Two Can Keep a Secret if One of Them is - Season 1

Episode Six - Chapter 28: Wildfire

Louis’ POV

A haze of thick black smoke settled over the lenses of my eyes. The air felt thick and my lungs struggled to play their role in getting oxygen through my bloodstream and to my heart which slowed it’s beat in toxins. I felt a hard pull of my arm as I covered my face with my shirt. The coughs and splutters from every human being  that filled the television studio echoed loudly in my ears. Once everyone was outside, including Alan who wasn’t being overdramatic for once, Paul rushed to my side, grabbing my arm to do a head count. “Louis, Liam, Niall, Zayn and Ha...” He looked around as did I. There was no curly haired boy in view. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the heads of the three lads next to me shift three hundred and sixty degrees in search for Harry. I was sure Harry was right next to us when Paul dragged us off the set and outside. I turned my head back to the emergency exit doors of the building wondering if maybe it was my hopes seeing things and my best friend was actually still stuck inside the burning building. I covered my nose and mouth with my shirt and headed back towards the emergency exit doors. “Louis! Get back here now!” Liam shouted, grabbing me by my collar. “Harry is still in there!” “No, he isn’t! He was right here before, he’s probably just caught up in the crowd somewhere Louis.” “Liam! Where is he?!” “He isn’t in there, I saw him okay?” I let out a sigh of relief as Liam patted my shoulder and reassured me everyone was alright. 

I got my phone out of my pocket to give Eleanor a call; I knew this story would spread on social media like wildfire and goodness knows what the press would be coming up with after this incident. 

**Where there’s smoke, there’s payback -A.**

I rolled my eyes at the message that displayed itself on my screen and continued to send out a group message to all family and friends ensuring them that the lads and I were safe. Something didn’t sound right though. There was a sound coming from the building, like someone crying. It grew louder and louder by the second and everyone turned to place their attention on the building that was surrounded by black smoke. The fire brigade’s sirens were just around the corner and seemed to drown the crying out. My ears couldn’t help themselves but focus on the distressed sound. The sound of a distraught little girl. Before I knew it, the emergency exit doors of the building flung open with an ash covered little girl clutched onto a familiar figure. She had her face buried into his neck as she still sobbed for her mother. He was barely recognisable and his messy curls drooped over half his face, which was also covered in ash, as he tried to flick them out of his sight. A pack of fireman marched swiftly past Harry and into the building with their hoses, whilst a relieved mother rushed over to Harry; retrieving her child with relief. Before I knew it my legs took me straight over to him, as he stood there in awe of the mother being reunited with her child. “Harry, what are you doing!!!” I said in a non-questionable manner as the mother cradled her daughter questioning how the incident had even occurred. “I...ermm...I found her stuck under a seat..” he said with a nod and walked away. I could see him swallowing hard as he wiped the perspiration from his face with his shirt. 

As I followed Harry back to where the other lads had gathered, Paul’s face pulled tight reflecting confusion as did Liam’s. “What happened to you?” Zayn looked him up and down. “I went back...for a little girl.” Paul came over and patted Harry on the back before it turned into a punch in the arm. “What was that for?!” Harry scolded. “That was for saving someone’s life and then risking your own without telling me!” Paul said as Harry shrugged. He kept wiping his face and his eyes, whilst we all stood around waiting to be given the all clear from the authorities which had begun to arrive after the fire brigade. I decided to pull him to one side. “Mate, what’s going on? First Caroline, then the weird behaviour this morning, and now this sense of worry when you’re going around saving people’s lives and all.” He bit his lip before letting everything out. “Firstly...I was saving mine and Caroline’s live’s by meeting with her, secondly I was drugged, thirdly if I don’t turn up in the room our best mate died in tonight, my sister goes with him and fourthly...” he held up his phone with a picture of the little girl which could have passed for mistakenly ‘tied up’ under a seat in the burning building. I frowned before I saw the undisclosed number and the signature of ‘-A’ stamping it’s trademark. “Why would ‘A’ want to save a life if she just took one?” I questioned. “It was all to get me back in the building obviously....if a fireman from the other side didn’t let me out with her, I would’ve been trapped.” “Harry, the firemen only arrived just after you got out?” I frowned. “They couldn’t have? There was one in the building!” “One Harry? One fireman on the job of a burning building alone with backup only arriving later?” His eyes widened as did mine. “A.” we both said simultaneously. “Did you at least see the face? Or figure?” I said a little freaked out. “No Louis, there was too much smoke.” “It still doesn’t make sense though, if ‘A’ wanted you back in the building, why were you let out?” “If the little girl had to be saved, ‘A’ couldn’t show his or her face to the mother when returning her?” “Why was she mysteriously tied under a chair though Harry?” “Louis! I don’t bloody know okay! Do I look like ‘A’ to you?! I don’t know anything other than the fact that my poor sister is now caught up in this mess! And that you have some explaining to do about CHER!” Harry finally broke.  

**Too bad Elly Elephant didn’t find your dirty little secret, but just you wait -A.**

I read the message in shock of Harry’s true, however blunt words.. He stared at my phone as well, breathing heavily and still wiping his face constantly. “My turn - what’s that about?” he choked out. “I accidentally left the photo of Cher and I in my room when I tried to come and drag you away from Caroline and her charm last night and Eleanor stayed there, but that obviously didn’t work because you took her home nonetheless. I’m just glad Eleanor didn’t find it.” “I didn’t go home with Caroline, Louis...she helped me because my drink was spiked.” “If your drink was spiked, you wouldn’t know that Harry...” “At least I don’t cheat on my non-existent girlfriend completely sober!” The words cut through me like knives. All coming from Harry, who was supposed to be my best friend. I stood in shock and pain as he turned around and walked away back to the other lads. Not only had this fire come between every material in this building, it had now come between me and my best friend.