*Chapter 16: The Plane Ride*
*Liam's POV*
*The next morning*
I didn't sleep much last night. All I kept thinking about was Simon's words, which made me cry even harder the more I thought about it. I only slept like an hour or two. The rest of the time, I kept staring at the wall, as tears rolled down my cheeks.
And if on cue, Paul ripped my curtain open and ripped me from my bunk. At this point I'm not even going to fight it. I don't want to make things worse for myself.
"Get up." Paul commanded, as usual.
Of course I did as I was told as I was being watched by both Niall and Louis. I can't believe they were both here and didn't say hello. That kind of hurt to be honest.
"Did you hear me? Or do I need to repeat myself?" Paul said. I could tell his voice was getting a little louder, indicating that he was getting madder.
I shook my head no, hoping that he wouldn't ask me what he said.
"Then what did I say?" Paul said in an angry, calm voice.
I just stared at the ground and I instantly felt a stinging sensation on my cheek. I then realized that Paul slapped me again. I got a glimpse of both Louis and Niall. They looked at me with sad expressions. I think I might have seen a tear coming down both of their cheeks, but I could be wrong.
"I said get in the shower. You stink. And maybe shave while you're in there. I'll send Louis to give you fresh clothes. Oh yeah, and maybe shave while you're at it. You look disgusting. We're already at the airport. We board in an hour and a half. You better hurry up." Paul explained with anger in his voice.
I nodded in response and went in the bathroom and showered for the first time in a few months. You don't want to know.
*In the shower*
As I'm standing here in the shower, I touch my swollen cheek, wincing each time my hand makes contact. I don't know if it was just the water in the shower, but I could feel tears running down my cheek. Paul hates me and it's all my fault.
*After the shower*
I got out of the shower to find a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt on the sink. I quickly put on the clothes and pulled up the hood on the sweatshirt. I then continued out of the bathroom and into the TV area, where everyone was waiting for me. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I stared at the ground the whole time. No one was moving, I'm guessing afraid of me saying something obnoxious or nasty.
"I'm ready." I said, half whispering it.
Paul pushed me in front of him, I'm guessing in case I ran off or something. To be honest, I don't have the energy to run. I just can't wait to get on the plane, so I could finally get some sleep.
*Ariel's POV*
*On the Plane*
"So where are we going now?" I asked Simon, who was sitting across from me.
Once again, we are in Simon's private plane, so we have the plane all to ourselves.
"Holmes Chapel." Simon replied.
Louis, Niall, and I all looked at Simon with wide eyes. Liam might have looked up from the window he was staring out of when Simon responded, but who knows and who cares.
"No way." All three of us said in unison.
"Daddy, what's Holmes Chapel." Amanda asked her father, having trouble pronouncing Holmes Chapel, also causing Liam to spit out whatever drink he was drinking. Well that's secret's out.
"That's where daddy's friend lives." Niall replied.
"I thought they were your friends?" Amanda asked pointing at Simon, Louis, and I.
"They are. But daddy has another friend that lives in Holmes Chapel. Do you know where Holmes Chapel is?" Niall asked her.
Shook her head no.
"It's in England. Remember what daddy told you about England?" Niall replied as his daughter shook her head yes with a giant smile on her face.
He is so cute with his daughter, I can't even describe it.
*Liam's POV*
*20 minutes later*
I can't believe that Niall has a daughter. But I should have known. She his eyes and his laugh. She is like a mini Niall.
And I know for a fact that Louis likes Ariel. I can see it in the way he looks at her and how he speaks to her. He's never been that way with a girl. At least not since I've known him.
I also can't believe that we're going to Holmes Chapel to see Harry. I wonder if he's coming on this trip with us. Not that I know why we're going on this trip in the first place. No one's told me anything yet.
"You've been very quiet lately." Simon said to me as he took the seat across from me.
I just shrugged my shoulders and continued to look out the window.
"Do you mind telling me what's wrong?" Simon asked.
I stayed silent and continued to stare blankly out the window.
"He asked you a question. Answer it." Paul said from behind me.
"Um," I started, trying to think of the most polite way of telling him that I'm not ready to share.
"Are you deaf? Answer it." Paul said, starting to get angry.
I sat there for a moment, not know what to say, with both Simon and Paul staring at me, waiting for me to answer.
"Can I please share with you another time, sir? I'm not ready to share." I said in the polite way possible and actually giving him eye contact for once.
Simon gave Paul a quick glance before answering.
"Sure. I'll be here when you're ready." Simon replied as he stood up and walked over to a different part of the plane with Paul.
When they walked away, I continued to stare blankly out the window. The others won't talk to me, probably because the hate me. So why bother getting up to talk to them.
*Simon's POV*
*At a different part of the plane*
"Did you see that?" I asked Paul in a low tone of voice.
"See what?" Paul asked playing dumb.
"Come on Paul, you had to have witnessed that." I said in a 'really' tone.
"Okay, so I might have heard Liam talk to you in a polite manner. So what?" Paul replied.
"So what? That's the first time he's said something with being obnoxious, nasty, or rude. And this is the first time he's made eye contact with me since we found him." I explained.
"Simon, he's been basically mute since the first time I ripped him out of the bunks yesterday." I told Simon.
"You don't think I realize that." I replied.
"So how can you be sure he's changing if he's been mute the whole time?" Paul asked.
"Don't worry about how I know." Simon said before he started to leave, but turned around to say something else.
"Oh yeah, and if I hear you slap Liam across the face again, you will be on the first flight back home." Simon told me before returning back to the rest of the crowd.
*Louis' POV*
*An hour later*
Ariel is currently sleeping in my arms. I was sleeping too, but the sudden urge to pee woke me up. I don't really want to get up and disturb her, but I really have to go.
"Ariel, sweetie, I need to get up. I need to go to the bathroom." I whispered in her ear.
Thankfully woke up just enough to hear that because she sat up and let me up before laying back down on the seat and falling right back to sleep.
As I walked passed the bathroom, I noticed Liam sitting by himself staring out the window, while everyone else was sitting together, sleeping.
So after I was finished using the bathroom, I took this opportunity to sit right across from him. I noticed that his cheek was swollen and bruised. I kind of feel bad for him. You know, with Paul treating him so badly and all. He doesn't deserve it, even though he's been kind of rude.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes, with Liam glancing at me every couple of seconds, probably hoping that I would say something. And so I did.
"Does it hurt?" I asked. "You're cheek I mean."
He shook his head no, but I can tell that he was lying. I decided not to press the subject any further and just change it while I had the chance.
"So, how've you been? It's been awhile since we last saw each other." I asked him, but there was no response.
I can see in his eyes that he's hurting and that he's been hurting for awhile. That's probably why he's been letting go of himself lately. He needs someone who can bring that old Liam back, and I am going to be the one to do it.
"I'm sorry." Liam whispered after a few moments of comfortable silence.
"What?" I asked in confusion.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. It was out of line." Liam said, almost in tears.
Once I saw his eyes watering and a tear stroll down his cheek as he was staring out the window, I immediately stood up. I know this may sound a little weird, but I took his hands and brought him up to his feet. He stared at me for a moment with water in his eyes. I immediately engulfed him in a hug as he cried into my shoulder. I'm kind of thankful that everyone else was asleep. I wanted Liam to get this all out without anyone knowing.
"You don't have to be sorry Liam. I know your hurting. Always know that I'm here if you need to talk." I told him as we hugged it out.
I think that's all Liam really needed. A shoulder to cry on.