*the day of lockdown*
"Zak? Can I go get some coffee?" I ask as I shove waffles into my mouth.
"Sure. But be safe okay? Los Angeles is not the safest place in the world." Zak says groggily.
He had another nightmare last night. There's some sort of energy around him that I can't see and it bothers me. It's affecting him and I don't like it.
"Thanks, Zak." I say.
Zak simply nods as I pass him his breakfast. I hug him tightly and then head over to the couch where Dakota is passed out. I move his hair out of his face and kiss him on the head. His lips twitch upward slightly.
I rush back to my room for my purse, my phone, my wallet, and a jacket. Once I have everything, I slip on my Doc Martens and skip to the door.
"Be back soon!" I chirp as I slide the keycard off the table.
I get a collective mumble of 'ok's' in return. I slip out the door and to the elevator. A family of four is in there with me. I immediately spot a familiar face in the group. Tatum flashes that dumb smile at me and I quickly look down to my phone.
Once the elevator stops at the lobby, I streak to the front doors as fast as I can making it look like I'm on the phone with someone. When I'm 100 percent sure that he's not behind me, I put my phone away and continue to walk to the coffee shop I love so much. I check my social media's and decide to post a selfie of me standing outside a vintage antique store.
'Headed to my favorite coffee shop, but I couldn't resist taking a picture. Zak loves antique shops like this. I'll have to bring him here after lockdown' I put as my caption.
A few minutes after posting the picture, I feel a small tap. Expecting a fan of the show, I look down and see a small child about three years of age walking beside me.
"Oh hello." I say
"Hewwo." She says.
"Where are your parents?" I ask her.
"I don't know. I got lost." She says.
"Okay. How about this. I'll sit with you right here and see if your parents show up, okay?" I say leading her to a table.
She simply nods and I left her onto a chair beside me. I immediately call the police and ask if there are any reports of a missing child.
"Actually, one just came in. A little girl, three years old, she went missing this morning from her front yard." The lady on the other line says.
"I think I may have found her. I was just approached by a child that fits the description." I say keeping an eye on the little girl.
"Wonderful! I'll send a unit and the parents over soon. Do you know your location?"
I tell her where I am and she thanks me for helping and we hang out. A woman comes out of the shop behind me and asks if there's anything she can help me with. I ask her if she can bring a cold water bottle out for the little girl.
She nods and heads back inside. The little girl climbs off her chair and into my lap. She leans her head on my chest and grips my shirt. The lady comes back out with my water. I hand her a five dollar bill and tell her to keep the change.
I manage to get the little girl, who's name is Lily, to drink some water. Five minutes pass before the cops pull up. I stay seated with Lily, who is drinking more water, as they all get out of the car.
A worried woman jumps out of a black car behind the cops.
"Lily!" She shrieks.
Lily jumps off me and runs to her mom. The police ask me a couple questions and then they leave. The lady thanks me and gives me her phone number in case I need anything. She shoves a hundred dollar bill into my hand and thanks me again.
"It was really nothing ma'am." I say
"Oh but it's everything! I was so worried about little Lily here. She's my first and only baby." The lady says.
She hugs me and then takes Lily to the car. She waves before driving off. I wave back and then stand. I walk into Starbucks. I do get stopped here. People ask me for pictures and autographs, saying how they love the show and the episodes I'm in. I smile and thank them all. I am soooo not ready for this kind of attention. One girl starts crying right in front of me and I have to tell her it's okay.
I finally manage to get in line for my coffee. I am tired now. Don't get me wrong, I love the fans about as much as I love the show, but it's hard to keep up with them. I don't like being followed or stopped in the street, especially in unfamiliar places. Suddenly, someone walks in.
Dressed in pastel colors and half her hair dyed light pink, Melanie shoves her way to the front of the crowd and right to my face.
I stare at her in shock. She has a couple piercings on her nose and ears. Her lips are turned down in a frown and she's scowling. That's a look she's give me when I was doing something bad. Its probably left over anger when I didn't see her the next day at school.
I'm totally fucked.
"Where. Have. You. Been." She snarls.
"Vegas." I squeak.
"I never saw you back at school." She says crossing her arms and pouting.
"Well... I have a reason." I start to say.
Before I can finish, Melanie throws her arms around me and squeezes as hard as she can.
"Can't...... breathe!" I say slapping her side.
She puts me down and smiles.
"I missed you! Come on let's sit down! I need to know everything." Melanie says.
I nod and grab the coffee that was waiting for me. The crowd of people that had been around me, spreads apart and let's us sit down.
"Hey guys... uhh.... can we have a minute? I promise I'll come back for autographs and pictures." I say to the crowd.
They all mumble in agreement and then they leave. I see them all outside talking amongst themselves. The curtains in front of Melanie and I fall closed.
"More privacy." Says a woman.
"So... I want to know everything, start from the beginning." Melanie says to me.
"Well, it all started after you left." I start.
~~~~~
"Wow. You went through all that, and now your here?" Melanie asks.
"Mhm."
An hour had passed since I started talking. I ordered a water and Mel had another sugary drink. We stand to leave.
"Wow." Is all Mel says for the next five minutes.
As soon as I step out the door, I remember the group of people outside. I start to panic as they turn around and smile.
I know I made them a promise, so I made Melanie hold my water as I signed posters, books, cellphones, shirts, arms, and even someone's forehead. I even take several pictures with all of them.
By the time I'm done, I am tired. I drag Melanie to my hotel after my goodbyes.
