"Louis..." I whispered his name, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife. It hung in the air for a few moments and after no response I tried again.
It still pretty dark and with the curtains shut I could hardly see anything. Judging by the silence though Louis wasn't even budging. He was in the bed on the other side of the room, sound asleep apparently.
I unlocked my phone and flinched as the bright light annihilated my eyeballs. It took a few moments for me to dig up the balls to open my eyes again and see the time. It was just before five in the morning.
If I didn't get my plan going I was going to have to leave my bed in half an hour and go to a damn interview at 5:45 am. I never understood the reasoning behind morning shows, if it meant getting up so bloody early then why on earth did people watch it?
I didn't want to go, I was not going out at quarter to six am. So I devised a plan to fake sick and stay in bed until lunch time. Maybe it was a bit immature, but seriously, 5:45? Not happening.
So what if I had to wake up and get everything rolling and set up a bit earlier, at least I wouldn't have to leave the hotel room.
I kicked my duvet to the end of the bed and slowly sat up just in case Louis had eyes on me. It was doubtful, he was practically snoring his breathing was so heavy, but I didn't want to risk being caught out before I'd even started.
I dragged my feet all the way over to Louis' bed side and said his name again. He made a sound and rolled onto his back, "mmmm Ni, what is it?"
I felt bad for waking him up but he would have to in half an hour anyway, he'd survive.
"I feel sick Lou...And it's cold" I whimpered, letting my body fall into a childish posture.
"What's the time?" Louis yawned and propped himself up one elbow while he tried to pry his eyes open. "I don't know." I pressed my hand against my forehead and groaned pitifully. Louis peered up at me with a worried frown. He brushed his hair out of his face and sat up properly, switching the lamp on the bedside table on with a flick of his finger. I grunted and covered my eyes with my hands, turning away from the bulb as if it was hurting.
"Aw lad, do you have a headache?" Louis said softly. I made a warbled sound in response and coughed awkwardly, grimacing to myself at my own bad acting.
"Lay down next to me Ni, you'll be warmer" Louis offered kindly, patting the empty space beside him in the double bed. I moaned, "no, I feel sick Louis..."
I knew I had to be worse than headachey to get out of this. A close call over the toilet would definitely help my case and if I could just manage a few more minutes of this act I could go back to sleep.
"Oh crap, like vomiting sick?" Louis' eyes widened. I went to nod before remembering the supposed pain in my head and instead clutched my stomach in my hands, meeting Louis' eyes with a look I hoped appeared fearful.
"Come on then, let's get you to the bathroom" Louis smiled reassuringly and stood up with a grunt. His knees clicked and cracked, "fuck it's early isn't it? Damn it, and we have that interview thing this morning..." he uttered to himself as he ushered me into the bathroom with a hand on my back.
I coughed again and knelt down in front of the toilet, my mind ticking anxiously. It wasn't as if I could actually puke right now, and I doubted I could put on a very convincing show either. I rubbed my eyes.
"You can go back to bed if you want" I told Louis but he was already plopping down against the wall beside me, "I'm not leaving ya alone while you're sick mate, I don't mind staying."
See, if he wasn't such a frustratingly good friend I wouldn't be stuck in this position.
"Do we have any pain killers?" I asked quietly. Surely I could find some way to get him out of the room for a few minutes.
"Um, I think I ran out a week ago. Do you have any in your bag?" Louis frowned apologetically. I shrugged slightly and half moaned, "I don't know, maybe?"
"I know Harry will have some..." Louis sighed. Harry was literally a walking pharmacy. At any point in time he always seemed to have an unnecessary amount of pain relievers, tissues, plasters, creams, the lot.
Even better than out of the bathroom. He'd have to go all the way to Harry and Liam's room. It was right next to ours, but still. It would give me a bit of time.
"-But I'm not sure if I should wake them. Liam will bite my head off." Louis pursed his lips thoughtfully, "I'll check your bag first Ni."
