Unexpected
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
I think I heard Tess enter the room around midnight but I never bothered to look. I fell into a deep sleep that was only interrupted by the telephone ringing.
I groaned and rolled over to grab the receiver.
“Hello?” I spoke, my voice definitely showing I had just woken up.
“Rise and shine, Chloe!” A cheerful Irish accent said through the phone.
“Niall?” I sat up and threw one of the pillows on my bed at Tess in an attempt to wake her.
“At your service, love,” he said.
“I thought Paul was supposed to call?” I asked, getting up and running a brush through my knotty hair.
“Would you like me to hang up and have him call you back?”
“No, no, that’s fine, I was just curious.”
“Good, now get up and get ready, we’re coming a little early. The boys and I would like to take you out to breakfast,” he said quite cheerfully.
I felt myself wake up at the thought of having breakfast with the biggest boy band in the whole world.
“Thank you for the wake-up call, Niall, we’ll be ready,” I said, setting the brush down and throwing another pillow at Tess. She stirred but did not open her eyes.
“Perfect, we’ll be there in 30 minutes. Oh, and Paul said to bring your mother. He wants to make sure she doesn’t feel left out.”
I thanked him and hung up. Trying to decide how to wake Tess up, I got dressed. I pulled on a pair of short jean shorts and a flowy white tank top. I slipped on some purple sandals I brought with me and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
When I finished, I went back into the room. I hoisted myself up onto the television stand and eyed Tess’ bed. After I figured the best way to jump, I flung myself belly-first onto the bed next to Tess. Just as I had predicted, the force from my jump caused Tess to fly out of the bed.
I stood up and went back to the bathroom, locking the door behind me in case Tess felt the need for some revenge.
“Chloe!” I heard her yell from outside the bathroom door.
“Get dressed, we’ve got breakfast plans,” I said, brushing my hair again. I pulled it back into a ponytail, leaving my bangs down and a few lose strands of hair around my face. I brushed on some natural make up and the same lip gloss I had used the day before.
When I finished, I saw Tess was sitting on her bed, pulling on her shoes. She decided on another skirt – the same length all the way around – and a plain black tank top. She gave me a mean look and walked into the bathroom, most likely to do her hair and make- up.
I headed across the hall to my mom’s room. As I entered, I saw her still asleep in her bed.
I shook her awake and told her the boys and Paul would be here soon to take us out to breakfast.
She groaned and pulled herself out of bed. I was happy that I wouldn’t have to be jumping off of another T.V. stand this morning.
I went back across the hall where Tess was still in the bathroom. I pulled my cell phone off of the charger and shoved it in my purse. I flipped through the channels on the television and, after deciding nothing good was on, texted Harry.
Hey, it’s Chloe :)
I picked up the pillows left scattered around the room. My phone buzzed from the table between the two beds.
Hello, love. How are you? xx
I smiled and texted back, still waiting for Tess to come out of the bathroom.
Hungry :P Where are we going?
Tess finally came out of the bathroom and gave me another evil stare. I shrugged my apology and looked at my phone, which buzzed again.
“Who are you texting so early?” Tess asked, putting her phone in her purse.
“Harry,” I responded, opening the text message.
You’ll have to wait and see. It’s a surprise ;)
When Tess didn’t respond, I turned to look at her. She stood with her purse and phone in hand, staring at me.
“What?”
“You got his number?!” she asked, dropping her things onto the bed.
“Yeah, he gave it to me last night when we got in the limo. He told me he wanted to make sure we got home safe.”
She stared at me for a few more seconds and shook her head.
“What?” I asked, responding to Harry’s text.
Is it at least a good restaurant?
“I don’t believe you. Let me see,” she said with her hand outstretched.
I handed her my phone. She looked through the conversation and handed me my phone back.
“Do you believe me now?” I asked.
“I don’t believe it. It’s him,” she said, bewildered. “Why would he give you his number?”
“Ouch,” I said, slightly offended.
“That’s not what I meant, Chloe, I’m sorry.”
“Whatever.”
“I think he might like you,” she said, trying to make me feel better, probably.
“Yeah, right, Tess. He’s 19 and I’m only almost 17. He’s a world famous star and I’m just a stupid high school student. He has his life made and I don’t even know what classes I’m taking next year.”
“Chloe, I know things. He likes you.”
“Is this like the time you thought the guy I liked in 7th grade like me back and he really only liked the fact that I had a pet snake? He stopped talking to me after the snake died,” I said, trying to make her feel bad.
“No, this is different. Trust me, he likes you.”
My phone buzzed.
Only the best for a gorgeous girl like you xx
I stared at the text for a moment. “Maybe you’re right,” I said, showing Tess the message. She squeaked and smiled.
I heard a knock at the door and looked through the hole. My mom was standing outside.
“Why didn’t you just walk in?” I asked after I opened the door for her.
“The door was locked,” she said.
“Sorry,” I said, grabbing my purse. “Are you ready to go down to the lobby?”
“Yeah, that’s why I came over here.” I could tell she was still tired. She yawned and stood by the door, waiting for Tess and me to get our things.
Tess grabbed her purse and we headed down the hallway to the elevator. None of us said anything until we got to the lobby and sat on the couch.
“So, where are we going?” My mom asked.
“I don’t know, Harry wouldn’t tell me,” I said.
