: When you get to the ► symbol in the text, start playing the video below and keep reading until you get to the lyrics for the girls to start singing.

: Ignore the ► symbol and just wait until you get to the lyrics before the video to start playing.

: You can start playing the song on your phone / computer if you have the song available on iTunes, Spotify, etc. You can follow and download the 'Black Magic: A Little Mix Musical' on Spotify (search for it and you'll find it) to have the soundtrack to this musical right on your phone.

'Don't forget, it's our last Christmas Ball this week so make sure to buy your tickets at the reception desk!'

Jesy closed her locker door and turned to the speaker. Rachael walked hurriedly down the corridor, passing people by their lockers and handing out flyers. As usual, she looked like Megan Fox in a high-school flick - her make-up was done to perfection, her uniform was tight (perhaps a little too tight), and could cut glass with her gaze.

It was expected that Rachael would just pass straight by her. When she approached, Rachael slowed down. She seemed a little hesitant at first, but she soon looked Jesy in the eye.

'Hey Jesy, have you got your ticket yet?'

'Oh, no, I haven't.'

Rachael gasped. 'Why?'

'Why do you want me there? So you can Carrie me in front of everyone?'

'This isn't prom. There's no King and Queen. Besides, it's Christmas. Ever heard of the Christmas truce during World War I? If England and Germany can be civil while in the midst of a huge war, then surely we can too. Truce?'

Rachael extended her hand for Jesy to take. Jesy eyed it suspiciously before slowly reaching for it. They shook hands.

'So no reason for you not to come.'

'I guess...'

'Will you be taking Hughie?'

'I'll have to ask him, I'm not sure it's something he really wants to do but it does sound like fun.'

'Well it's going to be in the gymnasium and it's going to be all decorated with shiny things and tables and there's going to be drinks and food. It's our last Christmas Ball at this high school - we graduate in July and then we're all off to college. It's going to be our last hurrah!'

Jesy felt herself persuaded by the silver-tongued Devil. 'I'll be there.'

'Excellent! Make sure you wear a pretty dress.'

Rachael turned and walked away, passing Leigh-Anne on the way. Leigh-Anne approached Jesy while keeping her eyes on the strangely-happy Rachael.

'What did she say to you?'

'She wanted to make sure I have tickets for the Christmas Ball. Strange, right?'

'Not all that strange, actually. I've been wearing her down every now and then, killing her with kindness. She's lonely, is all. She takes it out on everyone around her because she feels unloved. It's taking time but we will get there in the end.'

Jesy closed her locker door and started to walk down the corridor with Leigh-Anne by her side. 'So you don't think she'll Carrie me for dating Hughie?'

'She's not going to do something like that. Besides, Jade is going with Kyle, and Perrie and I are going together.'

'I haven't seen Perrie since yesterday morning - how is she?'

'It's only been a few days since Blaine was jailed for his attack on Eliza so she's still raw but she's putting on a good front. She's burying herself in work for the Mixers. It's amazing what she is doing but it's also worrying to me that she's avoiding her true feelings, you know?'

'I totally get it.'

As they turned a corner, they bumped into Gary.

'Hey!' Leigh-Anne said with glee as she threw her arms around Gary's neck. He returned her affection, though he had to kneel down a little for it to be a more comfortable interaction.

'Hey, you were right.'

'I was right about what?'

'I asked Thomas to the Ball and he said yes!'

Leigh-Anne clapped. 'Yes! I am so happy for you. I knew he would say yes, didn't I tell you?'

'Yes, Leigh-Anne, you know everything.' Gary rolled his eyes.

Leigh-Anne playfully slapped his arm. 'Don't be like that, who was it who basically psyched you up to even approach the guy. I didn't know you would ask him to the Ball but I'm so glad you did. I'm so proud. The student becomes the master.' She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

'I'm gonna have to meet this Thomas,' Jesy chimed in.

'You have met him, he's in our Geography class.'

'Oh my body might be in that class but my mind is always somewhere else,' Jesy told him. 'I may recognise him if I see his face.'

