"Ari." Laura shakes me. "Aria." Mya says. I wake up. I look around. Just Laura, Mya, and I are in here. "Was it a dream? Meeting One Direction?" I ask. "No, they're outside. But..." Laura says. She helps me up and I look out my window. The boys are putting bags in a car. "We should go check it out." Mya says. Before I can stop her, she walks out the door. Laura and I follow her slowly. Mya runs up to Harry and they hug. He spins her around. "So, what you guys doing?" Laura asks, nervously. Zayn runs up and hugs her. I stare at Louis and he just stares back. A tear slides down my face, I know exactly what's happening. We both start walking and then we hug. "What happened?" Laura asks. "They said that there's this big concert before the tour, it's starting early." Niall says. I look at Louis. How could he not tell me sooner?
I go over to Liam and hug him. "I'm so sorry." He says. "It's fine. It's not your fault." I say. Louis puts something in the trunk of the car. I look at him for a second then I run in my house. I've stopped crying but the pain just won't go away that they're leaving. I sit on my bed looking out the window. Someone puts their hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Niall. I jump up and hug him. "I can't believe you're really leaving." I say. "I can't believe it either." He says. I let go of him but I keep my hands on his shoulders. "Your tour is going to go amazing." I say. He smiles but it quickly fades. "But you, Laura, and Mya won't be there." He says. A tear slides down his face. I hug him again. "We'll always be here. After your tour. You should visit some time." I say. "Yeah. I promise right after the tour, we're coming here." He smiles.
I look at him. "We have to go soon." He frowns. "I wanted to thank you for being here for me." I say. He smiles. We walk out and I see that Mya and Laura are still crying. I can't cry, I tell myself. I stand next to Louis, who's eyes are closed. I can tell he's been crying. I hug him. He opens his eyes and hugs back. "You guys won't forget about us, will you?" I ask. "We could never forget you, sis." Liam tries to smile. "We wanted to thank you for letting us stay here." Niall says. "And for being an awesome friend." Zayn says. We all hug each other. I go through each of the boys. I hug Niall first. Laura and Mya do the same with the other boys. "I'll miss you." I say. Can't cry, I tell myself. I go to Harry and hug him. "Have an amazing time on tour." I say. I go to Zayn. I hug him. When I let go I poke him. "I win." I try to smile. He laughs as a tear slides down his face. "We'll continue after the tour." He says.
I go to Liam and hug him. I can't cry, I think. But it gets harder. "Thanks for being an amazing bro." I say. "Thanks for being an amazing sis." He says. I let go and he smiles. "Keep in touch." He says trying to smile. I walk over to Louis. We both stand there for a second. Then I hug him. "Don't forget about me." I say. "How can I ever forget you?" He asks. "Louis.." I say. "I know what you're going to say." He says. "We can't have a long-distance relationship," I say. "It wouldn't work." He finishes my sentence. I start crying. He does too. "Promise that after the tour, if we're both single, we'll get together again? As a couple?" I ask. "I promise." He says. "I promise too." I say. After a few minutes Harry announces that they have to leave. I hug them all once more. I'm still crying but I put a smile on my face. They get in their car. We all wave as they drive off. When the car's out of sight I stop crying and run in my house.
I lay on my couch. Laura and Mya come in with tears still sliding down their face. Laura turns on the TV to help cheer us up. But a One Direction song comes on and she turns it off. "Zayn and I are still dating." Laura says. "Harry and I are too." Mya says. I sit there in silence and then their mouths open wide. "We're sorry, we didn't-" Mya begins. "It's okay." I say. "You aren't crying.." Laura says. "Yeah, well I'm not sad anymore." I say. "How are you-" Mya begins. "I mean, yeah I'm upset my best friends are gone. But maybe I shouldn't have fell for a famous guy. They break hearts." I say. I get up and grab my hoodie. I put it on as I walk out. Who cares how I look right now? Some people talk about how I'm Louis's girlfriend as I walk by. "Ari!" Laura yells. I turn around and Mya and Laura run towards me in their PJs.
"He didn't mean to hurt you." Laura says. "But why'd I have to fall for him? I knew they had to leave sometime." I say. "Aria, it's okay. You can all still talk. And after the tour you can date again." Mya says. "But it's just going to happen again." I say. "I'm... I'm going home." I say. I walk past them and start running home. "Aria Bell! Get your butt back here!" Laura shouts. Mya and Laura chase after me. I get home but Laura catches my arm before I can run inside. "We're in this together Aria, whether you like it or not." She says. I hug them and we go inside. I sit on the couch. "I'm so sorry guys. I'm such a jerk." I say. "You're not a jerk." Mya says. "Yes I am." I say. "Come on, we need something to cheer you up." Laura says. She turns on the music channel. The song Runaway by Nikki Flores comes on. Laura and Mya get up and both take one of my hands. "Sing, girl. You know you want to." Mya laughs.
I sing along with the song. We dance too. "And she knows... there more to a story. She knows... this can't be the end." I sing. After a few seconds Laura and Mya join in. "Just runaway! 'Cause there's a life you're missing, if you stay you'll never get it. Runaway! There's no reason to stay." We sing. Sometimes one of us stops and lets the other sing. Mya and Laura don't love singing like I do. They love to listen, I love to do. Music speaks to me. I love to sing and Laura says I sing good. I start laughing at the end as Laura and Mya are dancing like maniacs. "Thanks guys." I say. They hug me. "Besties stick together." Mya says. "I love you guys." Laura says. "I love you both." I say. "I love you both too." Mya says. "AH!" Laura says and jumps up knocking Mya and I over in a hug. We listen to music and sing and dance and talk.
We laugh and eat. We play around outside and the day goes by fast. "We're staying over here for a very long time." Mya says. "Then you can help clean my room." I say. "HAHA. We aren't maids, Bell." Laura says. "Just help me fix all the beds, Bell." I say. They smile. We all go to different rooms. I fix my bed and the one Louis slept on. I put some clothes in my drawer. I see my Nemo suspenders and the suspenders Louis gave me. I put them in a drawer. I hang some clothes on hangers and go to my closet. I hang the clothes and I start to close my door when I see the One Direction posters. I smile and a tear slides down my face. "I'm gonna miss you guys." I say. I close my closet door. I look around my room and walk out.
"Do you wanna sleep in the living room?" Laura asks coming out too. "I need to sleep in an actual bed." Mya says. "Yeah, you can sleep in where the boy's slept. It's not fair for two of us to sleep in a room without the other. So I'll sleep in my room, and you two can figure out which of the other ones you want to sleep in." I say. "Okay, well.. Good-night." Laura says. "Night." I say. "G'Night." Mya says. They go to different rooms and then I go in mine. I lay down in my bed. I stare at where Louis slept. I remember the way he laughed and smiled. I smile. Then I close my eyes. I go to sleep, dreaming about what tomorrow will be like without One Direction.