“Harry? I though Paul was supposed to give you a wake-up call?” She asked.
“He was, but Niall’s actually the one who called and told us we were going to breakfast. I texted Harry and he won’t tell me.”
“Texted? You have Harry’s phone number?” She looked at me, astonished, as if waiting for me to tell her I’m kidding.
“Yeah, he gave it to me last night. He said he wanted me to let him know we made it home safely.”
“Chloe, I know you’re almost 17, but I don’t want you with these guys.”
“You don’t want me with them but you’re letting me go on tour with them for the whole summer?” I asked a little annoyed.
“I meant I don’t want you getting involved with them. I don’t want you to date them.” She said sternly.
“Fat chance of that happening. They’re the biggest boy band in the world. They wouldn’t want to date someone like me. Besides, like you said, I’m almost 17, I can date whoever I want.”
She looked at me, shocked. “Do not speak to me that way, young lady.”
“Do not tell me who I can and can’t date, Mother,” I shot back.
“Chloe, leave it alone,” Tess said from the other side of my mom.
“If I find out you’ve become anything more than a friendly fan to those boys you are not going to be welcome back in my house. I am not going to tolerate reading lies and rumors about my only daughter in the newspapers and magazines. I don’t care if they are the biggest boy band in the world, you will get hurt and there will be trouble.” She looked me in the eyes and I stared right back.
“I’m going to tell you one time and one time only. I love you, Mom, and I completely respect your opinion, but I am not going to take orders from you about who to date. If, by some off chance, one of the single boys decide they want to date me, I will say yes. If I get hurt, you can dish out all the ‘I told you so’s’ you want. If I don’t get hurt and I end up in a happy relationship, I’ll be the one saying ‘I told you so’. You can’t run my life forever. I’m sorry.” I turned and faced the front desk and waited for my mother to argue some more.
When she didn’t, I glanced at her. She was staring at the doors in the front of the hotel. Tess shot me a you-shouldn’t-talk-to-your-mother-that-way-but-I’m-proud-of-you-for-sticking-up-for-yourself look.
I sighed and looked at the floor. A few moments later, a very happy Louis strolled into the lobby.
“Hello, lovelies! How are we this morning?” He smiled at each of us.
“Very good, thank you,” my mom said, smiling back. She was very good at hiding her emotions when she needed to.
“Shall we head out, then?”
“Sounds great,” Tess said. “By the way, where are we going?”
“Nice try, but it’s still a surprise,” he said, smiling.
Louis held his arm out for my mother to take. She did so, telling him how much of a gentleman he was. He led us out to the limo waiting in front of the hotel.
“There they are!” Liam exclaimed as we climbed in.
“Hope you lovely ladies slept well last night,” Harry said.
“I hope you brought your appetites!” Niall said.
“Can someone tell us where we’re going?” Tess asked, not even bothering to greet the boys.
“Nope. Sorry, love, it’s a surprise,” Zayn said.
She pouted and stared out the window.
My mom and Paul made quiet conversation as I talked to the boys about their tour. They told me about what it was like to be on the road for their Up All Night tour and some things are easier to get used to than others.
“Once you get used to the strange hours and the moving bus, you’ll love it,” Louis told me.
I thought about how it would feel riding on a bus all the time and having weird sleeping hours. Then it occurred to me: where were Tess and I going to sleep?
I didn’t dare ask in front of my mom and Paul. I decided I would ask Harry later.
After a few more minutes of talking about what it’s like to live on tour, we pulled up in front of a beautiful hotel. There were blooming bushes and flowers all along the front and surrounding the front doors.
We hopped out of the limo and Paul led us into the lobby. He greeted the door man with a warm smile and pressed the button on the elevator. When the doors opened, we all piled in and rode in anxious silence to the 3rd floor.
Once the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened, Paul led us down the hall and into a large suite. There was a neat bed on one side of the room and a small kitchen/dining area on the other.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, motioning toward the couch and the table and chairs in the dining area. We did as he suggested and sat down, still somewhat curious as to what was going on.
“Since we eat a lot of fast food while we’re on the road, I thought it might be nice to cook for you,” Paul said, answering our unspoken question. “Harry offered to help as well.”
Harry took a small bow and smiled at us. Both Paul and Harry pulled on aprons and began making pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. Everything smelled wonderful.
Once they finished cooking, we all sat around in a circle, scarfing down the delicious breakfast. No one really said anything, we were too busy enjoying the meal Harry and Paul had prepared for us.
“That was amazing, thank you,” Tess said as we finished our meals.
“Don’t worry about it, love,” Harry said.
We sat around and talked for a little while longer and realized we needed to head back to the hotel if we wanted to get to the airport on time. We all piled back into the limo and headed back to our hotel. When we arrived, Tess, my mom, and I jumped out and ran up to our rooms and grabbed our things. We tidied up the rooms quickly so the maids wouldn’t have to do so much after we left. Tess grabbed my mom’s luggage and put it in the trunk of the limo as my mom checked us out of the hotel.
When all the chaos was over, we were driven to the airport we had been in only two days before. We had to run inside and get everything settled quickly to make it to the terminal on time. We hugged the boys goodbye and took our seats on the plane just as the pilot was giving instructions.
