In a Heartbeat
The Fall
Melody POV
When I fall, it's always a dramatic fall. One of those slow-motion, oh-look-I'm-falling-okay falls. Almost every time. Unless you slip on ice. Then it's a speedy fall, one of those I-have-no-clue-what-I'm-thinking-except-OUCH! falls. And crashing into some random stranger on your way down makes it just that much better. So by now you're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Well, I'll tell you.
I was walking home from practice on your typical Fargo, North Dakota winter day, carrying my skate bag over my shoulder. I stopped into Scheels to get them sharpened, and bought boot polish and new laces while I was waiting. After I paid, I continued my walk home, munching on sour gummy worms I had purchased on impulse as I walked to the register.
I was concentrating on keeping my bag on my shoulder while trying to grab another worm when it happened. I had finally gotten one of the gummy candies nestled into my frozen hands and was about to put it in my mouth when I slipped. Now, you'd think a figure skater would know what to do in this situation, but I'm going to be honest. It's way different when you're on skates in an arena. Outisde the arena, however, it's a different story. You just slip and fall. End of story.
Well, I happened to be walking backwards for some reason, and I put my foot down right on the edge of the patch of ice, and I fell backwards. Somebody beside me walking the opposite way tried to catch me as I fell, but I took him down with me instead. I hit my head on the sidewalk and blacked out.
The first thing I noticed as I regained consciousness was not the smell of bacon, or the feel of a fuzzy blanket covering me, but was the soft bickering of two British voices.
"We should take her in to the hospital! We don't know who she is or where she lives. Her parents have to be worried sick!" the first voice said.
"She'll be fine. I hit my head, too," said a second voice. I peeked one eye open just a little bit, and saw nothing but light at first. I quickly closed my eye again.
"Yeah, but you weren't knocked out. You picked her up and carried her here," the first voice said.
"In a shopping cart, Liam, a shopping cart."
Wait. Liam. Where do I know that name from? I remember hearing that name from somewhere... but where?!
I decided at that moment to make my consciousness known to the voices above by moving my arm and making a sleeping noise. Sort of. The bickering stopped immediately.
"I think she's waking up," voice number two said. "Shh..."
I shielded my eyes with my arm and slowly opened my eyes. Then, I slowly moved my arm away. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I gasped in shock.
"She's awake!" a curly-haired dude shouted triumphantly, jumping out of his chair and punching the air above his head.
"No, really?" Liam said sarcastically.
"Holy sh-" I started to say, but was rudely interrupted by a door slamming and feet thumping against the floor.
"How's she do- ooh, bacon!" a male voice with an Irish accent said. I heard plastic grocery bags fall to the floor and the sound of a plate being removed from a cupboard.
I heard two other voices groan in unison. "So much for eating bacon," another British voice said.
I sat up, only to fall back unwillingly due to dizziness. I tried sitting up again, this time slower. I felt a hand on my back, supporting me in case I fell back again. When I was in an upright position, I looked around me. Five extremely famous people surrounded me, watching me warily.
I thought of Ella, my 10-year-old sister. She would probably scream with joy if she were in my position. I was just confused.
"Hi!" curls said excitedly, jumping out from behind me. That's who the hand belongs to. I was wondering about that. "I'm-"
"Harry Styles from One Direction," I said boredly, cutting him off. "And that's Liam Payne. The Irish dude is Niall Horan, and the other two are Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. I'm not stupid."
Liam stared at me, shocked. "Uhmm..." he said, clearly not knowing what to say to that.
Three pairs of feet came thundering into the room, one holding a plateful of bacon.
"Hey! She's awake!" shouted Niall. I cringed and covered my ears, glaring at him.
"Hey, bacon dude. C'mere," I said. He walked over warily. I motioned for him to bend over so he could heare me. "Thanks for the bacon," I whispered, grabbing a handful of the fried yumminess. Niall looked horrified that I took his breakfast. I just stared back at him as I ate a strip of bacon slowly, as if to torture him. Revenge is sweet. Or, in this case, fried and porky.
"So," I said once I swallowed. "Where the hell am I and why am I with you guys?"
When I fall, it's always a dramatic fall. One of those slow-motion, oh-look-I'm-falling-okay falls. Almost every time. Unless you slip on ice. Then it's a speedy fall, one of those I-have-no-clue-what-I'm-thinking-except-OUCH! falls. And crashing into some random stranger on your way down makes it just that much better. So by now you're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Well, I'll tell you.
