5 Lost Directions (One Direction)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31 People!  READ THE A/N AT THE END

Charlotte’s POV

 

            I can hear Dan’s loud boots clomp across the first floor. 

Towards Niall. 

I nearly trip over the hallway carpet, sprinting past Louis, Harry, Niall, and Zayn’s rooms.  But what makes me take a second look is that all the doors are open.  Not like little cracks but they’re wide open, bed sheets askew, and teenage boys not in the rooms.  That can only mean they’re downstairs with Niall and with Dan.

It’s all over.  Dan will see them all, know I’ve been housing them, know I’ve been helping them, and well, that I’m his enemy.  If he sees me downstairs all hell will break loose, but that’s thinking selfishly to only look out for myself.

Quickly remembering that I have the gun Zayn brought with him in the front closet, I start to form a plan to grab it and use it in defense.  I don’t know if it’s just Dan down there or if others are inside as well, but it’s all I can do on my own.  The boys are sort of trained, right?  They can help fight.  They’re good.  Right?

Finally making it to the staircase, I step down like the wind, not caring they know of my presence considering I’ll be kicking their asses soon for trying to hurt any of them.  Swinging around the banister and sprinting down the front hall towards the living room where the closet it, I expect to see the boys in fighting stances or some sort of gunpoint standoff.  I expect to see a menacing situation of scared faces and cries of help.

But holy shit.  What I see is even more shocking in my eyes.

I halt to a dead stop in the entranceway of the living room, hair in a messy high ponytail with eyes as wide as dinner plates.  Dan, Jim, and Sammy are standing around idly about the room, focused on two people sitting on the couch.

Harry and Niall are sitting upright, duct tape over their mouths, and more tape crudely wrapped around their wrists and ankles.  Their eyes meet mine and widen, beckoning me over to help them.  But being the weirded out person I am, I remain dumbfounded as Dan greets me warmly.  Not with hostility.  Not with shock.  But with… kindness?  What the fu—

“Ah!  Miss Charlotte!  Good morning,” his accent seeps out, grinning as if I’m his new best friend or something.  I don’t reply; I just nod my head with a questioning smile, taking tentative steps into the room.

“How did you sleep?” Jim asks with the same happy tone.  I brush some hair out of my face and manage to find my voice.

“Good… I guess…?” I answer more like a question.  Why aren’t they attacking me for helping Harry and Niall?  Did they tie them up?  Why aren’t they trying to murder me for harbouring Zayn and Lou?  Speaking of which, where are they?  My eyes scan the room as I cautiously step forward some more.

“Here, take a seat,” Dan gestures to one of the seats.  The boys’ eyes remain on me, so I’m careful not to make any sudden or rash movements.  I do as Dan says and slowly take a seat, clearly uncomfortable with their presence in my house.

“What’s this about…?” I ask, trying to seem calmer than I am.  Honestly, what the hell are they doing in my house?

“Well I think we’d like to start off by thanking you for having them ready by the time we came here,” Dan replies.