Lies, Camera, Action (Joe Sugg Fanfiction)

Chapter 91

JOE

It hurt.

It fucking hurt.

I felt it the second I woke up. It wasn't as if I could ignore it, it felt like someone was pulling my brain out through my nose. 

How much did I actually drink last night?

I painfully forced my eyes open, realising I hadn't woken up in my own bed. I was in Caspar's. Caspar was beside me, still fast asleep. I winced slightly, grabbing my head as a pain shot through me.

'Morning, Joe!' I heard a girl say, causing me to look straight up. It was one of the twins from last night, I don't know which one. I didn't really care either. Memories came flooding back of me grinding on Jess last night after too many drinks.

Shit.

'Not trying to be dramatic but I think I'm dead.' I whispered, still clutching my head.

'Alright Will McKenzie, have some paracetamol.' She said, throwing the pack at me with a chuckle. 

'What time is it?' I asked the twin whilst stretching.

'Nearly 3pm.' 

'What? You're lying!'

'Nope.' She smiled smugly.

I grabbed my phone that was conveniently on the bedside table, feeling relieved that it had actually made it home with me, and checked it. She was right, it was 2:44pm.

'What time did we get in last night?'

'Nearly 6am.' That explains it.

I scrolled through the notifications that were on my home page, a text from Zoe asking when I'd be home, a text from Jim asking about a collab we were planning to do, a few messages from my group chats and a tweet I'd been tagged in from Josh. I had set my notifications so I only received ones from my friends otherwise my phone would never stop. Right at the bottom of the notifications, there was one I hadn't spotted the first time. A notification that Maddy had tweeted at 4am this morning, a simple crying face.

What?

I jumped out of bed, ignoring the way the twin stared at my body. I was wearing just boxer shorts and my shirt and jeans were laying on the floor. I didn't want to think about who undressed me, I just hoped it was myself.

I went through to the kitchen, ignoring the crowd of my friends in Caspar's living room and rang Maddy. I couldn't put it off any longer, I just couldn't stand her being unhappy.

'Hello.' She spoke monotonously after just a few rings.

'Maddy!' My voice paced with urgency and worry.

'Yes?'

'Are you okay? I'm sorry I've only just woken up but I saw your tweet and I worried and I don't want you to be-'

'Joe, stop.' She interrupted, causing me to take a deep breath.

The noises between us stopped, filling the conversation with nothing but silence.

'Maddy.' I whispered.

'I'm glad you had a nice night though.' She spoke blankly.

What?

Was she annoyed and upset that I went out?

'Maddy, I didn't even want to go! Zoe made Caspar take me out, it wasn't even a good night!'

'Oh yeah, in the pictures with you and those twins it looked like you were having an awful time.' She said sarcastically.

'I didn't know they were going to be there, I didn't even know them until yesterday!' I defended.

'I miss you Maddy, can we go out for dinner tonight? I need to see you.' I begged when she didn't answer.

'Okay.' She whispered quietly.

'I need to go to my lesson.' She added.

'Okay..babe. Well, I'll pick you up at 7?'

'See you then.' She said in the same monotonous tone she answered the phone in before hanging up. I took my phone away from my ear and sighed, loudly.

'Girl problems?' A female voice came from behind me. I turned around to see one of the damn twins standing there, they seem to be everywhere. It wasn't the one who was in my room when I woke up though, whichever one that was.

'Don't worry, we all have it. When I moved to London, I was determined to keep my relationship going.  There's Skype, Facetime, iMessage, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram - all these apps that we thought would hold our relationship together but nothing comes close to actually being with the one you love.'

'How come he didn't move to London with you?'

'He had work back home, he's always been someone who likes to be secure. He wouldn't quit his job incase he couldn't get one in London. He's too safe.'

'What do you do for work?'

'I work in a restaurant, as shit as it is, it pays the bills - just.'

'Why did you move here?' I asked nosily.

'I felt so trapped back home, I just wasn't happy. It was a dead town where I lived and I saw so much about London and how great it is. No wonder people from abroad want to live here so badly. I can't explain how it feels to not be in London but to constantly have these images of how great it is injected into your head. You feel so left out, like you'll never get a proper job and you'll never achieve your dreams. It's sort of like the American Dream, but the London version. You'll never get anywhere in life unless you're here.' 

I think she was still slightly drunk and not really understanding what she was taking about but her sentimental words, for some reason, reminded me so much of Maddy. In a contrasting way, Maddy felt the same; just not about London.

'I'd see pictures on Instagram of the beautiful parks and all the parties that are happening every night. There's just such a buzz London gives off, it all seems so trendy and like the people there have no problems. But, now I'm here and I just don't get it. I work shifts at the restaurant until my feet burn, just to try pay my rent and I still feel empty inside. You really can't get away from yourself, no matter how far away you move.'