It all started at a concert

Chapter four

Steve's POV

It'd been a week since the accident. Brea's shoulder had just healed, the scars were just little lines that looked like scratches from a kitten, and her arm was healing properly since she hadn't been moving. Emily, Zayn, and Louis barely left the room.

It was horror for Emily to do her school work, then having to haul it all back when this mess was over. Believe it or not, it was the worst for Emily. Which was pretty bad considering Zayn and Louis' state. She fell asleep on her homework three times, and got five total hours of sleep. But she still managed to look like she slept her best. When you looked at her, you could barely tell she had been crying all of the times she was alone, all the things she'd done to herself, telling herself it was her fault for not being more responsible. There was videos up every day, telling on the progress and state of Brea, and just personal diaries to get their mind off of stuff. But she never talked, just looked away with a glazed look in her eye. She wasn't herself at all. Snapping and yelling at anybody that came in a foot's distance from her. Her work was failing and her boss was getting mad at her for not showing up at work. She shoved everybody away and was as hateful as could be. It just wasn't Emily anymore. Like she was possessed by a demon.

Zayn didn't look so well. He had dark circles which were very visible from a mile away. He never showed up to meetings like he was told, or to sound check, and Louis and him lashed out at management, making them pause the tour. Possibly end it. Zayn actually looked like everybody else. Aside Emily and Louis. Everybody looked tired, everybody was a little grouchy, everybody trashed the house, nobody listened to everybody. It was like a silent war was going on. It was horrible for the girls. They had tests coming up, and their grades were plummeting like the altitude on a hike up Mt. Everest. But they pieced them selves together, going to school and explaining to the professors what happened, they understood, but were surprised at the drastic drop in grades, not thinking it was that bad until they saw her state themselves.

Louis... Louis was... Not him. It was like all the Louis was replaced with a sad widowed spirit. He never cracked jokes, scowled instead of smiling, no pranks were pulled, it was like he wasn't even there anymore. He, too missed all meetings and sulked all day, moping and telling himself it was his fault. He dressed in dark colors, baggy clothes, never fixed his hair, he also looked possessed, but looked worse. He was sort of like Emily. Glazed look always in the eyes, yelling at everybody, or ignoring them, voice coming out cruel, he shoved everybody out of his life, was super hateful, and had already cussed out paparazzi five times.

Everybody else was somewhat better. The boys took the blow the least, acting sad, but not enough like they personally knew her. Because they didn't. The girls... Wow... There was no cheerfulness or happiness around the dorm. Dishes were piled high, clothes all around the house, dust collecting, food stains and spills on the floor, trash everywhere, and always a small, weak smile. They always had blank looks and sad, faraway looks. Everybody was shocked at their actions. They all slammed their books down, lockers shut, doors closed, lunches down. The food stock was about the same, made a small dent in it by Niall. They barked and were rude to anybody who said they were sorry at school. The once nice, sweet popular girls, were now the cold, judging, popular girls. Everything was out of place. The puzzle piecer was gone, the child left the toys, the microphone with no voice, the book with no words.

Nothing was right anymore.

Brea's birthday was a few days ago. Everybody with presents put them in a pile on one side of the room, a cake in the middle, like a shrine. Creepy?

***

"At least eat something!" She sat there, jaw clenched, arms crossed, blank face. The boys sighed at the three.