until I found my mobile phone. I was lucky that at least I had the number of the garage on my list of emergency contacts! That was one thing that I was glad my parents had taught me: always keep certain numbers with you at all times. So the garage was in there, along with the others.

I found the number and dialled. A few rings and the phone picked up.

“Hi?”

Guy’s voice, bout 30-ish.

“Er… hi. My car won’t start,” I said. I didn’t know what to say! I’d never done this before!

“What’s wrong wiv it?” he didn’t seem particularly bothered.

“Er… I’m not sure.”

Pretty pathetic.

“It just won’t start. At all. The engine just won’t catch on.” (Is that a phrase?!!)

“Well… alright, where are ya?”

Good point.

“Er… in a car park…”

“What car park?”

Damn!! Where was this bloody car park?? What street?!!

“Oh! Er… the car park on St. James’s street. You know, right near London centre.”

I hope that sounded ok!

“Ok and what’s the name? And what car?”

“Er… it’s Katherine Matthews and the car’s a blue Honda civic.”

“Ok, we’ll be along with you shortly…”

“How long are you going to be exactly?” I asked him. I didn’t want to be hanging around here for ages. It was actually beginning to get pretty warm in the car.

“I dunno… 10, 15 minutes? Just it there and we’ll be with you soon,” he said.

I sighed- might as well do what he said- I didn’t really have a choice did I?

“Ok- thanks.”

“Bye.”

“Bye!”

He hung up, and I turned the phone off.

Ok- 10/15 minutes… what was I gonna do until then?

I decided to flick through the four carrier bags I’d acquired whilst shopping, to look for that magazine I’d bought. I might as well read that for a bit. I wasn’t really going anywhere, was I?

I had quite a lot of shopping actually. I hadn’t had a free weekend for ages- I’d been so busy with work for university, and visiting my family up North and all sorts of other things, and now I finally had a bit of time to myself. So, what better way to unwind than to go shopping? And so I’d bought some new CD’s, new books and magazines and a bit of new make-up and had a really nice lunch at my fave café in the whole world, Clara’s. The food there is soooooo nice! And the coffee is the best.

I really don’t go there as often as I’d like and I thought I’d treat myself today- what with all the hassle and pressure I’d had in the last month.

University had been unbelievably busy. I get new work everyday it seems, and I’ve got my important do-or-die exams in 2 months!

I’m really nervous!

And then of course there’s been the small matter of finding a new flat (Ohhh… you do not even wanna know about the one I’m living in at the moment) to live in and the even smaller matter of that stupid prick who goes to university, Timothy Palmer!

I shook my head, trying to get all that mess out of my head and to clear my mind and concentrate on my magazine.

I’d barely been reading it 5 minutes, and barely got past the “gossip!” pages when it started getting really stuffy in the car.

Really, really stuffy.

I tried to concentrate, but it was distracting. It was giving me a headache. In the end, I put the magazine back in the bag, and opened the door and got out of the car. I needed to stretch my legs anyway. Not that I hadn’t already that morning!

It was much cooler outside, and I closed the door behind me and leaned against the car. It was much better out here. It was now a question of when the garage would get here to ix my car. I prayed they’d be able to fix it on the spot. I don’t know what I’d do if they had to take it in…

I was also hoping that the problem with the car was something that had truly broken on it. I’d die if it was something really simple and fixable in 2 seconds!

I’d look soooooo stupid!

I stood there, and had a glance around the car park. It was pretty jam- packed, which was perfectly understandable for a Saturday afternoon, too! We were having good weather for once- and it was only April!

I was stood there a few minutes, getting completely bored, seriously hoping that the garage wouldn’t take forever because I wanted to get “home”, when I suddenly caught something that made my eyes open wide.

A red car had just turned right in front of me and gone off down another row in the car park, and I could have sworn…

The car went out of sight and I left my car a minute and went around it so I could get a better look at the car as it exited the car park.

Yep! It was a red Ford Fiesta.

Oh my God!

What was the car reg?

I stood on tiptoe, trying my best to see… this was so important.

It couldn’t be him, could it?

What was he doing here?

Oh, I’d die if he saw me with my broken don car!!!

But as the car moved forward in the queue of cars to get out, I saw the car reg was an R.

Not an S! Thank God, oh God, oh God.

Heartbeat returning to normal, I walked back to the door I’d been leaning against.

That dreaded S-reg red Ford Fiesta was the car I feared most seeing- ever. I saw it enough at university (once he even parked NEXT to me!! Once!!), and I couldn’t handle it, him, around here now.

The Fiesta belongs to Tim, you see. And you don’t even wanna know what a misery he’s made my life over the last 18 months!

Let me warn you: never, ever tell your friends which guy you have a crush on!

It just doesn’t work, ok?

So busy recovering from that little shock, I didn’t see the garage guys come at all.

Not until I heard this voice behind me go, “Katherine?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin!

I spun around, and there he was. The garage guy.

He was tall, bout 5”11 or so, looked about late 20’s and had ruffled blond hair.

“Er… yeah. Hi.”

“What’s the matter with your car, then?” he asked.