'Well you will at the Ball. Are you going Jesy?'

'I'll bring it up with Hughie. I hear this saddo is going with Perrie.'

Leigh-Anne frowned.

'We need to set you up,' Gary said. 'You helped me get a date and now I need to help you.'

'Oh God no! Absolutely no to going to that thing with a boy from this school.'

'Well there are still a few days before the Ball so anything can happen. And Christmas break too.'

The three of them started to walk to their first class together. They passed tinsel that covered the tops of lockers and mistletoe that hung from every doorway. Gary stopped underneath one and looked at Leigh-Anne. 'Well look where we are standing.'

Leigh-Anne looked up and laughed. She pushed Gary away. 'Maybe in another life, you weirdo.'

'You were planning weddings before,' Jesy said.

'I learned my lesson.'

'The school really went all out for the Christmas decorations this year,' Gary said as they walked past a grandly-decorated tree.

Leigh-Anne plastered a smile on her face. 'It's all so magical, I love Christmas! Nothing is going to go wrong this week, everything is just perfect.'

Perrie wiped tears from her eyes as she flicked through photos of Blaine on her phone. As she opened a new photo, she stared at it for a few seconds before deleting it until finally she didn't have any left on her phone.

'Why can't the perfect man exist?'

At that moment, Jade rang.

'Hello?'

'You missed school today?'

'I'm not feeling well.'

'Aw, do you have a cold? It's going around. It always does this time of year.'

'Something like that.'

'Can I come over?' Jade's voice was desperate.

'Yeah, sure. Do you want me to invite the girls?'

'Just us, if that's okay.'

'Yeah, sure. See you tonight?'

'...I'm actually right outside your front door.'

Perrie sat up from her bed. 'Seriously? Because if this is a prank and you make me get out of bed for nothing, I'll not be happy.'

'Should I let myself in?'

'...Okay.'

'Can I make is a cuppa before I come upstairs?'

'Yeah but only if you make me one too. And grab some biscuits as well.'

'I will.'

Perrie put the phone down. She listened out for the front door opening, which it did so immediately. Jade's footsteps could be heard entering the kitchen, and the voice of Jade and Perrie's mother soon hummed beneath the floorboards.

Before long, Jade walked into the room with two mugs in her hands. Perrie's mother walked in after her with a plate of biscuits.

'I already finished a packet of biscuits downstairs, these are just the spare ones we found at the bottom of the biscuit tin,' Jade told Perrie.

'Pretty sure you're addicted,' Perrie replied. 'Thanks mam.'

Perrie's mother kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door behind her. She waited until she heard her go downstairs before starting conversation. Jade took a sip of her tea before her eyes became glued to a little blue Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Pastel-coloured fairy lights hung behind Perrie's bed.

'Okay, what's wrong?' Perrie asked directly.

'Kyle and I just aren't working out.'

'Aw no.'

'Yeah, I was so happy he came forward about being a witness to Eliza's attack but he's just been... sad. He's been someone I've been in love with since primary school but it's like we just don't fit anymore. My heart is so broken right now.'

'Does that mean you're going to be date-less to the Ball?'

'Yeah...'

'Leigh-Anne and I are going together. And Jesy might be going with Hughie but I heard all the jocks are refusing to go because they think it's just for girls, so she might be alone too.'

'After all we have been through with the spell and it comes to this - back to square one.'

'Really makes you wish we had the spell book right now, doesn't it?' Jade slipped her hand into her handbag.

'Absolutely not!' Perrie said with a laugh. Jade stopped putting her hand in her bag and put it back in her lap. Perrie noticed this. 'What were you about to pull out?'

'What? Nothing. Nothing at all.'

Jade sipped her tea. Perrie narrowed her eyes, then put her own hand in Jade's handbag. Jade was too slow to stop her.

Perrie gasped when she pulled out the spell book. 'JADE!'

'Oh my God... how did that get in there?' Her voice did not sell the lie.

'What are you doing with this? How did you even get it?'

