Harry Styles, I'm Not Your Puppet (Harry Styles Fan Fiction) (On Hold for Now)

Ch. 22 "Elephants"

―Niall―

I call Kim’s cell again and get her voicemail again, but this time I leave a message. “Hey, Kim, let me know when you get to the hospital. We’re still waiting on the cab…tell me if security is at the hospital yet, okay? Tell Terrence to send them if the cab hasn’t gotten us yet. Call me.” I hang up and look at Zayn, sprawled on the couch.

“UGH,” Louis throws a throw-pillow at me, I catch it, throw it on the floor and I give him a look.

“Why are we throwing pillows?” Gives a new name for throw-pillow…

“This sucks!” he says.

Louis sums up everyone’s feelings in two words. “Yup…pretty much.” I say, lazily.

I go and sit on the armchair, my cellphone in-between my knees. I was up last night texting Demi and Liam was snoring…she wanted to talk. I grimace as I notice my 32% battery.

Louis goes upstairs and comes down with Aria’s cellphone. “I’m calling her dad.” He says matter-of-factly, already messing with it. I realize he’s right. He should know his daughter is in the hospital. Zayn sits up, interested. Louis gets into her contacts and looks for DAD. “It’s not there…” He says, slowly, considering.

“Huh?” Zayn says.

“She doesn’t have her dad’s number in here… Gosh, Aria! Remembering your parent’s number isn’t enough!” He gets angry at her phone, yelling at it.

“It’s not her fault…” I say, being protective of my sister’s friend. Even if she is annoying sometimes, she’s still a nice girl, she’s Liam’s friend after all. Did they notice that at least?

Zayn looks at me with a confused expression. “Actually, Niall, yeah, it is her fault. She didn’t put the number in the phone…she could be dying right now and we can’t even get ahold of her fucking parents.”

I just shut up and stare as Louis puts her phone on the counter. I take the opportunity of silence to try and charge mine.

I turn around and Louis is on Aria’s phone again and calling a number. My first thought is: Good, he found her dad’s number. But then I hear the conversation.

“Yeah, hi. You seem to be calling this number a lot, and Aria doesn’t seem to answer…Uh huh…oh…okay. Right, I’m her friend…Yeah, I’m just wondering if you are related to…Oh, you’re not. Okay, sorry but do you have her parent’s- excuse me? No, Aria’s not an orphan; you’re mistaken… Known her since last year? Well, when did that happen? A year and a half ago? You’re kidding…” Louis looks upset as he looks up at me.

“What’s going on?” I mouth.

Louis holds up his pointer, one second. “Marissa? Nice to meet you… I’m Louis, Aria’s friend. Where is she? Well…she’s in the hospital if you’d like to come and see her… I’m not sure right now what’s going on but it isn’t good.” Louis frowns as I hear an insane jumble of words pouring from the receiver. “Okay, yeah.” He looks at me and asks what hospital she’s at from the text from Terrence. After that, he hasn’t texted me at all, neither has Harry or Kim. “She’s at Arroyo Grande... We’re in California. Really? That far?”

I listen to them talk and feel like Aria’s living this grand double life, one we see and one we never saw. I look at Zayn who mouths at me: “Orphan?”

I shrug, not knowing myself, but I listen to every word that Louis says and I try to understand it. Some suddenly makes sense, but then again, some of it doesn’t. The question that still wasn’t answered for me was Why?