I grabbed onto his arm as he started to leave, "I don't think I have any." I paused and turned back to the toilet as if I was unsure about whether or not I was about to vomit or not. With my face screwed up I shut my eyes.
I heard Louis sigh again and he got to his feet, "Okay, I'm going to go see the others. I'll be as fast as I can but if something happens just yell and I'll be right back."
"Okay" I murmured. I opened my eyes after the sound of his footsteps had disappeared. After a few moments of sitting in complete silence to make sure he was gone I decided that I might as well go back to bed. I would just tell Louis it was a false alarm. The point of this was to be able to stay in bed, not on the cold bathroom floor.
I closed my eyes and wriggled around to get warm and comfortable again under the cool sheets.
I was half asleep when I became aware of a quiet muttering around me.
"Should I try find a bowl or something, just in case?"
"Try those cupboards, surely there will be one around here somewhere."
"Just be quiet, his head's bothering him."
"He's sleeping, can't we all just go back to bed?"
I cracked open an eyes and after my vision adjusted I realised that Louis had brought a lot more than pain killers back from Liam and Harry's room with him. Great, now I had three people to trick. It was all beginning to make me feel pretty guilty.
I rolled over so that my back was to them. Maybe if I just pretended I was asleep they'd all leave.
"Ni, wake up."
Or not. Someone was rattling my shoulder softly and I couldn't just not open my eyes. I squinted and frowned, shuffling away from whoever was shaking me with a quiet groan.
"I'm sorry mate but don't you want to take something before you go back to sleep?" Louis asked, shaking the bottle of pill enticingly.
I swallowed, my gaze darting between everyone else in the room. Harry was standing beside Louis on my left holding a bowl uncertainly. He was in a pair of almost scarily bright flannel pajamas, if I really did have a headache I would probably find simply looking at them totally intolerable.
Liam was standing at the foot of the bed without a shirt on, his eyes half closed and his head hanging sleepily, it was easy to tell he'd just been woken.
Harry smiled and put the bowl down on the ground by the bed, "hey..."
I shot him a short smile and sat up against the headboard, acting sluggish and miserable as best I could.
Louis poured two pills into my hand and then huffed, "I forgot water, Liam?"
The boy closest to the door nodded and yawned as he shuffled out to get a glass of water.
"Were you sick? I told you to yell out" Louis frowned.
"Gagged a little, but, uh, nothing came up. It was cold so I came back in here" I mumbled slowly, picking the lie out carefully. Louis frowned worriedly and looked at me thoughtfully, "maybe you're feverish? That's probably why you're so cold."
I couldn't fake a fever. I didn't think we had a thermometer so I should be okay but I couldn't help but worry they were going to figure me out. I yawned widely and internally grumbled to myself, the whole point of this was to sleep, yet I was awake now anyway.
Liam came back with a glass, the water lapping up to the edges dangerously as he stumbled almost drunkenly forward. Harry laughed quietly and took it from him before he spilled it everywhere. I awkwardly shifted away when he suddenly began clambering into my bed, eyes already shut.
"I'm warm ain't I? Helps..." Liam murmured comically, his voice distorted by the pillow squished into his cheeks. Louis snorted as I relaxed. Liam was right, he was warm, and even though I wasn't particularly cold in the first place it felt nice.
"Alrighty, take these Ni and then you can go back to sleep" Louis smiled, holding out a couple of tiny pills on the palm of his hand. I hesitated unnoticeably, staring at the little things. Surely it was bad to take medicine when you didn't need it?
"Niall... Hey, you okay man?" Louis snapped his fingers twice while Harry shoved the bowl at me, hitting me in the nose with it.
I squeaked involuntarily and jolted, uncontrollable tears springing to my eyes. Liam jumped too, moaning tiredly at the sudden movement.
"Fuck, sorry!" Harry exclaimed guiltily.