Tess fell asleep almost as soon as we were in the air and my mom listened to music. I played some games on my phone and cancelled the plans I had made for the summer. I texted the camp director and told him Tess and I wouldn’t be able to work this summer because we would be touring with One Direction. He didn’t believe me at first but after I sent him a picture of Tess and me with the boys, he seemed to have changed his mind.
I put in my headphones and closed my eyes, letting the music flow through me. When my playlist came to a One Direction song, I couldn’t help but smile. I must have looked like an idiot with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face but I didn’t care.
I must have fallen asleep for a while because the next thing I knew, we were being woken up by a flight attendant. We grabbed our carry-ons from the shelf above our seats and followed the other passengers off the plane. After we got the rest of our things from luggage claim, we took a cab back home. Once we were in the house, we all felt a sense of security we quickly realized we hadn’t felt in New York.
I took my things up to my room and unpacked some things I didn’t want to take with me. I pulled my best clothes out of my closet and folded them neatly in my suitcase. I got my hair straightener out of my bathroom and packed it away in the bag. I packed some extra shoes and an emergency stash of money in a locked pocket.
When I finished, I took my suitcases and put them in the car. My mom drove us to Tess’ house so she could get her things together. While Tess and I were in her room, my mom gave her mom Paul’s phone number and any other information he had given her the night before.
“I can’t believe you said that to your mom this morning, Chloe. I’ve never heard you talk to her with anything but respect,” Tess said, pulling clothes out of her closet and throwing them at me to pack for her.
“I know, I guess something in me snapped. I’m almost 17; I can date whomever I please. Who is she to tell me I can’t date someone?” I folded a pretty light green blouse and packed it in her suitcase.
“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that you stood up for yourself but I think you should apologize and maybe calmly discuss it.”
“I’m not apologizing to her. I just want to forget it. It’s not like I’m going to end up with one of them anyway.”
Tess pulled some shoes out of her closet and began putting them in another suitcase. She pulled her curling iron out of the drawer in her bathroom and stuffed that in the suitcase as well.
After making sure she had absolutely everything she might need, I helped her pull her bags down the stairs. My mom said goodbye to Tess’ mom and took some of the bags out to the car. Tess hugged her mom goodbye and promised to call her regularly. If we hadn’t let when we did, Tess’ mom might have told her to stay.
We drove in silence to the airport, all of us thinking about the upcoming summer; Tess and I about our life on the road with the boys and my mom about how she would be lonely without me at home with her.
We pulled up to the airport and my mom helped us with our bags. We went through security and dropped our bags off. Since we had about 30 minutes until we were supposed to be on the plane, we grabbed some lunch. We sat in silence for a little while until finally my mom spoke up.
“Chloe, I’m sorry about earlier. Of course you can date who you want. I can’t control you forever no matter how much I wish I could. If you want to date one of those boys, it’s okay with me. Louis was quite a gentleman this morning and I suppose the rest are as well.”
“Well, Mom, unfortunately I can’t date Louis. He’s one of the boys with a girlfriend,” I said, taking a bite of the sandwich I ordered. “I’m sorry for being so rude, I just wish you would realize that I’m going to make my own decisions from now on. In a little over a year I’m probably going to be off to college and all of my decisions are going to have to be my own.”
“I know, sweetie, just be careful. Could I have Harry’s number?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. Just be careful.”
“I will, Mom,” I said. I threw my trash away and waited for Tess and my mom to finish eating. When they did, we made our way to the terminal.
“You girls have grown up so fast,” my mom said, a sad look on her face. “Please be careful. Call me if you need anything. Chloe, call me every couple days, would you?”
I nodded and told her I would call her every few days. She pulled me into a tight hug and watched us walk away to get on the plane. I didn’t look back. It would hurt too much to see the sad look on her face.
Tess and I settled back onto the plane and waited for take-off. As I was listening to my music, I felt my phone buzz in my hand.
Hello, love. I trust you made it home alright? xx
I smiled at the text from Harry. I looked out the window and stared at the clouds for a moment before responding.
Yes :) Now we’re on the plane back
I closed my eyes and waited for Harry to text back. Unknowingly, I fell asleep. Only when Tess shook me awake did I realize I’d been sleep for most of the plane ride.
We landed and I grabbed my purse and followed Tess off the plane to luggage claim. We grabbed our things and found our driver. He helped us load our bags into the trunk and drove us to the hotel the boys were staying in.
On the way there, I checked my phone to see if Harry had texted me back.
3 New Messages
2 Missed Calls
I felt kind of bad that I had fallen asleep before I had a chance to tell him I would talk to him when we got back to New York.
I opened the messages, fully prepared for him to be upset that I didn’t text him back.
Already? That was quick xx
That one’s not too bad. I opened the second one.
Chloe? Are you alright love? xx
He might have been kind of worried with that one but I wasn’t sure. I opened the last one.
Did something go wrong with the plane? Babe are you okay? Please answer me, Chloe xx
I sighed and smiled. He was worried about me. I opened and new messages and texted him back.
Srry, fell asleep on the plane :P We’re fine, on our way to the hotel now
I looked at the time: almost 9. I wondered where Tess and I would be sleeping. I had forgotten to ask Harry when I texted him earlier. Maybe I’ll ask him if he texts me back.
I looked out the window and watched all the buildings and people zoom by. My phone buzzed in my hand.
