One Direction Series (Extra Material)

Notice This - Liam

Connected to Backfire, this happens after chapter 33. Hope you like it. Dedicated to Sophie 'cos she suggested this idea.

-:-:-:-

Notice This - Liam

"Babe, you okay?" Danielle asks but I hardly register her.  I'm so lost in my own thoughts that I almost can't concentrate on anything else. I'm worried, I'm sick worried because I don't know what's wrong with her.

Phoebe.

She's been acting so... weird lately, it's almost like I can't recognise that girl I met this summer. That smile that she always wears has disappeared and her eyes have lost all brightness. When she looks at me I don't see my friend, I just see a body, a corpse, an empty bottle and I can't stop wondering what happened. I see so much sadness in her eyes, in her features and I get really frustrated because I don't know what to do and I know it has something to do with me, but no one wants to tell me.

Every time I ask Alex what's wrong with Phebs, she tells me she can't say anything and I just grow more frustrated. But Phebs is my friend too, I have the right to know what's happening with her so I can help her.

"I'm okay, just worried for Phebs," I tell my girlfriend taking her hand and pulling her into my arms.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Danielle really likes Phebs though they don't talk too much, which surprises me because I always thought they would get along absolutely great.

"She's acting weird. I know there's something wrong but no one wants to tell me why. I see she's suffering but she's avoiding me and I don't know what to do to help her," I blurt out really frustrated. I hate when I can't help my friends and Phebs is someone I really care about. "Since we came back from the tour she hardly speaks to me anymore." I sigh completely frustrated.

"You really don't know, do you?" She speaks and I just frown. Does she know what’s happening too? Why everyone knows but me?

"Know what? What do you know?" I demand. Danielle looks really uncomfortable, the same expression of Alex when I ask her what's happening with Phebs, that expression that tells me it's my fault.

"Haven't you noticed it? At all?"

"Notice what? Dani, please! Help me here, I don't understand anything!" I'm almost screaming but I just feel so desperate right now.

"Oh, Liam," I see pity in her eyes and a lump appears in my throat, chocking me because a part of me knows Danielle is going to tell me something awful. "She likes you," she says softly and I just stare at her. Yeah, she likes me as I like her. We are friends, after all. "She really, really likes you, Liam. I believe she's in love with you."

"What?! No! That's rubbish, Danielle. Of course she doesn't like me that wa–"

Danielle's look cuts me off in the middle of the statement. Her expression tells me to think fully through this and I do, I try to see everything from that perspective and, oh my God, but that makes sense. In a weird way, it makes sense.

Phebs only looks at me with that pain in her eyes. She's only avoiding me. She only looks dead when Danielle is around.

"I don't blame her and I'd be totally scared for her 'cos she's lovely and she'd be perfect for you, but she's so good that I know she'll never try to steal you from me," Danielle tells me, I can see her compassion for Phoebe. "She’s suffering alone 'cos she knows she can't have you, she accepts that and even though, she's here, day after day, facing you with all her feelings bottled up inside of her. I- I admire her 'cos she's so strong..."

I can't speak. I can barely think and process all this information. Is that so?  Does Phebs feel like that towards me? If that's so, why didn't I notice it before? How could I be so blind?

"Why do you know this?" I ask Danielle and she looks so sad.

"I see the way she looks at you, longing for something she can't have. I see how she smiles when you are near to her. It's obvious for a girl," she replies and I'm still in shock. I jus can't believe it.

"What can I do about it?" I ask because I don't know what to do now that I know. "Should I talk to her?"

Danielle shakes her head. "No, she clearly doesn't want you to know, so just leave her. Give her time, don't push her. She wants to forget about you then let her do that."

I nod feeling awful. Why didn't I notice this before? How could I be so blind all this time? Maybe it is because I didn't want to see it, maybe it is because I'm truly stupid. I can't believe I pushed Phebs to meet Danielle when that must have hurt like hell. I can't believe I never noticed her feelings. I can't believe I hurt her the way I did.

And the worst part is that I can’t do anything about it. The harm is already made and now the only thing I have left to do is giving her time, all the time she needs. And that’s what I’m going to do.