It's Back

Laura's teeth were clenched so hard she thought that they would shatter into a million pieces. She felt her chin begin to wobble and bit her tongue to fight back the tears, she had to. Too many people were around and even though she was telling herself differently, she knew they recognised her. How could they not? Laura was always all over the tabloids as the latest hot shot actress who was dating one of the members of the hottest boy band in the world. Niall James Horan of One Direction. She began to notice people pointing at her and whispering, pulling her beanie down further and pushing her dark sunglasses further up her nose she rounded the corner to the entry way to the flat she shared with her son and Niall.
Laura was 18 when she had Oliver and due to a freak car accident, his father never got to lay eyes on him. It was that that pushed her to follow her dreams and create a better life for Ollie so he could be proud of her when he was older. At the first audition she went to she was given the lead role of the biggest movie of the year staring alongside Brad Pitt. It was hard work being a mother and an actress but she worked hard, and with the help of her mum she made it to where she was today.
She walked up the steps to the door of her flat, there was loud laughing and cheering coming from inside. Unmistakably the voices came from the other members of One Direction, their girlfriends and the members of 5 Seconds of Summer. For a split second the troubles of a few minutes ago melted away as Laura listened to the voices of those she held dear. Perrie and Eleanor’s voices were ringing out through the midst of the rough deep voices of the boys around them. They had quickly become her best friends when she first met the band, they were a fan of her acting but even more of a fan of her. Every minute of the day was spent texting those girls, sending them funny pictures of Ollie, talking about clothes and funny videos that one of them had seen on Facebook. They always leapt at the chance to look after Ollie, even if it was for 5 minutes while she quickly answered a phone call in another room. The distinctive laughter of Harry, Liam and Zayn as well as the frustrated crys from Louis and Niall rung out and streamed into the street outside. The boys had been pushing Laura and Niall together since the day she admitted in an interview that Niall was her celebrity crush. It worked. After the loss of Tom, Ollie’s father, Laura vowed never to love anyone but her son again. But once she laid eyes on Niall in the flesh she felt different. He had to fight to get through her walls but he got there eventually. Although lately all they had been doing was fighting, she knew he was the one. As for Calum, Michael, Luke and Ashton, Laura had known them a very long time. Calum was her cousin and as children they were more like brother and sister than anything else. He had been her rock when she lost Tom and the first person she told when she found out she was pregnant.
The sudden yelp of Ollie quickly brought her back to reality so she turned the key in the lock and let herself in. Her heart started racing a million miles an hour and yet she felt completely numb. The boys looked up and said their hellos. The beautiful black haired, blue eyed two year old terror ran to Laura wrapping his tiny arms around her ankles.
"Mumma" he said revealing a toothy grin.
"Hello Ollie bear, were you good for Aunty Perrie and Aunty Eleanor today?" She knew as soon as the words left her mouth that her voice had revealed the inner angst she was feeling. Perrie, Eleanor and Calum noticed straight away, getting off the lounge making their way over to Laura's side.
"Whats wrong Laura?" Calum asked his voice shaking slightly. A lonely tear began to roll down her face as she bent over to pick Ollie up. They knew something was definitely wrong now. Laura never cried. Ever!
"Nothing, Just wind was getting into my eyes around my sunnies while I was outside and its making them water." She offered a weak smile knowing that they would not buy that excuse in the slightest. They nodded and returned back to their places without another word. They knew well enough that if Laura had something going on she would go to them when she was ready. She watched on as her boyfriend and his friends cheered on their favourite football teams. Walking over to Niall she leant over to give him a kiss and say hello, he dodged her face and tried to pass it off as natural. Laura's emotions seemed to have come back in a wave as she was hit with sudden anger. She had had enough of this!
"Are you right there? I was just leaning in to give you a kiss and say hello!" She felt her face begin to turn red with what she could only identify as embarrassment. He dodged her kiss so what? Not the end of the world.
