Rebuilding Zerrie

Intake of Breath

KLOE'S P.O.V.

I literally felt like I was dying with every step I took. Going down the stairs was probably one of the hardest things I had to do in a long time. I leaned on the wall and dug my nails into the handrails for dear life. My head was going to burst any second now. I could almost feel the blood clotting in my brain and a tumor lodging itself in some random places it wants to go.

Tumors, basing of what I've heard everywhere, were rebels without a cause. There was no specific reason on why you get brain cancer and they do whatever they want to do, wherever they want to do it. For example, wedging itself in your Fallopian tube and multiplying exponentially by the hour, causing your menstrual cycles to go loco crazy.

A sharp intake of breath.

Three frightened voices.

The feeling of landing in someone's arms.

"Missed a step there, tiger," Niall told me, his breath cold on my face. I could've sworn that step didn't exist. Only when I opened my eyes when I realized they we closed. Niall's face was inches, probably not even, away from each other. He had a broad grin on his face. "Better be careful out there in the open."

When I nodded, the other two were finally able to let out their breaths. Niall helped me to stand up, supporting my waist with my arm around his neck. I leaned on him to steady myself as we walked to the car. It was only when I was inside when I realized that it wasn't the minivan.

It was the car Niall drove us in the other day. The only difference was Niall wasn't driving. Harry was with Zayn on shotgun. I didn't even care to notice that my head was resting on Niall's shoulder because it was so snug. It subsided the throbbing. As my eyes drifted closed, I could properly inhale everything that was happening.

"Can you sing for me?" I asked all of them but I was almost certain it was only Niall who could hear me. He whispered something I could not fathom to the other two before they all sang Truly, Madly, Deeply in chorus. No, not by One Direction. The one by Savage Green.

I'll be your dream. I'll be your wish. I'll be your fantasy.

I'll be your hope, I'll be your love,

Be everything that you need.

I'll love you more with every breath,

Truly, madly, deeply do.

A tear began to fall on my cheek by I didn't really know why. Maybe it was from the pain vibrating through my skull down my vertebrae to the tips of my phalanges. Maybe it was from the angelic sound of their voices blending together in perfect harmony. Niall craned his neck to look at me.

"Why are you crying, babe?" He asked me but I quickly wiped the tear with the back of my hand. I wanted to shake my head to tell him that it was nothing but the pain in my head only got worse once I tried to move it. I just decided to leave his question unanswered.

"Thanks," I meant to tell all of them, but still, it was probably only Niall who heard through the hoarseness of my voice. I felt his chin nod against the top of my head. We pulled over after what seemed to be thirty seconds. The trip was indeed very short.

Zayn ran to my door to open it and to support me from outside. I grabbed his hand and pushed myself up as Niall held my waist. We ran to the front door and met with the doorman. "We're One Direction," Harry explained to the guard who was eyeing me. "We're guests of Little Mix."

The doorman narrowed his eyes at the three of them before conversing with the lady at the front desk. He went back to us, clipboard in hand. "I'm sorry." Although he sounded the least bit apologetic. "We were specifically asked not to let the members of One Direction plus Miss Sutherland inside for the exclusive interview."

We sighed. They were already one step ahead of us. All of a sudden, Niall lit up. We ran back to the car and Niall beckoned the other two to follow. "There's an entrance out back," he whispered as we huddled behind the vehicle. "An interviewer brought me through there a couple months ago when the front door was locked."

"So we don't need an I.D. or anything to get in through there?" Zayn asked, taking precaution.

"Not that I know of."

"Well, then, let's go!" Zayn sounded enthusiastic. "Break!" We all followed Niall to the said back entrance. It was a giant sliding metal door where the extra equipments were usually kept. It was slowly closing down on us. We broke into a run, but I was weighing them down, especially Niall.

I could feel him trying so hard to support me and I hoped he could feel me trying to keep up. My legs were failing on me. I heard the sound of bones banging of metal. It was Zayn. He was banging it fist on the door. "Let us in!" He yelled desperately. Harry, Niall and I joined in too.

Our fists and palms were flailing and hitting and trying so hard to somehow penetrate the gate separating us from Perrie. Zayn started kicking and I knew why. My eyes drifted down to his knuckles, which were already bruised, cut and bleeding. He was on the verge of tears and I couldn't stand to see him cry.

Even more desperately than before, I screamed. "Open the door!" I slammed my hands harder on the cold metal. "Please, let us in!" My body wasn't strong enough for this kind of action, but I didn't want to stop. "Come on!" Harry had already given up and was sitting on the ground, leaning his head on the gate. "We need to get in there!" Niall as well. "Please, listen to us!" And soon it was just me.

I started kicking as well. The pain seared throughout my entire body, but I set it aside. I couldn't afford to feel sorry for myself. Not right now. Not ever. "We have to be inside! It's urgent! Please. We beg of you!" My voice was cracking in every word. It hurt my throat unceasingly.

There was something on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Zayn. There was nothing in his face. No glint of hope or happiness or even disappointment. It was just blank. He shook his head.

From that, I stopped. There was no use. I had let him down.

***

The boys wanted to walk down Vegas Strip, so I let them. Niall offered to support me but I waved him off. I didn't want to trouble him even more, even if I was already so worn out.

Breathing was tiring.

Trying to stand was ever worse.

Walking, I thought, was the absolute worst.

I was wrong.

There were a bunch of fans who crowded around the boys. I stayed behind them so I wouldn't be seen. At the corner of my eye, I saw a small crowd of paparazzi approaching them. No, us. They increased by the minute and I had no way to protect myself from them. I felt someone grab my hand. That someone was Niall. He squeezed it tight as I sign for me to be brave.

"You're the lady who Zayn cheated with, right?" I heard someone say as he snapped a picture. My head was turning and my neck was craning to look somewhere peaceful. Somewhere to distract myself from this.

"Is it true he paid you to do it?" Another one asked.

"What?" I was so confused. Where did they even get these leads? "No. He--"

"But you're dating Horan at the moment, correct?" This time, it was a woman asking. What gave her that idea? There were so many question, so many people, so many cameras. The four of us just tried to make our way out of the crowd, but that was hopeless. The crowd was following us.

"You are said to be an Italian prostitute. Do you confirm it?"

"Are you denying that you didn't know who Malik was before that night?"

"Did you or did you not assault Tomlinson and Payne?"

My chest was tightening. I couldn't breathe. The air was too thick. There were too many people. The throbbing was worse. My nails started to claw Niall's hand. I tried so hard to shut them out but they just wouldn't.

Everything went black.