'I snuck into the magic shop through the back to get it after Kyle and I called it a day.'

'We are not casting black magic again! No way!'

'Not black magic! Never that spell again. But what about... a spell to create the perfect man?'

'What are you talking about?'

'Instead of manipulating some poor guy into loving us, why don't we create our own from scratch? That way nobody gets hurt because he isn't really real, but imagine everyone's faces when they see us walk into the Ball with the most gorgeous men on our arms.'

'Did you learn nothing from the last spell? It will backfire!'

Perrie put her tea on the bedside table and gave Jade a condemning look. Her hands, however, lingered on the spell book.

'I read the entire entry in the book. It doesn't require much; I got all the supplies we need for the spell from the magic shop and...'

'You stole supplies?'

'It's not stealing when it's stuff from a psychopathic bitch who is in jail now.'

Perrie pulled out her phone. 'This is a group discussion.'

'You're tempted, aren't you?' Jade gave Perrie a cheeky smile.

'Absolutely bloody... well, yes, actually, I am. But let's get the girls first. We can't do this ourselves.'

*

'Are your parents downstairs, Perrie?' Leigh-Anne asked as she paced Perrie's room. She was agitated.

'Yes, and my brother too.'

'And you want to cast a spell with them in the house?'

'Is that the only problem you have with doing it?' Jesy asked surprised. 'Because I thought you'd be against the idea full stop!'

'As long as we're not making someone else fall in love with us - this is different, right?'

'Different or not, it's magic.'

'And it's Christmas!' Jade joined in happily.

'What has that got to do with it?'

'Nothing, but Christmas is a magical time of year. Maybe it is the best time to cast a spell. Santa might be listening to our wish. It's just for one night.'

'And the spell does say the perfect guy will be created for one night only, so we still have a few days to decide and cast it ourselves on the day of the Ball.'

'This is madness, complete and utter madness!'

'Look at the page yourself Jesy - there is no downside to this. One night only, perfect man, make your dreams come true before midnight. It's a true Cinderella story.' Jade handed Jesy the book. Jesy read it.

For twenty-four hours, cast this spell to create the man of your dreams. This spell is to be chanted alone with candles and an image of the kind of guy you would like to create. Enchant him with your heart's desires and he will be revealed to you soon after.

'See!' Jade said. 'It's literally a one-day fantasy come true. Nobody is going to get hurt from this because it only involves ourselves and a conjured up man.'

'Well... Hughie did say he really doesn't want to go to the Ball, and I would hate to pressure him.'

Jade lifted her eyebrows suggestively. Jesy cracked a smile. 'Fine. Give me the supplies for it. I'll decide later if I want to cast it or not.'

'That's my girl.'

'It does have perfect in the title so what can possibly go wrong?'

'I can't believe that all went wrong,' Jade said as she sat in between Perrie and Leigh-Anne on the table. The Ball had been going strong for over an hour with drunk teenagers canoodling on the dance floor and teachers trying to pull them apart.

Leigh-Anne looked down at her wrist corsage. 'Well, technically, the spell worked.'

Jesy huffed as she looked down the table to the other girls. She didn't have to speak that loudly - the music was kept a little low due to school policies. 'Yeah but it didn't say we all had to use a different image with different ideals - we all ended up creating the same perfect man so only one showed up. We have really terrible timing.'

'It's hilarious, because he drove me to school this morning for non-school-uniform day,' Jade began, marking off the day on her hands. 'Then impressed Leigh-Anne on the basketball court, took Jesy to the movies and then picked Perrie up off the floor when she fell off her bike.'

'I still don't understand why you even ride that thing anymore,' Jesy interjected to Perrie.

'So really,' Jade said, 'I conjured him first, but you all cancelled him out when you used the exact same image I did.'

'I just googled random hot model on Google images and it was the first person who came up.' Perrie confessed.

'Yeah, I did the same thing,' Leigh-Anne replied.

Jesy raised her hand. 'Great minds think alike.'

