"And I would answer all you're wishes, if you asked me to. But if you deny me one of your kisses, don't know what I'd do. So hold me close and say three words, like you used to do. Dancing on the kitchen tiles, it's all about you."

It was lunchtime. The bell had rung and the class shad practically legged it out of chemistry faster than you can say periodic.

It was chilly outside, the bitter wind hitting against my freckled skin. I yanked on the zipper of my non-regulation black hoodie and buried my chin into it. Sometimes I hated having a zipper. It allowed the chill to get through what was meant to be my warmest layer and made me cold – not the function of a jumper. This is where Tom had it right with his Wicked hoodie, no wind chill through the holes of his zipper for him.

I guess that's one of the main things I like about him – he's intelligent. He's always good for conversation and above anything, he's a good help with school work. Something I am ashamed to say isn't a strong point of mine. Give me a football or a guitar and I'll be okay. Academic stuff, not so much.

Tom is my best friend, and he means more to me than anybody else in the whole world. Dougie would say I'm in love with him. Harry would, well I dunno what he would say actually. He's closer to Tom anyway. After Tom, I'm closest to Dougs. On the friend side of things he's near enough neck and neck with Tom – I can tell him anything. And everything.

He knows every sordid detail. All of it. Everything about me, stuff even Tom doesn't know. I know there are things about Tom I don't know and I'm pretty certain I know less about Harry than I do know.

This past year has been an absolute night mare. We've gone into our last year of school, attempting to scrape together good enough A-Levels to make it into university, and still remain sane. It's no easy task I'm telling you, not when our school still insists that we wear school uniform.

Today is the worst day of the year for single people. It's Valentine's day. It's alright if you have somebody to spend it with, but if you don't you get to watch everybody else be all smiley and gooey whilst you sit back and watch. This year however I plan to right this.

Dougie was standing by his locker looking somewhat bemused, red envelope in hand, as I approached him, "You alright, mate?" I asked opening the locker next to his and throwing my Chem. book into it.

"Huh? Yeah," he replied stuffing what was undoubtedly a Valentine's card back into his locker.

"You sure?" I enquired, pulling my lunch out of my locker. Marmite sandwich, Salt and Vinegar crisps, a Penguin bar and to top it all off an orange.

"Yeah," he blushed, putting his bag back on his back, "You ready?" I nodded, pulling out a medium sized brown envelope from my locker.

"As I'll ever be," he smiled shyly back at me.

"Then it's show time."

Me and Dougie entered the canteen together, heading straight for our corner; Tom and Harry were huddled together on the end of our usual table, their bags on two seats next to them for me and Dougie.

"Alright?" Dougie asked as he swung his arm round Tom's shoulder in a lazy hug. He grinned at me as he lowed himself into Tom's lap and hugged his head tightly at the same time as blocking Harry's view of Tom's open bag allowing me to tuck the envelope in as I ducked to put my bag by my feet. A muffled talking could be heard from inside Dougie's embrace but he didn't let go until I was sat down and nodded as him – fear starting to rise up in my throat – or maybe it was bile.

"I said," Tom panted as he pulled his head out of Dougie's grasp, "I would be if you let go of my head," Dougie grinned at him and shifted onto the seat next to Harry.

"Get any Valentine's cards then, Dougie?" the boy blushed as Harry asked him eh question, shaking his head. Liar, "None at all?" I was like Harry had been the one to send him the card, but we both knew hat was a lie as well. Another reason me and Harry weren't as close – we had common interests, if you get what I'm saying.

"Nah, you?" Harry shook his head, "It's a stupid holiday anyway," Dougie finished before giving me a pointed look.

"Why'd you lie to Harry?" I asked Dougie as we made our way to our form tutor.

"Because I didn't see the point in bringing it up when it's nothing to do with him anyway," fair enough. But still, if he had gotten a card he didn't have to lie about it.

"Has it got something to do with me?" I asked, considering he was talking to me about it.

"No, but you already saw him with it anyway, so there is no point in lying," again, another fair point.

"Any ideas who it's from?"

"No," he answered far too quickly for my liking. I frowned slightly at him, he just carried on walking and we finished our journey to the classroom in silence. It was weird for Dougie to act like this with me, no only did he know everything there is to know about me, but I knew everything there was to know about him.

"I got your card," was how Tom started the telephone conversation after we'd greeted each other. This was it. I gulped.

"And?"

"And, I'm sorry Dan, I really am," fucking hell, why me? "I thought he'd tell you."

"Who, tell me what?" I asked bitterly.

"Dougie," what the hell had he not told me? Had his card been from Tom? "He tells you everything; I thought he'd tell you what he saw."

"What he saw?"

