Chapter 24:


"Spill it." A solid, yet squishy item was throw at me.

"Let me sleep." I groaned and moved around in the hotel bed.

"It's noon, you've gotten enough sleep." Lou added.

"Fine." I started to sit up and wipe the sleep out of my eyes.

"So when did his all happen?" Casper stopped packing up her belongings and took a seat on the bed next to mine while eating some ramen noodles. I shrugged, not completing understanding what she meant. "Oh don't give me that. We both saw you get dropped off here late last night and you were super giddy afterwards. Spill it."

It was top early for them to be asking me this right after I had waken. "Oh, that. Nothing really happened. I was just at the park." I didn't show any sign of intimidation or eagerness when recalling the memories on their harsh stares.

"Cut the shit Paris, we saw it was Harry." Lou almost smirked at Casper. "When did you two become a thing?"

Lou laughed, "Oh please, I saw this coming miles away." She now joined Casper on the opposing bed.

"In my defense, we aren't a thing." I started to explain before they got the wrong idea. "We kissed, nothing much." I shrugged like it was nothing, when at the time it was everything. He made me feel something I've never felt before.

"Lies, you were smiling more than Casper does after she and Zayn have been going at it." Lou spilled.

"Hey!" Casper protested and threw Lou's off the bed.

I watched as the two had a little cat fight. It took the attention off of my expire nice with Harry last night. Honestly, there wasn't much to tell them, I don't really know what happened last night. Harry made the first move but I continued the kiss, probably making a fool out of myself. I bet he's probably laughing his ass off over all this. But I couldn't stop playing the memories over and over again in my head. Harry just had some special control over me and I couldn't stop.

"Knock knock." Zayn's voice sounded from the other side of the wooden door. "Finish packing up ladies, we all have to be out in five minutes. I can take your things down now if you want."

"Shit." I shot out of bed, gathering my items hastily. "Five minutes?" I frantically paced around the small room looking for items I misplaced late last night.

"Pipe the fuck down, you've got everything. We're just driving home, stop trying to pick out an outfit. Your pajamas are just fine." Lou took my bag from my hands and gave them to Zayn.

"One kiss and she goes insane." Lou muttered.

"Oh, I heard about that. How long has this been going on?" Zayn winked at me. My checks turning bright red.

"Does everyone know?" I buried my head into my hands. This was embarrassing, I already get looks and gossip around me floating around the gang as it is. Now this was defiantly gonna give people something to talk about.

"Only the ones who were out last night." Zayn smiled, flashing his perfect teeth.

"So everybody!" I threw my hands up in the air. This literally means everybody saw. Now everybody probably thinks I'm some spoof who messes around with the gang leader just like every other girl he's been seen with.

For some reason I don't know why that didn't bother me. Harry's been with countless amounts of girls before. God knows what they do with each other. But last night when he kissed me it's seemed like I was the only one in his eyes. It was too passionate for just another kiss. And I hope I just wasn't another girl to him. Not that I'm anything else to him, but just a little girl to use and then throw away was just not gonna work with me.

I haven't even been awake for more than two hours after it happened and I'm already over thinking it.
"Paris, get your ass down here." Lou called from outside the hotel room. I hadn't even notice them leave.
"On my way." I skipped over to them.

"You're riding in the first car, you guys will lead three cars and the rest of us will follow in heats behind you." Zayn instructed and handed me my bag. "Oh, and nice pajamas." Zayn looked down at my Stay Up All Night tank too and booty shorts.

"I didn't have time to change!" I shouted back and back up into the passenger seat of my assigned car.
Honestly I think it's pretty ridiculous that we have to have assigned cars. Like I get that we have a lot of people, but it's so organized for a gang. It's like we are kindergarteners going on a field trip and every five minutes the teachers have to check on us to make sure we are all accounted for.

"Fuck no." I started to get up after realizing I was in Harry's car.

Harry didn't reach for my hand or even try to stop me. I was out of the car in a blink of the eye. I really didn't want to ride with Harry on this trip. Hopefully someone would trade with me, so I could avoid the small talk and the awkward conversations yet to come. It really helps that every car had been filled from the day I came. Cause for some reason I am always stuck in the only open car with Harry when It seems everyone else switches cars everyday.

"Welcome back." Harry muttered as I returned.

The journey home was silent the rest of the way. The radio didn't play and our voices weren't heard. I was able to fall asleep for quite some time. The sweet melody of the humming engine as we raced down the highway.


