NIALLS POV: I am so nervous. The boys and I were about to leave the hotel to head to an interview until the hotel got surrounded by screaming fans trying to get inside. Security told us that we have to remain inside the hotel until the crowd is taken care of. I feel so scared. What if they get inside? What if they hurt me and the lads? I love our fans dearly, but they scare the living hell out of me when they crowd together.
I feel myself start to shake out of nervousness. I try to take deep breaths to calm myself, but nothing’s working. The boys are trying to help me relax but not even there ridiculous jokes could make me calm. All I want right now is to listen to the sound of Eli’s voice. When she sang to me that night in the cleaning storage closet, I felt comforted. Just thinking about her voice calms me down a little. I miss her a lot. Even though we haven’t been best friends for a long time, I feel as if we’ve known each other since I was little. It seems strange, but I don’t know. The bond me and Eli have, is a bond that has been there forever.
I take out my phone and call her. When her voice interrupts the ringing a smile appears on my face.
“Hey Ni!”
“Hey!”
“Whats u-“
I interrupt her.
“Can you sing to me?” I ask her.
“W-what?” she sounds shocked.
“Can you sing me that song…. You know the one you sang to me that night you saved me from the fans?”
I hear nothing but absolute silence.
“El-“
“Someday…w-when I’m awfully low, When the world i-is cold…I will feel a-a glow just t-thinking of you. And the way y-you look….tonight.”
Her voice was soft and soothing. I shut out the rest of the world and just focused on her voice.
“N-ni? You there?”
“Oh, ya.” I say as I realize that I hadn’t responded.
“Why did y-you want me to sing to you? Are you okay?” She asks in a concerned tone.
“I am now. I was just scared and nervous.” I respond.
“About what?”
“Well today I have an interview an-“
“Ni, don’t worry you’re going to do great.”
“Thanks El, but it’s not that. Fans are surrounding the hotel completely and we can’t leave.” I comment.
“A-are y-you s-seriou-us?” she replies.
Why has she been stuttering so much lately? I hope she’s okay.
“Eli are you o-“
I’m interrupted by a loud thud and an unrecognizable voice screaming “ELI!”
I feel panic quickly spread throughout my whole body.
“Eli are you okay?!” I ask through the phone, hoping to hear a response.
I don’t hear anything other than another woman’s voice through the line.
“Eli wake up. Come on Eli. HELP! SOMEONE HELP! Eli, sweetie it’s Sofy. You’re going to get help okay. RICARDO! STEVE! ANYONE! HELP!”
I am literally frozen. I can’t move. I don’t hang up and continue listening to what’s happening.
I now hear a man’s voice.
“Sofy what’s go- CALL 911!”
I can’t help the anxiety that takes over me.
“ELI, ELI, ELI!” I frantically scream.
The other line hangs up. Damn, I think that Sofy chick hung up on me.
I try to call back, but no one is answering. I start to tangle my hands in my hair nervously while pacing back and forth trying to figure out what happened and what I should do.
“Are you okay mate?” I hear Zayn ask while walking up to me.
I shake my head and respond.
“Zayn, I-Eli-I don’t” I can’t even form words from how worried I am.
“Niall breathe. Relax and try to calm down.”
I take a deep breath and let out a huge sigh.
“Zayn, I was on the phone with Eli right now, and she began stuttering a lot and then I heard a huge thud and people screaming her name and-.
“Niall breathe.” Zayn commented.
I took another breath and continued.
“They we’re calling 911 and I couldn’t hear Eli’s voice. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“It’s going to be alright Niall.” Zayn says with a doubtful tone in his voice.
“I need to see her. I have to know what happened.”
I saw how Zayn was speechless and was trying to figure out how to respond.
He then put his hand on my shoulder and said “You have to go to her.”
I then am so determined at that moment that I begin to walk toward the entrance of the hotel completely forgetting about the fans that were there until I feel my wrist being tugged.
I turn around to see Paul’s face.
“Niall, where in the bloody hell do you think you’re going.”
“Out.” I state with a straight face.
“Niall if you walked out, you would get mobbed.”
I then remembered the crowd that was outside and groaned.
“Where were you planning to go exactly?” Paul asked with one raised eyebrow.
“Paul I have to see Eli.”
“Is she in London?” Paul asked.
“No.”
“Then how are you expecting to see her?”
“Paul I don’t know. All I know is that she needs me right now and I have to see her.”
“Simon and management isn’t going to approve of this.”
“I know, it’s just that she…something’s wrong with her. I fear she’s… Paul I just-.”
Paul doesn’t say anything and just takes out his phone dialing in a number.
“Paul who ar-“
He motions me to stop.
“Hey there. Ya I’m fine how are you.”
He then walks away still on the phone.
I stand still trying to hear what he’s saying but he’s too far away. He then turns around looking at me and hangs up. He then walks up to me while putting his phone back into his pocket.
“Niall the hotel staff is going to help you sneak out of the hotel and their going to take you to my old buddies’ airport. It’s a private airport with jets which means that you won’t be mobbed. When you walk in tell them that Paul, Jack’s friend sent you.”
I grin and thank him with a firm handshake. Four men in the hotel’s uniform come to me and lead me to the back of the hotel. From there on they take me to the private airport.
In the jet
Before I got on the jet, I texted Zayn and informed him where I was and what I was doing, to tell the boys so they won’t be worried, and to not tell Simon. The ride, according to Jack is going to take about six hours. I know I’m going to eventually get caught by Simon, but I don’t want to end up having to go back to London right after I step off this jet.
