Walking In The Wind

01

Caleb

The world was losing its mind.

They say bad news travels fast, so it was no surprise that in a few hours pretty much everyone knew. Some were in tears, but most just sat in shock. I was probably one of the first ones to find out that-

"Zayn left the band!?"

The words escaped out of my mouth as soon as I could process them, bouncing around and echoing endlessly inside my head. Zayn left the band. Zayn left the band.

I wanted to deny it, but it was right there in front of me, in big bold letters that filled my phone screen. Part of me wanted to just turn off my phone and throw myself out the window, but instead I scrolled down and read the article.

Zayn Malik has left One Direction, band confirms

The very thought has prompted nightmares for teenagers across the world for years, but now the day has come. Zayn Malik has confirmed he will be the first member to leave after five years with the band, citing a desire to "be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time". In a heartfelt statement apologising to his millions of fans around the globe, Malik said he was doing "what feels right in my heart". Certainly, the odds are not optimistic for One Direction's survival. After all, to compare the smash hit British-Irish boy band to the Beatles for what must be the millionth time, after Ringo Starr departed from the group they fell apart shortly after, abruptly ending a worldwide phenomenon.

I had to stop there and put the phone down. I sighed, running my hand through my hair and looking around my college dorm room that was littered with One Direction memorabilia, books, various half-filled notebooks, and a pitiful collection of used musical instruments.

I wasn't even sure how to process this information. I kept turning it around in my mind but it was horrible news from every angle. One Direction could not break up, they just couldn't. They were my inspiration, my dream, my fantasy, and my passion all rolled up in one. There was no one that loved the band more than me.

Except that there was, and I realized that I had to call her right then.

My phone rang for about half a second until my best friend Anna Kingston was on the line and she was screaming.

"IT'S OVER CALEB IT'S OVER THEY'RE GONNA BREAK UP AND THEY'LL ALL HATE EACH OTHER AND THEY WON'T MAKE ANY MORE MUSIC AND THEY'LL ALL TURN UGLY AND-"

"Okay, first of all, calm down." I had to speak up to be heard over her and I held the phone far away from my ear until she calmed, thankful that my roommate was visiting his parents in Switzerland and not present for this.

I heard her sigh on the other end of the phone. "This cannot be happening. I'm coming over to your dorm right now."

"Uhh... you're not allowed here...."

"Then we'll meet in the garden. I don't have a choice anyway, Hazel's kicking me out."

"Ah, I see." On Anna's end I heard Hazel shout, "It's for the best! I hope they never get back together!" Followed my lots of cursing and death threats from Anna until she said, "I'll meet you there in 10 minutes," before hanging up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and flopped onto my bed. This couldn't be happening.

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Meanwhile, across the world in a hotel suite in Hong Kong, the four remaining members of One Direction sat in shock. Each of them was handling it differently. Niall Horan sat, or rather slumped, with his head in his hands, surrounded by a rather large pile of tissues and several replacement boxes. Louis Tomlinson was sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the floor with a stony, reserved look in his tired blue eyes. A disheveled Harry Styles leaned his head against the long floor-to-ceiling window that took up one wall, staring out at the skyline. A few feet away, Liam Payne paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair. It was warm and sunny outside the window, a complete contrast to the cold silence that filled the room inside. It was Liam who finally spoke.

"So... what happens now?" He asked in a low voice without looking up.

"Paul said we have to finish the tour," Niall said tentatively. His Irish accent became thicker when he was distraught, making his words sound almost comical.

Louis looked up for the first time. "I don't care what fooking Paul says," He mumbled, his words nearly incoherent.

"None of us do, he's an arse." Jurry huffed from his corner. "But he's also the reason we have jobs."

Liam straightened and turned towards the rest of the group. "It's only been two weeks, he can't just expect us to keep doing shows every night at every venue on the continent and act like nothing's happened. After all, we knew Zayn since..." His voice broke and he put his head down. "He was always one of us."

There was a brief moment where they fell silent again before it was shattered.

"But now he's gone!" Louis was standing now, fire in his eyes. "He left us! He got up and left! He threw us away like we were the dirt that we are and now?" Louis began to look desperate. "Now? What are we now? There is no One Direction without Zayn Malik!" And then he crumpled to the floor with his head in his hands, sobbing softly.

Harry was at Louis' side in an instant, rubbing his back, but even he was at a loss for what to say. He looked at Niall with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Listen, Louis." Niall bent down until he was at eye level with Louis and Harry. Liam walked over and kneeled on the floor next to them, so the boys were arranged on the floor in a sort of huddle. "We're not dirt, okay? You're not dirt, none of us are."

Liam scoffed sarcastically. "That's right, we're One Direction!" He mimicked an interviewer's voice exhaustedly. "The greatest band of their generation! Charming and handsome! Legends, every single one of us! We're cool! We're famous! We're-"

"Brothers." Niall spoke firmly, looking at Liam. He turned to everyone. "We're brothers. And we'll stand with each other. One of our own left us, and it's heartbreaking. But that's what he needed to do. Now it's time for us to decide what we need to do. This is the moment where we decide if there really is a One Direction without Zayn Malik." He looked at Harry expectedly. "Well? Is There?" Harry sat in silence for a moment, then said,

"Yes."

Louis looked up, his cheeks tearstained but his eyes full of a newfound determination. "Yes." He breathed.

"Yes," Liam chimed in.

Niall grinned. "Hell yes."

They all laughed and then stood. Harry grabbed Liam's shoulders and pulled him into a hug, dragging Louis and Niall along until all four band members were embracing each other tightly, reveling in the bond they'd painstakingly built over the past years and sharing strength for the trials they knew would soon come. Except they came sooner than expected.

All of their phones chimed at once and they pulled away to reach into their pockets and open their phones. There was a moment of silence as they all read the same message, and then they all raised their heads and looked at each other. "No fooking way." Louis said in shock.

"We have to replace Zayn."

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