10 years ago...

RRRING!!! RRRING!!! "Liam, your phone!" I shouted, jolting awake from a short afternoon nap. I heard a loud crash and Liam's voice. "Yo, I'm coming!!!" From my position on the couch, I could see Liam running to the coffee table, his apron flying out behind him. As he crouched down, meeting my eyes, he smiled, a bit flustered. "I might've made a mess in the kitchen, so sorry!" "Oh don't worry about the mess, I'll clean it up." Liam looked down, as if to say, "You don't need to." and picked up his phone. "Hello, Louis?" He said into the phone. As the person on the other end started talking, Liam's expression changed into one of pure confusion. He turned in my direction while saying, "She's with me. Why?" A loud reply. Liam let out a cuss word, standing up. He beckoned to me and I stood up, beginning to worry. "See you." Liam said, hanging up. His eyes met mine and I saw them sparkling with that look of feeling overwhelming emotion. "Liam..." I said, trailing off. Usually, that look meant that something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. "Liam-" I started to say again, but he cut me off. "Just drive to the hospital." I sighed, getting the keys. "Whatever you say, Mr. Payne."

The drive to the hospital was not a silent one, though not one word was said. For one, Liam's phone kept on beeping every few seconds. For another, Liam was crying. I sighed, deciding that it was a good thing that I had decided to drive. Liam was in an emotionally taxing state, and the tears were falling uncontrollably. He cried harder with every text he read, so I eventually had to tell him to switch off his phone. When he didn't move, I stopped the car. "Jessie, just drive..." "How can I drive when you're so upset?" "We have to be there for the others. There was a fire... They're hurt." I raised an eyebrow. "Are they okay?!" "Only God knows the answer to that question at this point so HURRY UP!!!" "Geez," I said to myself, continuing to drive. Liam was too concerned about other people's welfare to consider his own. Even though the text messages bothered him, even wounded him, he refused to turn off his phone just so that he could keep in touch with Louis (or whoever was on the line). Sometimes, that part of Liam's personality practically pissed me off, and that time was one of those times.

When we arrived at the hospital, Liam ran to the elevator and pressed all the buttons. "Liam!" I said, surprised by his immaturity. He looked at me, his brown eyes wide, surprised. "Which one's the one for the 4th floor?" "You already pressed it." Along with 10 other numbers, of course. "Oh." Liam relaxed for a while, beginning to fall asleep. Suddenly, he jolted awake and ran out of the elevator door which had just opened. We were on the 4th floor. "Liam!!!" I shouted, running to the panicky brunette, who had just hugged a guy whose head was wrapped in bandages. As I got closer, I realized that this guy was Harry Styles. "Jessie!" He said, enveloping me in a hug. I laughed, then got concerned as Harry pulls away. Liam had started crying again. "Harry, what happened?" I asked, gesturing to his bandaged head. "Oh, that's nothing." "Where are the others?" Harry's eyes suddenly got big. "Niall is in his hospital room, Zayn is being operated on and Louis..." "LOUIS???" I practically shouted at Harry. Liam shook his head, sobbing harder than ever. He was muttering a string of cuss words, seeming to know something I didn't. "Liam, Jessie, come with me." Harry said, walking down the corridor. Upon reaching a door marked 429, he stopped. "Brace yourself." He said, opening the door. I reached for Liam's hand and his fingers intertwined in mine. We entered the room with Harry, hearts beating fast, wondering what horrors waited for us behind that cream-colored cement door.

Notes

AH LOUIS!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO BOO-BEAR???