'But what I can't get my head around...' Jade said. 'Is how Rachael ended up with the guy? She must have cast the same spell we did.'

'I always knew she was a witch,' Jesy noted.

They spotted her on the dance floor dancing with their perfect man. The four girls sighed and watched with envy. The night was a total bust for all four of them ending up without a date. Every now and then a random guy would ask the girls to dance, though they were too sad to take them up on their offer.

As the girls reminisced on the day they had and how their unfortunate series of events played out, the headmaster took to the stage to address the school.

► 'This is the last dance. So grab your partner and dance to Love Me Like You. But no canoodling - I'm watching you!'

'Sha-la-la-la. Sha-la-la-la. Sha-la-la-la. He might got the biggest car-ar-r, don't mean he can drive me wild, or he can go for mi-iles...'

Since it was the last dance, Jade and Jesy made the effort to dance with the boys who asked them on their dance floor. Perrie and Leigh-Anne ended up with their original plan of just going together.

'One day we're going to look back on this and laugh,' Leigh-Anne told her as she spun Perrie around.

'That day is not today,' Perrie said, allowing her dance partner to take the lead.

Gary walked over to them. He was holding hands with Thomas.

'Hey! You guys having fun?'

Perrie's lower lip was too low for her to respond.

Leigh-Anne spoke for her. 'It's been a bust. It's not as fun as we wanted it to be. But hey, looks like you two have been having a great night.'

'Yeah, without Phil here to bully us, it's been really nice,' Gary said as he looked at Thomas. Their smiles were bigger than their cheeks could handle and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Leigh-Anne felt her spirits lift instantly. So she had a crappy night but at least her best friend found someone who made him happy.

'I'm happy for you, I really am,' Leigh-Anne said.

People started to leave the gymnasium. 'Wow, this Ball didn't feel like it lasted that long,' Thomas said. 'Fancy coming back to mine?' he asked Gary.

'Absolutely - do you guys wanna come too?'

Leigh-Anne could tell Gary was getting nervous, but Thomas's invitation was only meant for him. 'Oh, no, you guys go on ahead and have fun. We're going to drown our sorrows, somehow.'

Gary leaned in and kissed Leigh-Anne on the cheek. 'Thank you. Call you later?'

'Absolutely,' she whispered back.

When Gary and Thomas left, Jade and Jesy walked up behind Perrie and Leigh-Anne. 'What are we doing now?' Jesy asked.

Leigh-Anne noticed everyone's frowns. 'I guess it's time for me to play mum. Come on, let's roam London for a little bit.'

The girls left the high school and started walking down the high streets of London. They were gorgeously decorated with bright lights and Christmas trees on every corner. Snow gently fell from the sky. The girls had put on jackets to protect them from the cold. They didn't shiver - they were too preoccupied in their thoughts to even contemplate the freezing temperature.

'I'm so excited to give you guys your presents on Christmas Eve,' Perrie managed to say to break the ten-minute silence. It dragged everyone out of their thoughts.

'Our little Christmas Eve tradition - hot chocolates, cookies and present-giving,' Jade noted with glee. 'It's something I look forward to every year. Who did you get for Secret Santa?'

'Considering there's only four of us and we all found out who had who literally the first day of pulling out names, it's really not Secret Santa, is it?'

'I'm feeling blue, guys,' Jesy said with a frown.

'Don't beat yourself up too hard about tonight,' Leigh-Anne replied as she put her arm around Jesy.

'It's not that - it was our last Christmas Ball at school.'

'And you're sad about that?' Perrie asked.

'I'm sad that it means we're going to college and then it will be time for University. Will we even still be together then?'

Jade gasped. 'Of course we will, don't sprout such nonsense.'

'It's just, we all seem to be heading in different directions and tonight has made me a little scared that there's a little clock ticking above our heads.'

The other girls fell silent at that.

'I guess you're right,' Jade said, her spirits now deflated.

Leigh-Anne felt herself get dragged down by the atmosphere. There was no one in the streets as they walked down them. She kept her eyes on the shops she passed.