The tour bus was dead silent, but Gabbie and Cat's eyes remained locked, narrowing spitfully at each other. Cat's lips were drawn back in an almost animalistic smile, her dark eyes hard and cold, staring into the icy blue orbs of her companion.
Gabbie's hands were clamped on the table, the tickle in her throat a mixture of the urge to yell and the urge to cough up a lung. Yep, she was sick alright. Very sick. Her nose was forever running, she was forever coughing, and earlier this morning her temperature had been very very high.
This, oddly enough, was the fuel for the fight that was now raging on inside the confined space of One Direction's Tour bus.
"Don't look at me like that." Gabbie hissed. "Its not like I wanted to get sick."
Cat's eyes narrowed even further, until they became like dark, empty slits on her face. "Only an idiot would go outside while it was cold and raining without a jumper!"
"Well, I forgot!" Gabbie snapped.
"Another testiment to how fucking blonde you are!" Cat screeched back, standing from the table violently. Her whole body was shaking with the anger that seemed to be pulsing through her veins.
"Ladies, don't you think you could just-," Liam said, standing at the edge of the table between the two girls. Zayn had disappeared onto his bed a while ago, same with Niall and Louis. Only Liam and Harry remained sitting in the main area, watching the girls have their stare down.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Gabbie and Cat screamed at Liam at the same time, they're eyes darkening at the sight of him trying to fix their fight.
"I'm allowed to be pissed off." Cat snapped.
"And I don't need defending!" Gabbie hissed at Liam, her body convulsing with the need to cough.
Liam backed away, palms raised up in surrender. He slid back into his seat beside Harry, who shot him an annoyed angry look.
"No need to be snappy, Gabbie." Cat hissed. "Liam was only being a sweetie."
"Hey, you yelled at him too!"
"Whatever, it's not the point! The point is that your totally and utterly stupid!" Cat snapped angrily standing up violently, the table wavering on it's legs.
"I am not! Pretty sure hair colour doesn't influence anything! Your being a bitch about this." Gabbie said firmly, her eyes wide. "It's not my fault. I was tired and I wanted to walk. I didn't exactly look at the damn weather forecast before I went out!"
Cat huffed, turning her nose up. In her heart, she knew Gabbie was right, and that she was being slightly (slightly) unreasonable, but that wasn't the point. Cat was angry at the world, but she was having fun taking it out on Gabbie. Gabbie had taken a walk before they'd left Melbourne, and stupidly, she had forgotten a jumper. Not that she had notcied until it had started to pour rain.
She had been six blocks from the hotel, in a park with little cover. The minute she'd gotten back, she'd been coughing and sneezing her head off. Cat had been packing the tour bus and hadn't seen Gabbie until they had been already leaving.
"Well, thats not the point of this! You had to go out when you were sick!" Cat screamed back, totally loosing it as she thought of the real reason she was upset. The real reason was so much worse than why she was yelling at Gabbie. So much more heartbreaking...
"I know why your pissed off and it's not even my fucking fault!" Gabbie screamed, tears breaking past her dark lashes. She stood up, collecting her large box of three ply tissues. "So go sort it the fuck out and stop yelling at me!"
She stormed past Cat, whipping back the curtain that seperated the tables from the beds. She stormed past a startled Niall and a confused, sleepy Zayn and disappeared into ther darker part of the back. Cat stared after her, regret bubbling in her stomach.
"Fuck it." She hissed under her breath, slumping back into her seat with a sigh. Harry glared at her from across the room. "What?!" Cat snapped angrily, raising her eyebrows at him.
He ground his teeth together, his jaw twitching. "What the hell was that?!" He snapped, waving his hand in the direction Gabbie had just gone in, his face red with anger.
"Don't give me that shit," Cat said. "We've fought before, you know." She leaned back on her chair with a sigh.
Liam yawned, glancing at the clock that read 9:54PM. He ran his hands through his hair with a tired smile at Cat. "I think I'm going to bed now." He walked up and pulled Cat off her chair. She stumbled and he held her up. "Don't let him get to you." He said softly and hugged her tight.
"Thanks Liam." Cat whispered back with a tiny smile. The english man shuffled off, pulling his shirt over his head as he went.
Harry sighed and got up. "I should go talk to her."
Cat got up too, shaking her head. "No. Let her sleep on this. We'll... I'll figure it out in the morning. She's too upset to talk to. She'll just tell you off."
Harry gared at Cat again, before his expression softened. "You sure?"
Cat waved him away. "Of course. I have known her for ages, you know that right."