Why do they ask you that so much? I wondered. He clearly wasn’t the guy I’d spoken to on the phone, but you would’ve thought they’d have told him what was wrong with it.

“Er… it just won’t start. I’ve tried about 4 or 5 times, and even tried putting it into first but it won’t,” I said.

“Ok- lemme try,” he said, and I stood aside, whilst he got in the drivers seat.

I was half hoping it wouldn’t start so I didn’t look stupid, and half hoping it would so I could just hurry up and get home.

The guy tried the ignition and the same familiar scenario happened… the engine tried and tried… but just wouldn’t start. He tried twice more, but had no luck.

He got out of the car. “Gonna have to take a look inside her,” he said to me.

I silently nodded as he went around the front and opened the bonnet of the Honda. Then he leaned over and examined the maze of contents. I stood by, anxiously biting my nails. Ok- so I obviously had a problem now- but how serious was this problem gonna be?

He was taking forever. Can’t he just see the damn thing?!!

“What’s wrong with it?” I called over the bonnet.

He said something from underneath the bonnet, but I couldn’t hear him.

“What?!” I called a little louder.

“I said,” he said, standing up straight and looking at me, “your battery’s dead.”

“Eh?”

“Your car battery. It’s dead; flat. No good.”

“Oh.”

“We’re going to have to fit it with a new one.”

“Erm… so how long’s that gonna take?” I asked worriedly.

“Well… we’ll have to take her in. probably keep ‘til Monday.”

“Monday?!!!”

I was horrified.

“Monday? Are you sure? You can’t get it fixed, like, now?!”

I was totally shocked.

He laughed at me. “Why? Is that a problem? You in a hurry?”

I blushed a little. “Er… no, it’s just, I need my car… I use it a lot.”

“Well, this car ain’t gonna be moving for a while. Pretty darn useless. And the batteries are back at the garage, and I can’t promise nothin’ ‘til Monday,” he said.

I sighed. It was hopeless.

“Well, how am I supposed to get home?” I said, whining a little bit. “I live in Greenwich! It takes an hour to get there!”

The guy shrugged at me. “Bus? Taxi?” He offered.

Well thank you very much for your help, I thought crossly. Now I have to use measly public transport! You could have at least offered me a lift!!

He shut the bonnet. “I’ll have to call the guys to take it down to the garage. I’ll need a few details before you go, though.”

Oh, like I’m in a rush now, I thought.

He took out a notebook and pen from his dark blue overalls and wrote down my name, car number plate, address and phone number. He said he’d call when it was ready to be fetched, which I thought was bloody cheeky ‘cos how are you supposed to collect your car when you don’t have one? They don’t even drive it home for you.

He then went back to his car to make a phone call, so I slowly went through things.

Ok- to get a taxi, I would have to walk back into the centre of London again, with all my shopping. Urrghhhh!!!

Definite no go.

And I couldn’t call anyone to pick me up ‘cos they all lived too far away and it was asking too much of them to come all the way down here to fetch me and bring me back. Wouldn’t be best pleased, I would’ve thought.

So, I had no choice- the bus it was.

The lovely, lovely public bus to Greenwich. For a whole hour. In this weather.

Fantastic.

The nearest bus station was actually right outside the car park, so that wasn’t actually a problem- I wouldn’t have to do much walking. And the bus stopped a couple of blocks before my flat when it did stop in Greenwich- I know that from past experience hen I’d used the bus for about a year before I got my car.

But it was just being on the bus that was the problem.

I hate buses! But I had no choice.

I went back to the open car door, leaned into it, and collected all the stuff I would need: my shoulder bag and my carrier bags. They’d need my car keys, wouldn’t they? And besides, I had a spare key to my flat in my bag. I slung the shoulder bag over my arm and held two carrier bags in each hand and somehow managed to close the door of the car with my leg. The guy came back.

“They’ll be here in 10 minutes,” he informed me.

I nodded. “I’m just gonna go get the bus, ok?” I said.

He nodded. “Ok- I’ll stay wi’ your car.”

“Ok, thank you,” I said, and then I turned around and left him.

I walked between the cars, row after row, through the whole car park until I came to the exit, where the bus station was. There were only about 5 people there, most of them old grannies.

I went over and put my bags down near the wall, which had the bus timetable on it. Of all the people there, I was by far the one with the most stuff to carry. Everyone kind of stared at me as I put the bags down.

Oh shut up! I said angrily in my head. Stop gaping!

I really was not in a good mood.

I studied the timetable. The next one to Greenwich was the 2 o’clock bus, and I checked my watch.

1:57.

Pretty cool timing!!! It was due to get into Greenwich at 3:05pm, so all I had to do now was pray the buses were running on time and traffic was good. I turned around and leaned against the wall and waited for the bus to come. The bus station really wasn’t very nice- I’d rather stand than sit inside.

I watched the traffic go by, and watched in envy the people in cars on the road who had cars and could get home quickly and pleasantly. I was sooo hoping Tim wouldn’t drive past in his car. I knew he wouldn’t, I always know he won’t, but I’m always apprehensive he might be around. I’d really thought I’d seen him in the car park! And for him to see me, stood at the bus station, with a load of shopping bags, that would just be totally humiliating.