I thought something happened, love I’m glad you’re okay xx
I smiled and texted back.
Aw, you were worried about me :) Where are Tess and I going to sleep?
I looked next to me and saw Tess had fallen asleep with her face against the window. I nudged her with my elbow and she shifted so her head leaned back instead of to the side. It still looked very uncomfortable but at least now her neck wouldn’t cramp. My phone buzzed again.
Uh-oh. We forgot to figure that out. You could sleep in my bed J And maybe Tess could sleep on the couch? xx
I laughed and texted him back.
She might object to that. We’ll work it out when we get there.
After a few more minutes of driving, we pulled up in front of a beautiful hotel. By now, it was 9:30 and the nightlife of New York had begun.
I shook Tess awake and she stumbled out of the car. We thanked the driver and hauled our luggage into the lobby of the hotel where we realized we had no idea where to go or who to ask for.
“Chloe, what do we do?” Tess asked, sitting on the couch in the lobby.
“I don’t know.”
“Call Harry.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Harry’s number.
“Hello, love, miss me already?” Harry answered the phone after the 2nd ring.
“We’re down in the lobby but we don’t know who to ask for or where to go. Could you come get us?” I asked, looking around at the empty room.
“Sure think, I’ll be down in a minute,” Harry said and hung up. I put my phone back in my pocket and told Tess he’d be down soon.
A few minutes later we heard an elevator open down one of the hallways off of the lobby and someone came jogging into the room. Harry and his curls bounced into the room ready to take us to wherever we needed to be.
“I’ve been told you need someone to escort you to your living quarters, no?” Harry said, putting on a fake accent.
I laughed and reached for my bags.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Harry said, grabbing them before I had the chance.
I smiled my thanks as he picked up Tess’ bags as well. He led us down the hall to the elevator he just emerged from.
“How was your flight, ladies?” He asked as the elevator began its ascent.
“I don’t know, I slept through it,” I told him.
“Same here,” Tess agreed.
“I’ll take that as boring,” Harry said, laughing a little.
We stepped out of the elevator when we reached the floor.
“So, do we know where we’re staying?” Tess asked, following Harry down the hall.
“You’re going to stay in mine and Zayn’s room,” Harry said, pulling the key card out of his back pocket.
“That’s fine, but, I mean, where are we going to sleep?” Tess pushed.
“In the beds, of course,” Harry answered, opening the door and leading us inside.
“Then where are you and Zayn going to sleep?” She continued, noticing there were only two beds in the room.
“In the beds,” Harry said seriously. He dropped our bags by the window.
Tess watched him, waiting for a smile or ‘just kidding.’ When it didn’t happen, she just shrugged and sat on one of the beds.
“Who sleeps with who, then?” she asked.
“Do you like Zayn?” Harry asked, sitting on the other bed.
Tess nodded and pulled her legs under her.
“Then you’ll sleep with Zayn. I’ll sleep with Chloe.” He flashed me a dimpled smile.
“Would you like some dinner? The rest of the boys went out but I stayed to wait for you. We could go downstairs and get something or order room service.”
“No thanks, I’m good. Just tired.” I pulled my sandals off and set them beside my bags.
Tess nodded in agreement.
“Alright, well, I’m starved so I’m going to go get some food. You can change into whatever you wear to sleep if you like. If not, I’m not leaving when you do.” He winked and left the room, leaving Tess and me alone.
“Someone has a crush on you,” Tess said, opening one of her suitcases and pulling out her pajamas.
“Ha-ha-ha, you’re so funny,” I said, stripping out of my clothes and pulling on some gym shorts and an old camp shirt.
“Seriously, he definitely is happy to be sharing a bed with you. Just don’t do anything you wouldn’t want me to see,” she said.
I threw a pillow from the couch at her and pulled my hair out of its ponytail.
As I was brushing it out, Harry came back with his arms full of food.
“Wow,” Tess said. “You have quite an appetite, don’t you?”
Harry nodded. He sat on the bed I assumed was his and turned on the television. He watched the news for a few minutes then turned it off.
“You girls sure you’re not hungry?” He asked, holding out half of a sandwich.
We both shook our heads and I checked my phone. No one had texted me so I shut it off and put it in my purse.
Harry quickly finished his food and went to the bathroom. I raised my eyebrows at Tess, who was smiling at me.
“Doesn’t he sleep naked?” She whispered, her smile growing wider.
I stared back at her as I realized I read somewhere that Harry sleeps in the nude. Before I could respond, Harry came back into the room.
He pulled off his shirt and pants, throwing them sloppily to the side of the room. Tess and I gaped at him, waiting for him to pull his boxers off. I felt a wave of relief and disappointment wash over me when he left them on.
“I’m gonna hit the hay, if you girls want to do the same.”
We nodded and climbed into our separate beds. Harry laid down next to me, not too far away, but not as close as he could be. He turned out the light on the bedside table and fell asleep almost instantly.
I rolled onto my side so my back faced Harry. I was almost asleep when I felt a movement in the bed beside me. Soon I felt an arm wrap around me, pulling me closer. I quickly realized Harry was holding me close to his body almost protectively. I felt my heart skip a beat and I smiled to myself, hoping I would be able to fall asleep before he moved again.
Almost immediately, I drifted into a deep sleep, still held tight in the safety of Harry’s arms.