"This is such a fucking mess..." Louis muttered to himself, head down in disappointment. I would've laughed if it wouldn't have ruined my act, plus my nose was kind of throbbing still.
"Ya okay?" Liam slurred half-consciously.
"No pills" I gently prodded my nose with my fingers and slid back into my bed beside Liam, "I still feel sick to my stomach."
"I'm so sorry I hit you in the face, it was an accident, I promise" Harry apologised again, shifting the blankets around and more or less tucking me in.
Louis just watched with an unreadable look. That is, until he spoke up.
"I think you should take the pills anyway, they'll help Nialler, you'll feel better."
I moaned unhappily in response. I suppose I was just going to have to do what he said to avoid any questions I didn't want to answer.
"Fine..."
I was too lazy to sit up properly so I just kind of slouched on top of Liam and threw the pills into my mouth reluctantly. I drank the glass of water quickly and immediately regretted it as it straight away went down the wrong hole as if that's where it was planning on going all along. I spluttered instantly, my chest racing as I struggled to cough the friggin water out of my lungs. Harry had the bowl ready again, this time thankfully not so close to my face, but I was too busy dying to tell him I didn't need it. I was just incapable of drinking water like a grown man.
I felt like I was choking for an hour. I was pretty sure I'd literally inhaled the entire glass into my lungs. Louis was patting my back lightly, probably scared he'd make me sick, but I really just wanted to tell him to punch me, get the water out faster.
I was left panting in exertion, red faced and feeling like I'd just had a real life close encounter with death.
"I thought I was about to have to go dig out an inhaler then" Harry muttered anxiously. I looked up and noticed right away how worried he looked. Louis was the same, sitting beside with his hand still going up and down hey back despite the fact that I'd stopped choking. Liam was asleep.
They didn't know I'd just choked on my drink.
They thought I was just sick.
"Sorry about that..." I croaked wearily, voice worn from almost dying. I went to go climb back into bed when Louis grabbed my arm gently. I shot him a sharp confused look before remembering the point of all this and softening it and letting my eyes droop. It wasn't hard, I was already tired and after coughing my guts up for a solid ten minutes I was more than ready to go back to sleep.
"The doctors office around the corner opens at seven, no one's going to have appointments that early."
For fucks sake, I just wanted a sleep in.
"Nah, I'm okay..." I murmured but Louis wouldn't let go.
"Come on Nialler, you're not well. It won't take very long" Louis encouraged. I tried cutting him off but he was already trying to get me out of bed, "lets get changed out of these clothes, we'll find something warmer."
Damn it.
So we took a taxi to the stupid doctors office and sure enough the place was empty and we got straight in. I was so nervous, I wasn't even sick and this doctor was definitely going to know straight away. The boys would find out and honestly I'd didn't even know how they'd react. It wouldn't be pretty.
I stayed dead silent in there, my eyes closed so that they wouldn't give anything away. I coughed a few times for good measure and thought about putting on some headache symptoms but didn't end up on acting on it. The doctor was too intimidating.
"Well, he doesn't seem to have a fever, his chest sounds okay, I'd say the headache is the reason for the other symptoms and its most likely a stress-related illness due to all the pressure on you guys."
I almost snorted, yup, he was totally right.
Apparently I didn't have to be so scared of the doctor after all.
We struggled to get another taxi, it took forever but we got there in the end and got back to the hotel at nine. We'd missed the morning interview, Harry had called earlier to say we wouldn't make it.
Management wasn't pleased and they said that the rest of the day was still on, the next interview was two hours away and it started at midday so we hardly had time to have a snack before the van came to pick us up.
I wasn't a happy chap. I did all that so I could sleep in and I only ended up having to get up earlier than I needed to in the first place and not even getting any more sleep!
The faking sick thing definitely wasn't on my list of successes at this point in time.
And that's another one out for you! I'm running out of pre written ones! I don't know if this is my best, i love the faking ones but I always struggle to write them because I'm just weird like that so it's probably bad.