Kings and Beggars of the World - Part 15
Title: Kings and Beggars of the World
Rating: NC-17
Author: braincloud2
Parings: Harry/Louis, ot5
Warnings: Sexual content, unexplained time-travel, and some offensive language.
Disclaimer: I don’t own people. I don’t intend offense. This is fiction.
Word Count: 75,000-something-idk COMPLETE
Summary: Harry’s on tour and he feels on top of the world-until he wakes up one morning to find himself at the first day of the X Factor boot-camp, just sixteen years old again, and absolutely terrified that he’s just lost the last two years of his life.
Pt 1 --- Pt 2 --- Pt 3 --- Pt 4 --- Pt 5 --- Pt 6 --- Pt 7 --- Pt 8 --- Pt 9 --- Pt 10 --- Pt 11 --- Pt 12 --- Pt 13 --- Pt 14
‘Hey, wake up. Harry, Louis, c’mon.’
Harry grunted as hands pushed at his back and slapped at Louis’ shoulder. ‘Niall? What mate?’ He looked up blearily at the Irish boy.
Niall’s face was close enough that for a moment all Harry could see was panicked blue eyes. ‘You lads gotta come look at this. It’s not good.’
‘What’s not good?’ Louis pushed himself up from the bed, hair sleep mussed and still rubbing his eyes.
‘Just-come see, will yeh?’ Niall tugged at Harry’s elbow, pulling him half off the bed.
‘Seriously, what Nialler?’ Louis yawned, following Harry in getting up and pulling a soft shirt over his head.
‘For fuck’s sake come see for yourself!’ Niall’s voice cracked, and both Louis and Harry paused, taking in how he was shifting from foot to foot by the door, fingers tapping restless at his thighs in obvious distress.
They exchanged looks and hurried to follow the blonde boy, leaving the bedroom empty as Liam was already gone from the room, and Zayn was back home with his family for the funeral.
Harry could hear several hushed conversations coming from the kitchen, and the three of them walked in to find nearly the whole rest of the house congregated around the table. Liam was doing some fast talking but he stopped when he saw them, straightening up from the newspaper spread over the table.
‘What’s going on?’ Harry asked the now silent room, receiving no answer.
He stepped up to the table instead and stared at the large picture covering most of the page of the paper, capturing Louis and him. The two of them were crowded into a corner of the house, showing Louis with his hands hiking Harry’s shirt up, and Harry resting his hands on the wall above Louis’ head, both of their eyes tightly closed as they snogged-neither having any idea that someone else was watching.
Harry blinked, barely able to breathe as he turned to the older boy next to him, taking in his expression, stunned out of his early morning daze with his mouth parted and his eyes shifting over the article. He touched Louis’ wrist almost without meaning to, and Louis turned to him instantly, but that shocked oh fuck look didn’t leave his eyes.
‘So… is it true then?’
‘Cher!’ Mary scolded.
‘I was just asking,’ the girl said.
Harry turned and practically ran from the room, Mary saying behind him, ‘Oh look now you’ve gone and upset him.’
He slid back into their room, diving under the covers of the nearest bed- zayn’s-and smothering his face in the smell of the absent boy. A moment later he heard someone else come in and then sit on the bed with him.
Niall said, ‘It was bound t’ happen sometime.’
Harry sniffed wetly. ‘No it wasn’t. Why can’t they just leave us alone? It’s none of their business.
‘They make it their business, buddy, you kno’ that.’
‘Where’s Louis gone?’
‘Eh, somewhere else. He took the newspaper though to read. Liam went after him o’ course, so he’ll be okay.’
‘It’s not fair.’ Harry uncovered his face and Niall hugged him.
‘The others and me could come out too, if you think it would help?’
‘No.’ Harry groaned. ‘People would go mental if they knew about you guys too. They wouldn’t like it. They wouldn’t like us.’
‘Our old fans woulda liked it, back when we were on world tour.’
‘Maybe. They media still wouldn’t have.
‘Nah, they’d have loved it. They’d have a field day.’
‘Yeah.’ Harry rubbed his eyes, breathing out hard as he willed himself not to start crying again.
Niall’s arm came around his shoulders, pulling him in against his chest. ‘What ever happens Harry, we’re gonna stick through it together. I promise.’
‘I’ve got to call my Mum,’ Harry said after a moment of quiet.
‘Okay. Why don’t I make us a cup each then, while you do that?’
‘Thanks.’
Niall left and Harry ended up staring at his phone for the next ten minutes. By chance, the device was switched off because he’d forgotten to charge it, and Harry wondered how many people he knew had tried to call him or text him this morning after seeing the paper. He didn’t have the courage to find out.
‘Harry,’ Niall admonished when he returned with the tea. ‘You’re gonna have’ta turn it on sooner or later.’
‘Then I’ll do it later,’ Harry said.
1D
He didn’t call her until the close of the day, finally unplugging his phone and turning it on to find twenty-six missed calls and fourteen new text messages, most of the texts from his friends from school and over half of the calls from his mum and sister.
He waited as the phone rang, safely alone in the bathroom with the door locked, and picking at the white paint of the vanity counter where it was chipped.
‘Harry?’
‘Hi Mum.’
