"Stuck In The Friend-Zone Again and Again"

"The One Who Ends Up Leaving"

^hell yeah bitches

Is anyone else Jet Black Heart af

My moment of extreme cliche was broken when Luke came bursting into my room.
"Are you ready?" He asked, slightly out of breath.
I shot him a questioning look.
"I was in the basement. Almost forgot my lucky guitar pick," he explained.
I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Yeah I'm ready."
"Awesome, since mum and dad are ready to go to the bus station. We're driving, since the show isn't till Thursday and the drive to Melbourne isn't that long," Luke said, picking up one suitcase of mine in each hand.
"How come Sydney isn't the first stop?" I asked curiously, grabbing my duffel bag.
"It's the last stop. Coming home, I guess," Luke said.
I nodded, showing that I understood.
I looked around the room, and remembered everything that had happened here, all of the memories encased in the walls and woven into the bedspread.
I smiled softly.
"You're so sentimental," Luke smiled teasingly, knowing what my gaze of the room was about.
"And nostalgic," I added, not denying the truth.
I turned around. "Let's go before I start to cry."
He nodded and led the way down the stairs, to where Liz and Andrew were waiting in the kitchen to go.
Andrew had Luke's bags in his arms, and Liz had the keys.
"Ready to go?" Andrew asked.
"Yup," Luke and I said simultaneously, following them out to the car.
Luke and Andrew put the luggage in the trunk, and I brought my duffel into the backseat with me and Luke.
Liz got in the driver's seat, and Andrew got in shotgun, and as we drove away from the house, both Luke and I turned around to watch the house until we couldn't see it anymore.

•••

After reaching the bus station, we waited for everyone else to show up.
One by one, the other boys, and their families and friends arrived.
And finally when it was time for our bus to to leave, it was incredibly emotional.
    Everyone else was hugging their whole families, and since I only briefly hugged Liz and Andrew, I stood kind of off to myself while everyone else said their good byes.
Michael only had his mum to say goodbye to, so soon he joined me.
"You don't have many to say goodbye to either, do you?" Michael said, somewhat sombrely.
"No, I don't," I said.
"It sucks doesn't it?" Michael said.
"Yeah, it kinda does," I answered.
"You already said goodbye though didn't you?"
"Yeah, before I left for Australia," I responded.
"Was it hard, saying goodbye to your parents?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "But not that hard."
Michael looked at me strangely.
"My parents aren't around much," I said, looking at my toes.
"And by not around much you mean?" Michael asked hesitantly.
"I mean that I've pretty much been fending for myself since I was 11," I answered, not meeting his eyes.
"Oh Paris," Michael sighed, sounding sad. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Sometimes it's better that they're away," I confessed. "They just add to my anxiety when they're home."
Michael sighed. "We're messes, aren't we?"
I nodded, trying not to cry.
Michael pulled me in for a hug, and we stayed like that for a moment, in each other's knowing arms.
I could feel a teardrop drip on my shoulder.
When he pulled away, he wiped his eyes, and looked at my shirt.
"Nice shirt," he said, giving a watery laugh.
"Thanks," I replied, giving him a half smile. "I wore it just for you."
He seemed to get what I meant, and smiled appreciatively.
I nervously reached for Michael's hand, not sure if he would think it was weird to hold hands, but he immediately took my smaller hand in his own, entwining our fingers as we turned to look at the boys.
Luke was pulling away from hugging Andrew.
Then Luke and Liz hugged, and Liz teared up, and I had to turn away before I started crying too.
(Once a sap, always a sap)
Luke hurried over to join Michael and I and, maybe sensing how emotional I was feeling, too, my other hand.

Calum hugged his mum and his dad, and when he hugged Mali, I once again almost started crying.

Finally there was Ashton.
He hugged his mum, then Lauren.
And then he hugged Harry.
And that's when I started crying.

Luke and Michael looked at me concernedly as I stood holding their hands, tears silently streaming down my face.
"Paris, are you okay?" Luke asked worriedly.
"No! You guys are all making me sad and then Ashton was just the finishing touch to make me cry!" I exclaimed.
They looked over.
"See!" I cried. "How do you expect me not to cry? And the both of your goodbyes did not help and don't even get me started on Calum and Mali!"
Luke and Michael didn't really know what to say, just exchanged looks.
  When Calum and Ashton came striding over, a few tear stains on their cheeks, they looked worried.
"Ashton you made Paris cry," Michael said seriously.
"What?" Ashton exclaimed, looking confused.
"You're all making me cry!" I sobbed, wrenching my hand out of Michael's to wipe my eyes before returning it to his grasp. "All of your goodbyes are so sad and Michael why'd we have to talk that didn't help and just I need to stop crying their are too many people but I'm so sad for you guys and with you guys."
"Awwwwww!" The boys all said, hugging me all at once.
"You're too sweet!" Calum said.
"Too nice," Michael added.
"So compassionate," Luke agreed.
"And empathetic," Ashton finished as they all pulled away.
"Are we ready to do this?" I asked.
They all nodded.
"Look out world, here we come!"