I think I heard Tess enter the room around midnight but I never bothered to look. I fell into a deep sleep that was only interrupted by the telephone ringing.
I groaned and rolled over to grab the receiver.
“Hello?” I spoke, my voice definitely showing I had just woken up.
“Rise and shine, Chloe!” A cheerful Irish accent said through the phone.
“Niall?” I sat up and threw one of the pillows on my bed at Tess in an attempt to wake her.
“At your service, love,” he said.
“I thought Paul was supposed to call?” I asked, getting up and running a brush through my knotty hair.
“Would you like me to hang up and have him call you back?”
“No, no, that’s fine, I was just curious.”
“Good, now get up and get ready, we’re coming a little early. The boys and I would like to take you out to breakfast,” he said quite cheerfully.
I felt myself wake up at the thought of having breakfast with the biggest boy band in the whole world.
“Thank you for the wake-up call, Niall, we’ll be ready,” I said, setting the brush down and throwing another pillow at Tess. She stirred but did not open her eyes.
“Perfect, we’ll be there in 30 minutes. Oh, and Paul said to bring your mother. He wants to make sure she doesn’t feel left out.”
I thanked him and hung up. Trying to decide how to wake Tess up, I got dressed. I pulled on a pair of short jean shorts and a flowy white tank top. I slipped on some purple sandals I brought with me and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
When I finished, I went back into the room. I hoisted myself up onto the television stand and eyed Tess’ bed. After I figured the best way to jump, I flung myself belly-first onto the bed next to Tess. Just as I had predicted, the force from my jump caused Tess to fly out of the bed.
I stood up and went back to the bathroom, locking the door behind me in case Tess felt the need for some revenge.
“Chloe!” I heard her yell from outside the bathroom door.
“Get dressed, we’ve got breakfast plans,” I said, brushing my hair again. I pulled it back into a ponytail, leaving my bangs down and a few lose strands of hair around my face. I brushed on some natural make up and the same lip gloss I had used the day before.
When I finished, I saw Tess was sitting on her bed, pulling on her shoes. She decided on another skirt – the same length all the way around – and a plain black tank top. She gave me a mean look and walked into the bathroom, most likely to do her hair and make- up.
I headed across the hall to my mom’s room. As I entered, I saw her still asleep in her bed.
I shook her awake and told her the boys and Paul would be here soon to take us out to breakfast.
She groaned and pulled herself out of bed. I was happy that I wouldn’t have to be jumping off of another T.V. stand this morning.
I went back across the hall where Tess was still in the bathroom. I pulled my cell phone off of the charger and shoved it in my purse. I flipped through the channels on the television and, after deciding nothing good was on, texted Harry.
Hey, it’s Chloe :)
I picked up the pillows left scattered around the room. My phone buzzed from the table between the two beds.
Hello, love. How are you? xx
I smiled and texted back, still waiting for Tess to come out of the bathroom.
Hungry :P Where are we going?
Tess finally came out of the bathroom and gave me another evil stare. I shrugged my apology and looked at my phone, which buzzed again.
“Who are you texting so early?” Tess asked, putting her phone in her purse.
“Harry,” I responded, opening the text message.
You’ll have to wait and see. It’s a surprise ;)
When Tess didn’t respond, I turned to look at her. She stood with her purse and phone in hand, staring at me.
“What?”
“You got his number?!” she asked, dropping her things onto the bed.
“Yeah, he gave it to me last night when we got in the limo. He told me he wanted to make sure we got home safe.”
She stared at me for a few more seconds and shook her head.
“What?” I asked, responding to Harry’s text.
Is it at least a good restaurant?
“I don’t believe you. Let me see,” she said with her hand outstretched.
I handed her my phone. She looked through the conversation and handed me my phone back.
“Do you believe me now?” I asked.
“I don’t believe it. It’s him,” she said, bewildered. “Why would he give you his number?”
“Ouch,” I said, slightly offended.
“That’s not what I meant, Chloe, I’m sorry.”
“Whatever.”
“I think he might like you,” she said, trying to make me feel better, probably.
“Yeah, right, Tess. He’s 19 and I’m only almost 17. He’s a world famous star and I’m just a stupid high school student. He has his life made and I don’t even know what classes I’m taking next year.”
“Chloe, I know things. He likes you.”
“Is this like the time you thought the guy I liked in 7th grade like me back and he really only liked the fact that I had a pet snake? He stopped talking to me after the snake died,” I said, trying to make her feel bad.
“No, this is different. Trust me, he likes you.”
My phone buzzed.
Only the best for a gorgeous girl like you xx
I stared at the text for a moment. “Maybe you’re right,” I said, showing Tess the message. She squeaked and smiled.
I heard a knock at the door and looked through the hole. My mom was standing outside.
“Why didn’t you just walk in?” I asked after I opened the door for her.
“The door was locked,” she said.
“Sorry,” I said, grabbing my purse. “Are you ready to go down to the lobby?”
“Yeah, that’s why I came over here.” I could tell she was still tired. She yawned and stood by the door, waiting for Tess and me to get our things.
Tess grabbed her purse and we headed down the hallway to the elevator. None of us said anything until we got to the lobby and sat on the couch.
“So, where are we going?” My mom asked.
“I don’t know, Harry wouldn’t tell me,” I said.