HARRY'S POV

Her sweet pink lips were pressed into a fine line as she slept. Her legs pulled up all the way to her knees to keep herself warm. Her features softening as her mind wandered elsewhere. Paris looked adorable as she slept. For the first time in a while she seemed peaceful. I had to keep sneaking peeks at her to make sure she wasn't apart of my imagination. To make sure the beautiful sleeping beauty before me was actually real.

As we drove faster and faster growing closer and closer to home, the mood in the car shifted. The soft drizzle became a heavy down pour. The once warm and moist air had turned stiff and chilling as we drove into darkness. Goose bumps arose on Paris's skin as she squirmed to keep warm. Her bags had been tossed into the truck and only a few articles of my clothing remained in the back seat. I carefully took my hand off the wheel and grabbed one of my shirts. Not ever being good at the claw game in arcades, he first time I came up empty. But the second time I was able to obtain my red flannel, button down. Keeping my eyes on the road I placed my shirt over Paris.

All of a sudden a load thunder followed by a strike of lightning laminated the sky and rattled the car. Paris jolting up shortly after. A frantic expression on her face. "Everything's alright, there is just a little storm." I tried to appease her tension.

"Is this your shirt?" Paris took notice of her makeshift blanket.

"Ah yeah, you seemed to be getting kind of cold." I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead of me.
Paris didn't hesitate to slip it on over her pajamas. The shirt reaching her mid thighs if she were to stand.

"Thanks."

"No problem." I tapped my fingers on the wheel.

Once more lighting struck the ground, rattling the car, and thunder vibrating the windows whit hits deep roar. Paris let out a little shriek and jumped over closer to me. "How much longer do we have to go?" Her body pressed into mine.

"About forty five minuets, but with the weather like this it could take much longer." I warned. Paris let out a nervous sigh. Clearly she was not to keen on thunderstorms.

More thunder and lighting sounded, becoming more frequent now. Paris jumped again, this time she was nearly on top of me, her arms clutching my bicep for comfort. "Drive faster." She squeezed and nuzzled in closer.

"Love, if I drive any faster we could get in a serious accident." I reminded her of the dangers on the road, not in the sky.

That got her to quit complaining. But her scared jumps and grip on me tightened with each disturbance. And I can't say I wasn't enjoying this. Even with her feared expression and childish behaviors, Paris looked sexy as hell, even more so in my shirt. I couldn't help but catch myself taking my eyes off of the road to catch a quick look at her. It was hard not to.

But soon enough I pulled onto our familiar road just as another bolt of lighting shot across the side. Paris jumped over everything and landed on my lap. As I would normally me enjoying this, her breathless pants and uncontrollable shaking was uncomfortable for me.

"Here, I'll drop you off, just go on up to your room and get comfortable. It's going to be a long night." I warned and handed Paris my keys. I didn't try to force anything upon her, or make her wait. As of right now, I'm trying to keep my distance.

My parking spot was open as usual, except minute by minute more cars started to pull up besides mine. Each load arriving at different times. I hustled inside, not wanting to get too drenched. Stopping short inside the door I was utterly confused. "Paris?" The lights were all out, and not a sound could be heard, well besides the rain.

"Powers out."

Two hours later...

"Mr. Mustard, in the guest house with the dumbel?" Paris exclaimed and she daringly peeked inside the little envelope. "Yes! Take that bitch!" Paris shot up and danced around Clue. The way her smile glowed in low lighting and the warmth her features displayed. Her eagerness and excitement towards a pointless little board game. Her terrible dance moves and her oblivious self. All of it, perfect.

"I let you win." I smirked as she stopped, looking down at me with disappointment. For one of the most innocent person I know, Paris looked sexy no matter what she was doing. Even her pout just got me going.

"Wanna play again?" I sighed and started setting up the game again. "No, like I ask you a question and you ask me one." Paris pushed aside some of my things and lit another latern closer to her.

I answered her. "How many parties have you been to?"

"Um, eh, one." Paris curled up into a sheepish ball.

"Siblings?" I watched as she stiffened.

"Had two brothers." Her expression dropped. Emptiness filling her beautiful blue eyes, easily recognized by someone who's seen it many times.

"What happened?" I investigated more. I needed to know more about the little princess in front of me.

