Never Look Away
Chapter 17: The Fans
Carly’s POV
My eyes fluttered open when I felt someone brush against me. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at the blurry person sitting next to me on the couch. I reached over the arm of the couch and grabbed my glasses off the table and slid them on my face as he turned around. Oh, it’s just Harry. The smile on his face showed off his dimples and his eyes were an intense emerald color.
“Good morning love.” He set one of his hands on the back of the couch and the other on the arm before leaning down to kiss my cheek.
“Good morning.” I said quietly. “What time is it?”
“10:15” His voice was raspy, just the way I liked it when I woke up. “We’re stopping in just a few minutes to fuel up if you want to get out with us.”
“I do but I don’t want to get dressed.” I curled into the blanket a little more.
“You don’t have to, just put a pair of jeans on real quick.” He sat back and pointed to my bag.
“I might as well just get ready.” I buried my face into the blanket and felt Harry touch my side.
“Come on baby.” He whispered, rubbing my side before he pulled the blanket away.
“Oh my gosh, it’s freezing!” I squealed and heard laughter; when I sat up and looked around I saw Liam sitting at the table with Louis and Niall.
“Is the baby cold?” Liam was mocking me with a devious smile.
I stood up and flipped him off before picking up my bag and heading toward the bathroom. Once I was changed and my clothes were back in my bag, I walked back out of the bathroom and set my bag down. Harry was sitting where I had been laying and the blanket was now gone. I sat next to Louis in the open seat and crossed my legs.
“Has anyone seen Zayn or Perrie yet?” Niall asked in a very raspy voice, one that I rarely heard.
“Nope.” Everyone shook their heads at his question.
“Paul asked us to wake everyone up so someone has to.” Liam looked around.
“Carly” They all pointed to me without hesitation.
“You guys suck.” I grumbled and stood up.
“Don’t forget to knock.” Liam sang in an arrogant way while I flipped him off again.
“Don’t fuck with Liam, I just woke up and haven't had any coffee.” I threatened then turned toward the back room again.
I walked toward it quietly and knocked on door. Nothing. I knocked again heard rustling before Zayn opened the door with only his boxers on.
“Hey.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Hey, we’re stopping soon and Paul wants all of us to get off the bus.” I looked into his eyes and watched him nod and shut the door.
Still On The Road, 6 Hours Later (Cartersville, Georgia @ 5:32)
“I love meeting your fans.” I smiled up at Niall.
“Me too.” His smile was huge when wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “They're your fans too, I saw them asking for a picture with you and your autograph.”
“That’s only because I’m dating Harry.” I looked around at the fans going crazy for the guys.
“No it isn't and you know it.” He poked my cheeks. “They like you because you're Carly Ryland.”
I smiled and hugged his waist and he hugged me back. When I let go of his waist and looked back at the rest of the guys and Perrie, they were all laughing together. Perrie walked over to us and looked out at the crowd as Niall walked over to the other group.
“Hey!” She smiled at me.
“Hey.” I said back to her.
“I love seeing their fans.” She looked out at them.
“Me too. They're all so nice and patient and they're standing in the rain just so they can get a picture with them. That’s what I call dedication.” I really do love seeing them.
“Can I ask you something?” She looked at me and I nodded. “Do you ever get hate?”
“Yea, of course I do.” I said it in a “Duh” kind of way.
“Does it ever get to you?”
“Yea, it does a lot but I just try to push past it.” She looked confused. “You have to remember that they don’t know you so none of it can be true and you obviously mean something to them because they are making an effort to be in your life.”
“That’s true.” She shrugged as Harry walked over to us and stood next to me. “What’s up Curly?”
“I need to borrow you for a minute.” He pointed at me with a smile. “Please”
“I’ll see you in a little bit.” I waved at her and walked away with Harry.
“There’s a fan who says they’ve met you before and wants a picture with both of us.” He mumbled as he led me over to a tall man that was facing away from me.
I saw a little girl’s sillohete next to him and there hands interlocked. Harry let go of my side when we walked up to them. The man and little girl turned around to face me and I automatically recognized her.
“Carly” The little girl with bright green eyes smiled up at me.
“Hi Lauren.” I crouched down so I was eye level with her and her jaw dropped. “What? You didn't think I’d remember you?”
“I don’t know.” She blushed.
“Of course I’d remember you! You were the first person to ever stop me in public plus, you're beautiful.” I said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Aww thank you!” Her pronunciation has gotten a lot better since I met her.
“You're welcome, how have you been?” We let go of each other and her eyes flashed up to Harry as he crouched next to me.
“Great!” She answered with a grin. “Can I take a picture with you?” She looked at both of us.
“Yes, of course lovely.” Harry made her blush, he had that effect on every girl though.
She turned around while her dad took a few pictures of us. I put her between Harry and I, so she was in the middle. When I saw the pictures, I saw that smile of hers that I loved. Harry was still talking to her while I looked at the pictures with her dad.
“Can you send me those?” I asked her dad.
“Sure.” We exchanged numbers and then he looked at me. “Thank you for being so nice to her and giving her so much time. She really looks up to you.”
“You don’t need to thank you, she is important to me too.” I smiled at looked down at them laughing together.
“Because she’s a fan?”
“No, because she was the first person that ever stopped me. To me, she is my first fan…she’s family to me.” I looked back at her dad and saw him smiling.
“And you're family to her, to both of us.” Lauren had his smile.
We talked for a few more minutes before I gave them tickets to the Louisville show. I waved goodbye to her as Harry took my other hand and led me away.