‘Harry, finally! I’ve been trying to call you all day, why didn’t you pick up the phone?’
‘I’ve been in meetings and rehearsal stuff.’
‘Meetings. About the front page today?’
‘Yeah. I’m not supposed to be talking about it with anyone though.’
‘Well sod that, I’m your mother. You don’t do anything they say that you don’t want to, you got that?’
‘Yeah, I-thanks, Mum.’
‘Oh, darling. I love you. Do you know who took the photo though? Wouldn’t I like to tear them a new one. It had to be either a contestant or someone from the crew.’
‘It could have been anyone. It doesn’t matter.’
Anne huffed down the phone. ‘I just-oh never-mind.’
‘What?’
‘It’s terrible that you boys were forced out in this way, it makes me so mad-well, anyway. Louis is a sweet boy, he really is, I’ve only known a short time, but I already love him to bits. But darling, keep in mind that everything you do affects the others as well, Liam and Niall and Zayn. It’s not just your life anymore, it’s theirs too,’
‘I know. It’s okay.’
‘Okay. Also, just because you and Louis are both boys doesn’t mean you don’t have to be careful. You still have to be safe and use condoms-’
‘Mum.’
‘What? I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself-or that you’re taking care of Louis, if that’s the way you two prefer to do it.’
‘Oh my god. I’m hanging up now.’
‘Okay, baby. Love you.’
‘Love you, bye.’
1D
Later, after supper, Harry was back in his own bed and thumbing over his twitter feed.
He wasn’t going to tweet anything, he just wanted to see what people were saying. Logging on, he’d found his feed had exploded into a countless stream of people tearing into one other, some demanding him to confirm the article, others begging him that it wasn’t true, some defending him against the more hateful tweets and everyone turning on each other in a constant stream of anger and confusion that hurt everyone.
His and Louis’ names were both trending, along with ‘Larry is Gay’ and Harry had to fight the urge to say something that would probably just make it worse as he kept scrolling down his feed.
A hand slipped through the rail of Harry’s higher bunk bed and plucked the phone out of Harry’s hands. ‘None of that now,’ Louis said.
Harry sat up slightly onto his elbows, looking down at Louis standing below.
Louis shifted, flicking a short rhythm into the metal frame of the bed with his nail. ‘Zayn, uh, called before. Had to convince him to stay with his mum and sisters, and not to come stampeding back to wipe our tears away and sing us lullabies till we fell asleep.’
‘…You told him we were fine, then?’
‘We are fine.’ Louis stepped up, hooking his arms over the rail. ‘Hazza, it’s okay mate, we can deal with this. Don’t get yourself all torn up about it.’
‘You’re the one that’s barely spoken to me all day,’ Harry mumbled.
‘Because you didn’t want me to,’ Louis said, exasperated. ‘Every time I tried, you ran away.’
‘Look, I’m really tired. Can we just go to sleep? Tomorrows probably going to be just the same, if not worse than today, and I’m already sick of people having all these opinions about us.’
Harry rolled over so he didn’t have to see Louis’ expression anymore, waiting for the other boy’s blow out.
‘…Fine. Goodnight, Harry,’ Louis said quietly, getting off and climbing into the bed below.
Harry furiously blinked away tears for ages afterward.
1D
The next morning, the other contestants and crew were too distracted with the coming show that night to pay too much attention to the boys. Zayn returned for breakfast and the boys went in early for a last minute rehearsal and sound-check, working hard all morning until Savan was happy with their performance, declaring it their best yet. Simon was still away sick, but they were told he would be there for the show that night.
Harry was having lunch in the cafeteria, halfway through eating a banana, when Liam returned with his bowl of hot chips and abriuptly sat down next to him.
‘I was talking to Bob, the guard, just now,’ Liam said quickly. ‘Apparently people have been chanting for us to come outside, going “We want One Direction” for hours now.’
‘People shout and sing things all the time for us.’ Harry shrugged.
‘Bob said people have been throwing themselves at the fence and shaking it though, so security’s had to stand around the perimeter for hours.’
‘Why? Is the crowd really angry?’
Liam frowned. ‘Maybe, dunno. I shouldn’t think so, because when it’s all said and done they’re still our fans, right? Just a little crazy.’
‘There’s lots of kinds of crazy though.’
‘I’m sure it’s okay,’ Liam said, looking anything but sure.
1D
‘What if they boo when we go out there?’
‘They’re not going to boo at us, mate,’ Zayn said.
‘What if they do though?’
‘Then you stay next to one of us the whole time on stage, and we’ll talk about what absolute bastards they all are after the show,’ Louis said.
Harry looked at him, meeting his eyes right as the music started and the doors cracked open.
A wall of noise from the crowd hit Harry as he turned to stare out into the lights. Walking forward, he couldn’t tell if the crowd were cheering or just yelling at them as they got into place and Liam started strong on the first verse.
‘I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five-and-dime! I played until my fingers bled, it was the summer of sixty-nine!’
‘Oh, when I look back now,’ the other boys came in, and the crowd screamed louder. ‘That summer seem to last forever! And if I had the choice, yeah I’d always wanna be there. Those were the best days of my life!’
