(pictured is Kelsey)
The girls and I were sitting backstage with Kathleen’s brother. He had come to sing Memories, a song he had wrote for the boys. Harry and Kathleen were still a little tense and I didn’t like it. Something had to have happened while I was asleep and I was being left out because now, Kathleen and Rebekka are inseparable and I’m left out of everything. Great. Now I had to deal with a P.I., my brother, insomnia, AND being left out by my two best friends? Sometimes I hated my life.
I folded my arms and leaned on the wall annoyed. Why of all days did Ed have to come out on the day I was most pissed? He noticed to, but didn’t seem to want to bother me on it… until he was about to go on stage. “You’ll tell me later right?” he asked.
“I guess.” I shrugged.
He nodded and smiled as the boys introduced him. I heard Niall’s voice and felt chills down my spine. God, I love his voice. Rebekka and Kathleen were standing together talking and laughing quietly, while I stood there watching them. They noticed me looking and turned their backs. What the fuck had I done? I felt a pair of arms around me as Niall pulled me into a hug. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
“Nothing. I’m fine.” I smiled to him, making it seem true.
“No you aren’t. Ed said you looked like you were about to cry.” he whispered, holding me.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m okay, Ni. I promise. Just thinking.”
“And are these thoughts about a dead puppy?”
“No?”
“Because dead puppies would be sad…”
“I know they would be, but I’m not thinking about a dead puppy. I’m thinking about how Kat and Bek are pushing me away… hey! You did that on purpose.” I pouted.
He sighed and looked at me. “They had some bonding time, that’s all.” he promised. “They didn’t say anything bad about you.”
“So why do you think they are acting like this?”
“Because you’re Harry’s sister. And Kathleen is mad at Harry.”
“For what?”
A stage director motioned Niall back onstage. “I’ll tell you later.” he promised.
I nodded kissed his cheek before he turned and jogged back. Ed came back and folded his arms as he stood in front of me. “Okay, so what’s going on with you? You never look like you’re going to cry.” he said softly.
I sighed and glanced at Kathleen and Rebekka before I looked at my feet. He waited for a second patiently, before sitting down on the floor. “Come on. I know you want to tell me.” he said.
“Not really…” I muttered and sat down, crossing my legs.
I sighed again and explained to him what was going on and what was on my mind. By the time I was finished talking to Ed, I had told him more than I had intended. I had a doctor’s appointment a few days before tour ended and I had to leave the tour to go obviously. It wasn’t just a little yearly check-up I could reschedule. It was to determine the reason for my insomnia and I had to go. “I haven’t told anyone because even if I did, the only two who would notice would be Niall and Harry.” I said quietly.
“I’m sure Kat and Bekka would to.” he promised.
“Right. They don’t even seem to notice I’m here right now.” I told him, pointing at them.
I wasn’t wrong. The two of them were wrapped in their own little world. I was alone. That’s what I get for being the middle man when they were fighting. Well hey; at least they’ll have each other when I’m gone. So much so they won’t even notice. Ed sighed and hugged me awkwardly from how we were sitting. “Thanks, Ed. It means a lot…” I muttered in his ear.
“No problem. If you want you can stay with me when you go back to London. That way neither of us will be all lonely.” he smiled to me.
“Thanks, but I think I just need some Kelsey time.” I told him.
He nodded understandingly. “My offer still stands.”
The concert went on and the girls still ignored me as I played cards with Ed quietly. No, it wasn’t Old Maid. It was just cards. I lost track of what we played but it was more like Gold Fish, Texas Hold ‘Em, and Black Jack, games that everyone knew how to play by our ages. He seemed to be more into it than I was, but that was probably because he wanted to keep my distracted.
It didn’t work. Harry came backstage to fix his shirt that Niall and Liam had decided to pull open. “Hey, Kel! Can you toss me a bottle of water?” he asked.
I grabbed an ice cold bottle and threw it to him before returning to the card game. A few seconds later I heard my Irish boy screaming something about it being cold. I groaned and put my head in my hands. “I’m going to wait on the bus.” I muttered and dropped my hand before standing up slowly.
My legs felt like pins and needles were being stabbed into them but I didn’t care. I wanted out of there. I walked past the two girls who didn’t even glance at me, but I still didn’t care. Now I just wanted to be out of sight… seeing it was I was already out of mind.
A security guard led me to the bus without objection as I made a call. “Hey, Paris? Can you arrange a flight back to London for me tonight?” I asked as I paced inside the bus.
“Yeah, sure. Everything okay?” he asked, worried.
Paris was a friend of mine who worked for One Direction as a security guard. He was off duty at the time. “Peachy. I just want to go home.” I said quietly.
“Missin’ your parents?”
“Sure. Let’s go with that.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. I did miss my parents, but that was only a small part of the reason. “I’ll come by and get you. Where you at?”
“On the bus…”
“Kelsey… What happened?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here, Paris. I promise.”
“Fine, but I’m holding you to it.”
I didn’t think he actually would. I sat alone for about twenty minutes before he got there and I learned how very wrong I was.