I can’t stop playing with my fingers and shaking my leg up and down nervously. All I can think about right now is Eli. What is she’s awfully injured? What if she’s in a coma? What if somebody hurt her? What if-
I put my hands on my head trying to shake out the negative thoughts. “Niall she’s okay. She probably just sprained her ankle or some sort of minor injury.” I try reassuring myself.
Who am I kidding? This is going to be the longest 6 hours of my life.
6 hours later at the hospital
Right when I stepped off the jet I went to the hotel Eli works at and found the location of the hospital she was in, bought some clothes and accessories to disguise myself, and headed to the hospital. After getting a visitors pass and Eli’s room information, I am now walking down the hall in search of Eli’s room. As I’m walking, I notice a sign hanging from the ceiling that says emergency. She was put into emergency. I feel myself shutter a little. As my nervousness grows, I finally see the room number. I slowly open the door, unsure of what to expect. When I walk in I see a woman right in front of a hospital bed.
“Is this Elizabeth’s room?” I ask.
The woman turns to me and quickly scowls.
“It’s you.” She says.
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
“I’m Sofia and you are the reason why she’s in here.” She says walking closer to me.
“What do you-“
She points to the bed with a body in it.
I walk closer and see how there’s a very pale girl laying in it, sleeping. Her bony arms are lying outside the blanket and I can't help but stare at them. I’ve never seen arms so thin and so pale. My eyes roam to her face and I notice very purple bags under her eyes... They look almost like bruises. She has a piece of hair in the middle of her face, which I softly push aside. She begins to move a little and I feel guilty at the fact that I woke her.
With her eyes barely open and with a slight grin she speaks.
“Ni.” She whispers. Her voice is so soft yet I feel as if it's like a knife poking my insides.
It’s Eli.
Tears begin to form within my eyes as I grab her frail, weak hand.
It dangles almost lifelessly in my grasp, shredding me to pieces.
“Eli, go back to sleep okay.” I barely choke out as I rub my thumb on the top of her hand.
“Ni.”
I loosen my hold and her hand falls back to her side slowly. I put the blanket over her arms and I push all her hair out of her face, my eyes never leaving hers. Even though her eyes are barely open, they're twinkling with happiness at the sight of me in front of them.
“Shh. We can talk when you wake up. Get some rest.” I mutter before I place a soft kiss on the top of her forehead.
She barely nods and closes her eyes, going back to sleep almost instantly.
My eyes continue to observe her and right now, I feel...numb. She looks so weak.... So fragile. I feel that if I touch her she will break into pieces...
I hear a fake cough behind me and I turn around.
I face Sofia who is staring at me with darts in her eyes. I don't think she is too fond of me, but right now I don't give a damn. All I care about is Eli.
“What happened to her? Why is she like this?” I ask.
“Let’s talk outside so we don’t wake her.” Sofy comments while motioning me outside the room. I glance at Eli one last time before I follow behind.
When she closes the room door slowly she turns her eyes to me.
“Niall, I’m Sofia, Eli’s roommate.”
I remember how Eli talked about having a roommate.
“I’m Niall.” I tell her.
“Yes, I know.” She retorts followed by an eye roll.
“What happened to Eli?” I ask, ignoring her rude attitude.
“You happened.”
“What?”
“Niall, she started becoming that after you left.” she says as she points to the room door.
“Why?”
“Niall, Eli works as a maid as you most likely know. Maids don’t get paid very much. She didn’t ever have a phone before you left, but she finally got one just so she could keep contact with you. Eli didn’t even buy a cheap phone because she thought that you would judge her. With the bills for her phone, plans, unlimited messaging, rent, international calls, and much more she had to get more jobs. Her last shift ended everyday around midnight the earliest. She only got about three hours of sleep every day, because when she did have time to rest she stayed up just in case you would call or text her. Niall, she couldn’t even afford to eat. I would try to make her eat but she didn’t want me to pity her. You don’t realize how much she cares about you Niall. She literally cried every day because of you! How have you not realized yet! You’re ruining her life and you don’t even notice.”
I'm frozen to the spot. My eyes are glued to the floor as the image of Eli's frail body is framed in my mind. I caused that...
I walk to the wall and I slam my fist against it lightly as frustrated tears begin to leave my eyes.
"Fuck. I'm such a fucking idiot."
“Niall, I-I’m sorry.” I hear Sofy whisper , her angry tone now replaced with guilt and sadness.
I slowly wipe my tears as I turn around to face her.
“Don’t be sorry. You were there for her when I wasn’t. I should be the one apologizing not you. I-I just don’t know what to do. I can’t leave again knowing that she’s just going to continue to do this to herself.”
I shut my eyes closed as I feel Sofy place her hand on my shoulder in a comforting way.
“Niall, you have to let her go.”
My eyes shut even tighter at her words and I take a deep breath.
“I know. It’s what’s best for her.” I mutter as i open my eyes slowly.
Sofy nods.
“Can I at least say goodbye to her?” I ask.
She gives me a soft smile and nods her head a little.
Sofy opens Eli’s door and motions me to go in.
She stays outside knowing that I would want to be alone with Eli.
My footsteps are the only sound in the room as I enter. The cool air conditioning resembles how I'm feeling and my body is not affected by it at all.
“I’m going to miss you El... I will never forget you.” I whisper, knowing she can’t hear me.
I then bend down and kiss her fore head, not wanting to leave.
“Good bye.”

Notes