He could just see the outline of people’s silhouettes in the crowd beyond the lights, but it was obvious everyone was on their feet, pressing forward over the rows of chairs to push close to the stage.
‘Man, we were killing time, we were young and restless! We needed to unwind. I guess nothing can last forever! Forever!’
Harry sung the bridge with the other boys, moving out along the back of the catwalk leading behind the judges. He went to pause there like they’d rehearsed, but Niall’s hand pressed into his back, pushing at him to keep moving, and Harry stumbled as people groped at his legs and shoes, the crowd reaching over and around the security guards standing with their arms outstretched to hold the press of people back.
Wobbling free from the hands, his eyes wide but still singing, Harry turned and led the way off the walk, bounding back onto the main stage with the other boys close on his heels. The yelling of the crowd reached new heights and for a moment Harry legitimately couldn’t hear the music anymore.
Some of the X Factor dancers in front of him slowed their movements, looking over Harry’s shoulder at the crowd with growing expressions of shock. Harry realised the others had stopped singing just as Liam shouted something behind him and Zayn bashed into his shoulder.
He turned around to a surge of people climbing up onto the stage, overwhelming the security as people clambered up, falling into each other as they swarmed up the stage.
Zayn’s swearing was lost in the noise and he turned, curling his arms around Niall and putting himself between the crowd and the younger boy. Liam dropped his microphone, closing his hands around Harry’s forearm and Louis’ shoulder and yanking them both towards him-hardly giving Harry a second to register the forty or so young people who’d made it onto the stage before he was pulled off balance into Liam’s side. Harry ducked instinctively, shielding his head as the mob hit them and surrounded them-hands and legs suddenly everywhere.
The dancers screamed behind them, fleeing off the stage and fighting past the security moving to come onto the stage. A girl shrieked in Harry’s face, pushing a wide mouth and teeth right in front of his eyes as hands snatched at his clothes and pulled at his arms.
‘Liam!’ Harry yelled, muffled by all the hands around him. The boy’s grasp was torn off him and he tried to struggle up to see what was happening to the others, and accidently moved right into the path of a hand with fluoro green nail-polish that smacked him in the nose, making his eyes instantly water.
Someone else behind him grabbed his head and Harry screamed as a whole lock of his hair was yanked out.
‘Fuck, Harry!’ Louis shouted.
Harry turned, trying to hold off more people grabbing at the necklaces around his throat, and spotted Louis through a gap. The older boy’s biceps were straining as he held back two girls from his face, but then a third took hold of his shirt just as Louis reared back, and the cotton tore from the collar, ripping half-way down his chest and leaving the material flapping. Louis flinched, his face twisting away to reveal a line of scratched red running down the side of his face.
Harry choked as his air cut off completely, his necklace being wrenched the wrong way until the silver chain snapped. Air sharply returned to him as Liam stumbled back into Harry’s sight, shoving at a boy that held Harry’s elbow and covering Harry’s head, trying to push him towards Louis even as somebody else grabbed Liam in a hug that threatened to pull him over.
Harry reached Louis’ side right as burly security guards were suddenly all around them, shouting and pulling at the crowd on stage. Louis shook his fringe out of his eyes, relief washing over his features when he saw it was Harry that had grabbed him.
‘Go, go!’ Liam shouted, pointing back-stage as he still struggled to get free.
Louis started towards Liam instead, but several large guards stepping in before he could get there, all of them yelling so furiously at the fans hanging onto Liam’s neck that the girls let go in surprise. Another guard, a woman with thick arms, grabbed Liam and started hauling him backstage; Louis and Harry following close behind.
The whole thing had taken less than fifteen seconds, but Harry was gasping like he’d ran a marathon as they were bustled into the wings. Zayn waited there, having dragged Niall off himself, the blonde boy looking on the brink of tears.
‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ Liam was saying over and over again.
‘Everyone okay?’ Zayn’s eyes were white all around the edges and Louis and Harry rushed towards the other three, crashing them into a hug.
People shouted all around them, rushing back and forth backstage as everyone tried to figure out what to do. More security pushed by to the stage, while confused dancers flocked together in bunches, waiting to be told what was happening next. On stage, security teams rounded up the last of the fans, hauling them off and out the back away from the boys-and the rest of the crowd were still standing up from their seats, all loudly exclaiming and excited at the chaos.
‘Jesus Christ,’ Niall said. ‘Oh, God. I thought we were gonna die.’
‘What fucking shit,’ Zayn said, pulled a hand through the mess of his hair, forced forward and limp over his face. ‘Why didn’t the guards stop them?’
‘Oh my God, Louis, you’re bleeding!’ Liam touched the older boy’s face.
‘It’s their fucking job!’ Zayn ranted.
Louis pressed the underside of his wrist to his face, and hissed as he pulled it away to examine the drops of blood. ‘She got me good, that one. I swear she was trying to claw me eyes out. Don’t think she liked me much.’
‘I couldn’t tell if they were attacking us or trying to hug us,’ Harry said, feeling his where his hair had been yanked out.
‘What?’ Louis asked over the noise, leaning forward to hear better, but Harry just shook his head instead of repeating himself.
‘Bloody hell, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,’ Liam said. ‘They just-!’
