Behind Our Lies (One Direction)

Chapter 6

Haven't updated in ages and I'm really sorry, guys. But here it is, I hope you guys enjoy the story. I feel like it is finally picking up a little! ;)

-6-

Harry

Early October 2012

We’re sitting in a room next to the conference hall with the door open to listen. Bored out of our mind and not being able to be loud, we started throwing skittles at each other, trying to catch them with our mouths. Paul, our bodyguard, rolls his eyes at us, but I see him smile as he turns away.

“Jessica…” I hear someone say from the other room. I turn my head, about to get up and go closer to the door as a light blue skittle hits my cheek. I look over at Louis, who is almost choking from not being able to laugh out loud. Reaching into my bag of Skittles, I shoot him a mad grin and throw a whole handful in his face. Although his mouth is open wide, he doesn’t manage to catch a single one! The lads and I are crying of laughter by now, when all of a sudden it gets quiet outside.

Shutting up immediately, we all look at each other, hoping not to have interrupted. Paul now gives us a serious look and we follow his unspoken expectation to be quiet.

And then I hear a nasal male voice: “So…Miss Snow! Do you feel good about going on the runway? Between all these perfect, skinny girls, as the one who…” there’s a pause. I am standing by now, as close to the door as I can without being seen. Feeling someone bump into me, I turn around. The lads are standing close around me, just as I they are listening to every single word.

“Well…the one who…isn’t!” the guy finishes. His tone is amused and caring, although it is so obviously fake that nobody would believe this wasn’t an insult.

“What the fuck!” I mutter and take a step towards the door. Gripping my arm, Liam pulls me back, shaking his head. His chocolate brown eyes are dull and I see the guilt of not helping Jessica in them. He’s right though. We can’t walk out there now. The deal is to run in as a surprise, so I nod a “Thanks” to him and turn back to listen what Jessica will answer.

“I…” she chokes out. Then nothing.

I wonder how she looks right now. Is she playing with her ponytail again as she was before when she was nervous? Or is she fumbling with her hands? Does she bite her lip? I try to remember how her lips look but I can’t quite picture them right now. I focused too much on the golden sparks in her greenish brown eyes when we first met…

“I don’t know what you want to say. Are you saying I am imperfect? If so, then yes, you’re completely right.” Her trembling voice pulls me out of my thoughts again. She sounds so young in this moment and as if she is about to cry!

“Come on, Jessica! You can do this!” I think.

As she continues, her voice grows stronger: “I am not a girl you would think of as a model. But you know what? I am one. There are people who see me as capable of doing this, together with all these perfect, skinny girls. Do I feel good about this?”

Does she feel good about this?

“Uhm…I…I…uh…”

No. She doesn’t!  I think to myself and start pulling on my hair. It’s a nervous habit I have that every hair stylist hates. I can’t help myself though! In situations like these…

I meet Louis’ bright blue eyes and see the same anger in him that I feel right now. When the man from earlier speaks again, we both flinch. “Miss Snow?”

“I…I won’t tell you that I am not…insecure about this in any way. I would be lying then. But I am excited to show everyone out there…including myself… that I am…beautiful. Despite…my flaws.” She stutters. She sounds so terribly insecure and her voice breaks at the end, that I just can’t come to believe that she meant what she said! There is no way she has any confidence in herself being beautiful. Not if she sounds like this talking about it!