In a Heartbeat
Soundproof Walls
Harry's POV
"He died holding my hand, Harry. He died."
Her words bounced around in my head, not fully registering. I had been expecting something more along the lines of paralyzed or physically/mentally handicapped, but for some reason, death never worked its way into those thoughts. But then again, expectations are never reality.
"I never even got to say goodbye," she said through clenched teeth. "The doctors said he would recover with little difficulty but he never did!" She slammed her fist against the floor, tears running down her face. "And the worst part? The truck driver was completely unharmed. A little red bruise and a scratch on his arm was all he had to show for it! He killed my brother. Because of him, Will is dead!" she screamed.
Thank God these rooms are soundproof, I thought, chuckling.
"What are you laughing at?" Melody glared at me.
I hesitated to answer. "I was just thinking that it was a good thing these walls are soundproof, otherwise everyone would come running down here," I said.
Melody looked confused, then she smiled and giggled, which soon turned into a loud laugh.
She has the most contagious laugh, because I was on the floor next to her, laughing just as hard as she was. Except she was curled up on her side, holding her stomach, tears streaming down her face from crying then laughing.
"What are you doing?" a voice said from above.
"God? Is that you?" Melody asked the ceiling, suddenly looking very serious. Then she started laughing again.
I rolled over and looked out the window to the editing room and saw the lads and Melody's sisters staring at us like we were crazy.
"Oh, you know, just pooping giraffes," Melody said from beside me. "It really hurts, especially when you're trying to give birth to an emu from your left nostril and running into revolving doors on top of Mt. Everest. What are you doing?"
This caused me to laugh even harder, and the rest of the band started laughing too, as did Ella. Heather just groaned in annoyance.
"I'm giving One Direction a tour around our lovely home because you disappeared. This was supposed to be your job," she said into the microphone.
"You know what week it is, right?" Melody said, devoid of all happiness again.
Heather looked confused for a moment, then her face softened. "Fine. But only because it's this week. You owe me big time, Mel."
At first, I had no clue what week it was they were talking about, then I remembered that Melody had said 'almost a year ago' and it clicked into place. "Oh! I get it now!" I said, looking at Melody. "The week thing, I mean."
Melody just nodded sadly. The lads looked really confused, and Ella was trying not to cry, but a few tears slid down her cheeks anyway. Louis hugged her, trying to make her feel better, even though he had no clue why.
"He knows, doesn't he," Heather said. It was more of a statement than it was a question. Melody nodded again.
"Whoa! When did you have brown hair, Mel?" Zayn said into the microphone.
"What's with all the pictures?" Niall asked, shoving Zayn aside.
"Who's this lad?" Louis asked, shoving them both and holding the album cover photo of Will.
"That was blunt," I said, staring at him pointedly.
"Well sorry but I want to know!" Louis said.
"That's my brother," Melody said.
"Ooh! Can we meet him?" Louis asked excitedly. I looked over at Melody.
"No," she said, shaking her head.
"Awww, why not?"
"Remember when we were doing Q and A at the hotel? The sibling thing?" Melody said, staring through the window at Louis.
"Yeah. You still don't want to talk about it? Aww!" he said. Then he grinned mischeviously. "I'm going to meet your brother, Melody. Whether you like it or not."
"Good luck trying," she muttered, walking out of the soundbooth and into the editing room. I followed close behind.
"You okay, love?" I whispered in her ear.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just please don't tell them anything, okay?" she said.
"Okay."
"Don't tell us anything about what?" Liam asked.
"When did you have brown hair?" Zayn asked again.
"What's with all the pictures?!" Niall shouted.
"Something you don't need to know about right now. Before the Thing happened That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now. And it's to remember my past, including the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now," Melody answered all of their questions. They shut up after that.
"I have a question," Louis said.
"What?" Melody replied.
"Why do you have a music room and a recording studio?"
"Because I can play all those instruments and because I used to record stuff before the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now happened." Melody answered.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Because of the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now."
"Can you play some of the instruments for us?" Liam asked.
"Yeah," Melody said, walking out of the studio and heading toward the exit of the music room as well.
"Well, aren't you going to?" Liam shouted after her.
"You asked me if I could, not if I would," she shouted over her shoulder and turned the corner to go upstairs.