‘Went crazy,’ Louis agreed. ‘Absolutely off their rockets. Look what they did to me shirt!’
Louis held up the ruined garment, and Liam put his arm around Louis’ back, a helpless scowl on his face.
‘What’d do we do now?’ Niall asked above the noise.
‘Uh-’ Louis looked around him without removing Liam’s arm. ‘Well, someone will tell us what’s happening soon, when everyone quits running about like headless chooks.’
Harry stepped closer, so he could speak directly into his ear. ‘Do you think this was just-because they found out about us?’
‘It probably didn’t help, no,’ Louis shouted back, before frowning. ‘Are you-are you having second thoughts?’
Harry stared at him, but then a commotion broke out on the other side of the backstage arena as Simon came bursting through the crowded back stage, drawing everyone’s attention. At least a dozen people flitted around him, trying to keep up with his strides, half of them talking at high speed into their headsets.
Simon scanned the room, his gaze quickly falling on the boys huddled in the wing and he gestured at them to follow him. They obeyed without question, the crew moving aside for them and making a path automatically, everybody staring at the five boys.
‘Are you all right?’ Simon asked straight away. ‘Are you hurt?’
They all answered no, but it didn’t seem to reassure the man, his eyes flicking from face to face, lingering on Louis. ‘Right. Get back to the contestant studios, all of you. We’re going to fix up this mess.’
He held out his hand, herding them into the back corridors, his attention turning to the staff crowing around them. ‘I want the names, the phone, and the seat numbers of every person who climbed on the stage, and I want all of them out of the audience right now. Get the stage clear by the time the commercial break finishes. Somebody cue Dermot a short apology and statement that we are seeing to the issue and move on with the next contestants, do you understand?’
Several people flew off, already ordering instructions through their microphones.
‘Good. Boys, this way if you please.’ Simon stalked forward, leading the way down the corridor.
Everyone they went by hastily got out of the pathway of their group, and clusters of people stared out at them through every open door they went by. They reached the wardrobe studios and Simon halted.
‘All right. Get changed, causal clothes is fine. I’m sorry, I know you put a lot of effort in, but you won’t be going on for a second performance tonight.’
The words cut through them, their mouths opening in tandem.
‘What?’
‘Why?’
‘I’m sorry. I promise I’ll sort this out after tonight’s show is finished. Just stay back stage here and I’ll have a meeting with you later.’
‘What does that mean?’ Harry turned to the other boys as Simon hurried back up the corridor. ‘How could we not do a second song?’
‘I guess by not doing a second song,’ Louis said.
Harry frowned at him but Louis took no notice, shucking off his ruined costume and pulling his own shirt over his head.
‘I don’t wanna go back out there anyway, not in front o’ that crowd,’ Niall said.
‘Look, I’m sure it’ll be fine, Simon knows what he’s doing,’ Liam said.
‘How in any way, is this fine, Liam?’ Zayn said.
Liam’s shoulders wilted, his eyes going sad.
Zayn scowl grew and he threw down his jacket. ‘Don’t-come here, don’t be like that. You’re right. Simon will sort it all out, obviously.’ Zayn kissed the side of Liam’s head, and Liam gave him a watery smile.
Harry hunched a bit, looking over to where Louis had sidled over next to Niall, rubbing his arms and whispering comforting words to him-and still not looking at Harry.
Stylists rushed into wardrobe in a sudden flurry of sound, and more than a few people paused upon seeing the boys.
‘Oh my God, are you all right? That was terrible.’ Bonnie, one of the main stylists, said ecstatically. ‘You poor things, I saw the whole thing from the telly backstage-well, up until they did a quick cut to the commercial, that is-but oh my God!’
The five boys were caught up with questions from just about the whole crew, as well as from the other contestants backstage. Harry answered, yes they were okay, yes it had been awful, yes it had happened really quick, over and over again for the next hour.
Finally the show wrapped up and the audience were hustled out of the auditorium all of them buzzing with the events of the night, and Linda came in through the door to the contestants studio calling for One Direction to follow her please.
The boys broke off from their conversations, clustering together as they followed Linda out the door and down the hall to the large judges’ dressing room. The room was churning with people coming and going. Simon was on his feet next to the stylist chairs, his arms crossed and looking sorely displeased. Around him, several people were speaking over the top of one another, each trying to be the one that Simon was listening to, but Simon waved them all off when he saw the boys.
‘Ah, good. Let’s go somewhere quieter, shall we? Through here,’ Simon said, unsmiling as he directed them to a private dressing room near the back.
He swung the door open to reveal a small room with a row of mirrors above a counter, with two swivel stools before it and a dark green sofa squished against the back wall. Liam and Niall went through after Simon, but something seized up in Harry’s body and he grabbed at Louis before he could enter, Zayn walking into Harry as at his sudden stop.
‘Lou,’ Harry whispered, gazing at him imploringly.
The older boy looked back, his icy eyes melting a little and he turned his arm over, taking Harry’s hand and tugging him through the doorway. They all settled on the sofa while Simon sighed down onto on of the stools, swiveling to survey the five of them.
‘Boys, boys, boys,’ he said, rubbing his eyes. ‘All right. I’m sure you’re wondering why you didn’t get to perform your second song. It’s because you are essentially being pulled from the show.’
