The Fangirl Next Door - h.s

Chapter 14: Paparazzi

Harry left for New York again this morning. He'll only be gone for two days, but that's two days that I will have nothing to do. Ian asked me to hangout with him today, without Cora, just brother and sister time. We used to hangout every other day, but now that we're both involved in relationships we haven't spent as much time together. Of course I see him around, he's always with Cora, but I don't see him like I used to. He's taking me to Santa Monica, he said we should just do what we used to, go shopping and eat good food, which I'm completely fine with.
"Is it weird dating him? I mean you were in love with him for years, obsessing over him, and now you see him everyday pretty much." He sips on his drink as we sit outside of a small cafe.
"It's not weird anymore. Mostly because I don't see him as some mega star, he's just a normal guy to me now, and I was never actually in love with him, I know that now." I smile to myself, remembering just last night how we spoke those three words to each other.
"Wait... you two said the thing... the really really important thing?" He grabs the edges of the table, sitting upright.
"Yes... and before you say anything about how quick we're moving, trust me I already know. But his life is quick, that's just how it is, he's leaving in a month to tour the world, right now is all we've got and considering how things are between us it's not weird how quick I fell in love with him." I sip my drink and watch Ian carefully. He's my older brother, he's always protective, and throughout this whole thing he hasn't said much, hasn't threatened Harry once, but I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.
"You're sure about this guy? Like you really think after he goes off on tour that you two are going to be okay? You think he'll stay loyal to you and all that?" He asks and my head hasn't stopped nodding since the first question he asked me.
"We both feel the same way about each other. His going on tour is going to suck, but it's not going to break us." The waitress sets our food in front of us and we both begin eating.
"Why don't you just go with him? Your job isn't restricting you, youtubers travel the world all the time, you could film anywhere in the world, it doesn't have to be L.A." He tells me and I stare at my food in silence, pushing it around the plate. "What are you not telling me?" He asks, watching me. I sigh, telling him everything about Harry and his management.
"I will kill him right now Lucy, you say the word, and I swear-" I cut him off.
"You and Cora are the same person I swear it. No, you aren't going to get involved. Everything will be fine, that stupid manager can't scare me away. Either way, Harry would have to ask me to come on tour for me to even decide if I'd go or not and he hasn't yet so there's nothing to decide." I shut the conversation down, not wanting to think about Harry leaving. Ian and I move the conversation along, and walk down the strip, going from shop to shop. Now we're back at my house, having spent way too much money. I guess my way of coping with the fact that I've got an entire day left of not seeing Harry is spending all my money, but there are more unhealthy things I could be doing. I spent the night with them, we watched a movie, and I hung out until a facetime came from Harry, causing me to jump up and run off to my room.
"Hi!" I chirp as I slide open the call. His face instantly lights up on the screen causing me to smile wide. Fucking hell he's so cute.
"Hi love, how are things back home, no one has tried to break into my house have they?" He smiles a dorky grin, his head resting in his hand as he lays down on his stomach.
"I might have tried once or twice... I'm kidding. Everything is fine, kind of boring, but fine, and no one has actually tried to break into your house, if they did I'd kick their ass." I flop over on my back, holding the phone up so he can see me.
"Did Lucky just say she was going to kick someone's ass?" Niall's voice chimes in the background.
"Yes I did!" I speak louder into the phone.
"What happened to treat people with kindness? Throwing that out the window now?" Harry asks, ignoring Niall. Now that I know Niall is there, I wonder if any of the other boys are or if it's just the two of them.
"It's treat everyone with kindness for the hundredth time, and I treat everyone with kindness all the time, unless they're trying to break into your house." I tell him sternly.
"I'll say it how I please Lucky." He bickers back.
"Say it however you want, just know when you say treat people with kindness, it's wrong."
"When you say treat people with kindness it's wrong." He mimics back and I thin my eyes at him and the sass he's giving me, causing his smirk to only grow wider.
"You're incredibly annoying." I tell him, cracking into a smile.
"But I love you." My chest still swells every time I hear it, everytime those three words slip from his lips my heart jumps eight beats and I swear it will never start again.
"And I love you, but you're still annoying."I laugh.
"DID YOU JUST SAY WHAT I THINK YOU SAID?" Niall steals the phone away from Harry and he's looking more shocked than ever.
"Give me my phone back you idiot." I hear Harry's voice in the background.
"Yes I did, Harry said it too, why don't you say something to him?" I ask, not caring that I'm talking to Niall instead of Harry, I love talking to all the boys, no matter what.
"Because I knew Haz loved you, but you said it back! Congrats you two!" The phone shakes and Harry has stolen it back now.
