“Lucie, Carlie, Tillie, and BREAKFAST!” our Mum bellows up the stairs as we do simultaneous groans.
Out of us three, I’d say I was the best at getting up early in the morning, then Carlie (she likes to do ballet exercises after she’s had her beauty sleep) and then there’s Lucie who is almost impossible to wake up unless you’re equipped with a horn, strong hands (strong enough to push you-know-who off the bed) and a spray of water to squirt in her eyes, or dad’s lynx to spray on her top bunk if you really want to annoy her.
“Ready?” I ask Carlie with identical, mischievous grins.
“Just as ready as I’ll ever be,”

“Ok then, 3...2...1 GO!” and after the count down, I press the horn 10 centimetres away from Lucie’s ear and a loud sound erupts from it but before she has time to grumble and complain, Carlie is giving her a hard shove off the bed and I get readied with my spray as she gasps and for the cherry on top of the cake, well let’s just say that it smells like dad slept in that bed rather than Lucie.
“You...you...you monster! You UTTER MORONS, I-WILL-KILL-YOU-BOTH-IF-IT’S-THE-LAST-THING-I-DO!”gasps a very annoyed, irritated, growling bear, ready to spring and snap its jaws at us any second.
“Time to go Carlie,” I say but before we run because we know that if Lucie gets hold of us, she really will KILL us.
“Ah, finally girls, did you manage to get the corpse up for reality?”Mum asks us the familiar question as we always joke that when Lucie’s asleep, she’s dead to the world.
“Yes, Mum,” we chorus “she’s fuming!” I add for good measure.
“As expected but she had better get dressed soon, the school bus will be arriving and none of you have had breakfast, brushed your teeth or put your shoes on! Honestly girls, school mornings are hectic with you lot, when I was your age, I was up and ready in no time!” Mum complains as we roll our eyes at the same time.
“But when you were our age, you had the cane and was around with the cavemen with homemade tools,” Carlie mutters.
“What was that sweetie?” my Mum with her supersonic ears asks.
“Um, I said when you were our age, you had something worth getting up for because of the standards of the schools!” replies Carlie with quick wit.
“Oh, love, your school is one of the best in the country, and it costs a bloody fortune even if it’s not even a boarding school!” says my Mum, completely fooled by Carlie’s so called ‘sweetness’.
Then after the mini drama, we tuck into our pancakes with maple syrup and a sprinkle of sugar on top and then at the time where we are halfway through out breakfast, Lucie comes in (yawning), grabs a half of what’s left on both me and Carlie’s plate, shoves it in her gob, brushes her teeth, gets her shoes on and grabs her share of lunch money. You see, Lucie always gets up the latest but is always ready to leave first, if only I could get a good night’s decent sleep and be ready in time for the school bus, but no, I have to get up super early to just make the school bus, ridiculous.
“Come on, come on, I’ve been waiting forever!”Moans Lucie.
“Ok, Ok, we’re coming,” I say with one boot on, the other trying to squeeze its way onto my foot, this always happens, me and Carlie (the unorganised one as Lucie and mum call us) always put on the wrong shoes and Carlie’s got pixie feet so as a daily routine, we swap back boots run outside at the honk of the school bus and settle ourselves at the back of the bus, where we usually sit because that’s the only way we can sit together.
“Right, off the bus kids or you’ll be late for school,” drones the bus driver.
“Thanks Sam!” we say cheerily at the same time and Sam does his ‘he’s spooked face’ as he says we’re extra terrestrials and thinks it’s freaky if we do things together that is exactly the same.
Now we’re stomping up onto the top floor to get to our form room and take our seas, again, at the back. Then when everyone else is in the classroom, Ms Green walks in and raises her eyebrows at the familiar sound of nattering.