Part 16
Rating: NC-17
Author: braincloud2
Parings: Harry/Louis, ot5
Warnings: Sexual content, unexplained time-travel, and some offensive language.
Disclaimer: I don’t own people. I don’t intend offense. This is fiction.
Word Count: 75,000-something-idk COMPLETE
Summary: Harry’s on tour and he feels on top of the world-until he wakes up one morning to find himself at the first day of the X Factor boot-camp, just sixteen years old again, and absolutely terrified that he’s just lost the last two years of his life.
Pt 1 --- Pt 2 --- Pt 3 --- Pt 4 --- Pt 5 --- Pt 6 --- Pt 7 --- Pt 8 --- Pt 9 --- Pt 10 --- Pt 11 --- Pt 12 --- Pt 13 --- Pt 14
‘Hey, wake up. Harry, Louis, c’mon.’
Harry grunted as hands pushed at his back and slapped at Louis’ shoulder. ‘Niall? What mate?’ He looked up blearily at the Irish boy.
Niall’s face was close enough that for a moment all Harry could see was panicked blue eyes. ‘You lads gotta come look at this. It’s not good.’
‘What’s not good?’ Louis pushed himself up from the bed, hair sleep mussed and still rubbing his eyes.
‘Just-come see, will yeh?’ Niall tugged at Harry’s elbow, pulling him half off the bed.
‘Seriously, what Nialler?’ Louis yawned, following Harry in getting up and pulling a soft shirt over his head.
‘For fuck’s sake come see for yourself!’ Niall’s voice cracked, and both Louis and Harry paused, taking in how he was shifting from foot to foot by the door, fingers tapping restless at his thighs in obvious distress.
They exchanged looks and hurried to follow the blonde boy, leaving the bedroom empty as Liam was already gone from the room, and Zayn was back home with his family for the funeral.
Harry could hear several hushed conversations coming from the kitchen, and the three of them walked in to find nearly the whole rest of the house congregated around the table. Liam was doing some fast talking but he stopped when he saw them, straightening up from the newspaper spread over the table.
‘What’s going on?’ Harry asked the now silent room, receiving no answer.
He stepped up to the table instead and stared at the large picture covering most of the page of the paper, capturing Louis and him. The two of them were crowded into a corner of the house, showing Louis with his hands hiking Harry’s shirt up, and Harry resting his hands on the wall above Louis’ head, both of their eyes tightly closed as they snogged-neither having any idea that someone else was watching.
Harry blinked, barely able to breathe as he turned to the older boy next to him, taking in his expression, stunned out of his early morning daze with his mouth parted and his eyes shifting over the article. He touched Louis’ wrist almost without meaning to, and Louis turned to him instantly, but that shocked oh fuck look didn’t leave his eyes.
‘So… is it true then?’
‘Cher!’ Mary scolded.
‘I was just asking,’ the girl said.
Harry turned and practically ran from the room, Mary saying behind him, ‘Oh look now you’ve gone and upset him.’
He slid back into their room, diving under the covers of the nearest bed- zayn’s-and smothering his face in the smell of the absent boy. A moment later he heard someone else come in and then sit on the bed with him.
Niall said, ‘It was bound t’ happen sometime.’
Harry sniffed wetly. ‘No it wasn’t. Why can’t they just leave us alone? It’s none of their business.
‘They make it their business, buddy, you kno’ that.’
‘Where’s Louis gone?’
‘Eh, somewhere else. He took the newspaper though to read. Liam went after him o’ course, so he’ll be okay.’
‘It’s not fair.’ Harry uncovered his face and Niall hugged him.
‘The others and me could come out too, if you think it would help?’
‘No.’ Harry groaned. ‘People would go mental if they knew about you guys too. They wouldn’t like it. They wouldn’t like us.’
‘Our old fans woulda liked it, back when we were on world tour.’
‘Maybe. They media still wouldn’t have.
‘Nah, they’d have loved it. They’d have a field day.’
‘Yeah.’ Harry rubbed his eyes, breathing out hard as he willed himself not to start crying again.
Niall’s arm came around his shoulders, pulling him in against his chest. ‘What ever happens Harry, we’re gonna stick through it together. I promise.’
‘I’ve got to call my Mum,’ Harry said after a moment of quiet.
‘Okay. Why don’t I make us a cup each then, while you do that?’
‘Thanks.’
Niall left and Harry ended up staring at his phone for the next ten minutes. By chance, the device was switched off because he’d forgotten to charge it, and Harry wondered how many people he knew had tried to call him or text him this morning after seeing the paper. He didn’t have the courage to find out.
‘Harry,’ Niall admonished when he returned with the tea. ‘You’re gonna have’ta turn it on sooner or later.’
‘Then I’ll do it later,’ Harry said.
1D
He didn’t call her until the close of the day, finally unplugging his phone and turning it on to find twenty-six missed calls and fourteen new text messages, most of the texts from his friends from school and over half of the calls from his mum and sister.
He waited as the phone rang, safely alone in the bathroom with the door locked, and picking at the white paint of the vanity counter where it was chipped.
‘Harry?’
‘Hi Mum.’
‘Harry, finally! I’ve been trying to call you all day, why didn’t you pick up the phone?’
