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Chapter 1: I Need You.

At first, everything was okay. Well, as okay as it could be after your best mate of five years abandons you for God knows what and leaves you to be the one to pick up the pieces. 

Liam noticed Niall break first. He tended to be the most sensitive one so it was expected, but when Liam found him curled in his bed after four days of being locked away, he knew that it was on him to bring everyone back together.

Niall was the easiest. Liam made him take a shower because it sure as hell smelled like he hadn't, cooked him dinner, and played a few Disney movies while they ate. After a few hours of being curled under Liam's arm, Niall seemed somewhat back to normal, and Liam went on his way.

Harry was next. It was nearly a week later he called Liam one afternoon begging him to stay the night with him, so he went, and found his apartment an absolute mess. Harry was in the kitchen, near hysterical, trying to clean up a spilled smoothie through tears. Once he saw Liam, he let out a choked sob and curled in on himself. Liam was at his side in seconds, running a soothing hand through his dirty hair as he gathered the boy into his arms. He sat there for what felt like hours with Harry sobbing quietly against his neck, and once Harry had calmed down, Liam quietly helped him clean the apartment. Harry never went far from his side, and they ended up sleeping in the same bed that night. 

Liam had expected Louis to react the way he did. He had went to check on him one night before he went home, and was greeted by an utterly trashed condo. There were feathers coating every surface of the room, shattered picture frames on the floor and the walls were littered with various sized holes. He found Louis in the kitchen sitting on the floor, backed up against a cabinet, red-eyed and clutching to a broken mug. His hands were shaking and bruises had begun to purple his knuckles. Liam knelt down and took the broken mug away, and wrapped his arms around his back and knees to hoist his friend up into his arms. Louis went weakly as Liam carried him to his bathroom. He ran a hot bath and washed Louis' face and hair for him, letting him sink down into the warm water. 

After cleaning him up, he helped Louis settle into bed, bringing the heavy comforter up about his shoulders and running his fingers through his damp hair. He stayed till Louis fell asleep.

Liam was always the one to pick up the pieces. 

The car was quiet the rest of his way home, mindlessly driving as the weight of the past few weeks settled back on his shoulders. The harsh brightness of the streetlamps hurt his eyes, made them water up and soon quiet tears were leaking out and down his bearded cheeks. He wiped them away roughly with the back of his hand.

The house seemed hollow. Liam walked through the foyer he shucked off his shoes and tossed his keys at the bowl on the cabinet, not bothering to turn on the lights. He shuffled to his bed and crawled under the blankets, letting the warmth seep into his skin. He missed the warmth of Zayn's body at his side. The boy had spent more time here with Liam than he did at his own house, he even had his own drawers in Liam's dresser. Coming home to see him emptying his things into an old suitcase had broken Liam's heart. He missed his best friend. Liam rolled onto his side and stared out the wide bay window at the LA lights. 

He had woken up many nights to see Zayn staring out of that window; he sat cross-legged in the shag carpeting and stared intently out at the nighttime scenery, his face periodically illuminated by a car zooming past. 

He hadn't spoken to Zayn in over a month. Liam let out a heavy sigh and dragged himself out of bed, pulling the heavy curtains over the window before going to sleep. 

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I live for drama. 

Let me know what you think of this first chapter! Getting back into the hang of writing was harder than I thought. 

Sarah xx