I still fancied him after all he’d done (which was bloody annoying!) and I couldn’t bear to look stupid in front of him. I can’t bear to look stupid in front of anyone.

But Tim didn’t come my way, and the bus was only a few minutes late. It came trundling up to the stop, and stopped with a giant hiss, like a train. The 5 people stood up and I leant down and took hold of my carrier bags and followed everyone onto the bus.

Surprisingly, very surprisingly, the bus was almost totally empty. Apart from me, and the other 5 other people that had got on with me, there were only about another 3 or 4 more people in there- and they were old grannies too!

How embarrassing.

I got to the top steps of the bus, took my purse from my shoulder bag and paid my fare to the driver. Then I put it away and turned to the seats.

Now- where was I gonna sit?

There were lots of spaces, mostly near the back. All the old grannies had sit near the front. So, I decided I didn’t really wanna be in that gang, so I went right to the back of the bus with all my bags, and collapsed onto the left of the back seat, near the window.

I put my bags on the floor around me, and my shoulder bag on my lap. There was no one else on the bus after me, so the doors closed and the bus slowly began to move.

I sighed. The start of a very long afternoon.

It was so hot in the bus. I couldn’t believe how warm it was. I had to shake off my denim jacket, and put that on my lap. I now felt much cooler sitting there in my jeans and white vest top with a pink star on. I settled down in the seat and turned to look out of the window on my right. Shops and houses and buildings of all shapes slowly went by, and I realised with horrible reminiscence just how boring these bus journeys were. In London, you couldn’t even look at the pretty countryside outside. It was just all urban everywhere.

I caught sight of my reflection in the window, and I didn’t look very good.

“Oooohh,” I hissed to myself, and turned away to open my shoulder bag, and I took out my pocket mirror. I studied myself and realised windows don’t lie.

My hair had gone all messy down the front. I had to wipe it away from across my forehead and re-do the clips pulling the brown locks off my face. I really wished I’d put it up in a ponytail. I liked it down though, it looked nicer, but it felt really hot on the back of my neck in here. My eye shadow above my small, grey- blue eyes was fading and I discovered my lipstick had completely gone from my thin, pink lips. And my expression: I didn’t look very happy. In fact, I looked pretty pissed off.

Not very pretty.

Still, who the hell was gonna see me here? Other than a load of old grannies.

I put the mirror away and then settled down again. I leant my head on my hand and looked out of the window and watched, bored, and miserable, as all the world went by.

The bus stopped a few minutes later, and I didn’t even look up to see about another 4 grannies get on and sit near the front. I was totally isolated at the back, but I didn’t really care. To tall you the truth, I was passed beyond caring.

I was warm, tired, fed-up, miserable and bored.

Now to add to my list of ever growing problems, I had no car until Monday. Monday afternoon, probably, so I’d have to get the bus to university or get a lift off Abbie, or someone, which was wonderful!…

… not.

The bus had started moving again, and I realised how slowly we were going. I’d be a quarter of the way there by now, if I had my car…

Were they going purposely slow because of the grannies? Was 40 mph too quick for them? I sighed heavily in a depressing tone, and closed my eyes. I could sleep, I thought. That’ll make things go quicker.

But the thing was, I just couldn’t sleep. I did feel tired, especially my head and my feet, but it was too warm in here. Too noisy. Too uncomfortable. I shifted again in my seat, and leaned even heavier on my hand. I stared out of the window, looking at nothing.

A few minutes later, the bus stopped to let even more people on.

God, how many times was this bus gonna stop to let people do that?

It delayed things even further!

But it was good I’d got on early, before things had got too crowded. I might have had to share a seat with a granny otherwise!

As the people got on, I sighed again. Sooooo bored. This was turning out to be an uninspiring Saturday. And especially as I’d been looking forward to this free day for sooo long! What a total let down!

The people were taking longer this time to get on, delaying things for even longer. There must be more of them. I aimlessly lifted my head up to have a look at the front of the bus.

And then… bang.

Oh my God.

The world just totally stopped.

Time froze.

My eyes grew as wide as a Frisbee’s and everything around me went all blurry. I blinked twice, three times, but it was REAL.

There he was. Stood at the top of the aisle of the bus, looking down at the seats.

Looking right at ME.

Oh my GOD.

The look on my face must have been priceless.

But I really was as God damn shocked as you could ever be.

I couldn’t BELIEVE this.

It was all so unreal, so totally incredible!

Standing there, looking absolutely breath-takingly, brain meltingly gorgeous and relaxed was Christian.

From a1.

Yes, theeeeeee Christian from a1.

The BOYBAND a1.

Who were like, totally famous. They’d had so many hits, won so many awards, they were soooo big.

And Christian was just stood there on the BUS.

My face must have been a picture, ‘cos he was staring at me, AT ME, and then he even grinned at me!

He must be thinking- Oh God, she knows who I am! She’s seen me and is in total frozen shock ‘cos she’s looking at a pop star!

Which was all perfectly true. I couldn’t do anything. My face; my whole body had frozen.

And then before I knew anything, he started walking over towards me.