dedicated, once again, to my best friend and sister Hannah_Banana27 also known as Hailee;) I love you forever and im so glad you are able to be such a big part of my life and so close to my heart. youre my always<3 nothing can tear us apart
Torn
"We're back," I say softly, slipping through the door back to the room with the boys. Louis follows close behind and closes the door once we are both inside.
"You guys okay?" Zayn asks, sounding concerned.
I nervously rub my hands up and down my thighs, but smile as I respond, "Yeah. We're fine."
"Where's Harry and Hailee?" Louis asks, noticing the two's absences before I can.
"Talking in the bathroom. They went in there when you guys left," Niall explains.
"Oh, okay. So..." I trail, suddenly feeling awkward before Liam decides to speak up.
"What are you guys gonna do?"
"We are going to make it work," Louis sighs, placing his hand on the small of my back, gently comforting me.
The boys all purse their lips and nod in understanding.
Suddenly, the bathroom door opens, revealing Harry and Hailee who join us with intertwined fingers, letting us know it all went as well as it could between the two of them. I'm thankful for that much.
"Hey, guys." Hailee gives a slight wave. Her face is red and tearstained, but she's smiling.
"Son of a bitch," Michael mutters before striding over to the couple. The look he wears makes him appear scarier than I have ever seen Michael. If looks could kill, Harry would have dropped dead at our feet already.
"Mikey, calm down," Hailee soothes. He's being a good brother, but none of us want this going anywhere.
"No!" he screams, walking up so that he is in Harry's face. "I've known this guy longer than you have, Hails! I've seen what he's like with women!"
Harry's face physically drops at his words, before a sudden anger slowly begins to cross his features.
"He takes 'em and leaves 'em! He's a pig and doesn't give a shit for who he knocks up! He probably already has his offspring all across the world and doesn't even know it! That kid is going to get older and you'll have to tell him all about how he may or may not have siblings but isn't sure because his dad is a man whore!"
That's all it takes for Harry to grip his chest before throwing him away. Michael stumbles back a bit, but doesn't loose his balance--or his death stare, for that matter.
"Shut up! You have no idea what you are talking about!" Harry screams, pointing his finger sternly at the now red haired boy.
"I know you are a stupid fuck who fucked up and fucked my sister and fucking knocked her up!" he screams back. His face is beginning to match the color of his fiery hair, making the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach churn.
I shoot my eyes back and forth between the two livid boys, unsure of what to do from here.
"You're an asshole drop-out who was too much of a dumb fuck to do anything but pluck G-strings in his garage with his buddies!"
Michael lunges back at Harry full-force with fists swinging in the air. Harry is already prepared for the attack, and deflects it easily before elbowing his gut, hunching him over for a second before he stands up and swings again, this time hitting him square in the jaw. I can see Harry's lip split open as soon as Michael's bloody fist retracts to his side, ready to swing again.
I look to Hailee for any semblance of ideas to get them to stop, but she stands just as frozen as me, matching the look of terror I know is positioned tightly on my own face.
Just as Mikey winds up for another punch, Louis seems to be the first to be able to pull himself together enough to run to grab a hold of his fist, mid-air.
"You need to calm down, mate," Louis speaks, looking him square in the eyes and doing his best to remain calm and collected as he diffuses the ticking time bomb that has become Harry and Michael.
I can't weigh Michael's reaction since his back us turned to me. But from the look that remains stale on Louis' face, I assume they are both staring the other down, seeing who will come out on top.
"You're no better than him," Mike spit at him, not wavering his threatening stance.
Louis' gaze narrows at him, tightly. I notice the vein in his neck straining as he attempts to physically swallow back the words that I know he wants more than anything to shout out loud.
"Stop, Mike." Louis' voice holds a steady dominance and authoritarian tone that sends shivers through my bones. Not in a good way, either.
Michael remains glued in his position, making no move to back down.
"Girls, I think you should wait in Avery's room." Louis' voice resounds from his lungs, sounding deep and determined to keep his cool.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Lou." I shake my head slightly at him after a moment.
He breaks his gaze with Michael, cautiously, as he turns to look at me, however moving nothing but his eyes.
He doesn't say anything. He just stares at me. His eyes aren't the sparkly blue I know like the back of my hand; they are empty and cold; they are mean.
I know I am not the one his anger is directed at, however as he looks back at me, I can't help but almost be scared of the man I see a matter of mere feet from me.
Without saying a word, I nod tightly and Hailee comes over to take my hand in her's as she pulls me backwards from the room.
I hold my breath as we near the door, never breaking eye contact with Louis.
The door opens and I am pulled through the corridor, Hailee closing it behind us and leaving us both staring blankly down the hotel hallway.
My head feels light and I'm concerned I may pass out soon if I don't force myself to take a deep breath.
"Avery," Hailee breathes cautiously, reaching to rest her hand on my shoulder from behind me.
I inhale quickly, gaining only enough oxygen to speak a few words.
"He was scary."
Hailee turns me to face her. She just looks at me for a moment, giving me a minute to calm my thoughts enough to act. Once I have, I reach forward and wrap my arms around her torso, burying my head in her chest as I begin to shake with sobs, tears falling freely down my face.