"I'm sorry Dan. Me and Harry, we're-" that was enough for me I hung up on him and threw the handset across my room in a rage.

"Dan?" it was Vicky. She knocked softly on my door before opening it.

"What?" I barked at her, she swallowed before smiling at me sympathetically.

"Dougie's here, you want me to tell him to go?"

Nah, send him up, Vicks," she nodded, squeezing my shoulder before she left.

A few second later I heard the bounding footsteps up the stairs and across the landing before Dougie appeared in my ajar doorway.

"You knew," I wasn't a question and he knew it, but he nodded anyway, gulping guiltily, "You knew and you still left me do it? You left me make a prat of myself?"

"I thought maybe he'd see what an idiot he was being with Harry and see how amazing you were for him. If only he knew how you felt," I scoffed, fat lot of good it had done, "You're too good for him, Danny, if he didn't take you up on your offer he's an idiot."

"Or he's already taken and too good a person to leave somebody he loves."

"Loves? Oh please, they were suck face and fondling in your living room. Harry iknows/i you like him! He was doing it to get to you and now well, they're sort of together. I'm so sorry," he may have been sorry, but I was furious.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I shouted, he winced.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt."

"And I'm not hurt now?"

"I didn't know until this morning that they were a couple. If I told you then to not do it, you'd ask questions. And I didn't want you to find out from me, I wanted him to tell you. Which I'm guessing he did."

"you could have told me!"

"No I couldn't!"

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt you! You're my best friend, Dan, I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news when it wasn't my news to tell. I know it's stupid, but I didn't want you to blame me, and hate me or whatever."

"Why would I hate you?" I asked, confused. Normally something like this he would have told me. It just this entire situation.

"I don't know! I wasn't thinking. And I'm sorry," I nodded, it wasn't his fault. I reached out and hugged him, not wanting him to be upset. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close. I moved one of my hands up to the back of his neck, cradling him like an upset child.

"It's not your fault. It's okay," he shook his head and sniffled.

"It's not okay," he said into my t-shirt, "I shouldn't have kept it from you. I shouldn't have let you put the card in his bag. I'm sorry."

"I had to find out somehow. Better now than never," my anger had gone. I hated it when Dougie got upset, "Any idea who your card was from?" I asked, changing the subject.

"It was from them," he mumbled, "Here," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the folded up card.

Dearest Dougie,

Don't tell Danny, let him find out on his own.

We know you tell him everything.

We want to tell him. This isn't down to you.

Okay?

Tom and Harry

It was Harry's messy scrawl. Didn't sound like Tom had anything to do with it.

"Still, I've got you, ain't I mate?" I asked, tossing the card into the bin, I can't imagine he'd want to keep it. He smiled at me and pulled me back in for a hug, "Come on, let's spend this god forsaken holiday in style."

After a billion and one marshmallows and a lot of hot chocolate courtesy of my mother, me and Dougie were on our fourth film, watching the night away. It was a Friday night, it wasn't going to ruin there sleeping patterns too much.

I could see Dougie slowly drifting off though. He was trying his hardest to keep his eyes open, occasionally I would look round and his eyes were shut. At the end of the film I turned off the television and went to grab a blanket for Dougie, moving him now would only disturb him, best to leave him where he was. I got him a pillow as well, but deliberated about putting it under his head or not.

I decided it was probably best to leave it by the side of the sofa and if he woke up he could sort himself out.

Running a gentle finger under his fringe, I moved it out of his eyes. He sighed and cuddled into the sofa arm more. I smiled; he always was there for me.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, pulling it out I saw Tom was calling me, having ignored his calls and texts all evening for Dougie's sake rather than my own I answered it, "What?"

"I wanted to apologise," I heard him whisper. Why was he being so bloody quiet?

"Good for you mate. Dougs is asleep, I gotta go," I went to hang up, but I heard him shout and stopped myself from pressing that little red button, "What?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I gulped, he was being quite again and I could hear a muffled movement, "I didn't mean to be cruel."

"Harry's go that covered," I replied bitterly looking through the kitchen door across the hallway into the lounge where I could see a sleeping Dougie, "Tell him from me, to stay the hell away from Dougs."

"What's he done?"

"It doesn't matter, I hope you are happy together," Then I hung up. I had had every intent of taking myself up to my bed and sleeping there, but that would be mean on Dougie tomorrow morning. I quickly ran upstairs, grabbing my duvet and three pillows and headed back into the lounge. Setting myself up in the gap between Dougie's 'bed' and the coffee table. Placing the spare pillow I had for Dougie on the end of the sofa, "G'night Dougs," I whispered through the darkness before I let myself succumb to sleep.