Run (One Direction) [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter Eighteen

“Door number one” Paul says, pointing at it. “Louis and Harry. One king bed. Door number two. Niall and Zayn. One king bed. Door number three. Liam and Callin. Two twin beds. Door number four. Preston and I. Any questions?”

“Double bed or twin?” I ask cheekily. Paul rolls his eyes at me.

“Not important” he says. “Interview's in an hour. Be ready to go then.” He sits down on the couch with the TV remote. Liam catches my eye, and then nods towards his room.

I sigh.

He's going to yell at me for joking.

But joking helps me disguise the gasp I let out when I Paul said Harry's name. Joking helps me forget that he's gone.

So I'll keep joking until we find him.

It's insane how much my mood picked up, just from seeing Paul. It's like . . . I feel like he can fix anything. Now that Paul's back, he'll fix Niall and Zayn, and find Harry. And catch the guys that did all of this.

I follow Liam and Callin into their room. Callin immediately falls onto one of the beds. She then proceeds to bury her face in a pillow.

“What?” I ask Liam.

“Nothing” he says, shrugging. “Just . . . checking on you.”

“I'm fine” I mumble. “Paul's back. I'll be fine.”

“If you're sure” Liam says, watching me carefully. “I mean . . . I know you joke when you're upset . . .”

“Oh” I say.

That's what this is about.

“I just . . . it was funny” I mumble.

“Okay” Liam says. “If you're sure. I guess . . . I'll go watch TV with Paul. You know where I'll be.” He gives me one last look before leaving the room.

As soon as he's gone, Callin sits up. Her eyes are red.

“It's just you, right?” she asks.

“Uhm . . . yeah” I say, staring after Liam. Is he right to be worried?

“I w-want to tell you now” Callin says softly. I turn to look at her.

“Tell me what?” I ask.

“What's wrong” she whispers. “What did they tell you . . . about me?”

I think back to that day, the day this all started, Preston briefing us in that little room.