Fighting the Distance ~ {n.h.}

Chapter 8: Teams

Brooke's POV

I slam my dorm room door shut behind me to find Melissa sitting cross-legged on her small bed, head in her hands. Upon hearing the slamming door, she looks up, makeup streaming down her face, eyes red and puffy.

"Melissa I need to talk—"

"No," she interrupts me, wiping the mascara away from under her eyes. "Please hear me out," she begs, sniffling. "I'm the worst roommate—hell, the worst person," she cries, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I—"

"I know everything," I butt in.

"But—how?" She chokes out, crying even harder now.

"I had a feeling something was up," I sigh, sitting beside her. "I saw you two talking earlier and heard that you were abandoning some plan. So, curiosity getting the best of me, I followed Chad into town."

"I'm so, so sorry," she whispers. "I really am...," she says, voicing trailing off. She finally looks up to meet my eyes and I could see the pain behind them.

"It's okay," I tell her, taking her into a hug.

"I'm such a horrible person," she cries, tears falling onto my bare shoulder. After a few moments, she sits back and wipes at her eyes once more. Offering her a tissue, she takes it.

"I need your help," I begin. "Chad...he's not giving up."

"What?" She asks, brows furrowed. "What's he planning now?"

"He's probably on his way here," I admit, getting up from her bed to our window. My eyes go wide when I see his brown hair flopping in the wind, walking briskly to our building. Turning on my heels, I run to my closet and dig out my makeup remover cloths and throw a few at Melissa.

"We need to clean you up; he's on his way here to try and get to you before me," I explain hastily. "He has no idea I know about any of this, and we need to keep it that way."

"I know. I'm on your side...I should've been from the beginning. It's just, I really liked him and the money—"

"There's no time for explanations!" I exclaim, panic setting in. "We'll talk about this later. But for now, play it cool. I need to get the hell out of here." Pausing and taking a deep breath, I kneel down in front of Melissa. "Please, please," I whisper, exhaling slowly as I close my eyes. "Please help me with this. Niall—he's all I have."

Melissa sets her hand on mine, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'll do what I should've done from the beginning—I have your back, Brooke. I promise." She smiles slightly at me.

"I trust you," I whisper. Standing back up, I grab my ID and keys. Turning back around, I give Melissa a smile that she quickly returns before walking into the hallway. I decide to take the stairs in case Chad is taking the elevator.

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Melissa's POV

Hastily wiping at my eyes, I get up from my bed and glance at my reflection in the mirror. After crying for about an hour, I don't look half bad. Now, I have to face Chad by myself—and lie.

I really do feel horrible about what I've done. Brooke has had my back this entire time, and I let a guy come in between us. I'm so stupid.

And Niall—oh my god, Niall. He doesn't even know me—hell I don't even know him, and I could possibly ruin his career! Okay, maybe not his career, but his relationship. And although Directioners like myself are pretty devoted, he could lose thousands of fans. And that is something I'm not willing to do for a boy or a few thousand dollars. I need to fix this—and help her take Chad down.