Summer was over and now it was autumn. November, to be exact. Mark, Lucy and Ben all had birthdays in that month- Mark was 23 on 7th, Lucy was 19 on 15th and Ben would be 20 on 22nd, so they were having a joint party.
The party was being held in Nick's big London mansion which he shared with Lucy. Loud music was pumping through the house as people danced and talked.
Helen and Paul were dancing together, looking longingly into each others eyes.
"I like the name Christian for a boy," Helen told him, they were discussing baby names. "Or maybe Jennifer for a girl,".
Paul jumped as he heard that name. It reminded him of when he had cheated on Helen. Like he had vowed to himself, he had not been unfaithful since. He only had eyes for Helen now.
"I need a sit down," Helen insisted after a while. She went over and joined Heather and Ben on one of Lucy and Nick's plush zebra-print sofas.
Ben and Heather were opening his birthday presents. "That T shirt you got me was really nice Helen, thanks," Ben said to her with a smile.
"Glad you like it," Helen said, watching as Heather tore off the wrapping paper.
"Awwww, how sweet of them!" Heather said as she saw what Tasha and Marat had got for Ben. It was designer baby clothes.
"Only five months now," Ben said to the girls. "You have a more noticeable bump, Helen,".
"Duh, that's because she's having twins!" Heather laughed.
Lucy came into the room with a pad of paper. "What drinks do you all want?" she asked everyone, writing down what everyone wanted.
"I'll have a Vodka," Ben said, after all he was celebrating.
"I'll just have a coke," Heather decided. "I've got to take it easy,".
Mark had been given a karaoke set as a present so everyone was trying it out. "I'll have a go!" Ben shouted after a few Vodkas.
Heather rolled her eyes. "Don't embarrass yourself Ben!" she warned, knowing he was pretty drunk.
Ben stood in the middle of the room, microphone in hand. Mark laughed as he went through the CD collection to find something funny.
Heather couldn't stop laughing as Ben sang 'No Way, No Way' by Vanilla, followed by 'I'm Too Sexy'. He was getting carried away and threw off his shirt, to Heather's delight.
"That's enough now!" she laughed as she dragged him away from the microphone. Christian had his video camera out and was filming everything.
"That's a cool camera," Lucy said, taking it from him and having a look.
"Careful, it's very expensive!" Christian warned. "Hey, let me show you all something! Put the TV on somebody,".
Lucy switched the TV on and Christian linked the camera up to it. He rewound the tape and pressed play so everyone could see.
"This was a few days ago at our house," he explained.
The video showed a bathroom. "This is boring, nothing is happening!" Naomi said as she came and sat on the carpet next to Christian.
He pressed fast forward for a while until somebody walked into the bathroom.
"Aghh that's me!" Naomi cried. "Christian, I can't believe you did that! You hid the camera in the bathroom!".
Christian laughed.
"You perv!" Naomi shouted, getting him into a headlock.
"I'm sorry!" Christian protested, still laughing. Naomi let him go, she could see the funny side too.
"Agh, don't look!" she exclaimed as the video showed her stripping to go into the shower. She stood in front of the TV so no-one could see.
"Ha, there's Ben and Heather!" she laughed as the video then showed Ben and Heather go into the bathroom together and get into the hot tub.
Ben jumped up and ran to the TV. "Stop it right now!" he yelled, frantically trying to find the stop button. Once he had stopped it, he jumped on Christian and they had a wrestle on the floor.
"Mind the TV!" Lucy yelled. But it was too late. They had knocked it over and it was broken.
"I'm so sorry!" Christian apologised. "I'll pay for a replacement,".
Nick had come into the room and saw the broken TV. "Never mind, it was an accident," he said understandingly.
Everyone calmed down once some slow songs were put on. Paul and Helen danced to 'Flying Without Wings'.
"Helen, have I ever told you I love you?" Paul questioned.
"Yes, a hundred times!" Helen laughed with a smile.
"Make it a hundred and one," Paul said sincerely. "I love you Helen, I want to spend my whole life with you,".
"I love you too Paul," Helen said, meaning it with all her heart.
A few days later the four boys along with their girlfriends were at Ben's parent's house. They were starting a month long tour of the UK the following day which would take them right up to a few days before Christmas.
"Your family has a really nice house," Heather said. It was the first time she had been there, although she had met his family a couple of times when they had visited.
They sat in the big dining room where a buffet lunch was laid out. "Where's Mark and Sarah?" Paul asked Ben.
"I saw them go into the sauna room," Ben laughed. "I wouldn't disturb them if I was you!".
"Hey Peroxide Paul, come over here!" Christian called.
"Don't call me that!" Paul groaned. Ever since he had bleached his hair, the guys had been making fun of it.
Christian had a photo album in his hands. "You didn't come out with us that night did you? When we went to that new club in Staines,".
"No, I didn't," he said slowly, trying to think where he had been. Suddenly, he remembered. That was the night he had seen Jenny.
"Where's Paul in those pictures?" Helen asked, coming up and joining them.
"He wasn't with us that night," Mark said. "Dunno why? Paul? Where were you that night?".
"I was with Helen at home," he lied, hoping Helen would believe him.
"When was that?" Helen asked. "Recently?".
"No, it was the day we had a barbecue party at my house," Ben answered.
"Oh right... hang on a moment, I was alone that night. I remember it now. That was the same day I got the test results,".
A sick taste came to Paul's mouth. He had been caught lying.
"You told me you were out with the boys," Helen said suspiciously.
Paul wished the ground would swallow him up. "Ummm, I can't remember where I was,".
"You're lying, I can tell!" Helen said. "I think we better go and talk about this outside,".
They went out into the garden and stood on the leaf-covered lawn as a cold wind whipped over them.
"Tell me the truth," Helen said, looking Paul right in the eye.
Paul tried to avoid her eyes. "I told you, I can't remember...".
"Don't lie to me Paul!" Helen cried, getting upset. "You were cheating on me," she guessed.
Paul looked at the ground not saying a word.
"Answer me,".
Paul looked up at her and took a deep breath. "Yes," he finally admitted. "Look Helen, it was a one off. I haven't seen her since and I'm not going to see her again!".
"You creep!" Helen shouted, slapping him around the face. "To think I believed you when you said you loved me and wanted to spend your life with me just the other night! I bet you were pining away for her while you were saying it!".
"Helen, I do love you!" Paul promised, he really meant it. He hadn't thought about Jenny in a long time, or Katy. "Baby please! I love you with all my heart! Jenny meant nothing, she had been begging me to see her for ages, I only did it to get her off my back! I haven't seen her since!".
Helen wouldn't listen to any more. "I never want to see you again," she said, glaring at him, before dashing away out of sight.
.