Playing Perfect

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Nichole

                He was leaving today. I didn't sleep at all last night. I sat in the chair hoping he would show up, but he didn't. I invited Blaine and Ashli over later because I knew I was going to be a mess. I could hear everyone scrambling to get him ready. He would scream down the hallway at Fizzy and she would yell back Phoebe and Daisy were yelling at each other and Lottie was sitting on my bed. "I just don't get it. He loves you more than anything." She sighed in frustration. I thought he did too though that's what was frustrating.

                "Oh well." I had no words for today. Jo knocked on my door before popping her head in.

                "He's ready to go if you two want to say goodbye." Once she shut the door I sighed.

                "You should go. He's going to miss you." She shook her head.

                "I'm not going down unless you do." I sighed and stood up.

                "Well then let's go." She gave me a confused look. "You're going to regret not going down there, so I'll go." She followed me outside. They were all standing on the porch while Louis stuck the last bag in the trunk of his car. I tried to hide behind the family so he wouldn't see me. Daisy came and stood at my feet. They didn't understand what was going on, but they knew it was bad. I started playing with her hair.

                "That's the last one." Louis wiped his hands on his pants. Jo dabbed her eyes and wrapped him in a hug. Phoebe ran up to him after that Daisy followed her and he picked both of them up kissing their cheeks. Fizzy walked up after that and hugged him lightly. He kissed her hair and then looked at Lottie. He opened his arms, but she didn't move. "Come on Lottie! I'm not going to see you for two months!" she mumbled good under her breath. I nudged her and she turned back and looked at me.

                "I said I'd come down here. I didn't say I would touch him." I sighed.

                "You're going to miss him." She sighed and strutted over to Louis.

                "You're an asshole." She punched him in the chest and then walked back. Jo gave her a stern look, but she just shrugged. "What? It's the truth." He looked past all the people straight at me. I looked down at the chipped, blue paint on the porch. I felt everyone move away from me. I looked up to see him walking towards me. My throat went dry and I had to hold back the whole new flood of tears. He stopped in front of me before wrapping me in his embrace one last time. I balled up the back of his shirt in my fists. I stood on my tip toes so that my head was at his chest. Everyone walked around us and back in the house. Once we pulled away he wiped the wet paths down my cheeks.

                "Um I'll see you in two months?" I bit my lip.

                "Maybe." I crossed my arms and he stuck his hands in his pocket. "I hope you have fun." He smiled and nodded.

                "If I win, wow. I mean I didn't make it as a solo act and they've already put us in a group, so it must mean I have some potential." I smiled, but at the same time I wanted to cry. He was going to live his dreams without me.

                "Go your dreams are waiting." I turned to walk back in the house.

                "Nic." I stopped for a second and took a shaky breath. "My dreams involve you." I shook my head.

                "No. Not anymore." I wrapped my arms tighter around me. I walked down the porch and kissed his cheek. "Bye Louis." I turned and left him standing in the yard.

Louis

                She left. The door shut behind her and shut me out. I looked between the house and the car. I sighed and wiped the tear off my cheek. Driving away from my house all I had were The Fray CDs and most of my favorite songs off their albums were slow and sad. I cried the whole way up there. How could it go so wrong? Whose fault was it? Two hours of these questions filled my mind. Once I pulled into the studio I parked my car and was met by Bill the director. "Alright Louis. You and the boys have your very first interview in," he checked his watch. "Thirty minutes. You have to go through wardrobe and hair. By then you should be ready. Hurry now." He turned around and walked in the building. I sighed.

*

Two hours later we were on the last question. The boys and I were tired of the silly useless answers we had to give. The interviewer's fake smile was failing. "Alright boys the last question." Niall blew out a sigh of relief. "Who's single?" All the boys happily raised their hands. I looked around and saw Bill motioning for me to raise my hand. I thought about Nic and her smile. The way she sucked at karaoke, but danced and screamed it out anyway. The way her black hair reached the middle of her back. The way her blue eyes sparkled when she laughed. The way she looked at Daisy, Phoebe, Lottie, and Fizzy when they needed her help. But then I thought about the last two days. The way her eyes turned dark when she cried. The way she wrapped her arms around her shrinking waist. The way she was pulling away and I wasn't for sure that I could get her back. "So Louis? Who's the girl?" I thought about  the last things she said to me. I played with my hands.

                "Um I guess I am single. I just zoned out. I'm sorry." The interviewer smiled, but the only thing I could picture or focus on is how broken Nic would be once she saw this.  

A/N: That's it! I hope you guys enjoyed the story! There's going to be a sequel called Being Perfect! I hope you guys read it and love it just as much as you did this one! Love you guys and thank you so much.