*A/N*
Hey guys :D Another quick update for you!
This chapter will center around... *drum roll* Rose's birthdayyyy :D
Speaking of birthdays, mine is this weeeeek! I'll have Celia's old age, in other words, 17 years old.
So, this chapter is long and I hope you enjoy it! There's 2 songs (THAT I DON'T OWN JUST SAYING) in this chapter
- "The Fade Out Line" by Phoebe Killdeer. (the scene in which it's featured is a reference to the movie Colombiana)
- "Creep" by Radiohead. I just love that song and I think it represents Celia-Rose really well.
Thanks to all of you reading and commenting, by the way! I'd like to tag the commenters of last chapters, but I always tag the same people (no offense XD) and I want to update asap, so on this, enjoy this chapter!!
aria xx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rose P.O.V
Two months and a half later...
It's been 2 months and a half Harry and I are dating. We agreed, the night of our first date, to take our time. We kissed a few times, but we started making out on a regular basis only 3 weeks ago! Anyways, what I mean is that Harry and I took the time to do couple things. We watched movies, did activities together (fortunately, without the public to know), well, I was happy.
Also, last night, Harry and I were cooking and we kinda ended up doing a foodfight. It was so funny! I just hope Dolores wouldn't hate me after I payed her to clean my mess. Fortunately, she said it was okay, that it was why I was paying her. Harry and I took showers (not at the same time, of course) and it marked the first night Harry and I slept in the same bed, as we were both exhausted.
The next morning, I opened my eyes when I heard the song of an alarm. I groaned and closed it. Harry's body was trashed on my bed next to mine. I slept in my pajamas, but Harry slept in the same clothes from last night. Why was my alarm set to 5 freaking PM?!?
"Hey.", Harry smiled, opening his green eyes.
"Hey.", I smiled back.
"Happy birthday, baby.", he kissed my forehead.
"Thank you, Harry."
Wow. I can't believe it. I wasn't a child anymore. I was 18. I was legal in some countries.
He got up: "I'm gonna get my things at my hotel. And you better put on some clothes, because you're coming with me..."
"Okay.", I said. "Hey, why did you hacked my alarm clock at 5PM?"
Harry took two plane tickets out of his pockets: "Does this answer your question?"
"Where are we going??", I asked, refering to the tickets.
"You'll see. I'm not saying anything.", he smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7 hours later, London, 2PM
The private plane landed in London. I smiled at Harry: "Even though I know the country I'm in right now I wonder where you are taking me. Tell me!!!"
"You'd have to torture me for that.", Harry smirked.
Unlucky for you, I'm experienced in that.
Harry looked at me with a creeped out face. DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!?
"I'm kidding, Harry."
Harry started to laugh: "Yeah, okay, phew. You sounded so serious, it was really scary!"
I laughed to hide my nervousness: "Come on Harry, you know me."
Or you think you know me.
~~~~~~
I was blindfolded in Harry's car that he left at the airport. Harry was driving and he wouldn't tell me where we were going.
"You're gonna knock me out and throw my body in a lake, right?"
Harry laughed and I felt his hand on my thigh: "We're almost there babe, hold on."
I sighed. I was starting to become bored. Than dizzy. It was so dark. Like when I was under the bed. My breathing started to increase: "H-Harry..."
"Kate?", his voice was worried.
"I-I'm fine, just hold my hand please."
He held my held real tight and I took a deep breath. There, I felt better. Especially when he stopped the car.
He took my hand like if I was 5, even though I just turned 18, and guided me to the mysterious place.
"Can I take the blindfold off, now, please?"
"Wait a sec..."
I heard him open a door and he guided me inside what I guessed was a house.
"There, take it off."
I took my blindfold off.
"SURPRISE!!!"
I gasped, smiling big. I was at the lads' house, in their living room. Okay, I must admit, I doubted it, but still, now my thoughts were confirmed.
They were all here. Eleanor, Niall, Liam, Zayn and Louis.
They put balloons everywhere in the living room, along with colorful banners and a big one written "Happy Birthday Katherine!!!".
Maybe, to my dismay, it wasn't my real name... but still, they gave themselves into this, and I was touched.
"Guys, you shouldn't have done so! I-I don't know what to say!"
"Say nothing! It's to us to tell you a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", Louis yelled and hugged me tight.
I laughed: "Thank you guys!"
I hugged them one after one, receiving a happy birthday from a different person.
"So, what did you plan for me?", I asked.
"First, we're gonna bring a pizza in and play Just Dance, like in the good old times.", Liam started.
