Alter ➳ h.s

t h r e e
shooting stars
ember

I woke up late, again.
Let's suppose my whole life stemmed on the fact that I cannot wake up on time. Either I'm fifteen minutes late or early. There is not and never will be an in between. I set an alarm on my phone, I sleep right through it. Even when I wake up early once in a while, I go back to sleep to only be late again. There's something about the morning breeze and almost heat outside that makes my body sleep constantly. Doesn't matter if I have a date, shift at work, or even school. Sleep is more important.

But lately, I’ve been losing sleep. I’ve been dreaming too hard for too long, thinking about how everyone else sees me. How I might be a spoiled bitch or a helpful volunteer; it mattered to me. Dad came into my room sighing, “Honey, when I asked you to help out, I meant for the next few days. And be on time! We’re having ‘special guests’.”

“How special?” I moaned while pushing the covers aside and scratching my bedhead.

“Can’t tell you. But get off your ass, hun. We need to get going.”

“I’ll drive myself! Please get out.” He sighed yet again and did leave. Ben called but I didn’t pick up. My voice was too groggy and so far from the sexy kind of groggy that I just told myself to forget it. After brushing my teeth and getting dressed into an elementary school volunteer shirt and jeans which were accompanied by a pair of gym shoes.

Dad did leave early to make sure everything was in order but I was late, as always. Monday’s just aren’t my day. Or maybe it was that Commerce wasn’t my city, or Michigan wasn’t my state, or America wasn’t my country. Yeah, maybe it’s that. I walked over to the station Ben was put at that I was to help out with. Throwing water balloons. “Fun, eh?” He asked and picked up one, tossing it in the air. School wasn’t in today, it was a day off but many kids wanted to have fun at school for once. And so, this event was made up.

The grass on the soccer field was freshly manicured and looked great. A stage, large and black with a curtain over it, stood right at the back of the field. The name of whoever was to come was covered but I expected someone small and local that no one knew about. The school doesn’t have much money. In fact, the whole district is starting to run out. To the point where paychecks are being cut and still nothing is changing. I always wondered why Dad was never affected by the cuts but never asked. “If you throw that at me, it’s war,” I warned Ben.

“Then let the war begin!” He threw the plastic filled with water at me, soaking my shirt and a part of my jeans. There was at least four hours until the event started and the whole school was cut off. Once the “war” was over, we pondered why there were more police and ambulances than usual. “I’ll bet someone huge is coming.” He put his hands around my waist from behind, resting his chin in the nook of my shoulder.

“The school doesn’t have any money, how would we pay for it?”

“True. But still, it’d be an incentive for more people to come. It’s a fundraiser, after all.”

“I guess. It just seems a bit—” I stopped talking once I heard some unfamiliar voices talking about the set-up of the stage.

One voice asked how many people were coming, and if paparazzi were allowed back here, and if there was a small room, and if the school would be open in case of a “bathroom break”. “You know,” he said, “just in case.”

Ben and I turned around to very familiar faces. “I thought we didn’t have the money for this.” Two members of One Direction. A fucking boy band yet we can’t find the money to pay for school supplies for first graders.

Dad said, “Yes, of course. The kids have to go more than you, I’m sure.” The curly one, Harry, just awkwardly chuckled.

I walked up to Dad, not bothering to excuse ourselves and just spoke in front of all of them. “Dad, tell me the truth. Are we paying them?”

Dad stole Harry’s chuckle and responded, “Em, it’s not the time for this.”

Louis then said, “Well not us directly, but our management and stuff. Why?”

“This is such bullshit, that’s why! We don’t have enough money to pay for school supplies or properly pay the teachers, yet we can pay for an over-used boyband for just a few hours?!” Ben rushed over to pull me back and all of them stared at me. Dad was scratching his head, Louis was looking down, and Harry. Well, Harry was half staring, half observing.

“W-We can offer some money to help with the fundraiser. I mean, we honestly don’t need it. How much money do you need?” Harry pulled out his phone as if it held all of his money within the compartments.

“We need,” it took Ben a second to calculate but he finally said, “$250,000. We have until the end of the school year or else the district closes the school down. We can’t tell or ask the kids, they’re too young and we don’t want to worry people. It’s our problem. We just keep losing all the money.” Dad looked over at Ben and then looked at Harry.

“We know you have the money, but we can’t take it. Literally. The board wants us to raise it.”

Louis looked at me, “And you think a small school fundraiser is going to get you that type of money? We can help you out. You know, while we’re touring, we can send a portion every once in a while.”

I scoffed, “Sure. Whatever. The event starts soon. Put on your sunglasses and party dresses.” I walked away, Ben beside me.

“Calm down, they’re being nice. You’re rude,” Ben took his hand and rubbed my back. Louis and Harry stayed inside the school and soon all the rest of the band showed up. An hour into the event, I was to go on stage and introduce them. Ben came up right before and whispered, “They can’t find Harry. We need you to help us look.”

I walked to the school and Ben yelled to me that they’d checked inside. There was nowhere else he could be, though. I checked every classroom, every closet, and every activity room I could think of. I almost gave up but deep gasps were coming from the boy’s restroom. My eyebrows curved and I knocked, no one answered. “Hello?” I called. No one answered.

The lights were off and the gasps were louder. I crushed something under my foot when I walked in and turned on the lights. Harry was on the floor, collecting himself. “I’m fine.”

