Pretending. [H. S.]

Chapter Three

A/N - Tell me how you liked the chapter in the comments,  please! It's like my favorite chapter that I've written yet,  so it would mean the world xx

Rose's POV

"We can't take her home the way she looks. Jess'll know something's wrong." Josie really tries to speak quietly,  but she pretty much fails.

The music coming from outside is so loud I can feel it pulsing in the sofa or bed I'm laying in.

"I drove Niall home",  I hear someone with a deep,  clear voice say and as my memory slowly comes back,  I figure it's Zayn.

"Is she okay?", a way raspier and deeper voice asks. Harry.

"I'm fine", I whisper.

"She's awake", Josie says.

I feel someone sit down next to me and slowly open my eyes. It's Liv. She smiles at me.

"You scared the hell out of me", she grins, but I can tell she's being serious by how pale she is.  "You've been unconscious for eight and a half minutes. You know,  Josie and I have decided to drive down to the sea over the weekend since we don't have school on Monday."

"Okay." My gaze wanders through the room. The bed I'm laying in is a king-sized bed,  very luxurious looking and very comfortable. Zayn is leaning against the door frame,  his hands in his pockets and nervously biting his lower lip. Harry is sitting on a chair,  leaning forward with his hands folded in his lap as if he was praying. He's watching me with a worried look.

Aren't they supposed to be the bad  boys?, I ask myself. Maybe people just call them that because they screw every girl that doesn't hide from them. Which basically means every girl.

I role my eyes at me thoughts and sit up. "Ouch." A throbbing pain fills my head.

Both Harry and Liv immediately reach out to catch me. Did they think I'd fall unconscious again?

"I'm fine,  guys", I assure them. "Just drank a little too much, I think. Sorry for the panic attack everyone."

"Panic attack?", Josie asks frowning.

"Yeah,  I don't usually react like that when I think of mom and dad or someone asks me about them", I explain quietly. "I've had a few of those since they got shot. Alcohol seems to make it a lot worse."

Liv smiles at me. It's a sad smile,  the kind of smile you smile when you can't find the words to comfort someone or yourself. The kind of smile you smile when the sadness is overwhelming, but you don't feel like it's your own sadness but the sadness of someone else that is so extreme that it makes your own heart ache as if you were them. The kind of smile that expresses so many emotions,  but above all it's helplessness.

I get up and run my hand through my hair. A nervous laugh escapes my lips. "God,   I have to look terrible right now,  I can't  go back out to the party looking like this."

"You look beautiful", Harry whispers,  so quietly that I don't think anyone else could hear it. He doesn't look at me when he says it.

I bite my lip.

"I have some makeup in my bag, sweetpea", Liv says and hands it to me. "The bathroom is over there." She points to a white door.

"Can you... come with me?", I ask,  looking at Liv and Josie. "I don't really trust my legs right now." I laugh my nervousness and my helplessness off,  or at least try my best to.

"Of course."

Both of them get up and we walk into the bathroom together.

I really do look terrible. My mascara is all over my face and  my lipstick faded unevenly from all the crying. I quickly wipe off the whole makeup with a paper towel and some water, turning my face all red.