"Then, we'll eat the cake and give you your gifts!", Niall kept going on.
"To finally bring you to a surprise place!", El winked.
"Seriously? Another surprise?", I smiled.
"Yup!", Harry said, kissing my cheek.
Minutes later, the pizzas came and we had fun on Just Dance. Ah, the memories. Harry and I, after Eleanor roasted Louis, who pretended to cry like a little girl, played a game, choosing Careless Whisper. Ellie and the boys groaned (joking) because it was a slow dance, but Harry and I didn't care.
Harry and I were dancing on the slow like our Just Dance counterparts, holding the Wii Remotes.
"Do you realize that the last time we danced on this game, we weren't a couple?", Harry whispered.
I smiled.
"Do you realize they are motel rooms made especially for lovey-dovey moments like this?"
I took a Wii Remote that wasn't used and threw it on Louis, making him let out an exaggerated yell, making everyone laugh. Ah, this dear Louis.
After the song, Harry and I took a break and sat on the couch while Zayn and Liam were doing a competition with Louis trying to distract both of them. I was sitting next to Niall, who was drinking a beer.
"Hey, Katherine!", he chirped.
"Is it Niall or the alcohol speaking?", I joked.
Niall did his unique laugh: "It's Niall. Anyway, do you like your birthday party until now?"
"Yeah! I need to be honest... it's in my top 3 of my best birthdays."
"Oh yeah? I'm glad to hear it's not in the worsts."
"Don't worry, there's only one birthday that are in the worsts: my 10th one. 1) It was the first birthday without my parents."
I didn't lie on that one. Niall felt sad.
"And 2) Bullies won't take a break to make you a card and share cake, if you know what I mean."
Niall chuckled a little: "Yeah. Well, I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself."
He drank the rest of his beer and opened a new one: "Want one?"
"Oh... no thanks. I don't drink."
"Hey come on. You're legal, now. Well, at least here. Don't tell your mom."
I laughed and took the beer: "I won't. And she wouldn't mind anyway."
Nikita wouldn't mind. But I'm sure my real mother would kill me, as she was pissed when Daisy came home drunk sometimes.
"Ok, just a sip.", I said taking a sip. It was very strong and I winced, doing a weird sound in the process.
Niall was laughing his head off: "Yeah, it always do this the first time."
I swallowed: "Ugh. Not bad. But I thought it would've been fruitier. Beginner's error, I guess?"
Niall nodded, then sighed. I noticed something bothered him.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that, everyone in this room is in couple. Except who?", he pointed himself.
I smiled: "Don't worry Niall. I'm sure you'll find a girl that will like you for who you are. You're a nice fun person. No way a girl wouldn't want to be in a relationship with you."
"That's the problem, you see. With our career, you never know if someone is really interested in you because you're famous, or because you're... you. You know?"
I nodded.
"Harry got lucky to fall on a girl who had no idea who he was in the first place."
I giggled: "Don't worry, I'm sure your girl is waiting for you."
Out of nowhere, I heard shushes and the atmosphere suddenly got subdued.
"♪Happy Birthday to youuuuu♫"
I smiled when they all started to sing and Harry approached with a vanilla cake with 18 candles on it.
"♪Happy Birthday to youuuuu. Happy Birthday, Dear Katheriiiiiiine♫"
Again, I wished they would celebrate the good person with the right name.
"♪Happy Birthday to youuuuu♫"
(*A/N*: Do I need to pay the creator of the song, now? Haha, lame joke, sorry XD BUT I DONT OWN THIS SONG, JUST SAYING... or else I'll be rich. Anyways, NOW IM REALLY DONE, I WONT BOTHER YOU ANYMORE, KEEP READING)
They all clapped and I smiled.
"Wait Katherine!!", Louis said. He took a present in a small bag.
"Open it."
"Louis, now's cake time!", Liam said.
"Oh shut up, Liam! It's mine and Eleanor's gift AND it's useful! Come on, open it!"
I smiled, and opened it. It was a Fuji Instax camera. You know those cameras that develop pictures instently like the old cameras?
"Wow, oh my gosh, thank you guys!!", I hugged El and Louis.
"So now, go in front of your cake and a selfie of us!", Eleanor clapped.
I smiled and did so. I went in front of the coffee table, where my cake was there, waiting for me to blow on the candles. The boys and El sat on the couch in front of the cake and took a selfie. The picture got out, and I shook it.
"It's a beautiful one", I said and everybody cheered.
"Now go and blow on your candles before it stains your cake!", Liam said.
I sat in front of the cake.
