Chapter Forty-Seven

It's Time

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Lily? They'll be tired- and Al can't come - maybe we should wait or..." James trails off mid-panic. I yawn loudly and so does he. Caleb grasps my hand tightly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Not that I really need reassuring, I'm not nervous. Telling the truth to everyone feels ... right.

It's 6 am on a Sunday morning and we've called a Family Meeting. So yeah, they'll be ... grumpy. But this is important.

"I know it's going to be akward, James. But they need to know. Besides," I say yawning again. (I got no sleep last night and I've been up for over an hour), "We have to come up with a plan before 12 o'clock or Frockler will slap Molly's story on the front page." James nods and leans back against his throne, shutting his eyes. The room has turned my comfy armchair into a loveseat (aw) so Caleb and I are sitting on that.

We sit in silence until the door swings open five minutes later. It's Rose. She strides in, stopping dead when she sees that she is the first one here. She looks at James reluctantly. He stands and walks towards her, reaching for her shoulders. She takes a step back and glares at him.

"Rosie, I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't erase what I said, but I am. It's your choice to be with whoever you want and I am trying hard to accept that and get over my issues. I may not approve but I know that doesn't really matter to you and I would rather us get along than fall out over something so petty. Becaue family is important. Not that you being happy isn't but- My point is you get to do whatever you want, because I want you to be happy." He rambles on and on, so fast that I miss half of the words. But evidently Rose doesn't.

She tries to keep the smile off her face and still seem angry but she can't. Instead she smirks and says with mock-superiority, "I will be." and sits down on her classroom-esque wooden chair.

James smiles to himself, winks at me then sits back down. I smile at Rose, who grins at me. It's a few seconds before I realise I've been leading on Caleb's shoulder, in blissful silence, for the past few minutes. I'm tired and he's comfy and since James and I have made up for real now - I don't really care about what people think anymore.

The next to walk in are Molly, Dom and Roxie who all share a dorm anyway. Molly's baby bump looks quite prominent this morning, and I plan to mention it nicely after the Meeting. Roxie is neither totally tired-looking nor awake. In fact, as usual these days, she looks pretty distracted. Dom -as I've mentioned- is not a morning person and looks dead. But still frigging gorgeous. Merlin, I wish I looked like that first thing in the morning. I have bags under my eyes, I haven't had a shower since yesterday, my hair is thrown baack in a messy ponytail, and I'm wearing an old t-shirt and jeans, with scabby white trainers. I run my hand over my face subconsiously.

"You look beautiful Brown-eyes." Whispers Caleb in my ear. It's like he can read my mind.

"You too." I whisper. He chuckles and I can feel it vibrating through my whole body.

Then comes Freddie, who just walks up, punches James in the shoulder says,"It's six-o-fucking-clock." and sits down on his water-chair. It's like a water-bed, but's it's a chair.

Then Hugo runs in, followed by Louis and finally Lucy. Al can't come because he has to stay in the Hospital Wing until Wednesday. He had a pretty bad fall. James says that he'll go and tell him what happens later, and I believe him.

James stands. I take a deep breath. Caleb rubs my shoulder soothingly and Molly shoots me a questioning look. I point at James, a silent signal for her to pay attention.

"Hi guys. I know it's early but - but this is important." James says. Everyone sits up straighter at the tone in his voice. "I - well, I don't know quite how to start. I - In my fourth year I slept with Hailey Frockler." He announces.

This is met with a chorus of "ew"s and "Merlin!"s and a "5 Galleons he was pissed!" from Fred. I nod at him to keep going.

"We - y'know - and then I dumped her and ... that's why she has her vendetta against me. Against us." He pauses to let everyone absorb it before continuing. He turns to Louis, "Back in September she was in my face about something and somehow everyone having secrets became a topic ... and I accidentily let slip about you and your girlfriend. That's how she got her article.I'm sorry, Lou." Louis looks shocked. He clears his throat.

"What's done's done, mate. Forget about it." He half-smiles. James shoots him a grateful look.

"Well what about the other stuff? How could she know about what happened with Lil's boyfriend at New Years'. Unless-" Rose pipes up, cutting off when she understands. He mouth pops into a little "oh" shape and she looks around the room suspiciously.

"She says that she has a spy. Someone in our family providing her with our personal secrets to destroy our lives. And right now ... we have no other explanation." James mutters sadly. This causes a great rabble as everyone starts protesting.

"But we wouldn't!","Who would do that?","She's lying!"

"Everyone SHUT UP!" Shouts James loudly. Not in a mean way, just to get everyone's attention.

"I wasn't finished." He mutters.

"There's more?!" Exclaims Dom.

"Frockler has been blackmailing me and Lily, making us choose one persons secret over another. I don't know about Lily but half the time I didn't even know what the secret was. Just who it belonged to. Just after Christmas -" He turns to me. "- I'm sorry I didn't tell you last night Lil, buit just after Christmas break, that article she published about you and Caleb, I had to chose between that or Molly's secret coming out. I didn't tell her about it though, I swear! I just ... let her publish it." I look him in the eyes. I feel more forgiving than I did yesterday.

"James she did that to me as well - I chose me too." I grin.

"Anyway," He says, turning to face everyone, "Lily and I think it would be better to know what we are choosing between. So we can come up with a plan, as a family. Who wants to start?" He says, sitting down finally.

There is a long silence. Hugo speaks up.

"What kind of secrets. I mean, once I broke my Mum's favourite vase and blamed it on Rose -"

"I knew it, Hugo!"

"-but I don't think Frockler cares about that."

"Think of the biggest thing in your life right now. Something so huge that the whole school would talk about it for ages if they knew. Something that will make us or other judge you. Something-" I start.

"My baby, Hugo. Something that's as major in your life as me being pregnant is." Says Molly. Then she looks between me and James, a knowing look in her eye. As me and Molly have become friendlier, I have forgotten how smart she is, "So when did she threaten to do it?"

James answers.

"Tomorrow's paper, if we don't find a really juicy secret to replace it."

"No, you don't need to." She says suddenly, "It's better to just let it out. Mum called the school, all the teachers know now anyway. I just - I just need 24 hours to tell one person, then I don't care anymore. It's ok."

James nods, and we go back to sitting in silence.

"Who do you ned to tell?" I mouth at her. She shakes her head. It's not that nobody likes Molly, but she doesn't have very many friends, not any close ones. She was always studying or with Jack.

Finally, someone stands, clears their throat. It's Roxie. She starts to talk.

Oh the next chapter will be SOOOO exciting! Almost ALLL of the secrets will be revealed. I'm so EXCITED. I will try to update soon xxxx Please help me get over 100 reviews before then! Pleaseeeeeeeee.