Our Summer of Direction

Emilea's POV

Emilea’s POV

I sit up quickly in bed as the nightmare fades and Niall’s stirs.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, suddenly alert. I shake my head and lie back down feeling shaken from my dream.

“I cannot go back to sleep!” I moan after a few minutes. Niall chuckles and drags himself out of bed. I glance at the clock and I am pleasantly surprised to see that it is well past 2 o’clock.

“Sooo, what do you want to do today?” I ask after a few minutes of comfortable silence. I take another deep breath because I cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong.

“I don’t want to do anything. Why don’t we go back to my flat and watch television.” He suggests with a boyish grin.

“We have a television here…” I point out, trying to hide my threatening smirk.

“I know, but we can spend the day with the lads. It’s been too long.” He admits with a shrug. I nod in agreement and throw on a hoodie and jeans.

“Let’s roll!” I shout when I finish. I jump on Niall’s back and he carries me downstairs and out to the car.

“LET’S HAVE A PARTY!!” Niall jokes stepping on the gas pedal.

“Niall! You’re going to kill us!” I squeal hiding my face. He lets out a boyish laugh and eases up on the accelerator. I laugh with him and lace our fingers together. As we pull up to Niall’s flat we see all of the press surrounding the building. When we get closer we also see all of the crying teenage girls who are holding flowers and pictures of a couple. Upon closer inspection it is Harry and Katie. I snap my head towards Niall and he shrugs with confusion written across his face. I grab the first teenager I can get her and pull her towards me, not at all gently.

“What the fuck is going on?” I hiss trying to understand why they’re putting flowers over Katie’s picture.

“Didn’t you hear?” She asks seeming puzzled. I shake my head at her and resist the urge to call her an idiot. Why would I ask her what’s going on if I knew? Idiot.

“Wow, some best friend YOU are.” She scoffs turning around to lay her flowers on the little shrine the Directioners seem to be building. Niall pulls me away before I can slap her and we push through teenagers and press members. They keep shouting things at us but I can’t focus on one thing as they say their words over one another. Niall doesn’t let me focus either because he pulls me closer and forces me to go inside. By the time we make it up to the boys’ room I am completely frazzled.  My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute and I’m uneasy.

“I’m sure it’s just another internet rumor. Remember, according to the internet I’ve died about 12 times.” Niall murmurs into my hair. I can tell he is trying to comfort me so I give him a half smile. He rubs my arm and unlocks the flat door. I rush inside praying that I see Katie and Harry already laughing about what’s going on outside and I am disappointed when no one is there. Niall pulls out his cell phone and I don’t look quickly enough to see who he calls. He leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later.

“We need to leave.” He says thickly. I am shocked to see the tears streaming down his face and he grabs me and holds me close. I don’t think to ask him what the matter is and instead rub his back soothingly. He sobs and as he cries I begin crying. He doesn’t say anything and just wipes away both of our tears. Niall grabs a hoodie and we go back outside and keep our heads down. I manage not to question him until we get into the car.

“Niall, what the heck is going on?” I ask on the verge of crying again. He takes a steadying breath and says so matter of factly that it shakes me.

“Katie and Harry are being hospitalized. They were in a very serious accident.”