Enough of that chit chat now please, I’ve got some news,” she pauses for effect “we have a new boy coming to this class!” she reveals excitedly which is met by several groans from the form as usually new people mean spotty, weedy nerds who come top in everything but as the new boy walks in my heart skips a beat. He is tall, with clear caramel skin and the most amazing hazel eyes and locks on mine for a moment and I swear that my heart stops for a split second as he walks up to the only spare seat which is next to mine and says softly,
“Hi, I’m Jamie, Jamie Fletcher...”

I was breathless and just managed to stutter out my name.
“I-I’m T-Tillie E-Edwards...” I could kick myself, now I sound retarded but I’m not used to boys speaking to me, they always focus their attention on Lucie, and sometimes Carlie but never me. I needed to salvage this situation, and fast.
“So, where did you move from?” I ask quickly as he shows this amazing smile with perfect white, pearly teeth and I can’t help grinning back.
“I moved from Liverpool, if you can’t tell by the accent,” he replies and I now I really did kick myself because somehow, my brain gets frazzled when a cute boy talks to me, looks at me or even if they are in the same room as me.
“Of course, sorry, I don’t think I’ve unpacked my brain from my schoolbag today!” I say, looking into his amazing hazel eyes again and I can’t seem to drag them away. It feels like he has put a spell on them and as he laughs at my pathetic joke, I can’t help but study the cutest dimples that appear on his cheeks and wish in this moment, that Jamie Fletcher was mine, then none other than my fellow triplet Lucie clears her throat loudly and glares over at me and Jamie, I guess she’s not used to a boy not being besotted with her.
“What!” I mutter angrily.
“We’re in class so now is not the time for flirting with a boy nobody knows!” she retorts, just as angrily as my cheeks flush red with anger and embarrassment as Jamie raises one eyebrow.
“Hey, did the air turn green, oh no sorry, it is just Lucie’s envy and jealously that a boy doesn’t like her for once which is turning it sour!” I hiss at her, knowing I’m being mean but I can’t let her talk to me like that.
Then she opens her mouth to say something as spiteful but Ms Green coughs and says,
“When you are finished girls, we can get on with our lesson, thank you then now...” but I do not listen to the rest because the only things I can think about is how unfair Lucie is being and how beautiful Jamie Fletcher looks and how he makes me feel, emotions I have never felt (even with other cute sport stars) and I am still getting used to them.
I barely hear the bell ring for first period and then, in no time it is break time, funny how time goes by if your head is in something really deep.
Then a voice with a soft, Liverpool accent breaks my thoughts.
“Hey, do you want to show me around school or leave me stranded in an unfamiliar environment?” Jamie says over my shoulder, but even if he is the hottest boy on the planet, family and best friends come first so as I look around and spot Lucie stalking past me, shooting filthy glances and Carlie apologetic looks, I turn to Jamie and say nonchalantly,
“Sure, where do you want to check out first?”
“Um, how about a few classrooms, hopefully empty ones!” he replies happily with a slight cheeky grin on his face as I wonder if it is maths classrooms he wants to check out, or something more intimate...

So without hesitation, I lead him to the second floor and into an empty English classroom.
“Well here is most common English room used...” I tail off; trying to think of something to say but Jamie beats me to it,
“Cool, now why don’t we go and find some science classrooms, you know, for a bit of chemistry?” he smiles with his eyes, and I can’t help thinking what kind of chemistry he means so I just giggle and reply,
“I don’t know, I’m feeling it from physics, and you are one formula I can’t work out...” and stare back with disbelief, I can’t believe I just said that, that is never my thing, it would be what Lucie would say but in the moment, I am quite proud of my wit.
“Well why don’t I simplify the situation for you, boy likes girls equal boy tries to kiss girl in hope that she fancies him back...” and before I know it, he leans in and tenderly kisses me on the lips and in shock, amazement and relief, I return the favour and whisper.
“Now I can figure it out, and the answer was right there in front of me, if only I knew it were that easy then I would of acted faster,”
“Yes well, another formula for you to figure out, boy asks girl on date after school on Friday equals what?” he whispers back.
