After The X Factor (One Direction)

Chapter 9

SO SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG TO UPDATE.

I won't lie. Partly the delay is due to my starting college and getting so much homework I might explode, but the other reason is the 20,000 words I've written of another story (non 1D related). It won't be posted here so there's no point expanding on that.

ANYWAY. I'm back and this story is actually nearly finished. The chapter after this one had been written for months, so hopefully in several hours you'll have Chapter 10 also. I'm unsure how many chapters follow it.

Well, for now, I hope you enjoy 9! Comments will be loved! And I'd appreciate it if nobody shouts at me for being so rubbish at updating :3 thanks!

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I thought it was bad when all the One Direction fans followed me around either ogling or shooting daggers, but this is much worse. They heard about Harry and me through twitter at the weekend, and since then I’ve been given so many pitiful looks and curious glances, as if people want to ask me if it’s true.

 One girl even walked up to me, laughing hysterically, screaming, “HAHA, NOT SO BIG NOW, ARE YOU? JUST ANOTHER PETTY FAN! NO HARRY FOR YOOOUUUUU! HAHA.” She was quite a scary girl. That was on Sunday evening when Lola, Elvie and I were on our way home from shopping – Lola found it offensive and started yelling back at the girl!

Luckily, things are getting a little less scary now, the following Friday. My friends had been clever enough to avoid talking about what happened around me, but I often saw them whispering together. It doesn’t bother me, I’d gladly let them talk about it in front of me, but what does bother me is the fact that Ken doesn’t share their kindness.

Every day this week he’s been just as (if not more) smug and annoying than before. Actually I think he’s worse now, because Gregg stupidly yelled “Ken was right!?” as loudly as he could whilst we were walking into college on Monday, and Ken overheard.

The worst part is, I feel completely differently towards him now. I can tell he’s annoying, but it doesn’t annoy me as such…I can’t explain it. I just don’t get annoyed with Ken any more. In fact, I look forward to seeing him due to the fact that he doesn’t speak to me as if my dog just died, as everyone else does.

He’s more of a friend. I look back and realise that he was being quite kind to me, telling me to be careful of Harry and the models. Quite instinctive that he guessed something was going on… unless Harry’s just that kind of guy? I mean I knew him for five years but I wouldn’t have noticed anything weird…

“Hey, Chaz,” a voice calls behind me, making me almost spill a pot of water I was using to clean my paintbrush. I’d left my friends in the canteen and escaped to the quiet art room to do some extra coursework.

I sighed when I turned around, “Hi, Ken, what do you want?”

He pulled up a stool and perched himself right next to me. “How’re you today, then?”

“Fine…thanks…why?” It’s looking like a sort of who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Ken moment right now.

“I’m just trying to be nice!” he protests, “Look, I know I’ve been horrible and annoying since we first met, but I want to make things right. Especially now after this whole thing with Harry. You must need a friend or two to cheer you up, right?” he grins.

I smile, “I do have friends, you know. Regardless, that’s really sweet of you, Ken, but I don’t need any kind of cheering up! I’m fine, really.” I’ve been using the ‘I’m fine’ excuse with all of my friends, and they left me alone days ago.