I was walking home from practice on your typical Fargo, North Dakota winter day, carrying my skate bag over my shoulder. I stopped into Scheels to get them sharpened, and bought boot polish and new laces while I was waiting. After I paid, I continued my walk home, munching on sour gummy worms I had purchased on impulse as I walked to the register.
I was concentrating on keeping my bag on my shoulder while trying to grab another worm when it happened. I had finally gotten one of the gummy candies nestled into my frozen hands and was about to put it in my mouth when I slipped. Now, you'd think a figure skater would know what to do in this situation, but I'm going to be honest. It's way different when you're on skates in an arena. Outisde the arena, however, it's a different story. You just slip and fall. End of story.
Well, I happened to be walking backwards for some reason, and I put my foot down right on the edge of the patch of ice, and I fell backwards. Somebody beside me walking the opposite way tried to catch me as I fell, but I took him down with me instead. I hit my head on the sidewalk and blacked out.
The first thing I noticed as I regained consciousness was not the smell of bacon, or the feel of a fuzzy blanket covering me, but was the soft bickering of two British voices.
"We should take her in to the hospital! We don't know who she is or where she lives. Her parents have to be worried sick!" the first voice said.
"She'll be fine. I hit my head, too," said a second voice. I peeked one eye open just a little bit, and saw nothing but light at first. I quickly closed my eye again.
"Yeah, but you weren't knocked out. You picked her up and carried her here," the first voice said.
"In a shopping cart, Liam, a shopping cart."
Wait. Liam. Where do I know that name from? I remember hearing that name from somewhere... but where?!
I decided at that moment to make my consciousness known to the voices above by moving my arm and making a sleeping noise. Sort of. The bickering stopped immediately.
"I think she's waking up," voice number two said. "Shh..."
I shielded my eyes with my arm and slowly opened my eyes. Then, I slowly moved my arm away. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I gasped in shock.
"She's awake!" a curly-haired dude shouted triumphantly, jumping out of his chair and punching the air above his head.
"No, really?" Liam said sarcastically.
"Holy sh-" I started to say, but was rudely interrupted by a door slamming and feet thumping against the floor.
"How's she do- ooh, bacon!" a male voice with an Irish accent said. I heard plastic grocery bags fall to the floor and the sound of a plate being removed from a cupboard.
I heard two other voices groan in unison. "So much for eating bacon," another British voice said.
I sat up, only to fall back unwillingly due to dizziness. I tried sitting up again, this time slower. I felt a hand on my back, supporting me in case I fell back again. When I was in an upright position, I looked around me. Five extremely famous people surrounded me, watching me warily.
I thought of Ella, my 10-year-old sister. She would probably scream with joy if she were in my position. I was just confused.
"Hi!" curls said excitedly, jumping out from behind me. That's who the hand belongs to. I was wondering about that. "I'm-"
"Harry Styles from One Direction," I said boredly, cutting him off. "And that's Liam Payne. The Irish dude is Niall Horan, and the other two are Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. I'm not stupid."
Liam stared at me, shocked. "Uhmm..." he said, clearly not knowing what to say to that.
Three pairs of feet came thundering into the room, one holding a plateful of bacon.
"Hey! She's awake!" shouted Niall. I cringed and covered my ears, glaring at him.
"Hey, bacon dude. C'mere," I said. He walked over warily. I motioned for him to bend over so he could heare me. "Thanks for the bacon," I whispered, grabbing a handful of the fried yumminess. Niall looked horrified that I took his breakfast. I just stared back at him as I ate a strip of bacon slowly, as if to torture him. Revenge is sweet. Or, in this case, fried and porky.
"So," I said once I swallowed. "Where the hell am I and why am I with you guys?"
Notes
Sorry it's short but I get out of school in exactly 12 hours and I am supposed to be sleeping right now and I'm about ready to hit the sack. I need to wake up in three hours or I'm going to school with greasy hair. Yuck.Because it's like 3:20 am. Must. Get. Sleep. NOW!
Comment if you like it and tell me what you think should happen next!
HEY. Your official-unofficial announcements sadden me. No promises or not, I really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY hope you decide to eventually continue. I won't even be mad if you do a rewrite but dude, you gotta do something. I WILL DIE IF THIS STORY DOES NOT CONTINUE.
5/2/16