Stockholm Syndrome

Chapter 8 - Lacking Candy

(MayA's POV)

What? Emma was responsible for the scene with Niall? What is that man even saying? Emma wouldn't do something like that. But I have no way to tell the man on the television that. I really have no way to do anything. Ever since the incident when Niall got tackled, the auditorium has dissolved into chaos. There is no getting in or out, and the TVs are tuned into only the news reports about Nialls incident. And those news reports were all saying the same thing: that Emma had been responsible.

I'm surprised to feel my phone bus in my pocket, and even more surprised to see an unsaved number pop up. A simple, yet utterly complicated message follows.

Are you at the concert?

I Bite my lip and reply, figuring it can't do any harm.

Yeah.

The reply is almost instant.

Need a lift home?

Not from a stranger.

Sorry. It's William.

How did you get my number?

You dropped a journal. The inside cover had you address and phone number in it.

I don't keep a journal.

So maybe I followed you and bribed the hotel for you number.

That's stalkerish.

Emma gave me your number.

Do you know where Emma is?

She's with Niall.

How do you know?

My dad works at modest management.

Did you talk to her?

No, but I got her phone before Management could.

We need to talk.

No kidding. Meet me outside?

I'm kinda stuck.

Not for long.

I stared at the screen n confusion, at least until a gentle tapping on the microphone draws my attention. A boy in a blue hoodie is standing on stage, the hood pulled over his face. But a bit of blonde hair is visible, and I instantly know who it is.

"Niall!" The people around me exclaim, but I know better. As much as the silhouette looks like him, I know its William. He's just lucky the stage is far enough away for the mistake to be made. And while only half of the crowd believes it, its enough for me to slip out of the auditorium, where I Wait for William. It's several minutes until he walks out again, this time from a back door. Without the hoodie it's hard to imagine him looking like Niall. I'm not sure how I ever made the mistake.

"Good plan?" He asks, grinning.

I shrug and give him a hug. "Great one. Now we have some talking to do"

The Niall imposter nodded, and led the way t his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Nialls POV)

I can feel Emma breathing against me when I wake. The feeling is calming, nice. A reprieve from everything that's been going on lately. But My mouth is paper dry and I can feel a sharp throbbing right above my right eyebrow. I feel slightly nauseous, and slowly drag myself from bed. The light is harsh on my eyes and I have to ignore the urge to press them shut ad I leave my room.

"Niall," Liam acknowledges my presence, but only barely when I come in the room. I walk to the kitchen and swallow some pan killers to deal with my headache. But now I can't remember why I came out here. I sit down, hoping the feeling will pass.

"Are you okay?" Harry sits down at the table with me and smiles over. I attempt to return the gesture, but I'm sure I fail miserably. My head just hurts way too much tor that.

"As well as could be expected." I nod, wishing I had my hoodie. Come to think of it, I never got it back from Emma. I wonder if she still has it and if not, where it had ended up.

"Uh...Niall?" I blink, looking up at Harry, who looks a bit disturbed.

"Yeah?" I ask, leaning back in my chair. I feel in my pockets for my candy hearts, but they're gone. I frown and completely miss what Harry says, snapping out of the trance to find him staring at me expectantly.

"Sorry, what was that?" I ask, forcing myself to focus.

"Niall, are you okay?" He asks. "You keep zoning out."

I force a smile. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

Harry sighs and leans back, shaking his head. "They took your candy, didn't they?" He asked as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  I nod, regretting it when pain shoots through my head.

Harry bites his lip. "Louis?" He calls. I smile at the gesture. Its kind of cute how Harry always turns to Louis when he needs help. And just as I expected, Louis is in the room in seconds.

"Yes baby? But can you try and keep it down, the girls sleeping." He smiles reassuringly at Harry, who smiles back.

"Her name is Emma," I mutter, but no one notices.

"I was just wondering if you could get Niall some sweets. Management took those little hearts he's always eating." Harry asks Louis. I smile. Harry, being the only one younger than me, and thus the one I had felt most comfortable around at the time, had been the first to notice my habit of eating the things constantly. I remember that back then I had been so scared of Zayn and Harry and I would spend hours avoiding him. That was when Harry first noticed my addiction to the sweets. Ironically, Zayne  was now The one I spent the most time around, though Liam comes a close second.

"Niall!" Harry snaps and I come back to the world around me. His eyes soften when he sees the look on my face. "I'm sorry but I just kept talking and you aren't responding."

I simply nod and stare back into space.

"Is this why you eat the sweets?" Harry asked after a moment, "Do they keep you focused?" For years Now Harry had been trying to figure out why I ate the hearts. He had already decided why I had picked the hearts of all things (you could eat them like hard candy, but they wouldn't color your tongue), but he still didn't know why I needed the sweets in the first place.

"No. I've just bee feeling off all morning." I admit.

Harry smiles and rubs my arm. "You probably have a concussion. They weren't too considerate when they knocked your head against the edge of the stage."

I wince at the mention of my injury and rub the spot right above my eyebrow. My fingers come back sticky with blood.

"Oh my gosh." Fines a soft voice fron behind me. "Are you bleeding?" Emma walks over so she's in front of me and moves my hand away from my wound. Her other hand goes up to her mouth in shock.

"This is horrible. Harry, can you get me some bandages?" She begs, but I pull away.

"Emma, they already have Louis fetching me sweets, I don't need Harry to get me a bandaid. The next thing I know Zayn will be bringing me a coke and Liam will be trying to get me a date." I complain. She frowns and shakes her head.

"Its really bad Niall. I won't make you go to the doctor, just let me wrap it up." She beggs. I roll my eyes and nod.

"Fine." I agree.

Harry looks over at her before leaving. "Just so you know, you wouldn't have been able to get him to a doctor. For now, all of us are under house arrest. Its managements way of dealing with us until they sort out what To do with you."

And on that cheerful note, Harry left Emma and I alone in the room.