"Your soooooo famous!" Melanie says happily.
"Yeah. I'm so not used to the attention." I admit.
"Oh I know! You were totally uncomfortable back there." Mel says
I laugh.
"So hey... this doesn't change anything right?" I ask
"What? You being famous? Never. I just have to share you with everyone." She chirps
"You hate it don't you?" I ask
"More than you can imagine."
"Good thing this doesn't happen often."
We laugh at that as we walk into the hotel. I take her to the elevator and hop inside. A boy jumps in at the last minute.
"Thanks for holding the door!" He says.
"No problem!" I say
I look up into the face of Tatum from the hotel in Tennessee. Great. Just great. I talk to Melanie as we go up to Tatum's floor. He waves and walks away.
"Is he the one you told me about?" Mel asks.
"Yep."
"I see why you'd hate him."
I walk out of the elevator and down the hall to my room.
"Okay, the guys might be sleeping right now since they are going to be up all night, so let's try to be quiet." I say pulling out my key card.
I open the door quietly and walk inside. Mel follows. The hotel room is silent. Zak is passed out on one couch, arms folded across his chest, mouth open. Aaron is asleep on the other couch, belly down, snoring into a pillow. Dakota is probably in one of the rooms sleeping his life away. I open up a door and find him on the bed we share. I smile and beckon Mel over to see my sleeping fiancé. She giggles.
I fix his covers and kiss his head. He smiles in his sleep again. I have Mel help me cover the other two up with blankets before going to Zak's room and watching TV.
~~~~
I wake up to confused whispers.
"Who is she?"
"Why's she in my bed?"
"Do they know each other?"
I shift my position and open my eyes. All the guys are standing around my bed, looking extremely confused. I suddenly remember that Melanie is with me. I roll over and face her. She's sleeping peacefully but you wouldn't know that because her face is contorted into a scowl. I chuckle and sit up. Stretching, I smack her on the head.
"Wake up." I say swinging my legs of the bed.
Mel groans and sits up, rubbing her eyes.
"What time is it?" she asks.
"Late. I want you to meet my family before they leave." I say
Mel looks around and then starts introducing herself to my three uncles and fiancé. They all introduce themselves to her.
"I'm Dakota, Faith's fiancé." Dakota say shaking her hand.
"Wonderful to meet you!" Mel says before turning to me.
"He's SMOKING!" She mouths to me.
I smile happily and nod.
"Are you guys leaving?" I ask standing.
"Yep. We wanted to say goodbye." Jay says.
"Well you better get going then. I'll see you guys later." I say hugging them all one by one.
"Be safe, okay?" I say to them.
They all nod and then leave, saying their last goodbyes of the night. Melanie squeals at me and jumps around.
"So..." Melanie drawls.
"What?" I ask.
"You forgot to mention how you two met! God, Faith! This is big news!" Melanie says.
I laugh and start explaining how we met. I start when they found me on the road, how after I was released from the hospital they took me to my aunts house, after the orphanage deal, and how Dakota and I hated each other for the first 9 months of knowing each other.
"You hated him?" Mel asks
"Yeah. I remember, I wanna say the first day on the bus? Anyway, I had just changed into my pajamas and..."
~ flashback ~
After we're all changed into our pajamas, these guys literally sleep in shorts and a shirt, Zak suggests we watch a movie. We all agree and I sit kinda far from the guys. I'm not really sure where to sit. Then someone grabs me off the floor and puts me on the couch right in the middle of his legs.
Seriously! If he wanted to he could knock me out with his knee. I turn to see who did this unspeakable act of embarrassment to me. Dakota smirks at me. He's literally sprawled on the couch with one arm draped over his stomach and the other holding his head up.
I know my face is bright red. I can feel the burn of my blush. I make a mad face at his and then turn back around.
"That was cute. Can you make that face again?" Zak says.
When I look, the doofus is holding his phone up and still looking at the TV trying to find a movie.
I scowl at him, my face turning a darker shade of red. He takes a couple pictures and laughs at me.
He finally picks a movie we all agree on and plays it.
I don't know when or how I did this but I fell asleep. I wake up to giggling. I pry my eyes open.
I'm laying on Dakota's chest.
I sit up fast, cheeks flushing red, looking at the guys. They all laugh at me which wakes up Dakota. He just looks down and rubs the back of his neck.
"If you four don't stop laughing, I swear I'll murder you all." I growl.
They try to control their laughter and fail.
"Where am I sleeping for the rest of the night?" I ask.
"On my chest if you want." Dakota says.
I give his a death glare and see him laughing a little.
"I'm being serious." I say.
"Bunk above the driver's seat." Dakota says.
~ end flashback ~
"And that's when I knew I hated him." I finish.
"How long ago was that?" Melanie asks
"Two almost three years ago." I say
I lean against the kitchen counter with a cup of hot chocolate. I made it during my talk with Mel.
"After that.... I don't know. He annoyed the hell out of me but god I loved him so much. So I would annoy him back and this kept going for a couple months until I got sick in Tennessee. He asked me out while we were cuddling on the couch and I said yes. Obviously, I told Zak the next morning but you know, it was nice." I say smiling at the memory.
"That's so cute." Mel says.
"Yeah. They way he asked me to marry him was cuter. He asked me on the beach during the sunset." I say
"Awwww!" Mel squeals
I smile and join her on the couch.
"Let's talk about you, BFF." I say getting ready for a long ass conversation.