She holds me tight, giving me the strength I currently lack. I gasp against the fabric of her sweatshirt, trying to control the wracking feeling in my chest that only causes me to take even shallower breaths. I squeeze my eyes closed as tightly as I can, gripping Hailee tighter against me.
I don't know why it is affecting me this way. My emotions have just been so malleable recently, most likely due to the pregnancy hormones, and today has sent me through the extremes of highest and lowest emotions. Add the stress of the sensitive situation that is becoming more and more explosive by the minute, I'm breaking down.
"It's gonna be okay," Hailee coos, never relenting her hold on me.
I work to calm my gasping and sobs, doing my best to take deep breaths and releasing them slowly, pushing until there is no oxygen left in my lungs before repeating the action.
Soon enough, my body stops shaking considerably, and I pull away slightly to look up at Hailee.
"You okay?" she asks, looking down at me with concerned eyes.
I take one more deep breath before responding, "Yeah. I'm okay."
She purses her lips in a tight smile before wrapping her arms around my shoulders, squeezing tightly and releasing them again. She reaches down to take my hands in hers, swinging them softly between us.
"Why don't you and I have a girls day?" she suggests, still speaking relatively soft. But now it's more of a comforting and content tone rather than cautious. "Just you and me. It hasn't been just the two of us in a bit. We can watch movies and laugh about stupid shit and talk about music like we always do."
I blink away the remaining tears in my eyes and let out a soft chuckle, exhaling and nodding in agreement.
"Please."
She smiles and lets go of one of my hands, but keeping the other laced securely in mine. We turn to walk towards my room since I have my own room for the night while she is sharing with Harry. She swings our hands back and forth softly between us, creating a soothing rhythm that spreads through my muscles.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Hails," I speak softly, breaking the comfortable silence as we walk slowly across the carpeted halls, our feet padding along the cushioned ground. I'm only wearing socks, so the cool touch of the floors seep through the fabric when my feet sink slightly into the woven material.
I turn my head sideways to look at her to find her already gazing back at me.
"I'm not going anywhere, so you will never have to find out."
I smile back at my best friend in the world. I honestly have no idea how I would get through life without this girl by my side. She has seen me at my best and my worst and stayed by me through it all, as I have, her. In some ways, she is more family to me than my actual family. I always want her with me, doing all of the things I've always wanted to do. But at the same time, we can be doing literally nothing and I'll have a good time and laugh and smile with her. She's the person I told everything to, but more than that, the person I want to know everything; good and bad. With most people, even my mom, I try to hide the shadows that haunt me, but she knows every one. She knows a lot that no one else ever will, and it feels good to have her know all of that about me and, instead of running away or all of the other things she could have done, being there for me and not judge me for the monsters in my closet. She worries about my demons rather than judging me for them. I feel comfortable and safe as long as she is by my side. I know it is never me against the world, because I always have her to fight the battle with me.
She is truly my other half, now and forever.
"I lub you," I say, warmly.
"I lub you, too."
We both smile at each other as we reach my door before I pull out my key card and swing it open.
"So, what movie do you wanna watch?!" I ask, brightening the mood a tad as I bounce to land on my fluffy bed.
"You wanna watch 'Dead Poet Society'?" she asks, plopping down on the bed next to me.
"Oh, god! I don't if I can take that emotional stress!" I laugh, not kidding.
"Good point," she mumbles in agreement. "'Jerk Theory'?!"
"YES!" I agree, wildly.
"God, I love that movie! He's so perf!" she shouts, almost angrily.
"He is so great! And okay Jenna Dewan-Tatum gets to make out with him all day, then go home to Channing Tatum! Like how is that fair, dude?! SHARE!"
She laughs hysterically at my rant. I quickly join in, not able to control the giggles pouring out of my mouth. I lean over and poke her side. She squeals as she jumps away, quickly.
Her eyes go wide as she looks straight at me.
"Don't," she warns.
I smile slyly, having no intention of stopping. I lunge forward, twitching my fingers against her sides and sending her spasming in every direction.
One thing I learned very early in our friendship: Hailee is extremely ticklish... and HATES being tickled.
Therefor, I tickle her fairly often.
"Stop it! Agh! I hate you!" she shouts through her contagious laughter.
"You love me and you know it!" I scream back.
"Dammit!"
I laugh harder at her inability to hate me for longer than a microsecond. Unfortunately, my uncontrollable laughter halts my attack and gives her long enough to break free from my grasp. She jumps up and lands on top of me so that she is laying across my back.
"You dahmby," she teases from above me.
"Shut up. You are such a bathtub!"
"Oh hell no! You are the bathtub in this relationship!"
"You are one-hundred percent the bathtub, bathtub!" I scream, incredulously.
"Bathtub!" she shouts, sounding like a second grade girl who just got called a meanie.
"Bathtub!" I shout back, admittedly as childish.
"Whatever, stupid!" she cedes, laughing.
We lay there in silence for a few moments before I mumble with my cheek pressed against the sheets, "Can we watch the movie now?"
"Yeah, sure!" she laughs, grabbing the remote and clicking onto the hotel's paid programming. Once we type in our room number and security code, Josh Henderson's wonderful face appears on the flat screen.
Hailee wiggles around a bit on top of me, getting herself comfortable. I do the same, and soon we are both settled, her still remaining across my body.
I spend the rest of the night having the best time of my life doing my favorite thing in the world: messing around with my best friend in this universe.