Cat followed Harry past the edge of the curtains and stopped, peering into the semi-darkness of the bed room. There are two bunk beds, one on each side of the bus, a fifth bed by itself against the wall a bit further down. Harry slips into the bottom bunk on the right and a few seconds later, his deep breathing fills the room. Gabbie is no where to be seen.
Above Harry is Louis, who is spread eagle, hands and legs hanging over the edge of his bed, his blue doona slipping off his body. To the left, Liam has crawled into the top bunk and his snoring softly, Niall below him. WIth a quick glance, Cat sees Zayn's outline on the fifth bed, curled up in the blankets.
"Cat?" Cat looks over at Niall, who is sitting up slightly, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." Cat says quickly, averting her eyes as the blankets pool around Niall's waist. "Just looking for a spot to sleep."
"Oh, um.." He glances around the room, blinking. "I'll share with Zayn if you want your own bed." He offers quietly, looking at her.
"No no, it's fine." Cat reaches out blindly to her left and pulls a thick blanket and two pillows from he bottom of the open cupboard. She puts a pillow down next to Niall's bed and lies on the floor, pulling the blanket over her body.
"No, don't lie on the floor!" Niall says. "Here I'll get up. Trade places."
Cat pushes him back with her hand, sitting up. "Wait, where's Gabbie?"
Niall runs a hand through his hair. "Um, in the back seat I think. Why?"
Cat gets up quickly and hands Niall her blanket. "Don't go back to sleep, I may need your help."
The irish man nods, stifling a yawn. Cat reached blindly forwards, using the edge of Niall's bunk to find her way to the back of the bus. She pushes past the toilet door, which is open and spots Gabbie as the bus passes under a bright street light.
She's curled up in a ball, a mountain of tissues beside her. Her breathing is heavy and strained. Cat smiled softly at her sleeping friend, before looking back at Niall. "Nialler!" Cat whisper yelled. "I need you help."
With a groan, Niall pulls himself out of his bed and shuffles forward. There's a loud bang as he runs into the open toilet door followed by a lot of swearing- "Ouch, fuck me that hurt like a fucking bitch. Jesus christ!"- before he finds his way to the backseat. He wavers on his feet for a moment in the darkness.
"What? Is she dead or something?" Niall yawned, rubbing his eyes again.
Cat smacked his arm with a glare. "No, you idiot, can you please just pick her up for me?"
Niall groaned. "Can't you, she's light!"
Cat raised her eyebrows at him. "You do it, your the man here."
Niall rolled his eyes and gave Cat a shove, sucessfully making her stumble out of his way. It was too late at night for this. He scooped Gabbie up in his arms, wishing for a moment that he had stuck with his new years resolution and gone to the gym a whole lot more.
Cat narrowed her eyes at him and quickly spun on her heel, leading him back into the main part of the bus. She waltzed right over to the bed and flicked Harry in the nose. He woke with a start, nearly hitting his head on the bottom of Louis bunk as he sat up. "What?" He mumbled with a sigh.
"Move over." Cat mumbled, giving Harry a light shove.
Harry looked at Cat. "Your hot and all, but I love Gabbie."
Cat looked at him. "No you idiot!" She rolled her eyes and gestured to Gabbie behind her. "Gabbie needs to sleep here. Now move your lazy arse over."
Harry grumbled something and shifted his body, allowing Niall to slid the shivering blonde into the warm covers beside Harry. Harry snuggled into her side and was asleep instantly. Cat shuffled over to the edge of Nialls bed and flopped backwards onto the floor, curling up in the thick woollen sheet. The engine of the bus rumbled away underneath her. Niall jumped over her and slammed into his mattress with a sigh.
"Night Cat."
"Night Nialler."
At 1AM the sound of chattering teeth woke Cat from her restless sleep on the bus floor. She shifted her body and sat up, her hip throbbing in pain from being pressed into the floor all night. She blinked int he darkness and stared at the bed across from her.
Some time during the night, Harry had rolled over, taking the thick doona with him and leaving a trembling Gabbie in nothing but the thin summer sheets. Cat shook her head and got up, fishing the blanket she had been sleeping on off the floor. With one swing, she let it pool around her friend. With a sigh, can realised there were no blankets left for her to use. Zayn was spread-eagle in his bed and Cat didn't have the heart to wake him.
She stumbled out into the main part of the bus and looked around for something to do. She found herself a pen, some paper and sat down to write. Hopefully she wouldn't fall asleep as she sat there.
"SOMEONE'S COOKING FOOD!" Niall hollered, getting up from his bed with a leap. He, clearly, had had no porblems with getting to sleep after he'd helped Cat and Gabbie.
