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HARRY'S POV
(SUMMER 2015)
"Can you lot move your asses? It's our last day and I want to spend the rest of it at the beach!" Niall yells inside from the bungalow's back deck.
We're in Hawaii, and this is our last vacation before our hiatus begins. We decided that we needed to take a rest week between shows since it might be the last time we'll all be together for a while. We agreed to focus on our solo music careers and get away from the toxicity of our grueling schedules and management, needing a break from the craziness of it all.
Don't get me wrong, it's been an amazing ride, and I have loved every single second of the journey—accomplishing what we have as a band since we formed One Direction five years ago. But we're all exhausted. And we miss home.
"Shut it, Niall. You were the last one to get out of bed this morning, which is why we're running behind in the first place." Louis slaps Niall upside his head as we all congregate in the living room.
I chuckle to myself as they bicker back and forth, throwing my long hair into a bun because it's hot as fuck here. Even though it's nice, I'm used to the cool, muggy weather in England. Picking up my beach towel, I throw it over my shoulder and then slide my sunglasses on top of my head.
Liam rolls his eyes and pushes the guys out the sliding glass door and across the deck until we're making our way towards the cabana we reserved on the beach. Apparently, there is some big charity thing going on today, so we opted to get a space for ourselves to have some privacy, just in case.
"Shit. Look at those girls tearing it up out there," Niall whisper-shouts, tipping his sunglasses up to get a better view.
Glancing up from my phone to see what he's talking about; I realize that this is obviously part of the event our manager told us we'd likely run into today.
I turn my focus back to the guys, but they're too busy gaping with their mouths hanging open as they check out all the pretty surfers littering the beach. With a sigh, I walk up behind them and shove them forward to usher them inside our cabana. After setting our stuff down and pouring some drinks, we head out to enjoy the rest of the evening. We're close enough to the action, but not in the middle of the crowd, which is good for us.
"Do we want to chance it and move further out to watch?" I ask, genuinely interested because I've always wanted to learn how to surf. It seems so freeing.
"Fuck yeah!" Liam cheers, all but running from our sanctuary.
"Mate. Look at her." Louis smacks my arm to get my attention. He points to a slender blonde with long, wavy hair, wearing a tiny blue and yellow bikini which accentuates the contours of her figure deliciously.
She's holding her custom board upright, which is a vibrant shade of baby blue, while a few photographers circle around and snap pictures of her. She poses for a couple of serious shots but then goofs around for the rest—puffing her cheeks out for some as she struggles to contain her giggles, and then she's flexing her biceps and baring her teeth with an adorable growl for the others.
"She's hot, and she looks fun. Maybe one of us should go talk to her... and by one of us, I mean me. I'll be right back." Niall starts jogging in her direction but stops as the loudspeaker sounds.
"Next up, the girl you've all been waiting for, and our favorite little Fireball... Sunny Anderson!" The announcer introduces the next surfer, and the girl we were all just staring at snatches her board from the sand and secures it under her arm.
As she runs to the water, she throws up her middle finger to the crowd and they all return the gesture, smiling and cheering wildly.
Who is this girl?
She paddles out into the water, ducking under the oncoming waves as they roll toward her, making me a bit nervous when she's under. I know the undertow here can be really dangerous, but she clearly knows what she's doing.
Once she surfaces and arrives at her destination, she shifts her board to face the beach, but turns her head toward the tide behind her, watching for her next opportunity.
When the water begins to rise, she charges toward the left shoulder full force, and jumps to her feet, dropping in as the swell breaks. Her board carves into the wave sharply as she maneuvers her legs upward and whips her body meticulously. She rides toward the center, which is forming a tunnel, and she crouches down, disappearing from view.
Liam grabs my shoulder anxiously and I hold my breath, not used to seeing waves of this magnitude. But my lungs instinctively release it when I hear shouting from the crowd seconds later.
Sunny emerges on the other end, standing straight when she's in the clear and has a massive grin plastered to her face. She howls out, pumping her fist in the air before throwing up her middle fingers once more and the crowd loses their shit.
"And that's how it's done, folks!" We hear again over the speakers.
The guys and I smile widely in astonishment and applaud. She salutes the crowd and crosses her arms over her chest, falling backwards into the shallow water. She made it look effortless, like she was a fish born out of water.