“Harry? I though Paul was supposed to give you a wake-up call?” She asked.
“He was, but Niall’s actually the one who called and told us we were going to breakfast. I texted Harry and he won’t tell me.”
“Texted? You have Harry’s phone number?” She looked at me, astonished, as if waiting for me to tell her I’m kidding.
“Yeah, he gave it to me last night. He said he wanted me to let him know we made it home safely.”
“Chloe, I know you’re almost 17, but I don’t want you with these guys.”
“You don’t want me with them but you’re letting me go on tour with them for the whole summer?” I asked a little annoyed.
“I meant I don’t want you getting involved with them. I don’t want you to date them.” She said sternly.
“Fat chance of that happening. They’re the biggest boy band in the world. They wouldn’t want to date someone like me. Besides, like you said, I’m almost 17, I can date whoever I want.”
She looked at me, shocked. “Do not speak to me that way, young lady.”
“Do not tell me who I can and can’t date, Mother,” I shot back.
“Chloe, leave it alone,” Tess said from the other side of my mom.
“If I find out you’ve become anything more than a friendly fan to those boys you are not going to be welcome back in my house. I am not going to tolerate reading lies and rumors about my only daughter in the newspapers and magazines. I don’t care if they are the biggest boy band in the world, you will get hurt and there will be trouble.” She looked me in the eyes and I stared right back.
“I’m going to tell you one time and one time only. I love you, Mom, and I completely respect your opinion, but I am not going to take orders from you about who to date. If, by some off chance, one of the single boys decide they want to date me, I will say yes. If I get hurt, you can dish out all the ‘I told you so’s’ you want. If I don’t get hurt and I end up in a happy relationship, I’ll be the one saying ‘I told you so’. You can’t run my life forever. I’m sorry.” I turned and faced the front desk and waited for my mother to argue some more.
When she didn’t, I glanced at her. She was staring at the doors in the front of the hotel. Tess shot me a you-shouldn’t-talk-to-your-mother-that-way-but-I’m-proud-of-you-for-sticking-up-for-yourself look.
I sighed and looked at the floor. A few moments later, a very happy Louis strolled into the lobby.
“Hello, lovelies! How are we this morning?” He smiled at each of us.
“Very good, thank you,” my mom said, smiling back. She was very good at hiding her emotions when she needed to.
“Shall we head out, then?”
“Sounds great,” Tess said. “By the way, where are we going?”
“Nice try, but it’s still a surprise,” he said, smiling.
Louis held his arm out for my mother to take. She did so, telling him how much of a gentleman he was. He led us out to the limo waiting in front of the hotel.
“There they are!” Liam exclaimed as we climbed in.
“Hope you lovely ladies slept well last night,” Harry said.
“I hope you brought your appetites!” Niall said.
“Can someone tell us where we’re going?” Tess asked, not even bothering to greet the boys.
“Nope. Sorry, love, it’s a surprise,” Zayn said.
She pouted and stared out the window.
My mom and Paul made quiet conversation as I talked to the boys about their tour. They told me about what it was like to be on the road for their Up All Night tour and some things are easier to get used to than others.
“Once you get used to the strange hours and the moving bus, you’ll love it,” Louis told me.
I thought about how it would feel riding on a bus all the time and having weird sleeping hours. Then it occurred to me: where were Tess and I going to sleep?
I didn’t dare ask in front of my mom and Paul. I decided I would ask Harry later.
After a few more minutes of talking about what it’s like to live on tour, we pulled up in front of a beautiful hotel. There were blooming bushes and flowers all along the front and surrounding the front doors.
We hopped out of the limo and Paul led us into the lobby. He greeted the door man with a warm smile and pressed the button on the elevator. When the doors opened, we all piled in and rode in anxious silence to the 3rd floor.
Once the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened, Paul led us down the hall and into a large suite. There was a neat bed on one side of the room and a small kitchen/dining area on the other.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, motioning toward the couch and the table and chairs in the dining area. We did as he suggested and sat down, still somewhat curious as to what was going on.
“Since we eat a lot of fast food while we’re on the road, I thought it might be nice to cook for you,” Paul said, answering our unspoken question. “Harry offered to help as well.”
Harry took a small bow and smiled at us. Both Paul and Harry pulled on aprons and began making pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. Everything smelled wonderful.
Once they finished cooking, we all sat around in a circle, scarfing down the delicious breakfast. No one really said anything, we were too busy enjoying the meal Harry and Paul had prepared for us.
“That was amazing, thank you,” Tess said as we finished our meals.
“Don’t worry about it, love,” Harry said.
We sat around and talked for a little while longer and realized we needed to head back to the hotel if we wanted to get to the airport on time. We all piled back into the limo and headed back to our hotel. When we arrived, Tess, my mom, and I jumped out and ran up to our rooms and grabbed our things. We tidied up the rooms quickly so the maids wouldn’t have to do so much after we left. Tess grabbed my mom’s luggage and put it in the trunk of the limo as my mom checked us out of the hotel.
When all the chaos was over, we were driven to the airport we had been in only two days before. We had to run inside and get everything settled quickly to make it to the terminal on time. We hugged the boys goodbye and took our seats on the plane just as the pilot was giving instructions.