‘I’ve been in meetings and rehearsal stuff.’
‘Meetings. About the front page today?’
‘Yeah. I’m not supposed to be talking about it with anyone though.’
‘Well sod that, I’m your mother. You don’t do anything they say that you don’t want to, you got that?’
‘Yeah, I-thanks, Mum.’
‘Oh, darling. I love you. Do you know who took the photo though? Wouldn’t I like to tear them a new one. It had to be either a contestant or someone from the crew.’
‘It could have been anyone. It doesn’t matter.’
Anne huffed down the phone. ‘I just-oh never-mind.’
‘What?’
‘It’s terrible that you boys were forced out in this way, it makes me so mad-well, anyway. Louis is a sweet boy, he really is, I’ve only known a short time, but I already love him to bits. But darling, keep in mind that everything you do affects the others as well, Liam and Niall and Zayn. It’s not just your life anymore, it’s theirs too,’
‘I know. It’s okay.’
‘Okay. Also, just because you and Louis are both boys doesn’t mean you don’t have to be careful. You still have to be safe and use condoms-’
‘Mum.’
‘What? I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself-or that you’re taking care of Louis, if that’s the way you two prefer to do it.’
‘Oh my god. I’m hanging up now.’
‘Okay, baby. Love you.’
‘Love you, bye.’
1D
Later, after supper, Harry was back in his own bed and thumbing over his twitter feed.
He wasn’t going to tweet anything, he just wanted to see what people were saying. Logging on, he’d found his feed had exploded into a countless stream of people tearing into one other, some demanding him to confirm the article, others begging him that it wasn’t true, some defending him against the more hateful tweets and everyone turning on each other in a constant stream of anger and confusion that hurt everyone.
His and Louis’ names were both trending, along with ‘Larry is Gay’ and Harry had to fight the urge to say something that would probably just make it worse as he kept scrolling down his feed.
A hand slipped through the rail of Harry’s higher bunk bed and plucked the phone out of Harry’s hands. ‘None of that now,’ Louis said.
Harry sat up slightly onto his elbows, looking down at Louis standing below.
Louis shifted, flicking a short rhythm into the metal frame of the bed with his nail. ‘Zayn, uh, called before. Had to convince him to stay with his mum and sisters, and not to come stampeding back to wipe our tears away and sing us lullabies till we fell asleep.’
‘…You told him we were fine, then?’
‘We are fine.’ Louis stepped up, hooking his arms over the rail. ‘Hazza, it’s okay mate, we can deal with this. Don’t get yourself all torn up about it.’
‘You’re the one that’s barely spoken to me all day,’ Harry mumbled.
‘Because you didn’t want me to,’ Louis said, exasperated. ‘Every time I tried, you ran away.’
‘Look, I’m really tired. Can we just go to sleep? Tomorrows probably going to be just the same, if not worse than today, and I’m already sick of people having all these opinions about us.’
Harry rolled over so he didn’t have to see Louis’ expression anymore, waiting for the other boy’s blow out.
‘…Fine. Goodnight, Harry,’ Louis said quietly, getting off and climbing into the bed below.
Harry furiously blinked away tears for ages afterward.
1D
The next morning, the other contestants and crew were too distracted with the coming show that night to pay too much attention to the boys. Zayn returned for breakfast and the boys went in early for a last minute rehearsal and sound-check, working hard all morning until Savan was happy with their performance, declaring it their best yet. Simon was still away sick, but they were told he would be there for the show that night.
Harry was having lunch in the cafeteria, halfway through eating a banana, when Liam returned with his bowl of hot chips and abriuptly sat down next to him.
‘I was talking to Bob, the guard, just now,’ Liam said quickly. ‘Apparently people have been chanting for us to come outside, going “We want One Direction” for hours now.’
‘People shout and sing things all the time for us.’ Harry shrugged.
‘Bob said people have been throwing themselves at the fence and shaking it though, so security’s had to stand around the perimeter for hours.’
‘Why? Is the crowd really angry?’
Liam frowned. ‘Maybe, dunno. I shouldn’t think so, because when it’s all said and done they’re still our fans, right? Just a little crazy.’
‘There’s lots of kinds of crazy though.’
‘I’m sure it’s okay,’ Liam said, looking anything but sure.
1D
‘What if they boo when we go out there?’
‘They’re not going to boo at us, mate,’ Zayn said.
‘What if they do though?’
‘Then you stay next to one of us the whole time on stage, and we’ll talk about what absolute bastards they all are after the show,’ Louis said.
Harry looked at him, meeting his eyes right as the music started and the doors cracked open.
A wall of noise from the crowd hit Harry as he turned to stare out into the lights. Walking forward, he couldn’t tell if the crowd were cheering or just yelling at them as they got into place and Liam started strong on the first verse.
‘I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five-and-dime! I played until my fingers bled, it was the summer of sixty-nine!’
‘Oh, when I look back now,’ the other boys came in, and the crowd screamed louder. ‘That summer seem to last forever! And if I had the choice, yeah I’d always wanna be there. Those were the best days of my life!’
He could just see the outline of people’s silhouettes in the crowd beyond the lights, but it was obvious everyone was on their feet, pressing forward over the rows of chairs to push close to the stage.
