“So…” Tom said, dropping a pizza crust into the now empty box. “This is the part where you tell us who you are and what you want etc.”
“Well…” I replied with a smirk, taking a sip of my Coke. “This is actually the part where I say thanks for the pizza but I’ve gotta’ go.” I stood up and picked up my phone but the five of them had stood up at lightning speed, blocking me in against the wall.
“You’re not leaving here without giving us answers. Not again.” Max warned.
“Seriously I-“ And with that, my phone rang. I closed my mouth and looked down to the screen to see Rocky’s face flashing.
“Ah the infamous Rocky.” Nathan smirked. “Pick it up then girly.” I sighed and looked back down to my phone, tapping ‘accept’.
“H-Hello?” I stammered, signalling to Rocky that my identity could be compromised by the call.
“How’s it going?” He asked, being careful not to say anything that would give the job away.
“Good thanks, how’s London?” I replied, looking around the guys to see their eyebrows raised.
“The weather’s crap as usual but I guess that’s to be expected. Why didn’t you call me?”
“I um… Got caught up with these guys I’ve met.” I replied, knowing he would understand what I was on about.
“Oh right, well I’ll call you tomorrow then.” He replied sternly. “Try not to mess everyone up like you usually do okay?”
“Usually?” I snapped and then sighed. “I’ll try my hardest.” I said sarcastically and with that he hung up on me. I pulled the phone away from my ear and smirked at the guys.
“I’m not going to tell you what he said.” I said to them but they all laughed at me.
“We know exactly what he said, we’re not deaf.” Nathan laughed.
“But how can you hear it? I didn’t have it on speaker?” I asked.
“We’re just that special.” Siva smiled.
“Hey guys, who brought a human home? I can smell her from half way across the villa.” A new voice laughed and all the guys froze, turning around. Stood in the doorway of the huge sitting room was a middle aged guy with black hair and a slight beard.
“Human?” I asked. “Do you normally bring animals home or something?”
“Hah! You should see some of the dogs Tom’s brought home.” The unknown guy said and everyone laughed except Tom.
I looked the guy up and down and recognised him from somewhere, I’d seen him in the job file, I just needed to put a name to a face… Who was he?
“My name’s Scooter.” He said, answering my inner question. “I’m the boys’ manager.”
“Yeah yeah, I know.” I smiled.
“So you know we’re in a band?” Max asked.
“Of course I do, I don’t live under a rock.” I laughed.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Tom smiled. “Any other information you’d like to leak about yourself?”
“Nah, I’ll keep the rest to myself thanks.” I smirked, pushing past them and towards to patio doors that led onto the huge back garden with a pool and other ridiculous stuff that no one ever needed.
“Where you going?” Scooter called from behind me as I walked out of the glass doors.
“Away from here?” I replied, not turning around. I began walking past the pool and just as I heard talking from inside the villa, I heard a sound like wind but before I could comprehend what was going on, my body went flying through the air and landed straight in the pool.
I landed on the bottom with a slight bump and opened my eyes to see Tom in the water too, swimming towards me. Luckily I’d been in water so many times that my eyes had adjusted so that my vision was clearer under water and I could see everything going on.
Tom grabbed my arm and attempted to drag me upwards but I knew that I could hold my breath for just under five minutes, so I wasn’t going anywhere just yet. He tried pulling me up again but I just sat on the floor of the pool with my legs crossed and my arms crossed.
He seemed to be able to hold his breath for quite a while too as he laughed under the water and went to sit next to me, mirroring my stance.
I looked over at him and he simply smirked at me, raising his eyebrows. I shook my head and looked ahead of me, seeing James and Max dive into the water, looking worried but when they saw Tom and I they smiled, resurfacing. I faintly heard them talking above the water but couldn’t hear anything and before I knew it, Siva and Nathan had jumped in too and they all sat around me, in the same stance, just smiling at me.
I rolled my eyes before closing them and trying to relax myself so I could hold my breath for as long as possible. But surely enough, after I’d counted another two minutes, my lungs began to burn and my heart beat began to pound in my head. I opened my eyes again to see the boys still sat there, smirking at me as if it was no pain to them at all. They were just a boy band, how could they stay under the water for so long? I’d gone through years of training to get myself into the shape I was in now, surely they hadn’t done that too?
I scrunched my eyes shut as my heart rate began to speed up because of the lack of oxygen and my lungs began to seriously burn. I could make it a bit longer, I just had to relax.
I opened my eyes slowly and my vision began blurring as my body tried to start shutting down. I saw Jay in front of me, suddenly move and grab my arms as my vision finally blackened and my heart pounded inside my small chest.
I felt myself being dragged upwards but I had no strength left in my body to resist. As soon as I surfaced, my body was dragged from the water and onto the pool side. Oxygen rushed into my lungs and I coughed slightly, taking it all in.
“Are you stupid?!” Nathan scolded me as my vision cleared.
“I’m pretty impressed if I’m honest.” I heard Scooter from across the patio. “Four and a half minutes is a long time for someone like…” He thought about his words carefully. “Like her.”
“Someone…” I gasped at the pain in my lungs. “Someone like… Me?!” I tried to shout but found myself too weak.
“Yeah, I’m impressed.” He smiled, getting up and heading back inside. “By the way boys, early morning tomorrow, you’re back in the studio.” He finished, walking out of view.
“I… I should go…” I said, clearing my throat and trying to stand up but my muscles didn’t respond.
