Masquerade (Liam Payne)

Chapter 18 ~ Tammy

Chapter 18 ~ Tammy

It’s been a long and hard week. Loads of interviews and promo, but it’s great. Everyone is loving our new single so far. It got to number one on iTunes charts in less than fifteen minutes, for which we had a little —okay, huge; Skyler ended up drunk and with someone she still can’t remember the name— party at Leanne’s flat, which is the biggest one. If we have a party, it’s always at her place.

Nevertheless, if I have a little bit of free time, I go to You Matter. Out of all the charities I support, I have the strongest connection with this one and it’s probably because these kids, with their troubled infancies, break my heart all the time. I wish I could give them all the happiness they deserve, but that’s beyond me. Still, I try my best to cheer them up every time I go there. Ray is my partner in crime, every time I decide to do something, he is next to me, helping me. He gathers everyone, helps me to hand the things I bring, makes them shut up when they are being too loud, and things like that. I really love that little boy, he’s one of the best things in my life right now, sunshine through my window every morning, even when it’s raining outside.

This week I’ve taken Ray with me to the studio because he wanted to see one although he is shy with everyone else, he is never afraid to tell me what he wants or believes. I think he knows as much as I know that we have a special bonding. Yet he has never asked me why I know that after he has had troubles at home I know he doesn’t really want to be touched, that he needs only peace and quiet. Maybe he’ll understand one day, he’ll see all the evidences and when he is older he’ll put all the pieces together. Maybe.

I love all the kids in that charity, but Ray is special to me. The most special kid I’ve ever met. I can’t really know why, there are kids with worse stories than Ray, but they couldn’t get to me like he did.

The kids have asked me for Liam and when he will come to visit them again and I have to say that I have no idea. I told him that if he wasn’t going to come only for the kids, then he shouldn’t come at all. And perhaps that’s the reason why he hasn’t shown up in the whole week, although he is having a gig tonight. I know of this because I’ve heard it on the radio, and because Ray asked me if I could take him to the concert and I had to say yes. I’m not telling Liam about this, of course, and it was a nightmare to get tickets when the show was sold out, but nothing can’t stop me from making Ray happy. Even if that means I’ll have to go to One Direction’s concert and bribe some girls.

So the plan for tonight is going to the concert, then I’ll take Ray to have dinner and after that I’ll drive him to his home, although I’ll pick him up at the charity. Roxy has told me that Ray is staying at his home and that apparently his dad is working hard to make things better for Ray because if the abuse doesn’t stop, Minor’s Service will take Ray away, away even from the charity and I may never see him again. So that son of a bitch that Ray has for a father better do his job or I’ll personally have to do something about it, and it’ll be painful.

After I’m done with all the things I had to do for the day, I leave the girls ready to go home, shower and then pick up Ray.

“So eager to leave! Do you have plans? Are you gonna see Liam?” Leanne asks and I roll my eyes. She asks about Liam more than any interviewer and it’s getting annoying.

“No,” I say. Technically, I’ll see him but he won’t see me so it doesn’t count. “And why do you keep asking me for him? If you wanna hit on him, go ahead. I won’t stop you,” I say although I feel something funny in my guts, something bitter, but I dismiss it.

Leanne laughs and Emma seems to get interested in our conversation, so she approaches. “Silly, little, lovely Tammy. I’m not interested in Liam for me, I know he is yours.”