The announcer calls the next person up, but all of our focus is turned to the same girl when she hauls her board from the water, unfastening the tie around her ankle. Her team gathers around her, sharing high fives while someone grabs her board to set it up for another round of photos.
She's obviously a professional based on the posse surrounding her, along with being completely decked out from head to toe in famous surf brands.
A guy with short blonde hair hands her a towel so she can dry off and wring the excess water from her hair. She takes a brown leather backpack from him, slinging it over her shoulder, and then tucks her board under her arm again. They walk in our direction, laughing and bantering back and forth before they part ways, and she continues toward our cabana.
"That was fucking sick!" Louis yells out to her, drawing her attention towards us.
A wicked smile takes over her lips, and she jogs the short distance to our small group. I can't help but wonder if she knows who we are.
"You made that wave your bitch," Niall follows.
"I know," she states proudly, undoubtedly aware of her raw talent. She drops the board in the sand in front of us and holds out her hand to each of us to shake, getting our names. "I'm Sunny. Y'all aren't from around here, are you?"
"Says the girl with the southern accent," Liam quips, making her smirk.
"You caught me. I'm not a local, but I've been here for about five or six years, and I rip better than most of 'em. You're a little far from home though. What brings you to paradise?" She's panting heavily through her unwavering smile, still feeling the rush of adrenaline I'm sure. She surveys us questioningly, standing with her hands resting on her hips.
"We needed a hiatus from work, so we flew in from LA for a week," I speak up for the first time, joking about something only the guys will get, but my tone stays calm.
Sunny gazes at me, tilting her head with a soft inquisitive smile. She's trying to read me. I can feel it. And if I was a betting man, she's good at it too.
"Well, I hope y'all enjoy yourselves. I gotta get going, though. I have to be on stage for the charity concert in ten minutes and I need to change still."
We all furrow our eyebrows at her comment, surprised she's a musician too, but we elect to not pry into her personal life.
"You can use our cabana if you'd like..." I point my thumb behind us, and she purses her lips. "I-I mean if it'll make it easier on you, anyway," I stumble over my words, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, and internally kicking myself for sounding so forward.
Louis elbows my ribs, snickering at me for sounding like an idiot.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. That would be great actually." She turns to Niall and points at him, "Hey blondie, can you watch my board for a couple of minutes?" Niall nods, looking dazed as he gawks at her. "Rad. Protect her with your life, you hear me?" She motions her two fingers back and forth between her eyes and his with a pointed look on her face.
"You got it. I would lay down my life to make sure nothing happens to her," Niall chuckles, and she smiles back nodding, happy with his answer.
"And you. Curly..." My eyes widen when she points to me. "I'm gonna need your assistance inside. Let's go." She grabs my wrist and tugs me in behind her.
"Why does he get to go in?" Niall whines quietly behind me, but she clearly heard him because she snickers once we're in the back corner of the tented area.
"I-erm... what did you need my help with?" I stutter.
She pulls a white laced dress from her bag, along with her undergarments, placing them on a nearby daybed.
"You're gonna hold this up and cover me while I get changed, so your friends don't try and sneak a peek at my goods. Cool?" She whips open her towel and places two of the corners in my hands before pushing my arms higher to cover her body.
"Why'd you choose me to be the lucky guardian of the goods?" I laugh.
She spins, her blue eyes locking onto mine, studying me thoughtfully with a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Because... you have kind eyes." She tells me like it's a fact.
I scan over her beautiful face, taking in every delicate feature, trying to take a mental picture of her and commit it to memory.
"Why would you trust me by my eyes?" I tilt my head, confused. She turns around so her back is facing me and unties her top, prompting me to look away.
"I don't trust you to not look, because people are curious creatures and are always tempted to do what they're not supposed to. But there's something behind your bright green eyes that tells me you're a gentleman, so if you peek then I'd be less insulted." Her blunt candor blows me away.
I have never met someone like her before, and that's saying something; considering I've met thousands of people because of the career path I chose.
"Well, it's good to know I don't creep you out." I bite back my smile, looking at my feet, and she giggles.
"Here. Open a finger for me."
She taps my right hand, and I stick out my forefinger, feeling her hook the string of her top on my hand. Heat forms in my chest and I lose my breath.