My eyes fluttered open when I felt someone brush against me. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at the blurry person sitting next to me on the couch. I reached over the arm of the couch and grabbed my glasses off the table and slid them on my face as he turned around. Oh, it’s just Harry. The smile on his face showed off his dimples and his eyes were an intense emerald color.
“Good morning love.” He set one of his hands on the back of the couch and the other on the arm before leaning down to kiss my cheek.
“Good morning.” I said quietly. “What time is it?”
“10:15” His voice was raspy, just the way I liked it when I woke up. “We’re stopping in just a few minutes to fuel up if you want to get out with us.”
“I do but I don’t want to get dressed.” I curled into the blanket a little more.
“You don’t have to, just put a pair of jeans on real quick.” He sat back and pointed to my bag.
“I might as well just get ready.” I buried my face into the blanket and felt Harry touch my side.
“Come on baby.” He whispered, rubbing my side before he pulled the blanket away.
“Oh my gosh, it’s freezing!” I squealed and heard laughter; when I sat up and looked around I saw Liam sitting at the table with Louis and Niall.
“Is the baby cold?” Liam was mocking me with a devious smile.
I stood up and flipped him off before picking up my bag and heading toward the bathroom. Once I was changed and my clothes were back in my bag, I walked back out of the bathroom and set my bag down. Harry was sitting where I had been laying and the blanket was now gone. I sat next to Louis in the open seat and crossed my legs.
“Has anyone seen Zayn or Perrie yet?” Niall asked in a very raspy voice, one that I rarely heard.
“Nope.” Everyone shook their heads at his question.
“Paul asked us to wake everyone up so someone has to.” Liam looked around.
“Carly” They all pointed to me without hesitation.
“You guys suck.” I grumbled and stood up.
“Don’t forget to knock.” Liam sang in an arrogant way while I flipped him off again.
“Don’t fuck with Liam, I just woke up and haven't had any coffee.” I threatened then turned toward the back room again.
I walked toward it quietly and knocked on door. Nothing. I knocked again heard rustling before Zayn opened the door with only his boxers on.
“Hey.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Hey, we’re stopping soon and Paul wants all of us to get off the bus.” I looked into his eyes and watched him nod and shut the door.
Still On The Road, 6 Hours Later (Cartersville, Georgia @ 5:32)
“I love meeting your fans.” I smiled up at Niall.
“Me too.” His smile was huge when wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “They're your fans too, I saw them asking for a picture with you and your autograph.”
“That’s only because I’m dating Harry.” I looked around at the fans going crazy for the guys.
“No it isn't and you know it.” He poked my cheeks. “They like you because you're Carly Ryland.”
I smiled and hugged his waist and he hugged me back. When I let go of his waist and looked back at the rest of the guys and Perrie, they were all laughing together. Perrie walked over to us and looked out at the crowd as Niall walked over to the other group.
“Hey!” She smiled at me.
“Hey.” I said back to her.
“I love seeing their fans.” She looked out at them.
“Me too. They're all so nice and patient and they're standing in the rain just so they can get a picture with them. That’s what I call dedication.” I really do love seeing them.
“Can I ask you something?” She looked at me and I nodded. “Do you ever get hate?”
“Yea, of course I do.” I said it in a “Duh” kind of way.
“Does it ever get to you?”
“Yea, it does a lot but I just try to push past it.” She looked confused. “You have to remember that they don’t know you so none of it can be true and you obviously mean something to them because they are making an effort to be in your life.”
“That’s true.” She shrugged as Harry walked over to us and stood next to me. “What’s up Curly?”
“I need to borrow you for a minute.” He pointed at me with a smile. “Please”
“I’ll see you in a little bit.” I waved at her and walked away with Harry.
“There’s a fan who says they’ve met you before and wants a picture with both of us.” He mumbled as he led me over to a tall man that was facing away from me.
I saw a little girl’s sillohete next to him and there hands interlocked. Harry let go of my side when we walked up to them. The man and little girl turned around to face me and I automatically recognized her.
“Carly” The little girl with bright green eyes smiled up at me.
“Hi Lauren.” I crouched down so I was eye level with her and her jaw dropped. “What? You didn't think I’d remember you?”
“I don’t know.” She blushed.
“Of course I’d remember you! You were the first person to ever stop me in public plus, you're beautiful.” I said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Aww thank you!” Her pronunciation has gotten a lot better since I met her.
“You're welcome, how have you been?” We let go of each other and her eyes flashed up to Harry as he crouched next to me.
“Great!” She answered with a grin. “Can I take a picture with you?” She looked at both of us.
“Yes, of course lovely.” Harry made her blush, he had that effect on every girl though.
She turned around while her dad took a few pictures of us. I put her between Harry and I, so she was in the middle. When I saw the pictures, I saw that smile of hers that I loved. Harry was still talking to her while I looked at the pictures with her dad.
“Can you send me those?” I asked her dad.
“Sure.” We exchanged numbers and then he looked at me. “Thank you for being so nice to her and giving her so much time. She really looks up to you.”
“You don’t need to thank you, she is important to me too.” I smiled at looked down at them laughing together.
“Because she’s a fan?”
“No, because she was the first person that ever stopped me. To me, she is my first fan…she’s family to me.” I looked back at her dad and saw him smiling.
“And you're family to her, to both of us.” Lauren had his smile.
We talked for a few more minutes before I gave them tickets to the Louisville show. I waved goodbye to her as Harry took my other hand and led me away.
Notes
Sleeping: http://www.polyvore.com/carly/set?id=90859353Off the Bus: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=91087319
Thanks so much! Loved both stories! And yeah I've been writing but I had to stop because of school and all the work.
8/24/13