"Why would I kiss someone who has probably been out cheating on me all morning?" He replied. Laura was caught so off guard by his reply that she couldn’t even respond.
"So you don’t deny it then? Was it that Chris guy you’re supposed to be working with next?" He continued on. Laura looked at the coffee table and saw that it was in fact covered in empty beer bottles. A lot of them. He was drunk. Great!
"Niall, please don’t do this. Not in front of everyone, especially Ollie." She tried to calm him down but he stood up and began edging towards her. Out of instinct she began to take a few steps back feeling a sudden bit of fear rising in her stomach. She felt Ollie cuddle in closer to her as she held him tighter in her arms. Something was going on.
"Where were you all morning then? Huh? Not gunna tell me?" He gritted his teeth as his voice began to grow darker in nature. Laura looked out the corner of your eyes as everyone turned their focus from the tv to the two of them.
"I wasn’t cheating on you Niall! I just had somewhere important to be." Within a second her left cheek felt like it was on fire and her son was screaming at the top of his lungs on her right hip.
"More important than me?! SLUT" He screamed as Michael, Louis, Zayn and Harry jumped on top of him pulling him back. He hit her. He really hit her. Laura's mouth was agape, unable to create words to even justify what had just taken place. He had hit her with her son on her hip.
Perrie and Eleanor quickly ran to Laura's side pulling her into Ollie’s room and sitting her in the arm chair next to his crib. Ollie was still screaming and wailing and for the first time she couldn’t even comfort him. Ashton took him from her arms and began trying to soothe him. Liam rushed in with a bag full of ice while Calum paced the room shout obscenities at no one in particular. Laura sat there unable to move while Eleanor rubbed her hand and told her everything is going to be okay through tears of her own while Perrie held the ice to her already bruising face. They could hear the others yelling at Niall telling him to leave and what seemed to be Niall crying telling anyone who would listen that he’s sorry and that he didn’t know what came over him. Thats when it happened. Thats when the tears began to fall.
Laura was heaving uncontrollably with every sob that left her body. Feeling more pain than she had ever felt in her life. There’s no way to justify what just happened.
Eventually things quietened down, her crying changed from a heavy sob to silent tears as she held her now sleeping son in her arms with her friends around her. They all had tear stained faces. Zayn had finally gotten Niall to leave with him taking him somewhere they all hoped was far away from the flat. Perrie had packed a bag for Laura and Luke was in the process of packing a bag for Ollie. Laura was going to go to her mums back home in Australia until she could even fully comprehend what had happened earlier.
"Where were you Laura? Where were you this morning?" Calum asked, his voice hoarse from crying. Seeing his beloved cousin beaten before his eyes with her baby in her arms had been an experience he could not wait to forget. Unfortunately, he knew it was one that would haunt his dreams for eternity. He didn’t understand how Niall could have reacted that way but he needed to know where his cousin had been.
"I was at the doctors." She whispered trying not to wake the sleeping angel that was at home in her arms.
"It’s back Calum." She said lifting her head up to see her friends with confused looks on their faces. Except for Calum. His expression was of complete horror as he realised what his cousin had just told him. The others looked to each other trying to understand what was just said.
"Whats back?" Liam asked reaching for Laura's hand which was cupping Ollies legs.
"Cancer." She replied in a barely audible voice.
After giving birth to Ollie Laura had gone to the doctors for her 6 month pap smear, that was when they found it. Cervical cancer. She had battled Chemo and an operation to remove a part of her cervix while filming the movie that made her famous. No one knew but family. Not even Niall knew. No point hiding it now though. It was back.
"it’s in my Liver this time, Doctor said its pretty bad." More tears began to flow from not only Laura but all those around her. Calum dropped to the floor in a hysterical heap being comforted by Ashton and Luke. Liam had his head rested on Laura's shoulder stroking Ollies face trying to make sure he didn’t wake up. In all honesty Laura didn’t know what hurt more. Being humiliated and beaten in front of her friends, or telling them that she had cancer.
Two words ran through her head as she zoned out from the tears of those around her.
It’s back.

Notes

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