‘Man, we were killing time, we were young and restless! We needed to unwind. I guess nothing can last forever! Forever!’
Harry sung the bridge with the other boys, moving out along the back of the catwalk leading behind the judges. He went to pause there like they’d rehearsed, but Niall’s hand pressed into his back, pushing at him to keep moving, and Harry stumbled as people groped at his legs and shoes, the crowd reaching over and around the security guards standing with their arms outstretched to hold the press of people back.
Wobbling free from the hands, his eyes wide but still singing, Harry turned and led the way off the walk, bounding back onto the main stage with the other boys close on his heels. The yelling of the crowd reached new heights and for a moment Harry legitimately couldn’t hear the music anymore.
Some of the X Factor dancers in front of him slowed their movements, looking over Harry’s shoulder at the crowd with growing expressions of shock. Harry realised the others had stopped singing just as Liam shouted something behind him and Zayn bashed into his shoulder.
He turned around to a surge of people climbing up onto the stage, overwhelming the security as people clambered up, falling into each other as they swarmed up the stage.
Zayn’s swearing was lost in the noise and he turned, curling his arms around Niall and putting himself between the crowd and the younger boy. Liam dropped his microphone, closing his hands around Harry’s forearm and Louis’ shoulder and yanking them both towards him-hardly giving Harry a second to register the forty or so young people who’d made it onto the stage before he was pulled off balance into Liam’s side. Harry ducked instinctively, shielding his head as the mob hit them and surrounded them-hands and legs suddenly everywhere.
The dancers screamed behind them, fleeing off the stage and fighting past the security moving to come onto the stage. A girl shrieked in Harry’s face, pushing a wide mouth and teeth right in front of his eyes as hands snatched at his clothes and pulled at his arms.
‘Liam!’ Harry yelled, muffled by all the hands around him. The boy’s grasp was torn off him and he tried to struggle up to see what was happening to the others, and accidently moved right into the path of a hand with fluoro green nail-polish that smacked him in the nose, making his eyes instantly water.
Someone else behind him grabbed his head and Harry screamed as a whole lock of his hair was yanked out.
‘Fuck, Harry!’ Louis shouted.
Harry turned, trying to hold off more people grabbing at the necklaces around his throat, and spotted Louis through a gap. The older boy’s biceps were straining as he held back two girls from his face, but then a third took hold of his shirt just as Louis reared back, and the cotton tore from the collar, ripping half-way down his chest and leaving the material flapping. Louis flinched, his face twisting away to reveal a line of scratched red running down the side of his face.
Harry choked as his air cut off completely, his necklace being wrenched the wrong way until the silver chain snapped. Air sharply returned to him as Liam stumbled back into Harry’s sight, shoving at a boy that held Harry’s elbow and covering Harry’s head, trying to push him towards Louis even as somebody else grabbed Liam in a hug that threatened to pull him over.
Harry reached Louis’ side right as burly security guards were suddenly all around them, shouting and pulling at the crowd on stage. Louis shook his fringe out of his eyes, relief washing over his features when he saw it was Harry that had grabbed him.
‘Go, go!’ Liam shouted, pointing back-stage as he still struggled to get free.
Louis started towards Liam instead, but several large guards stepping in before he could get there, all of them yelling so furiously at the fans hanging onto Liam’s neck that the girls let go in surprise. Another guard, a woman with thick arms, grabbed Liam and started hauling him backstage; Louis and Harry following close behind.
The whole thing had taken less than fifteen seconds, but Harry was gasping like he’d ran a marathon as they were bustled into the wings. Zayn waited there, having dragged Niall off himself, the blonde boy looking on the brink of tears.
‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ Liam was saying over and over again.
‘Everyone okay?’ Zayn’s eyes were white all around the edges and Louis and Harry rushed towards the other three, crashing them into a hug.
People shouted all around them, rushing back and forth backstage as everyone tried to figure out what to do. More security pushed by to the stage, while confused dancers flocked together in bunches, waiting to be told what was happening next. On stage, security teams rounded up the last of the fans, hauling them off and out the back away from the boys-and the rest of the crowd were still standing up from their seats, all loudly exclaiming and excited at the chaos.
‘Jesus Christ,’ Niall said. ‘Oh, God. I thought we were gonna die.’
‘What fucking shit,’ Zayn said, pulled a hand through the mess of his hair, forced forward and limp over his face. ‘Why didn’t the guards stop them?’
‘Oh my God, Louis, you’re bleeding!’ Liam touched the older boy’s face.
‘It’s their fucking job!’ Zayn ranted.
Louis pressed the underside of his wrist to his face, and hissed as he pulled it away to examine the drops of blood. ‘She got me good, that one. I swear she was trying to claw me eyes out. Don’t think she liked me much.’
‘I couldn’t tell if they were attacking us or trying to hug us,’ Harry said, feeling his where his hair had been yanked out.
‘What?’ Louis asked over the noise, leaning forward to hear better, but Harry just shook his head instead of repeating himself.
‘Bloody hell, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,’ Liam said. ‘They just-!’
‘Went crazy,’ Louis agreed. ‘Absolutely off their rockets. Look what they did to me shirt!’
