Buses & Bunk Beds (Zarry)

Chapter 1

These were the times when I didn't love what my life had become. I could handle the long hours of work, the constant interviews and press junkets, and I have to admit that performing for thousands of fans was the best fucking feeling in the world. I loved the buzz it gave me; the way it made me feel like my blood had been replaced by electricity. But it was the down time that got to me. The excruciating hours on the tour bus, traveling down road after road, through city after city that were all just stops along the way instead of places to explore and actually experience.

The days on the bus gave me too much time to think, my mind racing with thoughts of all that I was missing out on, which inevitably led to me cursing myself for not being more grateful for my life. I knew that I would be devastated if this wave were to end, and sometimes I felt the pressure to keep it going, to achieve more and more and more and to not let the other boys down like a physical weight upon my shoulders. I knew that I'd lucked out by getting into the group in the first place. My audition was shit, I couldn't dance, and I didn't have the charm and outgoing personality that the other lads had that made them so appealing to the fans.

I often wished that I could be more like Harry, with his cheeky comments and bright smile that no one seemed to be able to resist returning. He was always quick with a joke, and though they were often shit he couldn't seem to care less about the fact that no one ever laughed at them. I found myself trying to keep up with him, attempting to become a funnier and better version of Zayn when he was nearby.

These thoughts were swirling nonstop in my head as I attempted to rest in my bunk. We'd finished up a show a few hours before and were headed to some other city in Texas. At that point I wasn't even sure where; the States were so huge and so spread out that if I focused on the distance and endless open countryside too much it led to a dizziness that I wanted to avoid.

For once I was relieved to hear Louis shouting from the front of the bus, knowing that sleep wasn't going to come to me anytime soon. He was yelling something about Truth or Dare, and while I knew that it wasn't the wisest choice to join in on any of his antics, I couldn't help but think that a drink and some fun might help steer my thoughts in a more positive direction.

I pulled on a t-shirt and hopped down from my bunk, running a hand through my quiff to make sure that it was still perfect. It may have just been the guys on the bus, but I swore that sometimes I worried more about impressing them than I did the fans. As I headed towards the common area I could hear all of the guys laughing, and I felt myself smile for the first time in hours. I walked through the doorway to see Louis on one sofa with Harry sitting on the floor in front of him, Liam on the other sofa and Niall perched on the kitchen table. Niall's cheeks were a bright pink and he was clutching his stomach as he cackled, spilling a bit of his beer onto his shirt. They all had drinks in their hands and the bastards had obviously been partying for quite a while before asking me to join them. Liam, as usual, was the only one who seemed even remotely sober.

I reached down to the small fridge and pulled out a beer. "Anybody need a bevy?" I asked.

"One for me!" Harry shouted with a grin. I smirked at him and passed it over before taking a seat next to Liam.

"What are we playing?"

"Truth or dare!" they all shouted in unison. I swear, being in a boy band was starting to impact our day to day lives as well. Next we would all be dressing alike and performing air grabs as we walked down the street.

"Truth or dare, Zayn?" Harry asked.

"Dare I guess," I groaned. I didn't particularly like this game as I was always afraid of embarrassing myself in front of my mates.

"I dare you to chug your beer. You need to catch up to me," Harry said with a wink. I rolled my eyes but tilted my beer up, swallowing as quickly as I could while the boys chanted "drink motherfucker, drink motherfucker, drink!" Okay, maybe they were a little more pissed than I'd thought.