What's Already Broken

Relatives

The plane landed and as expected, my grandad drove me straight to my hotel to ready for the event. I dressed casual since I shouldn't look like I'm trying to impress my own family. As I readied I realized that it was family I had never met and nervousness grew in me. What if I wasn't good enough? Or perhaps I tell them of my career and no ones heard of me? No. I can't focus on possibilities. Anxiety is for those who live in the future. I need to be in the present.

The car was soon here to take me to the reunion and I got in, my grandad already inside. He told me not to worry and bragged how he told them all about how he was bringing me. "There quite excited to meet you. There already used to the other celebrity there." He chuckled and I grew curious. "I'm related to another celebrity?" I asked and he nodded. "Yes, some lad, I'm his great uncle. I always forget his name." He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "I think he's your third cousin. Cousin none-the-less." He shrugged and I leaned back in my seat. Trying o think of who is could be. "Does he act or sing or something else?" I asked and my grandad chuckled. "I think he's a singer. I'll show you to him when I see him. I've already mentioned you to him, he's seen your movies and likes your work. He was surprised you two were related." He said with a smile replacing his confused features. "You told him about me?! When?" I was getting very invested though I could just wait till I arrive. But it was good to pass the time. "Yes I told him. A few weeks back, the 28th of last month as I remember. We were on the phone and he was telling me the details of the event and I mentioned bringing you. He was surprised you two were related but was happy to meet you. Don't worry. There are plenty of others you'll meet first." He set a hand on mine to comfort me. I nodded and felt the car stop. We were there.

We got out and I was greeted by smiling faces and people telling me where they were from and how we were related. It wasn't a large group but not small either. Just enough for me to greet everyone and have a few conversations between eating. I was too wrapped up in meeting everyone that I hardly noticed him, the celebrity boy my grandad was telling me about until I heard a familiar voice shout, "I'm your cousin!"

I looked up and I was face to face with a grinning face, Liam Payne. My cousin. "Well. Hey Liam. I'm (Y/N)." I shook his hand and he chuckled, "I know who you are. I had no clue we were related. This pretty cool." He said and I nodded, "Yea. In the car my granddad was telling me but he couldn't remember your name so I was at a cliffhanger the entire ride here." He nodded, "Knowing him it sounds more like he left you at the cliffhanger on purpose." He pointed out and you couldn't help but to agree. "He probably did."

Eventually me and him sat down, talking and eating. I told him about the movie I made and he congratulated me. He was trying to come up with a recent achievement of One Direction's but, he seemed to fall short. "I'm sorry but, after what happened with Harry, it's hard to think of the good. Even though I know that's what's best." I set a hand in his shoulder. "It's alright. I've seen what happened on the news. But I heard the girl who did it in going on trail in a few days."

"We had a talk with his therapist. She said that leading up to trail would be worst and it would get better after. Her being locked away is suppose to make him safer. She's already behind bars awaiting trail but Harry, he still loses sleep. Scared he'll wake up and be in the hotel again. And he hasn't touched a pint of alcohol. None of us have." I let him talk on since he's going through a lot with his friend. I was his fan, his cousin, and I also wanted to show I could be his friend. "I don't want to sound like I know everything or that I'm assuming things about you. But, I can tell you're blaming yourself. Because of your kidney you can't drink, you were sober that night and you feel bad you couldn't help him. But, what happened wasn't your fault. It was hers." I said and he looked up at me with a serious face.

"You're right. I do blame myself. And, I still can't figure out why I didn't go check on them and make sure everyone was sober enough to at least walk. I usually do. But I was so caught up, I didn't." He needed someone to talk to. So I listened. I listened to his account of the night and how after a while he didn't see Harry. They went to the hotel separately and regrouped on the tour bus in the morning. But Harry wasn't there. They waited, called, texted, went to his hotel room, went to the bar, called management, and called the police.

"Niall wouldn't stop texting him. By the hour it seemed. And when Harry called we felt so relieved. But when we heard where he was, it didn't take much to understand what happened. If he hadn't woken up when he did, she could of done so much worse and we wouldn't of found him. He could of died." Liam was nearly tearing up and I gave him a tissue from my purse. "Don't worry Liam. I'm sure that once she's behind bars that Harry will feel better and the therapist will help him."

I didn't know much about therapy. My mom tried to make me go when I was younger but I refused.

Liam gave me a smile and we sat there in a comfortable silence. We exchanged numbers and I hoped that Liam and I could be good friends. I didn't get along with many relatives like I did with Liam. But then again, he was also my idol and the friend of my celebrity crush.

Everything was going great, until I heard a flash and me and Liam both looked up. It was out of habit, mostly due to paparazzi. And speaking of paparazzi, they were outside the venue, snapping pictures of us till security chased them off. Liam's response was to go on Twitter and say for the record that we're cousins and not dating.

Leave it to paparazzi to ruin a nice silence.