Lights (Niall Horan)

forty-eight

Harry Styles

"What kind of idiot gets us stuck in an elevator for ten minutes? God dammit." Liam curses, being the first one out of the small elevator.

Niall looks like he's about to faint, Anna looks dazed, and Zayn is surprisingly monotone.

"What, did I mess up your bath schedule? Sorry." Louis rolls his eyes, putting up his hands in his defense.

"No, you did not. You called the police station!" Liam yells.

"Jesus. I was being sarcastic." Louis snaps back. "Plus, it wasn't even me."

"Well, then how'd that happen, then?"

"I don't know!"

Louis and Liam bicker down the hall, eventually slamming doors and leaving Niall, Zayn, Anna, and I staring after them.

I let Zayn handle the luggage cart while I go to comfort Anna, giving her a slight nudge.

"How are you doing?"

She just shakes her head.

Damn.

Does that mean yes? No?

I don't know.

"It's just... I've never seen them like this... Before..." She stammers.

Oh.

She's never seen us fight before?

Well.

I guess not, because neither have I.

Not for such a long period of time. Not like this.

"Shhh, it's okay. Everything's okay. It will be over soon." I mutter, half-lying.

To be honest, I'm not sure when this will end.

And I am surely just adding to it:  the confusion, the struggle.

I have to make her pretend to be someone she's clearly not, all until we reach uncharted areas.

Behind closed doors, underneath a tree, deep inside a cave.

Those are the only places we can truly hide.

"It won't. It will... Never be. You said so yourself." Anna says quietly, leaning against me for support as I guide her to the very room we were sleepily drinking coffee in earlier. "But I can't help but think... If it wasn't for me, if it wasn't because--"

"Anna, you didn't cause this. Don't let yourself think for a minute that you caused this." I tell her sternly, unlocking my temporary door and propping it open.

She stays silent.

"Just... Please. Don't. It wasn't."

I see Niall in the corner of my eye, struggling with his own door and cursing.

Anger flashes before my eyes, but only I can see it.

"Aren't you coming?" Anna whispers, peering at me from inside the room.

"I'll be there soon. I just need to... Grab my book from Zayn." I lie.

Anna nods once and enters my luxury suite.

In two seconds I'm at Niall's, fuming.

His eyes widen as he sees me coming.

"What do you want?"

"Well. Hello to you too." I reply, taken aback.

He scoffs. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Why are you responding?"