"We're not getting married Ni, we said we loved each other, there's no need to congratulate us." Harry is looking past the phone, most likely at Niall. I see Harry raise a middle finger and laugh and hear Niall's laughter in the background. Harry turns his attention to me once more and I swear I want to melt, I miss him. It's been less than twenty four hours and I miss him.
"I miss-"
"I wish I was-" We both speak at the same time and pause smiling at each other.
"You go first." He tells me.
"I was going to say I miss you." I laugh.
"Oddly enough I was going to say I wish I was home with you." He laughs and I rest my head on my pillow gazing at him.
"It's not even been a day, how are we going to handle months apart?" I joke and his lips press into a hard line.
"About that, we need to talk about tour." He tells me and my stomach sinks, he's going to end this, I can feel it in my bones. I knew it was too good to be true. 'Lucy?" My attention snaps back to him, but my stomach and the continuing sinking feeling isn't leaving.
"Yea, I'm here." I tell him. "What about tour?" I ask, propping my phone between two pillows and rolling over on my side.
"I want you to come with me, and before you say no I thought about it a lot, and your job wouldn't get in the way, we can bring all your lights and everything to film videos on the road, and it would be easier to have you with us, that way we don't have to continue to fly back and forth, and-" I cut him off, relieved that's all this was about, but upset because I can't take the offer.
"Harry, how do you think Aaron would take it if you told him I was coming on tour with all of you." I ask and his face falls a bit.
"WHO CARES!" I hear an echo of Niall's voice and Harry smirks.
"What Niall said." He tells me and I roll my eyes.
"I care. I'm not going to sit there and take his bullshit for months on end, plus we couldn't be seen together, so I'd be left to explore all the cities by myself, and be bored all the time unless I'm with you, but you'll be busy." I argue and his face returns to the hurt one.
"Can we talk about this when I'm home?" I nod to him, though I know my answer won't change. We've got one month till he's off for tour, one month until we'll only be seeing each other over facetime every night. Harry and I talk for a little while longer, Niall went to his own room after the other two boys got back from a night out in New York. Harry said goodnight and I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling for what felt like years after the call ended. I love him, so much more than I thought I could, and he says he loves me, but can love last from thousands of miles away?
The next morning my alarm jolts me from my bed, way too early in the morning. I make myself put on makeup and fix my hair, despite how much I'd rather be in my bed until Harry walks back through my door. Today is an exciting day though, today I'm being fitted and Interviewed for the Billboard Music Awards red carpet, which is one of the biggest events I have ever been invited to. One day it will be the MET or the Grammy's, but for now the BBMA's will do. Mindy should be meeting me at the Alexander Wang showroom to get fitted, which is insane that I'm even saying that, I wonder if Alexander Wang will be there himself to fit me and dress me... Stop fangirling Lucy, it's just a normal person, you're going to be fine.
"Cora, Ian! I'm heading out to go to my fitting, I'll see you both when I get back!" I call out to both of them as I run down the stairs. I grab my keys and purse and hop in my car, playing of course One Direction all the way there. Once I'm close enough I park in a spot a little down the road and start walking towards the showroom, and to my horror, I'm not the only one. Three men with cameras jump up from their relaxed positions taking photos instantly, blinding me. I cover my face and walk forward, trying my best to push through.
"Lucy! Lucy, is it true you're dating Harry Styles?"
"Lucy how is Harry, you two doing alright?"
"How does it feel to be Harry's third girlfriend in less the a year Lucy?" My blood boils at the last question and I snap, instantly regretting it.
"Don't say things about him, or anyone, if you're not sure it's true, and get a real job you ass." I mumble, still ducking my head down, why did I park down the street?
"So quick to defend him, is that confirmation you two are dating? Will there be any new content with him coming up? Lucy!" The men keep chanting, causing my mind to feel flustered, the flashes making me dizzy.
"I don't know!" I speak loudly and near the building. I hear mumbles of other questions but push through the paps and press the button on the door, letting them know I'm here. The door clicks open and I push myself in, shoving the door closed behind me. I take a deep breath and push my hair down, I just fucked up really bad. I shouldn't have said anything, and I know I'll hear it from Harry tonight, or maybe this will be it, maybe Aaron will force him to cut all ties with me and I won't hear a word, but only time can tell, and now I'm ready for this fitting to be over with so I can try to call Harry before he sees the stories online.
    I swear I've tried on about two thousand dresses before we all agree on one. Mindy wanted me in black, but I insisted on something more bold, so we decided on red, the makeup team already getting ideas for how they'll make me up. After today it's only four days away, and I know I need to get prepped to do a youtube video for this, and get ready to edit all night long after the red carpet so that I can have the video up the next day. Tomorrow morning the boys will be back and they have a show midday, it's promotional so it will be televised, and I will be there, just not seen by anyone.