"Make a wish before!", Zayn said, for the first time since I got here. I remembered, I needed to know what he was hiding.
Then I wished something neutral, but I hoped powerful: That everything will be alright and this moment of happiness I'm living will last as long as possible, let's hope forever.
I blew on the candles, and they all went out. Everybody cheered.
Liam separated the cake and we were eating our piece in our respective plates.
During this time, I got a text from Nikita.
NIKITA: Where R U?!
ROSE: London. Harry kinda dragged me there.
NIKITA: WUT??
ROSE: He organized a party for me.Sorry, I completely forgot to text you :/
NIKITA: AWWWW, he's so cute! :)
NIKITA: Don't worry about it. It's fine.
NIKITA: Happy bday btw, Girl Almighty!
NIKITA: See what I did there :P
I laughed at Nikita's reference.
"What's funny?", Harry asked.
"My mom texted me happy birthday, and she called me the Girl Almighty!"
The boys laughed.
"♪Let's have another toast to the Girl Almighty♫", Harry sang, putting his vanilla cake in the air, like for giving a toast.
"♪Let's pray we stay young, stay made of lightning♫", Louis sang his verse, and the boys started to sing their song, under my blushing smile and Eleanor's laugh.
Minutes later, after we were done eating cake and threw the dishes in the sink, I was opening the presents.
I already had the camera from Louis and Eleanor. Liam offered me sunglasses (which you guess that Louis mocked, and I defended that I needed sunglasses), a beanie from Niall and a bottle of perfume from Zayn.
"Wow guys, I didn't know you were in touch with your feminine side!", I mocked the 3 guys. We all laughed.
"Ok, the best for the last: Harry's!", Eleanor said.
Harry took a big silver box with a white ribbon from behind his chair: "For you, my beautiful girlfriend."
I smiled at him, blushing.
"Come on, stop the goo-goo eyes and open it!!!", Louis said only to get a slap on the shoulder from Eleanor.
I undo the ribbon and opened the box. I threw away the pieces of tissue paper, and froze.
It was here.
The music box. The EXACT SAME music box from my past. I felt a lump forming in my throat and I gulped: "H-Harry..."
"I had to fight like a maniac to find the same brand you used to have, as they were all sold out, but an old lady sold it. It was still in good shape and we did a good price."
I cranked the music box and opened the lid. The rhythm of the song of my old music box started to play. The lyrics of my father played in my head at the beat of the song.
"♪Wher-e-ver I am. Or wher-e-ver I will go. I will ne-ver be far a-way. Ro-sie, you are not a-lone. In the, su-mmer day, or the cold dark win-ter night. Close your eyes, and, keep on your smile. Dar-ling it, will be al-right.... Ro-sie, I, will dry your tears. For you I'll chase, all of your fears. Close your brown, eyes and sleep tight. You, will, be, al-right. Lis-ten to my, lullaby. When I am not, by your side. No matter the things you'll go through. I pro-mise, I'll be with you♫"
I teared up at this moment and covered my mouth. The others got confused and a bit worried that I didn't like it because I was crying, especially Harry. But it wasn't how I was feeling at all.
I was happy.
Harry found it. He fought to have the same music box I used to have. It maybe wasn't the one I had, since it burnt with my house. But I had to hear the melody again. I was touched. He was such an angel.
"Katherine--"
Before Harry could continue, I put the music box down on the table and pounced on him with a hug. I felt more melancholic as I remembered doing the same thing the first time I got a music box, with my daddy.
"Thank you, H. Thank you. It means so much!"
Harry smiled and hugged me back.
~~~~~
"Okay, care to tell me where we're going, guys?"
We were in all in Harry's car. He was leading us somewhere, but nobody would tell me where.
"It's a--"
"Surprise, whatever! I don't care, I wanna know!!!", I cut Louis off.
"Relax you big baby, we're here!", Eleanor smiled.
The car stopped and I read: "The Sweet Hard Candy Bar? Sounds like a stripclub name!"
The boys (especially Niall) laughed out loud at my joke.
"Well it isn't. I'm not stupid enough to bring my girlfriend at a stripclub on her birthday! This bar has bands that play here, and it's always fun!", Harry said.
We entered the bar. The rock music was blasting, people were dancing and grinding on eachother. Fortunately, it was dark, so I hoped people wouldn't reconize the boys.
Eleanor guided me to the barman.
"What do you want? It's on me! Birthday present!", she yelled so I could hear.
"I don't know! I don't normally drink alcohol!!!"
I didn't want to drink, honestly. I needed all my concentration, and I didn't want to drink something that tasted as weird as beer.
