The Spare Bed - One Direction

Chapter Two

"So why are you here?" I asked Harry after helping him unpack his 12 (That's right, I counted) bags and suitcases into the empty drawers and wardrobe on what was now his half of the room. My previous roommate had left a couple of weeks ago, leaving me with more freedom and even more space to waste.

"Me and the lads-" Probably his boy band, "-are staying here for the week. The woman who took me here, Helen, rang us up and told us a few of the people here were fans so she invited us to stay for a bit. How could we refuse someone as lovely as that?" I smiled at his thinly concealed sarcasm. It was true. Helen was always happy and way too enthusiastic than anyone not on drugs ever should be.

"She's even worse after she's had her morning coffee."

"I'm dreading it already." I laughed quietly at that.

"Why do I have to share a room with you? Boys and girls aren't allowed to share rooms."

"All the other rooms were taken apart from a few down the hall, but my friends are in there and Helen wouldn't let me sleep on the floor. It's only for a week though." I looked into his eyes.

"Can I meet your friends?"

"Yeah, I bet they'll love you." He checked his watch. "Maybe we should wait 'til later." I nodded. It was 3:06 am.

Not knowing what to say next, I skipped (literally, I'm very hyper in the middle of the night) over to the large television opposite my bed and inserted a DVD. Picking up the remote and pulling a cardboard box out from underneath my bed first, I collapsed on my bed and pressed play.

"What are you watching?" Harry asked me curiously.

"Avengers Assemble. Wanna join?" I patted the space next to me. It was the best view in the room. He didn't answer, instead he politely kicked off his shoes and sat down next to me.

"I love this film. Thor isn't just the god of thunder, he's also the god of FUNder. Get it?" I tried to start a conversation. I hate silence more than anything. It leaves you alone, drowning in your own cruel thoughts, suffocating on nothingness.

He looked at me like I just swallowed nineteen orange potatoes whole to find out out they were actually footballs.

"I'm normal, I swear," I tried to convince him. He just smirked at me. I reached into the cardboard box I had on my lap and pulled out two packets of sweets.

"Gummy bears?" I held one packet out to him. He took it and thanked me as the film started.

"Won't everyone else hear?" He looked at me. I think he meant the film would wake everyone up.

"Nah, we're fine. All the rooms have to be soundproofed because some people who stay here break things or scream in their sleep and stuff and it wouldn't be right if everyone else had to wake up because of one person's problems."

"Seems convenient."

"I know. I haven't slept properly since the day my dad died, so instead of wasting my time trying to, I can just watch films all night long." There was an awkward pause. Harry turned and looked at me with a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking... when did it happen?" I instantly knew what he was talking about.

"Five years, three months, one week, four days, twenty-one hours and forty-six minutes ago." I didn't even need to calculate it.

"That's a long time to go without sleep."

"It doesn't seem that long at all. And I'm not that tired."

"The bags under your bloodshot eyes tell me otherwise."

"Well, maybe I'm so overtired I'm turning over-awake."

"Not sure that's a real thing."

"It is to me." He smirked at me again and I flashed him a grin before eating more fizzy cola bottles.