Disconnected

Chapter Ten

Daniella

I grab a jacket and jump as a knock on my bedroom door echoes through the room.

I open the door and smile.

"Good morning, Luke." Luke nods.

"Morning." He glances over his shoulder and turns back to me without a word. He must be looking for Michael. "I was thinking maybe we would go for a swim. You know, something easy to get the press to notice you guys a little."

I shrug. "I'll get my suit on." I smile and close the door as he walks down the hall.

I grab my swim suit out of my closet and grab the hem of my shirt to pull it over my head.

A disturbing thought crawls into my head.

I lift the covers and look under the bed for Michael. I check the closet and the bathroom for peering eyes.

I guess he isn't in here.

I just had this creepy feeling that someone was watching me.

I pull my shirt off and replace it with my bikini top.

I walk down the stairs and smile at how lovely the sun looks on the walls. They must have glass objects the lift is reflecting off of. The designs the light is making on the wall is beautiful.

"Ready to go?" Ashton asks, standing in front of the back door in just his red swim trunks.

I nod and follow them out the door.

I am sort of nervous for today. I am going to be photographed with them. Not that I am a stranger to a camera, but not like this. I am going to be all over every newspaper on the planet.

If I mess this up, this will be the last time I am ever seen in public. My life will be over, literally, if I don't pull this off.

*****

Everyone piles out of the car and onto the soft sand. I didn't know they lived so close to a beach. This will be nice to just breathe when I feel like relaxing after a stressful day.

The three boys run on to the sand, shoving and tripping each other to see who can get to the water first.

I laugh and look over at Michael, who is staring at me, not blinking. I wave my hand in front of his face, shaking him from his daze.

"W-what?" He asks, grumpily.

"Are we going to go in the water?" I ask.

"You can. I'll just stay on the sand and watch."  He steps on to the sand.

I sigh and follow him down to the water. "You sure you don't want to swim?" I ask, one last time. I peel my sweater off and throw it on the towel beside him.

I glance over at a few people staring intently at us. I think they are trying to figure out if it is really them or if they are seeing things.

"Just for a few minutes. We can start this process slow at first." I smile, reaching my hand out for him to grab.

He looks over at the people and nods his head. He reaches his hand out and closes his fingers around my palm.

A small smirk is plastered on my face as we walk towards the water.

I won that time.

The others wrestle and splash each other with water while Michael and I walk straight out into the horizon. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" I ask, knowing he is also nervous about this whole make-believe-relationship thing.

"When are the cameras going to come so I can be alone?" He asks, pulling his hand away from mine and crossing his arms over his chest.

I sigh. "You know better than me."

"I didn't ask for attitude." He groans and walks further in to the water.

"And I didn't ask for yours!" I retort, not appreciating how he is acting. All he has to do is stand next to me while we get our picture taken. It's not that hard. "Well lucky for you, they showed up just in time for your Hollywood style meltdown."

Michael turns around and grabs me by the arms. "They are going to realize the sun is too bright and they can't get a shot. They will leave in, say, five minutes. This plan was stupid. They won't be able to see anything." Michael growls.

"Fine." I turn around to walk back to the sand and see the people with cameras walking back to where they came from. Michael was right. But, they must have gotten at least one shot, right?

I trudge up the sand and lay the towel out nicer than it is. I lay myself across it, laying on my stomach, facing the water.

I smile at the three brother-like boys as they laugh and take turns throwing each other in to the water. I turn my head to look at Michael, on the complete opposite side of the ocean, it seems.

I wonder why he is so distant from the other boys? What made him be like this? I would kill just to know the answer.

All at once, the boys all come up to the sand. "It's getting dark. It seems like it is going to storm. We are going to head back to the house. Want to come?" Calum asks, wrapping a towel around his waist.

I nod and wrap my towel around my body. I reach for my sweater but I am stopped.

Two large arms wrap themselves around my neck. I stand still, reaching my hand up to pull his arms away from my throat, fearing what he might do.

"She is staying with me." Michael booms from behind me, thunder echoing after his voice.

The boys shake in fear and look at me for what to do next. "You guys can go. Michael and I will be back in a few I guess." I shrug as Michael releases me and wraps his hand around my waist, pulling me back it towards the water.