He sprinited into the little kitchen with a huge grin and came to a stop beside Cat with a wide smile. Cat looked up, face flushed from standing over the pan for too long and rolled her eyes at Niall. "Want some now?"
Niall nodded eagerly, looking like a dog with his tongue poking out from between his lips. Cat handed him a plate and watched as his eyes widened as she spooned on eggs, bacon, sausages and a hashbrown. Niall looked like a kid on christmas. He was about to run off with the plate when Cat stopped him.
"Wake everyone up before you eat." She smiled properly and Niall blinked, sighing as he set down his plate and walked back through the curtains. "Thanks Nialler."
Niall waved her off and threw back the curtains, letting the harsh morning light shine into the faces of the sleeping people. Liam raised his head with a groan. His normally swept back hair sticking up everywhere.
"Sexy bedhead, Liam." Niall laughed.
Liam scowled and slid down off the top bunk, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He smiled at Cat and skirted aound her, eager for food. Niall ran up and smacked Louis in the stomach. Cat laughed as Louis rolled over and tried to smack Niall in the face.
"GET UP!" Niall yelled, dodging Louis hand.
"NO!"
"Jimmy protested!" Cat added, laughing as Louis nodded, smiling. "But I made food."
Louis yanwed and shuffled to the end of the bed. With a sigh he rolled over and shimmied down the bed leg until he was safly on the ground. He winked at Niall and lead him into the kitchen as Harry started to wake up.
Cat ignored Harry and contiued on to find Zayn stilled curled up and snoring on his bed, his eyes fluttering. Taking a few steps back, Cat launched herself forwards, landing with a loud "Smack" on top of Zayn.
He woke with a start and rolled sideways, taking Cat with him. Cat looked up at him and smiled. "Morning." She said cheerily, with a sly smile.
Zayn blinked. "Did you just- just jump on me?"
Cat tapped her chin. "Nooo, why would I do that?"
Zayn grinned. "You're a cutie."
Cat smiled before the words sunk in. With a sigh she got up and straightened her clothes. "Breakfast is ready." She said stiffly. "Come one, or it will get cold." She turned on her heel and made her way back into the kitchen with a sigh.
Zayn stared after her with a blank expression. He knew that Cat was annoyed with him for some reason. He knew that she was angry or frustrated, but no matter what he did, she never seemed to be as... comfortable with him as before. He got up and glanced through the curtains at his friends.
Gabbie was up now, sitting on Harry's lap as they shared a plate heaped full of food. Louis was making faces at Niall, who was cracking up so hard he couldn't eat. Liam was texting Danielle, which didn't surprise Zayn in the least.
Then he noticed something. Gabbie was smiling at Cat like they were had never fought last night, a piece of paper in her hand. He looked at Gabbie again. She'd know what was wrong with Cat, because Cat told her everything, right?
"Are you and Cat good now?" Harry asked, kissing Gabbie's shoulder lightly as she sat on his lap.
"Yeah, of course. She apologised." Gabbie smiled, stealing piece of bacon off Niall's plate. Niall glared and pulled his plate closer to his body.
Harry frowned. "When?"
Gabbie smiled at him and handed him a piece of paper. "This morning. Here, read it. I don't think she'll mind too much."
Harry unrolled the piece of paper with interest. He wondered what Cat could have possibly put on here that would make Gabbie smile as much as she was and forgive her so fast.
Dear Gabbie,
I don't deserve you as a friend. You are gorgeous and loyal and loving and just down right amazing. Yesterday, I took my anger out on you, when I know I shouldn't have. You were right, I am pissed off about something else, and I know you know what it is.
I'm allowed to be pissed off about it, right? Do you think so? I have no idea. I realised last night while I was sleeping on the floor of this bus that I can't force someone like Zayn into anything and nor do I want to. We've only known each other a few short weeks and while it seemed to be right for you and Harry, maybe it's not right for Zayn and I.
I hope you don't show this too him, by the way. Because I don't want him to say it just because he thinks I want to here it. You love Harry and Harry loves you and I am jealous, but it shouldn't matter. Either Zayn will say it eventually or we'll just go on for ever like this.
So, Gabbie, this is my apology to you, right here. I am so sorry for yelling at you and I know it is not in anyway your fault for being sick. I had no right to yell at you at all and I hope you'll forgive me.
This is your third, 100% original Cat apology, one that I am now writing at 2AM and I hope for my hands sake, that this is the last I will ever have to give you. You are strong and brave and I love you for it. I hope you can forgive me for being such a shitty friend.