I looked at him. “You need to learn to lie to the best liar in the world. You perform in a minute, get out of here.” I never checked to see whatever I stepped on, but I knew it was a pill. Either I’m out of my mind, or Harry is losing his. I’m going with the latter. We got out and I went on stage, “Good afternoon, everyone! How is everyone?” Everyone screamed their feelings, “That’s great! And I hear the fundraiser is going great.Well I’m sure you don’t want to hear me talk anymore, here we go! The band you love the most, One Direction!”

They performed their less vulgar and controversial songs which weren’t many and so a few were from the last album. No one cared, superstars were in front of them. I just sat in the back, next to Ben and my friend Josie. Josie was a bit chubby with cute cheeks because of the weight. Her makeup was light and her shorts were tight, but a good tight. Curly brown hair pulled into a side braid with two strands of hair sticking out on each side of her face. Josie’s pretty, gorgeous, in fact. I’m surprised Ben didn’t end up with her.

Josie then said, “I like the one with the beard.”

Ben and I looked at her. Ben mumbled, “Three out of five have beards. Narrow it down, Jo.”

“Liam. I like Liam. Cute one, he is.” Ben and I tilted our heads, squinted one eye, and squatted a bit. “You guys are assholes.”

We laughed and Ben playfully hit her arm, “We’re just kidding! I guess I could see you two. You know, if he didn’t bleed money and reek of talent. Then yeah, you two might be together.”
“Fuck you, I’m going to get some lemonade.”

“Hey!” I scolded, “Watch your language around the fucking kids!” Two seventh graders from the middle school down the street walked by and gave me a funny look. They looked popular. Everyone was sat on the ground, listening to these singers. I watched Harry in particular, he was sweating more than everyone else. From afar, you couldn’t tell he was shaking but I could. He was having some internal anxiety attack and his body was deciding whether or not to deny it.

I didn’t tell Ben about my observations. In fact, I didn’t tell anyone about my observations. Because they’re mine. If anyone else noticed this, they’d tell everyone but they’re mine and it seems no one else has noticed. And so, I’m keeping them to myself. Whatever that just meant. When the act was over, Ben excused himself to the restroom and Josie returned with her promised lemonade. “Where did the spazz run off to?”

“Bathroom. Did you get me anything?” She looked at me, then just sipped her lemonade and looked the other way. “Thanks, you’re so good at being a friend.”

“Sorry, Em. It’s intense up there. Girls are piling to cool down. It’s never been this hot during the school year. I imagine it’s Liam making it hotter.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up. You’re annoying, sometimes.”

“Whatever,” she smiled and stared at them cleaning and stripping down the stage. They weren’t supposed to help, and not all of them did. Harry and Louis were off to the side having a discrete conversation. “Do you think those rumors are true?”

I turned my attention to her and then back to them, “Hm?”

“The gay rumors. The whole jazz. I feel like it could be.”

“I’m not sure. Louis’ short.”

She laughed, “You’re short, Ben’s tall.”

“But we’re talking about gay people, not straights.”

“Possible gays,” she corrected. The conversation ended after we concluded that they were not, in fact, gay. They stayed longer and since the school was deep into the “woods” right behind a neighborhood, no one really knew they were here. The girls oddly didn’t tell the whole world and wanted their once in a lifetime moment to be intimate, I guess. Even though at least one hundred other girls were here.

When Ben never returned to sit next to me, I got up and brushed the dirt off my ass. The stage was clear and the actual crew was slowly taking it down while the event itself died. There were seven cars parked in the parking lot. One car was mine, one was Dad’s, one was Ben’s, and the other four were for One Direction and crew. I recognized once car from TV as Harry’s that him and Louis probably arrived in. I sighed. The conversation was over when I looked back over at the pair. Actually, they’d kind of disappeared, and I remembered my late shift at “Commerce Creamery.”

“Dad!” He looked at me from a conversation with one of the crew members, “I’m going to work. I’ll be home later, promise.” I found Ben and gave him a kiss, then found Josie and told her to go fuck herself. And gave her a hug. My keys were found in my pocket but when I reached the car, I dropped them. “Shit,” it took me maybe four minutes to reach under the car and grab the mess of a keychain but I succeeded.

Once I got back up to unlock the car door, hands rested on my shoulders and turned me around. Harry. His eyes were dark and worried all at same time. I wasn’t scared but nor was I not scared. His breath smelled of pizza and peppermint, which matched his normal scent. Minus the pizza. He whispered to me, “You saw nothing in that bathroom. Yes?”

I nodded, “Fine, I won’t tell anyone you have freak anxiety attacks. Good luck hiding it, rockstar.” I got into the car afterwards and drove away. While in the parking lot, I changed my shirt—while no one was looking—and put on my apron and nametag. Julia was inside waiting tables. Monday was dying down but still nonetheless busy, and I felt bad that I was late. “Sorry, Julia! I’ll be right out.”

It took me about five minutes to get prepared but by the time I was ready, the place was nearly deserted. “The place,” breath, “cleared out.” She laid on a table, earning stares from customers. “I’m tired.”

“I see.”

“Never be late again. I’ll kill you.”

“Note taken.” I sat in the actual booth while she continued to lay on the table. A ding went off, indicating a new customer. When I looked, I saw seven customers. Liam, Louis, Harry, Niall, Zayn, and two very large men walked in. “Seriously?”

Notes

comment? I love you all, and I love your cute faces

XOXOH, read her stories, you know the drill x

also, I know Ariana's eye color isn't green, but whatever <3

Jazz