    "Oh Lucy! I just got the list this morning for the people you are scheduled to interview on the carpet, I'll send it over now, and we can discuss questions over the phone." Mindy walks out the backdoor with me, avoiding the paps out front. Three has multiplied and they're all waiting for me to return to my car, so Mindy is taking us the backway, getting me to my car safely. I read over the email she had just sent and get excited with every name I read. Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift... Ew. Fifth Harmony, One Direction... ONE DIRECTION. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
    "Mindy, why didn't you tell me One Direction was going to be on here? I can't interview them! There's no way that's going to happen, we need to figure it out, I'll back out I can't-" She cuts me off.
    "Lucy, they're just normal people, you'll be fine, and it'll be a quick interview, no big deal." She doesn't look up from her phone and I stop her, forcing her to look at me.
    "It's not like that... I've got something to tell you.." I start rapidly explaining what has happened the past few weeks, talking about Aaron and Harry and I's relationship, knowing I can trust her and her eyes are more confused than I've ever seen.
    "First of all, their manager is an ass, and second of all how did I not know about any of this Lucy? I'm supposed to know everything." She scolds me and I sigh.
    "I was trying to keep it really lowkey, I'm sorry, no more secrets." We finally start walking again, moving towards my car.
    "I don't know what to tell you Lucy, that list was sent by Vogue, meaning they're expecting you to interview all of those people, meaning I'm not telling Vogue you won't do it. You're going to have to talk to Andy and tell him-"
    "Aaron." I correct her.
    "Whatever his name is, you're going to have to speak with him about this, because you're interviewing those boys on that carpet, no getting out of it." She points a finger at me and I sigh, what the hell am I supposed to tell Aaron?
    The rest of the night I had my door locked, and I paced the floor until I heard my phone ring. As soon as I saw Harry's name I had the thought of not answering, getting a new phone, moving to Mexico and changing my name, but then I realized that if he truly loves me, then he'll understand, or at least try to.
    "Hi." I mumble, answering the phone.
    "Why do you sound upset, what happened Luck?" He instantly looks concerned and I sigh, telling him about the paparazzi, causing his face to turn serious, making my blood run cold. "Are you mad?" I ask and he stays silent.
    "I'm not mad at you. I wish paps would mind their own business. You've never experienced being swarmed like that so I know you didn't know how to react, but don't freak out. It will be fine." He sighs through his entire reply.
    "What about Aaron?" I ask, knowing it's already in the back of his mind.
    "What about him?" He asks, and the serious expression is slowly fading from his face, making my heart rate slow too.
    "Isn't he going to be pissed?" I ask and Harry laughs.
    "He's always pissed. No matter how mad he gets it's not going to change anything, I still love you and we're still making this work." He smiles and I do too until I turn and see the dress for Thursday hanging in a bag on the back of my closet door.
    "I have something else to tell you." I mumble, feeling nervous again.
    "How many bad things happened? Did you punch a fan or something?" Harry laughs into the phone but I continue to look at the dress. I explain what's going on Thursday about Vogue hiring me and his face is lit up like a christmas tree.
    "Lucy that's massive, I'm happy for you." He cheers into the phone and I keep my same blank stare. "What, is there more?" He asks, and I nod.
    "I said I was interviewing people on the carpet, you and the boys being some of those people, I got the list this morning, and there's no way I can take your names off the list because it was Vogue who asked me to interview you." I tell him and his eyes wander, he's thinking.
    "We're going to have to tell Aaron." I jump up on my bed at his words.
    "No! I don't want to tell him! It's pathetic enough I have to pretend we aren't together, but now I've got to admit to Aaron I got a job hosting a red carpet because I'm a crazy fangirl online. Harry he will tear me apart!" I squeal into the phone.
    "I'll ask the other boys." He stands from wherever he's sitting in his hotel room.
    "They'll say something smarter." I joke.
    "They're going to say the same thing." He argues back and I hear a door open and loud yelling once he's through the door. "Lucy's on the phone and we need your opinion on something." His voice is faint as he explains everything to the boys in the room and they stay silent for a minute, fuck this is not good.
    "Lucky you've got to talk to Aaron."
    "Agreed."
    "Tell him tomorrow after the performance." They all speak one after the other, making me feel even worse about the situation, a situation I should be excited about.
    "I can't face him with this." I mumble.
    "We'll all be there, there's nothing you can do to change it, so he can get over it." Liam argue into the phone. Harry walks off and he's talking to me about what they did today but the only thing I can hear are the voices in my head. I have to talk to Aaron tomorrow, I have to face him, and I know it's not going to go well, no matter who is there to back me up.