Once I feel the second piece of fabric, my eyes have a mind of their own and flicker over the makeshift shield between our bodies. She's pulling the flowy, laced dress up her legs and my eyes grow wide, appreciating every curve of her toned body. I instantly jerk my head away again, realizing her statement was true.
Oh, good lord. What is she doing to me?
"You all situated over there?" I ask, desperately needing some air.
"Yeah. I'll need you to zip me up in a second though." She takes the corners from my hands and then the tiny fucking bikini right after.
I don't know how she's not nervous about that thing coming undone while being whipped around in the water all day in front of loads of people. I face her again and her bare back glares at me as she leans over to roll the drenched fabric inside of the towel to stuff in her backpack.
"Sure," I mumble and she straightens herself, smirking at me.
"You sure are a shy one, aren't ya?" She grins, and I breathe out a guilty laugh in response, blushing. Rubbing my burning cheek, she says, "I could tell. But I like it. It's cute."
"You're killing me right now, you know that?" I admit.
Her smirk grows wider, and she scrunches her nose in the cutest way, knowing damn well it's difficult for me to talk so openly to strangers.
I shake my head and twirl my finger at her. "Turn around, smarty pants."
What the hell is wrong with me?
She does as I ask and pulls her long hair over her shoulder to give me access. I step closer so that we're only inches apart, and my fingers grasp the zipper, pulling it up slowly as my knuckles graze up her spine.
Shivering from the light touch, I watch as goosebumps trickle over her tanned skin. I grin at the sight of Sunny's body reacting to mine like that. I pull away from her and step back to give her some space, and she turns around.
"Thanks for the help, curly." She pokes my dimple, and I laugh, nodding at her.
"You're welcome, Sunny."
Sunny pats my arm playfully, grabbing her bag, and then brushes past me to head out of the tent. I follow in her trail and see the guys staring at me with narrowed eyes and mischievous smirks. She grabs her board from Niall who has it standing up, ready for her.
"Thanks, darlin'. I gotta run. But you guys should come to the show if you're feeling frisky enough to step away from your cozy hideaway over here. Grab your towels if you do." She winks at me before taking off in the other direction toward the small makeshift stage, not giving us a chance to respond.
"I think I'm in love," Niall murmurs before turning his attention to me, punching my arm. "Why the hell do you always get the good ones?"
I laugh and shrug my shoulders. "I didn't get anyone. She just needed me to guard the tent while she got dressed. That's all." I refrain from telling them that I was actually guarding her and may have seen more than I expected to.
"Well come on then! We have a pretty bird to watch perform," Louis exclaims, waving us all to grab our things and head over to where the show will take place. It's not very often where we are the ones watching and not performing.
When we get there, a hoard of half-naked people gather around on the beach, sitting on towels and chairs. The guys and I hover in the back, relaxing on our own, trying to remain unseen.
The entire area is illuminated by tiki torches and fairy lights as the sun begins to set. This is a pretty awesome setup for an event like this. I'd love to perform in this type of atmosphere. All we've ever known are studios and stadiums. Never anything this quaint. It's nice.
"Thank you to everyone who showed up for our Surf For Charity event today! We appreciate all the donations that will go towards helping feed and clothe the homeless. This cause is very near and dear to my heart as you all may very well know, and I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for people like you joining together to help make people's lives better. This night is not dedicated to my story though. It's dedicated to those out there right now who may be struggling with something, and just need a little light to lead them from the darkness." Sunny stands on the stage in her white dress and wavy wet hair, messily thrown around as she speaks to the audience.
"I wonder what she meant when she said she wouldn't be where she is without this charity," Liam whispers to me.
"I dunno." I shrug, asking myself the same question.
"This first song I wrote is for all the misfits out there, so stand up and sing along if you're one of them," she says into the microphone as the band finds their places behind her.
The crowd raises themselves to their feet in entirety, not a single person sitting anymore. The keys player starts first, followed by the drummer who I recognize as the guy she was walking with earlier.
And then she starts to sing.
"Hey,
Everybody loses it.
Everybody wants to throw
It all away sometimes.
And hey,
Yeah, I know what you're going through.
Don't let it get the best of you.
You'll make it out alive."
Sunny's voice is gorgeous... strong, and I'm already sucked in by the lyrics of the first verse.
"Oh, people like us,
We've gotta stick together.
Keep your head up,
Nothing lasts forever.