“It equals...yes, and why are we doing this whispering thing?”
“I don’t know, and oh yeah, the answer was correct,” he says, whispering still as he again, kisses me softly and I could swear that I just died and God bought me to heaven because right now, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.

Wondering around to History, I am in a trance, thinking how perfect life was in that moment and how I have finally got my first boyfriend. That is until I see Lucie and Carlie chatting at the foot of the door, seemingly happy – until they see me. A look of worry appears on Carle’s face and a mixture of anger and irritation like I was a slug on her shoe, then she looked straight past me like I was invisible so I turned my pleading eyes on Carlie but she shot me a ‘you know what Lucie’s like’ look and turned back to her like I had not walked straight past them, so much for loyalty.
Walking into History class, I felt so alone. Lucie hated me (for no real reason), Carlie just wanted to keep Lucie out of her moods (or she didn’t want to be hated to) and Jamie was not in my History lessons and to be honest, I have no other friends. It has always been me, Lucie and Carlie. We didn’t need anyone else and no one would ever be able to break us or make us drift apart but this situation is completely ridiculous, I mean, I know that what I said was a bit harsh, but it was also the truth as well, I mean, why can’t she be happy for me like I am for her? I always support her when she breaks up with her boyfriends and with Carlie, no matter what, I am always at her dress rehearsals, performances and examinations for her ballet, so why does she think it is so important for Lucie to be happy, I have feelings too so why is the only person that can see that is me?
We all go to sit in our usual places but when I reach my seat, Lucie slyly pulls it out so I end of falling on my bottom in front of everyone. All the class is laughing, Lucie has a stupid smug smirk on her face and even Carlie and Mr Miller have to work hard not to giggle but I can tell they want to. So instead of crying like a baby (even though tears are threatening me in my eyes), I pull the chair up and sit in the only available seat in the room, at the front, next to the spotty geek (sad but true) Daniel Carter, head held high like I didn’t have a care in the world and Mr Miller (after he’s sorted himself out) says,
“Right Lucie, what you did was very dangerous and reckless and you could of hurt Tillie and I don’t want this to happen again so I will be calling your mother to inure this incident does not occur again, and I want a full a fully apology letter by the end of the lesson, is that clear?”
“Crystal,” she replies simply with one eyebrow raised like she does not mean it.
Then when Mr Miller starts the lesson, I hear angry whispers coming from the back so I turn myself around and see, to my delight. That Carlie is whispering angry messages to Lucie and when Mr Miller turns and asks if here’s a problem, Carlie lies and says,
“No sir, no problem, but I was wondering if I could swap with Daniel, because I can’t see the board well from whereas Lucie has better eyes than me,”
“That depends if Tillie and Daniel agree to the arrangement,”
“I don’t mind,” Daniel goofily says and as I turn to see his creepy smile I decide to forget the disloyalty and find myself saying,
“Yes, that will be fine sir!”
“Well then, get a move on,” he says irritably so Carlie and Daniel swap and he turns his odd smile onto Lucie instead and as she glares, I find myself smiling because I just realised that for once in my entire life, I have stood up for myself instead of taking everyone’s mixed up emotions but I turn that into a cold mask when Carlie flops down with puppy dog eyes that gets me every time.
“I’m sorry Tils; I figured that you wouldn’t mind as much if I talked to her instead of y-”
“Oh so I don’t have feelings!” I cut across.
“No I meant – look, I’m really sorry and I think what Lucie done was really crappy and uncalled for. Please don’t be angry with me,” she pleads and I find myself giving in.
“Fine,” I sigh as she grins and says.
“Pinkie promise?”
And I can’t help returning her smile and hooking my little finger through hers.
“Make friends, make friends, never ever break friends!” we chime at the same time happily.
“Right now we’ve got that settled, here’s an invitation from that football star everyone fancies, be there or be square it says, the whole school is going and it is the works, alcohol, cute boys, a celebrity performer, the party of the year...”