Expect the Unexpected (A One Direction & Emblem3 Fan Fiction)

Chapter 30

LOVED YOU FIRST CONTEST IS ONGOING UNTIL APRIL 30TH, YOU HAVE ANOTHER WEEK AND A BIT BEFORE IT CLOSES, MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR ENTRIES IN! 

Dedicated to @Caityy_love_

__________________________________________

Liam's POV

I could've sworn we'd heard singing in the theatre. Niall still claimed, to this very day, that it had been Skylar.

"I know my best friend's voice," he'd kept insisting. "She was there."

"Mate," I had said with the shake of my head. "You're losing it. You were imagining it. Why would Skylar be in Texas?"

Niall had scowled and stomped off.

Then the Twitter picture had popped up, and Niall shoved it in my face. "SHE WAS HERE," he'd wailed. "WITH LOUIS. AND ELEANOR. AND ED."

We'd gone to interrogate Louis after the concert, but he'd looked very confused and claimed that the incident had never happened. 

I guess he was telling the truth, because I'd tried to reach Ed, and he'd sounded surprised, but knew about the photo, as he'd seen it on Twitter as well.

But while the photo may have been fake, the four of us (minus Louis) had determined that Louis was hiding something. There were slight changes in his behaviour lately, and while he claimed it was just the stress of becoming a father, I had a feeling there was something else.

"Where is everyone?" Niall asked, wandering through the kitchen, to where I was, sitting at the table.

I shrugged. "Louis and Harry and Zayn went shopping."

"Oh." Niall took a seat and stared at the table.

There was a bit of an awkward silence before I spoke: "Did you want to talk about it?"

"I wasn't imagining it, Liam," Niall said quietly, yet stubbornly. "I know she was there."

"But she wasn't," I said. "We searched the theatre from top to bottom."

"But I heard her," Niall said, with a hint of desperation in his voice. "I heard her."

"I heard her too, but we don't know it was her, it could've been someone else, but even if it had been, why did no one show up when we called out?" I asked.

"Because we frightened her, stupid," Niall snapped. "Skylar has stage fright. She's really self-conscious of her voice because of Dominique."

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"Her arch-rival in high school, used to make fun of her every day, mostly about her attitude, her image, and her voice, and her confidence took a downhill turn and never came back up," Niall said. "Even though Jess, her best friend at school, and I tried to help her. She never changed."

"What about the Voice-Off?" I asked.

"How did you know?" he asked, surprised.

"Youtube," I replied.

"Oh. That was kind of...I don't know actually. It was a prep for auditioning for the X Factor, I guess. But what made Skylar get up onstage and sing for the first time in front of an audience, I have no idea. I have no idea where she gathered her courage from, because as soon as she had to do it again, at the X Factor audition, she bailed on me and we didn't speak for another two years."

"She has a good voice," I said. 

"You've heard her sing then," Niall said. "The girl we heard singing at the theatre. It's the same voice, Liam."

"Just get over it, Niall," I said tiredly. "It's been three weeks and yet you insist you heard her."

"I did," Niall said angrily. "And if you're going to say that I'm hallucinating because I long to see her again, I don't want to talk to you."

Leaving me shell-shocked (Niall was never usually this angry with anyone), Niall stalked out of the kitchen.

Was he right?

Skylar's POV

"This isn't gonna work," I groaned, sitting back in my chair. "We wrote the song based off of my feelings for Niall. How can I just all of a sudden throw my feelings towards him and make myself feel the same for someone else?"

"It's called acting," Ed said, exasperated. "Seriously Skylar?"

"Who did you get then?" I asked, cringing.

"Oh, I don't know..." Ed said, smirking. "You'll see. His name is slipping my mind at the moment."

"EDWARD CHRISTOPHER SHEERAN!" I shrieked, letting go of my guitar and launching myself at him and tackling him to the ground.

"Oof," he grunted. "Skylar, what the hell?"

"Tell me," I snapped, the smile disappearing from my face.

"Oh I'm not allowed to," he said, trying to shove me off, but failing to. 

I rolled my eyes and climbed off of him, only to see the door edge open slightly. My eyes widened, only to close slightly to see Eleanor and Dani and Jenna walk in holding Starbucks drinks. "Here," Eleanor said, handing me my iced green tea.

I took a sip and smiled. "Thanks." It was a bit soothing.

"So," Dani said. "None of the boys know?"

"Nope, except for Lou," Ed replied. "And we're determined to keep it that way. Louis was directly affected by Skylar's incentive with Simon, so that's why he was informed."

"Makes sense," Jenna said.

"Speaking of boyfriends," I said, smirking at Jenna. "I heard you returned to Huntington while I was recording in LA."

Jenna turned red. "Wes asked me back to hang, 'cause Tiff wanted a girl around, and so I said yes, and we kind of just...hit it off."

"So Drew's the odd man out," I said, nodding.

"Speaking of odd-out," Dani said, swallowing, "I got a text from...her, yesterday."

My face felt warm. "What did it say?"

"She wants to talk to you," Dani admitted, showing me her phone.

I read over the text. "Why didn't she text me herself?"

"She also said she was afraid you'd blocked her."

"She's right," I admitted. "But why?"

"Maybe she wants to apologize," Eleanor suggested as a knock sounded at the door and I went to go open it. When I did throw open the door, I nearly fainted and bolted away from the door, cowering behind Jenna.

"What is it?" she asked, frightened.

"I THOUGHT YOU DIED!" I yelled at the person standing at the door.

Eleanor jumped up, grabbed her stomach, and swore. "And aren't you supposed to be in jail???"

The two men stepped into the room, coming into full view.

Ryan. And Shane.

Told you I wasn't gonna update, but I just couldn't hold up with this one. 

AND YOU ALL THOUGHT RYAN HAD DIED. HA, GOTCHA!

Thoughts? xx, Lauren.