❛ DEJA VU ❜ - 𝖼𝗆𝖻 ✓

043; but he's overwhelmed

third person.

after a long plane ride from virginia to los angeles, the friend group got off of the plane and started to make their way through the gate.

mollie was still half asleep from her long nap and corbyn was walking near the front of the group with jonah and jack, his hand shoved into the pocket of his sweatpants with his bag on his back.

with everyone in the midst of conversations, corbyn was the first person in their group to notice the flashing of the cameras by the line of paparazzi waiting by their gate, and he came to a stop before backing away.

"corbyn," jonah looked at him.

"why are they doing that?" corbyn frowned, turning himself away from the cameras as the friend group glanced over at him.

"it's their job," he replied, "cmon the quicker we walk the quicker we'll be away from-"

"no i don't want to walk past." corbyn mumbled, his breathing picking up with a stressed look on his face.

"this is normal this always happens." jack said, the group looking over at mollie as she immediately froze.

"i'm not putting the attention on both of us," mollie shook her head.

"but he's overwhelmed," zach mumbled.

"you're really going to make her receive hate online to-"

"it's okay, if it helps him walk past." she threw her hands up, taking her hat off her head and throwing it onto corbyn's before grabbing ahold of his hand.

"i'm not going that way," corbyn told the group, letting go of mollie's hand and walking further away from where they needed to be.

"corbyn." daniel said, "this is only making it-"

"just go, it won't help." mollie interrupted him, nodding towards the exit of the gate as they all did as they were told and guided the cameras in their direction.

and as the friend group walked over to the paparazzi, collectively deciding to talk to the group of men and distract them from the pair a little further away from them all, backed into a corner with corbyn looking over at them.

"once we walk past them that's it," mollie reassured him, noticing the tears in his eyes as he shook his head, "they won't follow us, we don't have to talk to them. what's making you anxious about it?"

"i'm just getting off a plane why are they photographing that i don't get it," he frowned, wiping the tears off his face as mollie pulled the hat lower to cover more of his face.

"just in case anything interesting happens," she shrugged, "if we walk past it'll be fine, i'll be beside you."

"i'm not walking past them," he argued, gently pushing the girl away from him as he took a few further steps back.

"hey," she softly said, taking steps closer to him and pulling the hood of his hoodie over his head, "i don't want to walk past them either, but that's the only way to leave the gate."

"i'll take your bag," she continued, taking his bag off of his shoulder and throwing it onto hers before she grabbed her sunglasses and put them onto the boy in front of her, "now they won't see your face, does that make you feel better?"

"they're just going to-"

"they're just stupid cameramen." mollie told him, giving him a shrug and a small smile.

a final wipe of his tears, corbyn replied with a slight shrug and grabbed into mollie's hand with her guiding him past the group of cameramen, trying to ignore the right grip the boy had on her.

once they made it past all of the cameras and over to where the friend group had been standing, they continued their walk through the airport with corbyn remaining quiet, refusing to let go of mollie's hand.

upon leaving the airport and getting two taxis back to where they'd be staying for the next week, the girls went in a separate car to the boys despite the anxious boy's plea not to.

"that was out of character for corbyn." nicole said as she closed the door to the taxi, watching mollie shrug.

"i think he forgot about that part of being in a band," she replied and sighed, "he probably didn't expect people waiting for him there."

"i don't think the flashes helped with his head either," charlie added on with a frown,

"aren't they performing next week..?" olivia asked, "is he going to be alright with that?"

"he should be okay by next week," mollie nodded, "apart from his cast but the doctors said it wasn't a bad break so he can take it off soon i think."

"that was just so weird," charlie shook her head, "i didn't like seeing him so overwhelmed, that just isn't him."

"my hand feels like it's been squished," she said through a small laugh, "he was really gripping onto it."

"i've never seen him cry," olivia raised her eyebrows, "that was a first for me."

"don't bring it up around him though, he'll get upset." mollie told them all, "anyway charlie, how are you and zach?"

"i don't know, he's acting weird." charlie sighed, "he created an argument a few nights ago out of me asking if he wanted to go for lunch."

"he created an argument?" nicole asked, "the boy who hates conflict?"

"yep." she nodded, "i don't know who got into his head but he's just himself."

"i didn't know he had another friend group." mollie replied, "that is what threw me off."

"i had no idea either." charlie shook her head, "it's completely new to me too."

"he's being sneaky," olivia mentioned, "it's weird."

"it's awkward being here." charlie laughed, "i had to sit next to him on the flight, thank god for daniel talking to me because i didn't even want to look at zach."

"did you not get him anything for his birthday?"

"i bought him a guitar," charlie mumbled as she let out a sigh, "it was back in february when he said he really liked this limited edition one."

"no way." olivia frowned, "you still have it?"

"it's still sat in my garage. it was fucking expensive." she laughed slightly before shrugging, "oh well, i'm sure it'll be for good use at some point."

"i'm sure zach will come around at some point," mollie said, "just give him time to get some sense knocked into him, that's what i did with corbyn."

"if it can work with corbyn, it'll work with zach." nicole smiled.

"she's got a point," mollie tilted her head in slight confusion, "somehow that makes sense."

"try talk to him during this vacation." olivia suggested, "get on good terms or something."

"i'll try my best," charlie shrugged, giving them all a smile.

♡

a/n

corbyn my man :(