"He died holding my hand, Harry. He died."
Her words bounced around in my head, not fully registering. I had been expecting something more along the lines of paralyzed or physically/mentally handicapped, but for some reason, death never worked its way into those thoughts. But then again, expectations are never reality.
"I never even got to say goodbye," she said through clenched teeth. "The doctors said he would recover with little difficulty but he never did!" She slammed her fist against the floor, tears running down her face. "And the worst part? The truck driver was completely unharmed. A little red bruise and a scratch on his arm was all he had to show for it! He killed my brother. Because of him, Will is dead!" she screamed.
Thank God these rooms are soundproof, I thought, chuckling.
"What are you laughing at?" Melody glared at me.
I hesitated to answer. "I was just thinking that it was a good thing these walls are soundproof, otherwise everyone would come running down here," I said.
Melody looked confused, then she smiled and giggled, which soon turned into a loud laugh.
She has the most contagious laugh, because I was on the floor next to her, laughing just as hard as she was. Except she was curled up on her side, holding her stomach, tears streaming down her face from crying then laughing.
"What are you doing?" a voice said from above.
"God? Is that you?" Melody asked the ceiling, suddenly looking very serious. Then she started laughing again.
I rolled over and looked out the window to the editing room and saw the lads and Melody's sisters staring at us like we were crazy.
"Oh, you know, just pooping giraffes," Melody said from beside me. "It really hurts, especially when you're trying to give birth to an emu from your left nostril and running into revolving doors on top of Mt. Everest. What are you doing?"
This caused me to laugh even harder, and the rest of the band started laughing too, as did Ella. Heather just groaned in annoyance.
"I'm giving One Direction a tour around our lovely home because you disappeared. This was supposed to be your job," she said into the microphone.
"You know what week it is, right?" Melody said, devoid of all happiness again.
Heather looked confused for a moment, then her face softened. "Fine. But only because it's this week. You owe me big time, Mel."
At first, I had no clue what week it was they were talking about, then I remembered that Melody had said 'almost a year ago' and it clicked into place. "Oh! I get it now!" I said, looking at Melody. "The week thing, I mean."
Melody just nodded sadly. The lads looked really confused, and Ella was trying not to cry, but a few tears slid down her cheeks anyway. Louis hugged her, trying to make her feel better, even though he had no clue why.
"He knows, doesn't he," Heather said. It was more of a statement than it was a question. Melody nodded again.
"Whoa! When did you have brown hair, Mel?" Zayn said into the microphone.
"What's with all the pictures?" Niall asked, shoving Zayn aside.
"Who's this lad?" Louis asked, shoving them both and holding the album cover photo of Will.
"That was blunt," I said, staring at him pointedly.
"Well sorry but I want to know!" Louis said.
"That's my brother," Melody said.
"Ooh! Can we meet him?" Louis asked excitedly. I looked over at Melody.
"No," she said, shaking her head.
"Awww, why not?"
"Remember when we were doing Q and A at the hotel? The sibling thing?" Melody said, staring through the window at Louis.
"Yeah. You still don't want to talk about it? Aww!" he said. Then he grinned mischeviously. "I'm going to meet your brother, Melody. Whether you like it or not."
"Good luck trying," she muttered, walking out of the soundbooth and into the editing room. I followed close behind.
"You okay, love?" I whispered in her ear.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just please don't tell them anything, okay?" she said.
"Okay."
"Don't tell us anything about what?" Liam asked.
"When did you have brown hair?" Zayn asked again.
"What's with all the pictures?!" Niall shouted.
"Something you don't need to know about right now. Before the Thing happened That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now. And it's to remember my past, including the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now," Melody answered all of their questions. They shut up after that.
"I have a question," Louis said.
"What?" Melody replied.
"Why do you have a music room and a recording studio?"
"Because I can play all those instruments and because I used to record stuff before the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now happened." Melody answered.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Because of the Thing That You Don't Need To Know About Right Now."
"Can you play some of the instruments for us?" Liam asked.
"Yeah," Melody said, walking out of the studio and heading toward the exit of the music room as well.
"Well, aren't you going to?" Liam shouted after her.
"You asked me if I could, not if I would," she shouted over her shoulder and turned the corner to go upstairs.
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