Love,
Cat xxx
Harry put down the paper with a smile. "Did she really get up at 2AM and write this for you?"
Gabbie nodded, looking over at her friend. She was standing near the window on the bus, listening to her iPod. The drivers had gone to eat some lunch and refuel the bus, so they weren't going anywhere. But Cat was lost in her own little world and Gabbie doubted she'd actually noticed. No doubt she was blaring Moments or Adele, something she did when she was hurting or thinking. "She does it a lot. She isn't good with face to face apologies she says, so she writes letters like this, so she can get everything down." Gabbie shrugged. "Or so she has said to me."
Zayn appeared beside them, his hazelish eyes wandering over to the distracted Cat. "Um, Gabbie?"
Gabbie glanced up and quickly tucked the note into her jean pockets so he couldn't see. "Yeah, Zayn?" They'd never really talked too much, so Gabbie wasn't exactly sure what to say to him. Harry nudged Zayn, who was still staring across the bus at Cat. "Do you want to come for a walk with me?"
Gabbie bit her lip, glancing at Harry, who was staring up at his friend with a worried expression. "You alright?" He asked Zayn, frowning.
Zayn's eyes flicked to Harry's face. "Yeah, I'm fine. But, um, can I talk to Gabbie?"
Gabbie nodded at Harry and slipped off his lap. "We'll take a quick lap around the park over there and then come back, okay?" Harry nodded and Zayn started walking, eger to get out of the motionless tour bus.
Gabbie followed and stepped off the bus into the still air. She lead the way to the start of the little walkway the looped the nearby park and waited until Zayn had caught up until she started walking. He was silent for a moment before letting out a heartaching sigh.
"You love her." Gabbie stated, pushing past a branch that was growing over the path.
Zayn glanced at Gabbie out of the corner of his eyes. "Is that what she's... frustrated about? Is she annoyed that I love her or something?"
Gabbie laughed lightly. "No way. I think it's more that she doesn't know you love her." She kicked a stray stone. "You haven't told her." It wasn't a question.
"I'm worried about what she'll say." Zayn answered.
"Why?"
"I dunno. Like, what if she says she doens't love me back or what if she dumps me for being too forward?"
Gabbie shook her head. "I don't think she will, Zayn." She kicked the stone again and it jumped the path, getting lost in the grass. The bus was back in view again, the drivers in their seats, waiting for them to return. "I didn't with Harry."
Zayn sighed. "Yeah but thats different. Cat, I don't even understand her sometimes. You, you're easy to read, like an open book, Cat isn't. I can't tell whats she's feeling."
Gabbie smiled as they reached the bus doors. "Be spontatious. Be romantic. Cat likes all that stuff."
"Right." Zayn shook his head. "Okay."
Gabbie got on the bus to see Cat plugging her iPod into the iPod dock sitting on the cupboard. Gabbie smiled and hugged her side on. "Not putting on depressing crap, are you?"
Cat shoved her with a smile, winking at Zayn has he walked past her. "It's not depressing music. It has emotion in it!" Cat protested, scrolling through the list of her songs. "And no, I'm putting on something fun. Something rude."
Gabbie winked at her, the boys looking up from their spots at the booths. "Like what?"
"Like..." Cat tapped the screen. "Like this!"
Gabbie let out a squeal as the semi-techno music filled the room, the bus roaring to life under them. "YES! Best song!"
Liam frowned. "What is it?"
"FACK!" Gabbie laughed, swinging her hips to the beat.
"By Eminem!" Cat added, starting to dance beside her friend.
The lyrics started and the boys widened their eyes, jaws dropping open. "You listen to this?" Harry exclaimed, shocked girls would be this... dirty.
Cat rolled her eyes. "Since year nine!"
"Year NINE?!" Harry laughed. "Where did you go to school?"
"A fucking Rehab center for sex addicts by the sounds of it." Niall laughed, humming the tune.
Cat stuck her tongue out and grabbed a Marker off the table beside her. She turned on Gabbie and uncapped it. She advanced on her friend. "Hold still!" She said, laughing as she started drawing on Gabbie's arm.
Gabbie squealed, but didn't move. "Niall, through me that marker!" Niall chucked her the green texta and she uncapped it, turning to write on Cat.
"Fack, fack, faaack!" Cat sang, laughing as Gabbie drew a penis on her arm.
"F-A-C-K, F-A-C-K!" Gabbie sang too, drawing retarded swirled down Cat's arm.
Cat spun slightly and got Gabbie over the nose with the black pen. Gabbie paused, shocked and then turned to glare at her friend. Holding the marker high she winked creepily. "Oh, its on bitch!" And lept at her.