Louis held up the ruined garment, and Liam put his arm around Louis’ back, a helpless scowl on his face.
‘What’d do we do now?’ Niall asked above the noise.
‘Uh-’ Louis looked around him without removing Liam’s arm. ‘Well, someone will tell us what’s happening soon, when everyone quits running about like headless chooks.’
Harry stepped closer, so he could speak directly into his ear. ‘Do you think this was just-because they found out about us?’
‘It probably didn’t help, no,’ Louis shouted back, before frowning. ‘Are you-are you having second thoughts?’
Harry stared at him, but then a commotion broke out on the other side of the backstage arena as Simon came bursting through the crowded back stage, drawing everyone’s attention. At least a dozen people flitted around him, trying to keep up with his strides, half of them talking at high speed into their headsets.
Simon scanned the room, his gaze quickly falling on the boys huddled in the wing and he gestured at them to follow him. They obeyed without question, the crew moving aside for them and making a path automatically, everybody staring at the five boys.
‘Are you all right?’ Simon asked straight away. ‘Are you hurt?’
They all answered no, but it didn’t seem to reassure the man, his eyes flicking from face to face, lingering on Louis. ‘Right. Get back to the contestant studios, all of you. We’re going to fix up this mess.’
He held out his hand, herding them into the back corridors, his attention turning to the staff crowing around them. ‘I want the names, the phone, and the seat numbers of every person who climbed on the stage, and I want all of them out of the audience right now. Get the stage clear by the time the commercial break finishes. Somebody cue Dermot a short apology and statement that we are seeing to the issue and move on with the next contestants, do you understand?’
Several people flew off, already ordering instructions through their microphones.
‘Good. Boys, this way if you please.’ Simon stalked forward, leading the way down the corridor.
Everyone they went by hastily got out of the pathway of their group, and clusters of people stared out at them through every open door they went by. They reached the wardrobe studios and Simon halted.
‘All right. Get changed, causal clothes is fine. I’m sorry, I know you put a lot of effort in, but you won’t be going on for a second performance tonight.’
The words cut through them, their mouths opening in tandem.
‘What?’
‘Why?’
‘I’m sorry. I promise I’ll sort this out after tonight’s show is finished. Just stay back stage here and I’ll have a meeting with you later.’
‘What does that mean?’ Harry turned to the other boys as Simon hurried back up the corridor. ‘How could we not do a second song?’
‘I guess by not doing a second song,’ Louis said.
Harry frowned at him but Louis took no notice, shucking off his ruined costume and pulling his own shirt over his head.
‘I don’t wanna go back out there anyway, not in front o’ that crowd,’ Niall said.
‘Look, I’m sure it’ll be fine, Simon knows what he’s doing,’ Liam said.
‘How in any way, is this fine, Liam?’ Zayn said.
Liam’s shoulders wilted, his eyes going sad.
Zayn scowl grew and he threw down his jacket. ‘Don’t-come here, don’t be like that. You’re right. Simon will sort it all out, obviously.’ Zayn kissed the side of Liam’s head, and Liam gave him a watery smile.
Harry hunched a bit, looking over to where Louis had sidled over next to Niall, rubbing his arms and whispering comforting words to him-and still not looking at Harry.
Stylists rushed into wardrobe in a sudden flurry of sound, and more than a few people paused upon seeing the boys.
‘Oh my God, are you all right? That was terrible.’ Bonnie, one of the main stylists, said ecstatically. ‘You poor things, I saw the whole thing from the telly backstage-well, up until they did a quick cut to the commercial, that is-but oh my God!’
The five boys were caught up with questions from just about the whole crew, as well as from the other contestants backstage. Harry answered, yes they were okay, yes it had been awful, yes it had happened really quick, over and over again for the next hour.
Finally the show wrapped up and the audience were hustled out of the auditorium all of them buzzing with the events of the night, and Linda came in through the door to the contestants studio calling for One Direction to follow her please.
The boys broke off from their conversations, clustering together as they followed Linda out the door and down the hall to the large judges’ dressing room. The room was churning with people coming and going. Simon was on his feet next to the stylist chairs, his arms crossed and looking sorely displeased. Around him, several people were speaking over the top of one another, each trying to be the one that Simon was listening to, but Simon waved them all off when he saw the boys.
‘Ah, good. Let’s go somewhere quieter, shall we? Through here,’ Simon said, unsmiling as he directed them to a private dressing room near the back.
He swung the door open to reveal a small room with a row of mirrors above a counter, with two swivel stools before it and a dark green sofa squished against the back wall. Liam and Niall went through after Simon, but something seized up in Harry’s body and he grabbed at Louis before he could enter, Zayn walking into Harry as at his sudden stop.
‘Lou,’ Harry whispered, gazing at him imploringly.
The older boy looked back, his icy eyes melting a little and he turned his arm over, taking Harry’s hand and tugging him through the doorway. They all settled on the sofa while Simon sighed down onto on of the stools, swiveling to survey the five of them.
‘Boys, boys, boys,’ he said, rubbing his eyes. ‘All right. I’m sure you’re wondering why you didn’t get to perform your second song. It’s because you are essentially being pulled from the show.’
Part 16