Tess fell asleep almost as soon as we were in the air and my mom listened to music. I played some games on my phone and cancelled the plans I had made for the summer. I texted the camp director and told him Tess and I wouldn’t be able to work this summer because we would be touring with One Direction. He didn’t believe me at first but after I sent him a picture of Tess and me with the boys, he seemed to have changed his mind.
I put in my headphones and closed my eyes, letting the music flow through me. When my playlist came to a One Direction song, I couldn’t help but smile. I must have looked like an idiot with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face but I didn’t care.
I must have fallen asleep for a while because the next thing I knew, we were being woken up by a flight attendant. We grabbed our carry-ons from the shelf above our seats and followed the other passengers off the plane. After we got the rest of our things from luggage claim, we took a cab back home. Once we were in the house, we all felt a sense of security we quickly realized we hadn’t felt in New York.
I took my things up to my room and unpacked some things I didn’t want to take with me. I pulled my best clothes out of my closet and folded them neatly in my suitcase. I got my hair straightener out of my bathroom and packed it away in the bag. I packed some extra shoes and an emergency stash of money in a locked pocket.
When I finished, I took my suitcases and put them in the car. My mom drove us to Tess’ house so she could get her things together. While Tess and I were in her room, my mom gave her mom Paul’s phone number and any other information he had given her the night before.
“I can’t believe you said that to your mom this morning, Chloe. I’ve never heard you talk to her with anything but respect,” Tess said, pulling clothes out of her closet and throwing them at me to pack for her.
“I know, I guess something in me snapped. I’m almost 17; I can date whomever I please. Who is she to tell me I can’t date someone?” I folded a pretty light green blouse and packed it in her suitcase.
“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that you stood up for yourself but I think you should apologize and maybe calmly discuss it.”
“I’m not apologizing to her. I just want to forget it. It’s not like I’m going to end up with one of them anyway.”
Tess pulled some shoes out of her closet and began putting them in another suitcase. She pulled her curling iron out of the drawer in her bathroom and stuffed that in the suitcase as well.
After making sure she had absolutely everything she might need, I helped her pull her bags down the stairs. My mom said goodbye to Tess’ mom and took some of the bags out to the car. Tess hugged her mom goodbye and promised to call her regularly. If we hadn’t let when we did, Tess’ mom might have told her to stay.
We drove in silence to the airport, all of us thinking about the upcoming summer; Tess and I about our life on the road with the boys and my mom about how she would be lonely without me at home with her.
We pulled up to the airport and my mom helped us with our bags. We went through security and dropped our bags off. Since we had about 30 minutes until we were supposed to be on the plane, we grabbed some lunch. We sat in silence for a little while until finally my mom spoke up.
“Chloe, I’m sorry about earlier. Of course you can date who you want. I can’t control you forever no matter how much I wish I could. If you want to date one of those boys, it’s okay with me. Louis was quite a gentleman this morning and I suppose the rest are as well.”
“Well, Mom, unfortunately I can’t date Louis. He’s one of the boys with a girlfriend,” I said, taking a bite of the sandwich I ordered. “I’m sorry for being so rude, I just wish you would realize that I’m going to make my own decisions from now on. In a little over a year I’m probably going to be off to college and all of my decisions are going to have to be my own.”
“I know, sweetie, just be careful. Could I have Harry’s number?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. Just be careful.”
“I will, Mom,” I said. I threw my trash away and waited for Tess and my mom to finish eating. When they did, we made our way to the terminal.
“You girls have grown up so fast,” my mom said, a sad look on her face. “Please be careful. Call me if you need anything. Chloe, call me every couple days, would you?”
I nodded and told her I would call her every few days. She pulled me into a tight hug and watched us walk away to get on the plane. I didn’t look back. It would hurt too much to see the sad look on her face.
Tess and I settled back onto the plane and waited for take-off. As I was listening to my music, I felt my phone buzz in my hand.
Hello, love. I trust you made it home alright? xx
I smiled at the text from Harry. I looked out the window and stared at the clouds for a moment before responding.
Yes :) Now we’re on the plane back
I closed my eyes and waited for Harry to text back. Unknowingly, I fell asleep. Only when Tess shook me awake did I realize I’d been sleep for most of the plane ride.
We landed and I grabbed my purse and followed Tess off the plane to luggage claim. We grabbed our things and found our driver. He helped us load our bags into the trunk and drove us to the hotel the boys were staying in.
On the way there, I checked my phone to see if Harry had texted me back.
3 New Messages
2 Missed Calls
I felt kind of bad that I had fallen asleep before I had a chance to tell him I would talk to him when we got back to New York.
I opened the messages, fully prepared for him to be upset that I didn’t text him back.
Already? That was quick xx
That one’s not too bad. I opened the second one.
Chloe? Are you alright love? xx
He might have been kind of worried with that one but I wasn’t sure. I opened the last one.
Did something go wrong with the plane? Babe are you okay? Please answer me, Chloe xx
I sighed and smiled. He was worried about me. I opened and new messages and texted him back.
Srry, fell asleep on the plane :P We’re fine, on our way to the hotel now
I looked at the time: almost 9. I wondered where Tess and I would be sleeping. I had forgotten to ask Harry when I texted him earlier. Maybe I’ll ask him if he texts me back.
I looked out the window and watched all the buildings and people zoom by. My phone buzzed in my hand.
