Rebuilding Zerrie

Court Trial

DAY 15

ZAYN'S P.O.V.

After our interviews for today, we went over to Perrie's and Jesy's old hotel and found that they had already checked out and before they were able to check back in after their flight was delayed, all the rooms had already been booked. Afterwards, we drove the girl to St. Luke's Hospital to see her sisters with Niall's accompaniment.

We then spent the rest of the day helping out Kiefer because the trial was tomorrow. I really had no idea what I was doing and how I was supposed to "gather data" but I did know how to pick up the phone when I needed to. "No, this is Zayn speaking," I told the familiar voice on the phone. "But what can I do for you, Uncle Simon?"

All the others gasped, pausing their work for just a second. "Sure, I'll give the phone to him," I told our manager, handing the phone to Kiefer. "It's for you," I whispered. With shaking hands, he accepted the phone and spoke, sounding not at all how he looked.

"Hello, Sir Cowell," Kiefer greeted professionally as if speaking colleague to colleague. "Yes, sir, the court trial will be held tomorrow. Yes, sir, I do understand. Okay, sir. Thank you. See you." Then he dropped the call and fell backwards on the carpeted floor. "There's so much turbulence and conflict and unanswered questions in the case! Simon's only adding to the pressure." He groaned, as covered his face with his arm.

Being the random miscreant that he was, Louis talking in a valley-girl accent and, somehow, every sentence sounded like he was asking a question. "You know, Kiefer?" Louis even shoved Kiefer and flipped his hair for effect. "You're, like, such a babe? Like, you can do anything, right? And you can't and I mean, can not, let other people tell you otherwise? Because then you'll be, like, not."

That brought a smile to the girl's brother's face. "You're such a wretch, you know that?" He laughed, still on the floor.

"That's the spirit!" Louis shouted in encouragement, pulling Kief back up to his feet. "Now get back to work!"

KLOE'S P.O.V.

Niall and I spent most of our time in the ICU, catching up with Maegan, cleverly avoiding the topic of why she swallowed those pills. It would just stress her out even more. "Then once Harry came back to the room," Niall told the story so easily, like a child who never ran out of things to say. "Louis came up to him and took a jab at his face!"

Both mine and Maegan's jaws dropped. "No kidding?" I laughed, gasping as I covered my mouth. Niall shook his head with a grin permanently taped to his beautiful face. "The Tommo, my savior," I clapped while leaning on railing of Maegan's hospital bed.

"I can't believe Louis drubbed Harry!" My sister cried in disbelief. "I hope he didn't bruise anything on his perfect drop-dead ravishing face!"

I laughed rather unbecomingly. "Ravishing?" I scrunched my eyebrows as if she'd said something stupid. "Grotesque, more like it."

"Hey, sissy," Maegan nudged my arm. "There's no need to be bitter."

"Expressing the truth and censuring to your opinion is not being bitter," I snapped back, shaking my head and sitting upright. "Besides, Louis didn't drub Harry. He punched him once. I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you exaggerate the brutality of one of my favorite members of the most successful band in the world."

Looks of smothered laughter was exchanged by my sister and Niall which sort of pissed me even more. I buried my face into the bedspread of the hospital bed and screamed all my problems away. This wasn't okay. Talking about Harry wasn't okay. Thinking about him wasn't okay. Trying to forget about him--now that's okay.

I slowly peeled my face from the sheets and I was sure there were marks left across my cheek. There was hair sticking to my skin and over my mouth. I shook my head to put them back in place. I sighed and smiled at Niall who looked worried in a fatherly sort of way. He looked like an old man, but still had his Irish charm somewhere hidden beneath the surface. "I'm okay, Great-uncle Harvey," I reassured, insulting him of his old-manliness.