Soundtrack Series

FOUR - 18

Harry: “Three years. You know someone for three years, and then just like that everything is gone and they’re just another stranger.” You wanted so badly to tell him to shut up. That he was talking nonsense, and that this was the best outcome for him. However, you couldn’t bring yourself to let any of that out. You had invited him out here, and he had come. He was hurting and needed your compassion, not your inner thoughts. “Everything was so great back then. I was so sure she was with me for me. She never even used to go to the interviews. Do you remember that?” He looks up at you for a response. His head was on your chest as the two of you lay in the bed still. “Yeah, I remember,” you answer, your hand continuing to comb through his hair. Surely all of this reminiscing wasn’t good for him. He was going back to old memories he had no business revisiting; those times were long gone. Things had changed. She had changed. It hadn’t always been like this, though, Harry was right about that. Your first impression of her was nothing but positive. But of course as soon as she starting bringing in the drama, your opinion of her quickly changed. She had been gone now for over two weeks, and here he was in LA with you. The situation was messed up to say the least. “I know we’ve been through some shit, but I swore we would be alright. I just knew we could get past it; we always had.” You want so badly to speak up. To tell him that it was never going to work out with her once she started defying their relationship with her deceitful actions. She was trash as far as you were concerned and you were very happy that she was gone. But it was not your place to let any of that out at the moment, so you bite your lip and remain silent. “Maybe it was me. I must have messed up somewhere. I mean someone doesn’t just change like that for no reason.” You take a deep breath in, and his head slowly rises along with you. He was blaming this on him; the last thing he needed to be doing. You need to say something. This is where you should say something. “I don’t know.” It was all you could manage to get out. You had no experience in this whatsoever. Harry had comforted you plenty of times after failed relationships. You had less practice at it. Mainly because Harry had never come to you like this before. He had been through a few breakups since the two of you had known each other, however none he needed comforting after. This was new territory for you, and you were killing yourself on the inside for allowing him to even fathom the idea that this was his fault. You needed to say more. To tell him that this was not on him. He had done nothing wrong in this. However, yet again though, you couldn’t bring yourself to say a word. This was his time. He needed to get all of this out, every last bit of it. No matter how untrue or hurtful it may be.

Liam: Every time you look at her, you go back. Before the band and before Mark. That name. You don’t even like thinking of him, no matter if you had not met him. She sits across the hotel suite living room, her sister by her side. Big mistake there. You should have worked harder to keep that from happening. You needed her here and away from home and if that meant the sister was tagging along then you would just have to make it work. It wasn’t working though and you didn’t know how to change it. That was the problem. You can see her over there smiling at her phone screen, sharing whatever was causing the smile with her now chirpy other half. Wasn’t that one meant to be depressed or something? You used to make her smile like that. What are you thinking? You still do. Bringing her along with you to Oz certainly brought out a smile, one bigger than Mark would ever bring. Mark. Just the name made you want to punch something. You hadn’t even met the guy and you already wanted to cause him physical harm. Out of your mind, get him out of your mind. You continue to stare across the room, your gaze going unnoticed. She was the best thing about going home, she always had been. Yes, your family was obviously there, and she was like family, but there was more. There was always more. The two of you used to do everything together, never leaving one another’s side for anything. It still remains that way, when you go back home at least. The problem is you aren’t there enough, clearly. Otherwise, Mark would have never even been an option for her. Your schedule had screwed you there. Thoughts like this had been flooding your mind these last couple of days. You two were so close back then. Everything between you and her was so right, before the band, before Mark. She had always meant more to you than any other girl. Hence why you hadn’t been able to keep a relationship. They always felt in competition with her and you had to admit they kind of were. You would always silently compare them to her, and that wasn’t fair…to them. “Liam?” You hear and your thoughts disappear. “What?” “Were you having a vision?” Her sister teases and you realize they had noticed your stares now. “You know, you aren’t that funny,” you reply back, getting up from the couch you had been sitting on to move to another room. “Hey now.” Your eyes lock on her and you can only smile, the same smile she had just had while looking at messages from Mark. She smiles back, and you continue to walk back to your bedroom. You needed time to clear your head. The time alone didn’t last long because she had followed right behind you. “Everything alright?” She asks, standing in the doorway of the dark room. You turn on the bedside lamp and look at her. “Yeah, of course.” It was a lie, but of course she would never expect you to tell her anything but the truth, or at least that’s what you thought. She walks into the room, closing the door behind her and you raise an eyebrow. You sit down on the bed, crossing your legs at the ankle as she makes her way to the other side. She crawls in with you and your heart begins to subtly beat faster. “What’s wrong?” She prods, resting her head on your shoulder, her arm reaching in around you while the other comes across you. You pull your arm out and bring her in closer. You weren’t sure what she was up to, but you also weren’t going to let her think twice about it. “I was just thinking about some things.” “Like what?” She continues. She was going to make you tell her everything. “Just about how things used to be with us when we were younger.” “Oh yeah? Were you thinking about all of those times I skunked you in snooker?” You laugh; of course she would bring that up. “Still trying to erase those memories.” They were tough to handle, but you never want to forget any moment you had spent with her. It was always meant to be you and her, but with Mark that wasn’t looking very promising.