"So how is everyone?" I asked Mark. We were sitting in a small cafe in the centre of Dublin, secluded in a corner to try and hide from any fans who might make an appearance. I hadn't made an effort to look good, and was just wearing some old jeans and a sweatshirt, Mark was dressed fairly smartly in designer clothes, and looking as gorgeous as ever. He had just informed me that he could only stay an hour because the lads were unexpectedly due to perform on a German TV show, and Louis was already annoyed he was here in the first place.

"Ah yeah they're all grand," he said playing with a beer mat.

"What so there's no goss?" I asked intrigued, as to whether the current rumours about who dating who flying around were true.

"Oh um, well Kian isn't seeing Britney Spears, but this girl called Clare. She lives in Wales so they don't get to see each other much, but from what I know it's going well,"

"Oh that's good, I'm happy for them," I replied genuinely.

"Yeah, um Shane's going out with this girl called Luce, from uh, oh ummm S something," he rested his chin on his hand deep on thought, then suddenly clicked his fingers, "Stamford! That's it." He said happy he'd remembered. "Yeah they've not been going out long, he just broke up with this girl Nikki, but yeah, she's really nice. Nicky's still going strong with old Georgina, although this girl Sarah has been around quite a bit lately, but I don't think anything's going on-it'd better not be for Georgina's sake. Oh and Bryan, jeez man I can't keep up with that guy, I really couldn't tell you who's he's with now, it seems to change every 5 minutes!" We both sat there laughing, "That sure sounds like Bry-so is he using the line about him being famous anymore?"

"Oh God no, I think he learnt from that one night in the Pod!" We both sat there in thought, at the memories of that night.

"Yeah a lot was learnt that night," I said remembering what went on that night.

"You never did let me finish saying what I was going to say that night did you?" Mark said reaching forward for my hand. I thought about pulling it away, but decided against it, and let him sit there holding it.

"There was, there is," I corrected myself, " a reason why. Oh Mark stop looking at me like that, like it's my fault all this hasn't worked out."

"I'm not looking at you like anything Shelly, I'm just full of regret that we didn't let what's inevitable happen back then." He said going misty eyed.

"You just don't get it do you?" I said raising my voice and pulling my hand away from his. "Nobody gets it." I muttered shaking my head beginning to feel the tears come on against my will.

"Get what Shelly?" Mark said concerned trying to reach back for my hand. I shook him off and stood up, not caring that I was making a scene.

"You can't just expect me to drop everything Mark," I said too loudly for his taste.

"Shelly, sit down, and calm down." He said getting embarrassed about the scene I was making.

"No Mark I won't just sit down and shut up. You can go on with all this crap about how it's inevitable that one day we'll be together, but that's bullshit Mark. You can't, nobody can just expect me to drop school, university, all my plans, just so I can be at your beck and call following you all around the world. No matter how much I love you or you love me it just isn't going to happen-we have to face facts." The tears were falling ten to the dozen now, and people were starting to crowd round, obviously realising who was hiding in the corner. "Shelly," he whispered cradling me in a hug.

"Just let me finish okay?" I said almost incomprehensible through my tears. " In some ways I really wish I had not persuaded them to sign you that day at the record company, that way there could be some hope for us, but that's just being selfish. You guys deserve what you've got, and I'm not going to try and take it away from you. Now Mark, please, there's nothing left to say, lets just leave it at that." I pulled away from him, grabbed my coat and ran out the door. He didn't say anything, but before I left I turned back, and swore I could see a silver shimmer of a tear.