Dedication goes to fudgerydodas because she's one of the characters in this chapter :D
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Why does nobody see why I’m worried about this?
“Sounds like a great month for the boys, then!” Lola said (with difficulty) as she ate her cheese sandwich over lunch at college. I couldn’t understand how, even at that moment, Gregg was gazing at her, love struck – must be true love, I guess.
“Suppose,” I mumbled. I had just told Elvie, Lola and Gregg about the boys’ next video and also confided in them my ‘problems’.
“Didn’t Harry clear up all the rumours last time?” Gregg questioned.
“He did, thoug–”
“And what was it he said last weekend? ‘Don’t worry’?” quoted Elvie.
“Yes, bu–”
“So what’re you bothered about? It’ll be the same as last time: stupid rumours spreading across the Internet that Harry will deny because he loves you!” Lola exclaimed happily. I wasn’t as positive.
I’m still not, now, stood in the doorway of the gym with Courtney (Louis girlfriend) and watching as One Direction practice with the dancers flying around them. It’s mid October and this is only their third rehearsal, though they seem to be doing pretty well.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that the models for their video aren’t just models – they’re dancing models. That just makes them ten times worse, in my eyes.
I’m forcing my friend’s words' to etch themselves in my brain so I don’t go crazy and start thinking like a loon again. In between those words, though, things like ‘horrible hair’ and ‘too skinny’ and even ‘ears don’t match’ are floating around my head. Descriptions, or rather criticisms, of the beautiful models.
Courtney doesn’t understand my worries, either.
“I don’t really see the problem, I mean, this is just their job! It’s acting, but with singing, and dancing!” Courtney tells me. It only gets me thinking of Glee, a show full of lying and cheating and arguments. Great.
But then again, Courtney wasn’t here the first time around. She and Louis have only been a couple for about two months, meaning she didn’t have to go through the drama of the LA models. I’m tempted to tell her how it was, but ten times worse, so she’ll get paranoid too and I won’t look crazy.
“I get that, I’m just worried something might happen. You hear about affairs and things and co-workers getting together all of the time in gossip magazines like Heat,” I argue back, arms folded tightly over my chest. The boys and dancers are going over the choreography yet again.
Courtney’s looking at me in shock, “Don’t you trust him?”
“Of course I do!” I say back with equal shock at the accusation, “I just don’t trust those pretty models he’s dancing with…”
“As long as you trust and love each other, nothing can go wrong,” Courtney says wisely, gazing lovingly at Louis, who’s purposely getting the choreography wrong to make his band mates laugh. “Anyway, who’s having an affair!?” she asks excitedly as she turns back towards me.
I shrug and smile, “I don’t know, I don’t read Heat.” We laugh, and I confess that I only knew of these things because Beth babbles on about them all through Geography whenever I accidentally sit beside her.
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“So, what do you think?” Harry asks me twenty minutes later when he’s finally done with his choreography. He’s guiding me out of the gym now so we can get back to our hotel room.
“It looks great,” I answer truthfully, “But it’ll look much better when you’re all dressed up,” I smile. Harry laughs too, then bends down to kiss me.
Walking through the corridor we pass Liam and Niall who seem to be trying to chat-up two of the models. Niall isn’t having much luck (Zayn is laughing at him behind the girl’s back) but Liam looks like he’s doing pretty well in getting a phone number.
I’m watching them as we pass with a slightly confused smile, and turn my head around and over Harry’s shoulder to get a better view. It’s only when I hear Harry say, “Bye, Freya!” that I snap my head around.
I look to my right and see another model standing there, the one who Harry had been paired with. She’s twirling her long, unnaturally blonde hair around her finger and watching Harry as he walks by her, unblinkingly.
“C’ya, Harry,” she grins.
That’s her, I think, the one who Harry’s going to leave me for…
No, don’t be stupid, Harry wouldn’t do that! I need to listen to my friends a little more and my brain a little less.
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“So, who were those models I saw the guys talking to before?” I ask casually, hours later when we’re back in our hotel room. Harry’s just jumped onto the bed (again. I swear he’s like a little child) and is now trying to find something on the television to watch. I’m only slightly interested in his answer; I really want to know the story of that Freya girl, I just need to steadily turn the conversation towards her.
“Umm…Katelin and Ashleigh, probably. Was it Liam and Niall? Liam proper fancies Kate, and Zayn bet Niall there’s no was Ash would go out with him,” Harry laughs.
“Liam’s all right then?” I ask stupidly before I can stop myself. I’ve been feeling guilty for ever about last year when I sort of picked Harry over Liam…I just really wanted Liam and me to be OK, but that hasn’t happened yet. Maybe this Katelin girl is the answer?
“’Course he’s all right. Always was, Chaz,” Harry says. He knows what I mean because I’ve been complaining about how horrible I was for ages.
“Good,” I mumble, falling onto the bed beside Harry.
OK, no more faffing around, I need to ask him about this Freya thing and get my worries sorted out.
“You know that…er, what was it, Faye?” I ask a little more casually than before, purposely getting her name wrong.
Without looking at me Harry replies, “Freya? What about her?”
“Well…what do you think about her?”
“I think she’s great, but never as great as you,” he tells me, looking in my eyes as if this time he’s using telepathy. I giggle at him.
Once he’s turned away, though, I stop smiling. “Seriously, Harry, what do you think of her?” I begin to feel sick the moment the words leave my lips.
Harry springs into life and breaks from my grip where we’d been lying together on the bed, and instead sits cross-legged in front of me.
“Right,” he says, both exasperated and demanding, “I know you’re worried about this whole thing, but I want to change that. I love you and would never jinx that by running off with some model,” he speaks with honesty, even wincing to show how horrible it would be to do that, “So here’s my plan – you come and get to know Freya and see that she’s really nice! Don’t look at me like that, Chazza, please…do this for me?”
My silent protests are shunned, and as Harry throws his most adorable look my way, there’s no other answer than “OK.”
I really hope our meeting goes well…
YOU ARE READING
After The X Factor (One Direction)
Fanfiction*Sequel to "During The X Factor"* Not much has changed for Chaz and Harry - Chaz is still at college, Harry is still a world-famous pop star. The only difference is that these two best friends are now a couple! Things are going swimmingly between th...