"Two Malibu Sunsets, please!", Eleanor ordered, and the barman nodded, starting to make the drinks.
"What are Malibu Sunsets?"
"My favorite drink! It's pineapple and orange juice, with coconut rum, grenadine, and cherries! Delicious!"
The barman asked for our ID's, which we showed. It was weird that for once, even though it was a fake ID, it would make me go away with it not as a so-looking-innocent teenager like before on my missions (at the prison, or when I got arrested in London 8 months ago), but as an adult. Weird.
After the barman got that we were major, he gave us our drinks. Eleanor took a big gulp and smiled: "Sweet with goosebumps, just like I like them! Go on, have a sip!!!"
I drank it, and it was delicious! Sweet with goosebumps? Celia-Rose likes it!
"MMH!!", I exclaimbed, drinking again. After drinking all the glass and taking another one, I felt all bubbly and happy. I wasn't exactly drunk, but I wasn't exactly sober either. I felt like there wasn't any weights on my back.
That Division never happened. I felt free and light like a feather.
"Come on girls, let's party!!!", Louis yelled and we got near the rock band. I was dancing with Harry. It was one of the best birthdays of my life!
After I don't know after how many songs and dances between me and Harry, the band stopped and the lead singer took the mike while people were still cheering: "Okay, so now, time to invite a birthday person on stage! For tonight, we heard that there was a certain Katherine Brooks that was celebrating her 18th birthday..."
The alcohol made in sort I didn't know he was talking of me.
"Come on Katie, he's calling you!", El said.
"What? Wait, WHAT?!?", I snapped out of it. I didn't want to go on stage! How did this guy knew my fake name?! And I don't sing. No way.
"Come on Katherine, your boyfriend told us you liked singing! Come join us!", the lead singer said.
I looked at Harry with surprise and he winked at me.
"You're dead meat!!!", I half-joked at him, making him laugh and pushing me toward the band. While I was walking there, I got the flashback explaining how I ended in this situation.
*Flashback*
I was in my apartment, waiting for Harry to come over. I was laying on my bed, bored. Then I smiled, having an idea and went in my living room, to my computer. I went on YouTube and put the song 'The Fade Out Line' and raised the volume of my speakers. I LOOOVED that song!
I danced, swaying my hips on the beat of the song, and sang to the lyrics.
"♪Heading deeper down
We're sliding without noticing
Our own decline
Heading deeper down
We're hanging onto
Sweet nothings left behind
Deeper down
We're all going down
Down deeper down, yeah
We are all plunging straight towards our own decline
Without noticing
We slide
Down
Deeper down
The shadow grows without ever slowing down
We are heading straight
Into the fade out line
The shallower it grows
The shallower it grows
The fainter we go
Into the fade out line
The shallower it grows
The shallower it grows
The fainter we go
Into the fade out line♫"
I turned around and yelped when Harry was staring at me with a smile on his face, leaning against the wall.
"Since how many time you're here??", I slapped his shoulder and he laughed.
"A while. You sing great. And dance great, also."
"Whatever, you could've said you were here instead of giving me a heart attack and staring at my horrible moves and listening to my more horrible voice.", I closed my radio.
"Wait!"
I looked at Harry.
"Are you serious! Nothing about what I witnessed is horrible! You never told me you could sing!"
"Well I don't know how to sing."
"Are you kidding me, you have a wonderful voice! It's sexy!", he whispered the last part, and I playfully hit his shoulder.
*End of flashback*
And since then, when Harry caught me singing a few more times while doing the dishes or heard me while in the shower, he was bugging me about going to a record deal, or doing a YouTube channel.
I thought he got it when I said 'forget it', and now look in what situation this little shit I call my boyfriend got me into!!!
I took the microphone.
"Hi, Katherine.", the lead singer said. He had blonde hair with black streaks, a piercing in his nose and dark brown eyes. He had a dragon tattoo the long of his left arm and a small star tattoo on his right hand. He was holding a blue electric guitar in his hands.
"Hi, pal.", I spoke into the microphone
"Call me Jack."
"Oh, I didn't know you were the one and only Jack N. Hoff!"
People started laughing, even the band.
"It's the first time I've ever been called that way.", he said half-sarcastic. "So it's your birthday?"
"Yup. I'm barely legal. I'm talking about being in a bar, perverts!"
People laughed again. The effect of alcohol and my funny side teamed up, I guess.
"Not only you're funny, plus I heard that you sing?"
"Yeah, whatever my boyfriend told you, I prefer to keep this for myself, but I sing on occasions. At his funeral, for example, after I put my hands on him.", I eyed Harry right in the eyes.