Paris moved so quickly I almost missed it, her desperate and sneaky attempt to wipe a tear. "Easton was the last person I told, it had been years since the last time. But my brothers were driving home from my 10th birthday party in their own car and crashed head on into a gasoline truck. Both vehicles were blown to bits. The police considered it to be suicide, so the other family sued, locking my father up in their place. Two weeks later my parents got divorced. I was always bullied in school about myself and my family. Years down the road, somebody tried to get my friend to commit suicide. She nearly did, and I was left to convince her and the boy not to do it. She had me tell the boy, at age thirteen, she was so close to snapping, why didn't he just do it. I literally almost lost everyone." Her voice was shaky and unsteady, cracking along the way of her confession.

"I've lost everyone." I muttered under my breathe.

"Oh I'm sorry my story doesn't fit your standards." Her voice was sharp.

"It's not—"

Paris crossed her arms and sat up. "Go on, tell me your fucking story and how it's so much worse. " Paris waited for my explanation. “What? Forgot what yo—"

I cut her off by crashing my lips against hers. I lunged forward, standing up from my current position on the floor. Paris didn't even resist, she easily gave in, passionately kissing me back. Thats where it all started. Her confession and 20 seconds of courage. It’s amazing how much that can change your life.
Paris placed her hand against my chest, pushing me apart from her slightly. “Wait.” she stopped, breathless. “I can’t make this mistake without knowing your story.”

Mistake?

She waited for my response, and so did I. Nobody knows my story besides the people who fucking lived through hell with me. “You beat me in another game of clue and you can ask me anything.” My voice was stiff to warn paris about asking further about me.

The corners of her mouth raised, pulling up into a smile. “Bring it.”

I’d like to say i let her win this time, but shit. She could kick my ass in Clue with her two hands tied behind her back.

I sat back, waited for her to splurge her questions. I could tell Paris was trying so hard not too. “Where are you from? Why did you start a gang? Tell me about your story. Why do you have so many tattoos and piercings? Who’s Ed? Why... “ Paris rambled on, too eager to understand.

“Slow down, I’ll answer one for now.”

“How many people have you killed?” Paris spilled, immediately covering her mouth with her hands.

Anger came across me. I know i am a fucked up, shit piece of disappointment, but this was just another way to point out everything wrong I’ve ever done. picking out something terrible I’ve done just to mock me for it, burying the burden and guilt even more into my black heart. My blood began to boil, but my mind and heart stopped. How many has it been? Too fucking many.

“What’s your biggest fear?” Paris tried to cover up her mistake with another question. He blue eyes trying to apologize.

This one wasn't hard. I’ve been through hell and back, and nothing has changed. “Death.”

It’s time to talk to someone.

“Death. From the day I first witnessed it. It’s so sudden and unexpected. Brutal and selfish, like who gave you the fucking right to take someone away from me. The void, the awakening, the judgement, whatever you call it, it’s shit. You will be judged on what you did before, and memories become lies and rumors. The blood of the raven stops flowing, rotting flesh takes place, and bones come through, but its gruesome screech echos, rattling the flesh and bones of the crows. And you can’t get out of it. We all go, too young, too soon. And it scares me because everyone i know eaves early and its fucking lifes way of getting even with me. Karmas a fucking bitch who finally caught up with me.”

The weight of the world weighed down on my shoulders, waiting to see me slip and fall. It hit me hard enough to crack. Everything deteriorating slowly.

I see the looks Paris is giving me, I’m not blind. The disgust is clear, pleasant for the serial killer sitting a mere two feet away, but like daggers. She's looking at me like the monster I am.

"Forget it." I swatted the board away, plastic pieces shattering at contact with other items in the room.
Why did I think having someone like Paris with me would be a good idea? Oh wait, I know the answer to that. It's because I'm a fucking idiot. I'm done with siking myself out. Who am I kidding? We all know I'm going to fucking brake her into pieces. She's not like us, she deserves something better. So I left her. No words, just the sound of my bedroom door slamming behind me as I left her. She'll be mad, but better I leave her now. Hope she figures that out.

Notes

Short update because I wrote chapter 28 last night and you are going to love it! Or at least I love! Hole you all had a great Easter! I had a pretty great one, but I had to attend a funeral on Monday so that wasn't the best. And they said some pretty sad things that I wish I could have used in my writing, but maybe I will be able to in the future. ;) hint hint.

xoxo
-E