Here's to the damned,
To the lost, and forgotten.
It's hard to get high,
When you're living on the bottom."
Her register builds in the pre-chorus with so much power, and the rasp in her tone adds to her passion as she jumps, hyping us up for the chorus.
"Oh, woah-oh-oh, woah-oh.
We are all misfits,
Living in a world on fire.
Oh, woah-oh-oh, woah-oh.
Sing it for the people like us,
The people like us."
Louis, Liam, Niall, and I all whip our heads to look at each other in shock at the same time, not expecting the stunning, sarcastic surfer to house a massive set of pipes on her as well.
"Whoa-oh-oh!" We scream together, singing along, and throw our hands in the air, joining in with the bodies in front of us.
"Oh, woah-oh-oh, woah-oh.
You've just gotta turn it up loud,
When the flames get higher.
Oh, woah-oh-oh, woah-oh.
Sing it for the people like us.
The people like us."
The audience jumps and dances with her, going crazy over her song as she pushes through the remainder of it, never losing the momentum or strength in her voice.
"Bloody hell. Who is this chick?" Louis looks at us with raised eyebrows.
"My future wife, that's who," Niall responds, dumbstruck.
She sings a couple more originals, all of which were bloody iconic. This is something she needs to be doing for a living... performing, or at the very least, writing for other artists.
"Thank you, everyone! That's my time. I hope you enjoy the rest of the show. Have a wonderful night!" She waves, throwing her signature middle finger in the air. I can't help but smile as I watch everyone return the gesture, just like every other time. She really is a fireball.
I see her packing up next to the stage, hugging the band before walking toward the parking lot.
Wait, is she leaving?
"I'll be right back. I need to find the loo," I mutter to the guys who aren't paying the slightest attention to me.
They're stuck in a deep conversation about Sunny and who's going to get her number first.
Taking the opportunity, I speed towards the parking lot, hoping to find her. I see the familiar board raised in the air and then beeline my way to her. She struggles to get the board on the rack on top of her blacked-out, lifted jeep, so I sneak up behind her and grab it from her hands, making her jump.
"Oh, Jesus Christ! You scared the shit out of me, Curly," she yelps out, placing her hand over her heaving chest to calm her heart.
"Sorry about that. I saw you struggling and figured I'd come help," I chuckle, sliding the board onto the rack, and fastening the sides for her.
"Thank you. I wasn't thinking about how hard this would be when I bought the tallest car I could find. I was too excited," she laughs, peeking around me. "Where's your squad? You guys don't seem like the type to leave each other's side."
"I left them on the beach. I wanted to come and tell you before you left that you were amazing on stage. Seriously. Those songs are great. You have a rare talent for music," I tell her truthfully. Although, I didn't just want to tell her that. I also wanted to see her again, but I leave that part out.
"I know." She flashes me a cocky smirk, and I shake my head, smiling at her smug attitude.
This must be her thing. She exudes self-confidence. It's practically seeping from her pores. I admire her lack of filter. Something about it intrigues me even more because I'm the complete opposite.
Compliments and bragging make me uncomfortable. People think I'm being humble, but I'm really short-circuiting on the inside when people praise my work or comment on my looks.
"Where are you running off to? You not gonna stay for the rest of the show?" I keep my voice light, trying not to sound nosey.
"I wish I could, but I have to fill in for my friend for an hour at a DJing gig tonight." She walks over to the driver's side, opening the door.
"Is there anything you can't do?" At this point, I'm convinced she's a figment of my imagination.
She looks up to the sky and hums, tapping her finger on her chin, pretending to think really hard about her answer before looking back at me.
"I can't cook for shit."
We both erupt into a fit of laughter, and she gently shoves my shoulder, turning to climb into her car.
"Alright, I really have to run..." She pauses, glancing back at me. "But, um... would... would you like to come with me? It's only a few blocks from here. We could grab drinks once I finish and then we could walk back after."
I would be an absolute fucking idiot to say no to this woman.
"I'd love that," I answer with zero hesitation.
"Cool. Well, come on. Get your ass in the car. I don't wanna be late." She waves me to the other side, and I climb in quickly, eager about spending the evening with her before we all have to leave tomorrow.
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Whoa-oh-oh! Here's to the first chapter!
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CH. SONG: PEOPLE LIKE US-KELLY CLARKSON