The crowd all laughed again, the boys, El and Harry too. I did a 'I'm watching you' gesture with my hand to the last one while doing a joking devil smile.
"Because it's your birthday is there a song in particular you'd want to sing?", Jack asked.
I whispered it in his ear.
"Perfect, we all know this song."
"By the way, I never sang in public before, so can I just...", I kneeled on the edge of the stage and stole the drink of punk guy that was in front of me and sank it down, making everybody laugh. It wasn't a Malibu Sunset AT ALL, but I felt the alcohol erasing all the shyness of performing.
I threw a few dollars at him: "Sorry, you'd go buy another one."
He smiled and put both of his hand in front of him, smiling like to say he didn't mind.
"One, two, three, go...", Jack whispered.
The band started to play the song. I decided to sing "Creep", by Radiohead. It was Daisy's favorite song, in her rebel teenage years, when I was a kid. After my family was killed, I listened to this song all the time, because the lyrics represented how I felt. I was also singing the song to Baby Camellia, even though she couldn't hear me back then.
I took a breath and started singing:
"♪When you were here before,
Couldn't look you in the eye,
You're just like an angel,
Your skin makes me cry♫"
I looked at Harry and the boys, who were looking at me while I was singing. Harry smiled at me. In a way it represented my first feelings toward him: I couldn't stand him at first, but now I love him and I once cried against his skin.
"♪You float like a feather,
In a beautiful world,
I wish I was special,
You're so very special♫"
I wished I could feel like Harry, in a sense that he was being truthful with me, while I couldn't stop lying to keep us both safe, thus he was on floating on a cloud without having to worry about anything. I floated on a cloud too, but mine was restrained my a big black cloud called Division.
"♪But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here♫"
I felt like I didn't belong in this world. All those people, who were watching me right now; they live so much different lives. Maybe this girl is pregnant and she doesn't even know it? Maybe this guy is accepted to Oxford? They all live normal lives, but here I am. An assassin with no family, singing on this stage in front of people who don't even know my story. I literally don't belong here.
"♪Oh, oh♫"
"♪She's running out again,
She's running out...
She run run run run. Ruuuuuun♫"
Through this high note I wasn't even aware I could do, I'm talking about me. The only thing I'm doing since almost 9 years is running. Who says I won't do it again?
As the band did the instrumental, I was looking at Harry, who was looking at me with intrigue and amazement. His eyes were trying to dig into mine, behind my eyes, where my spirit was, but he wouldn't find what he was looking for... the reason my singing was so deep; the reason I was aching.
"♪Whatever makes you happy,
Whatever you want,
You're so very special,
I wish I was special♫"
I looked at Harry while singing this, meaning those words in real life, not only through the song. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I remarked a young man eyeing me with a weird empty stare. I gulped and tried to ignore it, but I started to have a bad feeling.
"♪But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here♫"
"♪I don't belong here♫"
I took a deep breath after I was done with the song. The band played the last notes. Everybody applauded and cheered for me and I saw the boys doing loud whistles. I gave the microphone back to Jack: "Thank you for playing with us, you have a very beautiful voice.", he said.
"Thanks", I croaked. I don't know if it was the effect of the alcohol, the fact I just did my first live performance or the fact that the dude from later approached me, or even all of the above: I didn't feel fine.
"Wow, Katherine, you were amazing!", Eleanor said, smiling.
"I didn't know you could sing!", Niall said.
"Katherine, I--"
"Harry, I want to go home."
"Are you--"
"I'm not mad at you, it was great, but please, I don't feel good and I need to get outta here!"
Harry nodded: "I'll go get the car."
On this, he got out, and I was following close behind, as he knew the last time he heard those 3 words, I had an unstoppable panic attack. We walked toward the exit, where I hoped I'd feel better.
"HEY, WAIT!!!"
A loud voice yelled behind me. I gulped and kept walking, hoping it wasn't adressed at me.
"Hey, you!!!", I felt someone pulling on my arm and spinning me around.
There was a dude. Completely drunk. With a ruffled mop of greasy brown hair on top of his head.
"Oh my gosh, I cannnnnoooot believe it! It really is you!", he was completely drunk.
I chuckled awkwardly: "Um, sorry, you got me confused with someone else..."
"No wait", he tugged on my arm again before I could leave his drunk ass behind. "Savannah?!"
I froze. It looked like someone punched me in the gut and the face at the same time. Please, tell me it's the alcohol that made me hear that.
"SAVANNAH?! HOLY SHIT! It's been so long! It's me, Damon!"