I thought something happened, love I’m glad you’re okay xx
I smiled and texted back.
Aw, you were worried about me :) Where are Tess and I going to sleep?
I looked next to me and saw Tess had fallen asleep with her face against the window. I nudged her with my elbow and she shifted so her head leaned back instead of to the side. It still looked very uncomfortable but at least now her neck wouldn’t cramp. My phone buzzed again.
Uh-oh. We forgot to figure that out. You could sleep in my bed J And maybe Tess could sleep on the couch? xx
I laughed and texted him back.
She might object to that. We’ll work it out when we get there.
After a few more minutes of driving, we pulled up in front of a beautiful hotel. By now, it was 9:30 and the nightlife of New York had begun.
I shook Tess awake and she stumbled out of the car. We thanked the driver and hauled our luggage into the lobby of the hotel where we realized we had no idea where to go or who to ask for.
“Chloe, what do we do?” Tess asked, sitting on the couch in the lobby.
“I don’t know.”
“Call Harry.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Harry’s number.
“Hello, love, miss me already?” Harry answered the phone after the 2nd ring.
“We’re down in the lobby but we don’t know who to ask for or where to go. Could you come get us?” I asked, looking around at the empty room.
“Sure think, I’ll be down in a minute,” Harry said and hung up. I put my phone back in my pocket and told Tess he’d be down soon.
A few minutes later we heard an elevator open down one of the hallways off of the lobby and someone came jogging into the room. Harry and his curls bounced into the room ready to take us to wherever we needed to be.
“I’ve been told you need someone to escort you to your living quarters, no?” Harry said, putting on a fake accent.
I laughed and reached for my bags.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Harry said, grabbing them before I had the chance.
I smiled my thanks as he picked up Tess’ bags as well. He led us down the hall to the elevator he just emerged from.
“How was your flight, ladies?” He asked as the elevator began its ascent.
“I don’t know, I slept through it,” I told him.
“Same here,” Tess agreed.
“I’ll take that as boring,” Harry said, laughing a little.
We stepped out of the elevator when we reached the floor.
“So, do we know where we’re staying?” Tess asked, following Harry down the hall.
“You’re going to stay in mine and Zayn’s room,” Harry said, pulling the key card out of his back pocket.
“That’s fine, but, I mean, where are we going to sleep?” Tess pushed.
“In the beds, of course,” Harry answered, opening the door and leading us inside.
“Then where are you and Zayn going to sleep?” She continued, noticing there were only two beds in the room.
“In the beds,” Harry said seriously. He dropped our bags by the window.
Tess watched him, waiting for a smile or ‘just kidding.’ When it didn’t happen, she just shrugged and sat on one of the beds.
“Who sleeps with who, then?” she asked.
“Do you like Zayn?” Harry asked, sitting on the other bed.
Tess nodded and pulled her legs under her.
“Then you’ll sleep with Zayn. I’ll sleep with Chloe.” He flashed me a dimpled smile.
“Would you like some dinner? The rest of the boys went out but I stayed to wait for you. We could go downstairs and get something or order room service.”
“No thanks, I’m good. Just tired.” I pulled my sandals off and set them beside my bags.
Tess nodded in agreement.
“Alright, well, I’m starved so I’m going to go get some food. You can change into whatever you wear to sleep if you like. If not, I’m not leaving when you do.” He winked and left the room, leaving Tess and me alone.
“Someone has a crush on you,” Tess said, opening one of her suitcases and pulling out her pajamas.
“Ha-ha-ha, you’re so funny,” I said, stripping out of my clothes and pulling on some gym shorts and an old camp shirt.
“Seriously, he definitely is happy to be sharing a bed with you. Just don’t do anything you wouldn’t want me to see,” she said.
I threw a pillow from the couch at her and pulled my hair out of its ponytail.
As I was brushing it out, Harry came back with his arms full of food.
“Wow,” Tess said. “You have quite an appetite, don’t you?”
Harry nodded. He sat on the bed I assumed was his and turned on the television. He watched the news for a few minutes then turned it off.
“You girls sure you’re not hungry?” He asked, holding out half of a sandwich.
We both shook our heads and I checked my phone. No one had texted me so I shut it off and put it in my purse.
Harry quickly finished his food and went to the bathroom. I raised my eyebrows at Tess, who was smiling at me.
“Doesn’t he sleep naked?” She whispered, her smile growing wider.
I stared back at her as I realized I read somewhere that Harry sleeps in the nude. Before I could respond, Harry came back into the room.
He pulled off his shirt and pants, throwing them sloppily to the side of the room. Tess and I gaped at him, waiting for him to pull his boxers off. I felt a wave of relief and disappointment wash over me when he left them on.
“I’m gonna hit the hay, if you girls want to do the same.”
We nodded and climbed into our separate beds. Harry laid down next to me, not too far away, but not as close as he could be. He turned out the light on the bedside table and fell asleep almost instantly.
I rolled onto my side so my back faced Harry. I was almost asleep when I felt a movement in the bed beside me. Soon I felt an arm wrap around me, pulling me closer. I quickly realized Harry was holding me close to his body almost protectively. I felt my heart skip a beat and I smiled to myself, hoping I would be able to fall asleep before he moved again.
Almost immediately, I drifted into a deep sleep, still held tight in the safety of Harry’s arms.
6/16/13