“You’re too weak from the lack of oxygen girly, you’ll be staying here tonight.” Max smiled.
“What?! No, I… I have to go.” I gasped, finding the strength to pull myself up but as soon as I stood, my muscles went to jelly and I found myself falling over, only to be caught just before I hit my face on the floor.
“You’re staying here.” James laughed and the arms pulled me up, revealing that it was Nathan holding onto me.
“Guys, I can’t I’ve got work to do in the morning, I need to go home-“
“We’re not listening.” Tom said as Nathan picked me up bridal-style and everyone began walking inside.
“Guys! GUYS!” I shouted but they all ignored me and seemed to get into a conversation of their own. “Oh for God’s sake.” I sighed, closing my eyes and felt Nathan’s chest rumble as he chuckled.
“To the spare room?” He asked the guys.
“Yeah, chuck her in there.” Max said with a wink. The rest of the guys sat downstairs whilst Nathan carried me upstairs to the room I was in last time.
“So tell me.” Nathan started. “What’s your name? I won’t squeal.” He winked and pushed open the bedroom door.
“Ah I’m not falling for your tricks.” I said with a wink.
“Damn…” He replied, smirking again. He put me gently on the bed and I smiled gratefully.
“Thanks.” I said softly.
“Anytime.” He smiled. “Do you want a glass of water or something?”
“Uh, please.” He walked through a door in the room which I presumed led to an en-suite and I heard a tap running. I reached into my wet pocket and pulled out my phone, my eyes going wide.
“Aw shit.” I said, pressing the lock button to see if it turned on. “Just my luck.” I moaned as Nathan walked in.
“Oh God, your phone.” He said, putting the glass of water down on the bedside table. “I’ll be right back.” He walked out and I was slightly confused as to where he was going but forgot about it and drank some water to soothe my burning throat. I sighed and then looked down at my clothes, I needed to change. I slipped my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up cautiously, relieved when I found that I didn’t tumble back to the floor. I made my way into the bathroom and found a dressing gown hung on the back of the door, black silk.
“Perfect.” I smiled, slipping off my wet clothes, save for my underwear, I’d have to leave them on. I chucked my clothed onto the radiator and wrapped the robe around me, smiling at its softness against my skin.
I reopened the bathroom door to be greeted with Nathan’s smiling face. I jumped slightly and then smiled.
“Feeling a bit better?” He asked.
“Yeah, thanks.” I smiled and walked out past him and back over to the bed where I saw a bowl of rice on the bedside table, with my phone in it.
“If you leave your phone in there until the morning, it’ll work again.” I heard Nathan say from behind me.
“What?” I laughed. “You can’t be serious?”
“Dead serious.” He smiled. “I know it sounds stupid but it works, promise.”
“And if it doesn’t?” I challenged.
“I’ll buy you a new phone.” He smirked.
“Deal.” I replied, sitting down on the bed. “So can I borrow your phone instead then? I need to phone my friend.”
“Sure.” He smiled, pulling his iPhone from his pocket. “Knock yourself out, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” And with that, he walked out, closing the door behind him.
I smiled, slightly relieved and then unlocked his phone, typing in Rocky’s number. It rang exactly four and a half times before he picked up.
“Are you drunk?” He asked as he picked up.
“No?”
“Are you high?”
“No?”
“How about in James McGuiness’ bed?”
“No!” I said, blushing slightly.
“Then where are you?” Rocky chuckled.
“I’m in their guest room.” I said smirking. “I nearly drowned so they made me stay here to keep an eye on me or something.”
“You nearly drowned?!” He scolded.
“Yeah…”
“What are you playing at?! You’re never going to get that necklace at this rate are you? Look, I’ll book the jet to leave tomorrow and you’re coming home-“
“No Rocky, I just need to gain their trust, please just let me-“
“No.” He interrupted.
“You don’t understand!” I shouted and then hushed my tone slightly. “They’re… They’re not normal.” I tried to explain.
“Please expand…” Rocky said.
“I don’t know… They’re just not normal people? They can run fast, they can be somewhere within the blink of an eye, they have quicker reactions than me and they’re unbelievably strong. Plus, they can hold their breath for longer than me, all of them.” I explained.
“Are you quite finished?” He laughed down the phone. “So you’re trying to tell me that you can’t beat them?”
“Of course I can, I’ll have the necklace by the end of the week.” I sighed.
“Whatever you say but if you don’t have it in the next few days I’ll be dragging you back to London.” He warned.
“Fine.” I snapped, hanging up. “UGH!” I shouted, throwing the phone down on the bed and lying down. There was a knocking at my door so I hesitantly sat up and made a noise to say they could come in.
“Is everything okay?” I looked up to see Jay stood there, looking me up and down.
“Not really.” I laughed, rolling my eyes and laying back down again.
“Wanna’ talk about it?” He asked.
“Not particularly.” I laughed as he came and lay down next to me. I turned onto my side to face him and his smile seemed to light up my mood.
“Anything I can do to help?” He asked.
“Not particularly.” I smiled again, momentarily gazing to his necklace chain and then looking around the room.
“Well me and the boys don’t sleep… Very well.” He said, seeming to correct himself. “We go a couple of days without sleep because our bodies just… Don’t seem to sleep.” He chuckled nervously.
“So…?” I asked.
“So we’ll probably be awake for a few more hours yet.” He replied. “Wanna’ do something?” I looked at him for a moment before smiling back at him.
“Sure.”