The bus rumbled to a stop outside Gabbie's house and the two girls tumbled off, covered from head to toe in strips of different coloured texta, and the lyrics to Fack. The boys came off behind them, still laughing as they read the words the girls had writen on each other.
"Llamas in Cheese hats." Harry read off Cat's back with a laugh. He turned to look at Gabbie's back. "Suck Harry's hairy balls."
Gabbie gasped. "You actully wrote that?!" She snapped at Cat with a laugh.
Cat shrugged. "Hey, hey it was payback for what you wrote on my chest."
Zayn laughed. "What did she write?"
Cat winked back at him. "For me to know and for no one else to ever find out."
Gabbie fumbled with her keys for a moment before flinging open her door. For all intensive purposes, Gabbie lived by herself. Her Mum was alwas working or staying at her new boyfriends house and her brother and sister lived there too. So Gabbie had the house too herself.
The living room had a small three seater and an arm chair, which were sitting in front of a large plasma. To the left, down a carpeted hallway were the spare bedrooms and the bathroom. To the right was the kitchen and dining room. Straight ahead, up a pristine tiled staricase, was the master bedroom, which now belonged to Gabbie. It was kind of like a loft and had no door once you reched the top of the stairs.
Gabbie suddenly paled as she remembered what her room looked like.
Cat paused, seemingly remembering too. 'Um, boys?"
They stopped admiring Gabbie's house and looked at her. "Give us a minute before you come upstairs."
Harry smirked. "59, 58, 57.."
"Whats he doing?" Gabbie asked.
"54, 53, 52..."
Cat squealed. "He's counting down a mintue. GO GO GO!"
Gabbie raced up the stairs, Cat hot on her heels. The room was a mess, clothes, underwear, food packets, drink cans and everything was scattered all other the floors and shelves. To top it off, the room was covered in 1D posters and Harry pictures.
"You clean, I'll get the posters!" Cat said quickly.
Gabbie sprinited across the room, picking up Trash and stuffing it beneath her bed.
"30, 29, 28.." Harry called from down stairs.
"Hoy shit!" Cat yelled and raced over Gabbie's bed to the other side of the room, she pulled down the last five posters and then lept back across the bed, stuffing them in the back of Gabbie's walk-in.
"10, 9, 8..." Harry yelled, footsteps already echoing off the stairs as they made their way up.
Cat gazed around the room. Gabbie was almost done, only a few things left to shove somewhere and all the posters were down. Suddenly, Cat looked to the head of Gabbie' bed and paled. "OMG!"
She raced forwards and lept at the poster. It was a 6 foot canvas print of Harry that Gabbie had gotten for her 15th birthday. On her short legs, Cat couldn't jump high enough to reach it. She gripped the corner and gave a tug, but her fingers slipped and the poster remained on the walls.
"3, 2, 1...!"
Harry and the rest of the boys appeared at the top of the stairs, gazing around the room. "This is nice." Harry commented, smiling at a puffed looking Gabbie. His eyes turned to Cat and then widened. "Is that a 6 foot poster... of me?"
Gabbie turned, pale and let out a yelp. "Oh god." She covered her eyes, going bright red. "CAT!"
"WHAT?!" Cat snapped as everyone gazed at the poster. "Sorry I couldn't get it down, next time I'll bring my extendo legs!"
The boys laughed and made their way around the room, checking out things like Gabbie's photos. Zayn lent against the edge of Gabbie's second cupboard and it tilted, something falling down and smacking him on the head. Zayn groaned and reached down, picking it up.
"St. John's College, Woodlawn. Student Planner. Gabbie West. 10:05." He looked up to see Gabbie and Cat's mortified expressions. "What, is it personal?"
Gabbie gulped. "Omg, omg..." She muttered, going bright red as Zayn turned it over in the book in his hand. A huge grin spread across his face as he read the notes on the back.
"I want to get in Harry's pants." Zayn read off. "Wow, you were so dedicated Gabbie."
He chucked te book to Harry, who was beaming at his girlfriend, enjoying her mortification maybe a little too much. "I WANT HARRY NOW." He read off, laughing. "Did you drink tea with Harry? Winky face?" Harry snorted. "These are so good."
He walked over to Gabbie and kissed her. "I love you babe, you were so cutly obsessed."
Cat rolled her eyes and smiled, feeling a little tug at her heart as Harry said to Gabbie whats she had been dying for Zayn to say to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This chapter is dedicated to my Canada friends, Lois and Meaghn! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
And to Gabbie, as always, for being amazing. Love you bub.
xx Kate