Harry: “Are you okay, Darce?” Harry says gently, putting his head on her closed bedroom door. ”No. Goodbye,” your now eighteen-year old daughter says, sniffling loudly. You’d just gotten home from a dinner party at the Payne’s, and Darcy was less than thrilled to find out that Charlotte Payne was now seeing Colin Horan, her ex-boyfriend. ”Screw it, I’m going in,” you mutter, pushing the door open. Darcy jumps up from the fetal position she’d been laying in and whips the pillow she’d been hugging to the side. ”Hey!” She shouts, furiously wiping tears from her flushed cheeks. You stand in the doorway, pursing your lips. ”Do you want to talk about it?” Harry trails in behind you, hovering in the the toxicity of the environment. ”No…” Darcy says, then she jumps up and flings herself into Harry’s arms. ”We just broke up two months ago!” She cries, and Harry pats her hair. ”It’ll be alright,” he says, kissing her forehead. ”Never thought he was good enough for you anyways.”
Louis: The front door creaks open slowly and Daisy slides through the opening, shutting the door behind her silently. ”Nice to see you too,” Louis snaps from the top of the stairs. ”Daddy!” She gasps, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ”I was just—” “Don’t even try, Daisy. You’re two hours past your curfew. How am I supposed to trust you with Jem if—” Louis begins, but Daisy interjects swiftly. ”You know you can trust me!” Louis makes a face at his youngest daughter, sighing at her short black dress. ”Not when you break rules like this!” He says, shaking his head. Daisy hangs her head, tugging on her hair. Louis sighs again, speaking just above a whisper. ”I’m sorry, Daisy. I know I can trust you. I just—” The door creaks open again then, and Jem Malik slides through, peering around the corner at Daisy. ”Can I come in yet?” He whispers. Daisy’s eyes widen as she looks to the ground, avoiding Louis’ glance. Louis laughs outloud, and Jem’s eyes open with dread. ”Right then. Daisy, you’re grounded. Jem, let’s call your father and have a chat.”
Niall: “Hiya Baby James, how are ya?” Niall says loudly when he opens the front door. The boy grins sheepishly as he steps inside, grinning at Niall. ”Alright Uncle Niall, how are you?” He takes off his coat, handing it to Niall, who grins back. ”Great! Did you see the Derby game last—”Dad. Stop.” Emerson groans, the expression on her face somewhere between mortification and disgust. ”Mind if I go to the bathroom, Em?” James says, kissing Emerson’s cheek as he turns the hall. Emerson folds her arms and faces her father, gritting her teeth. ”What?” Niall says, shrugging. ”Stop being friends with him!” She hisses, her eyes narrowing. ”Friends? Em, he’s one of my best mate’s kids, I’ve known him since before he was born. And he supports Derby County, goddamn it Em, of course we’re friends!” Niall exclaims, as if nothing he’s said could possibly bother his daughter. She makes a face like she’s being tortured, and squints at her father. ”Stop dating my boyfriend.”
Liam: “Char?” Liam says, knocking at his daughter’s bedroom door. ”Go away!” she shouts. ”You’re not mad at me,” Liam says evenly. ”You’re mad at yourself.” It’s quiet for a long time, and then Charlotte opens the door. ”How mad was Darcy?” Charlotte says softly, gulping. Liam grimmaces, shrugging slightly. ”Pretty mad, Char. Wouldn’t you be?” She nods, sniffling. ”I don’t even know why I did it,” she says, a tear sliding down her cheek. ”I don’t even like him, and Darcy’s way more important to me than him…and now she’ll hateme, but she’s like a sister to me, dad. What can I do?” Charlotte rubs her eyes, reminding Liam of the way she used to when she was a little girl. Things seem so different now as he contemplates his daughter’s night. ”Don’t tell me. Tell Darcy,” Liam says, stepping aside and gesturing down the hall. Charlotte peeks out the door to see Darcy, sitting on the bench in the hall. ”I’m so sorry, Darcy,” Charlotte says, whimpering. ”Thank you,” Darcy says rigidly, standing up swiftly and storming down the hall.
Zayn: “Oh, no,” you breathe as you pick up the magazine from the kitchen table. You and Zayn had been right it seems. Liam Styles and Katie are on the front cover. It’s a paparazzi photo, you notice with a sickening feeling. Like father like son? the main headline reads, then underneath, Does son of Harry Styles take after his womanizer father? You flip to the creased page in the middle, where Katie has clearly already pored over this article. You start to read it, but you slam the magazine back on the table when you hear Katie walk in the room, with Liam in tow. ”Hi, mom,” she says softly. Liam looks ashamed and his eyes are tired as he follows Katie in the room. ”Did you read it?” She asks, and you shake your head. ”No. You know what? I don’t want to read it. It’s all lies.” You say. ”Read what?” Zayn says from behind you, picking up the magazine. He glosses over the page, his brown eyes hardening. ”What thefuck is this?!”
