The Darkest Direction

Chapter 2

I wake to the sound of sirens. Is that nasty Sheeran boy making trouble again? I let out an agitated groan and drag my body to the window. Sure enough I find the ginger jerk being a rebel once again. There's a police car, an ambulance and people all around him and he's doing what? Sleeping? I can see him spread across a stretcher being the lazy slob he is. I rub my eyes and walk into the hallway. I approach the front door and turn the knob to walk outside. All this commotion for nothing. I sigh. A cop spots me and walks towards me.

"You're Alice Cowell, right?" He asks me, stepping up on to the porch.

"Yes, how'd you know?" I take a step back.

"The man who hit your boyfriend here knows you, he's in a lot of trouble."

"Ed is not my boyfriend," I say, clenching my fists.

"Sorry ma'am, I just made an assumption from the information your neighbors have given us."

"It's alright." I calm down a bit.

"So what's all the fuss about?" I say, taking a step towards the officer.

"Ed is in a serious condition, we're taking him to the hospital immediately." I laugh, he deserves it.

"We may have to ask a few questions, Ms. Cowell. You were with Ed at the moment of the accident, correct?"

"Yeah, the jerk shoved me into the street curb." I look down, feeling my cheeks getting hotter and my body getting tense.

"Well you'll have to come with me to the hospital so we can discuss it further." I close my eyes and groan.

"Fine," I say through clenched teeth.

"You can find your way there in the ambulance if you like. Unless you'd prefer following us in your own car."

"I'll take the ambulance," I say heading for the vehicle.

"Thank you very much," he replies. The officer walks beside me towards the street and we split at the curb. I open the side doors to the front of the ambulance and step in. A woman in uniform sits in the driver's seat. Next to her, a lady in casual clothes sits, smiling at me.

"Hi, I'm Alice Cowell. I hang with Ed. We're...friends." I shudder.

"Yes, I was notified about you. Take a seat," the driver says. I accept the offer and sit down, directing my eyes towards the window. The car starts up and begins to move.

"So are you good friends with Ed?" The lady in the center seat asks.

"Yeah...I guess," I lie, trying not to gag.

"I'm Nicole," she says.

"Nicole Scherzinger, I know Ed well." I smile.

"I'm Alice, I'm 18." She laughs.

"Nice to know, I'm 35," she says.

"You're Simon's niece, right?"

"Yeah, he's not around often though." I look down and play with my hands.

"I judged the X Factor with him!" She says, laughing.

"Nicole! It sounded familiar!" I laugh.

"Yeah! So are you close with the One Direction boys?" She asks me. The name doesn't ring a bell.

"No I don't know who your talking about." She gives me a look.