Run (One Direction) [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter Twenty

 Callin

The room explodes when Louis says that. People are shouting things, crying. I catch a few of the shouted words.

Nobody knows what Louis means.

Lavender tries, but she can't get the crowd under control.

Louis could've phrased that better.

He said 'gone'.

Not 'missing'.

'Gone'.

'Gone' could mean anything.

'Gone' could mean dead.

Finally, the hysteria dies down a bit. Lavender leans towards Louis.

“What do you mean by that, Louis?” she asks. She's trying to look curious, but I just see worry. She does care about what happens to Harry.

Maybe not as much as she cares about Louis.

But she does have a heart.

“I mean he's missing” Louis whispers into his mic. “He's missing and we don't know where he is.”

The audience starts whispering again, but not as loud before.

“If anyone sees Harry anywhere, please call the police” Louis says to the crowd. “And tell him we're in London.”

“One more question, Louis” Lavender says, over the building noise of the crowd. “What about the tour. Any news?”

I'm momentarily confused, until I realise that One Direction was supposed to have a tour, before this.

How could Lavender even ask that?

In the middle of this nightmare, how are we even supposed to think about a tour?

They.

I mean they.

How are they supposed to think about a tour.

Because I have to remember that this isn't permanent.

I can't stay with One Direction forever.

“No news” Louis says. He's squeezing my hand a lot harder now, out of anger, I guess. “Maybe when this is all over. Maybe.” Even though he's practically cutting off my circulation, I don't mind him squeezing my hand.

I want to stay.

I want to stay with One Direction forever.