"It's Not Love If It Hurts" //5sos

/132/

  The boys sat on a too small couch, speaking into a recording device as they were asked questions by an interviewer who wasn't really into it. It was for a magazine spread about them, and later the editors would go through and write down everything they said. Tomorrow, the boys had photoshoots all day, and some of the pictures would be sent to this magazine.

  Not that Annie was paying much attention. She sat on a folding chair in the corner, trying to relax. She felt sick... ditsy almost. She couldn't focus. She couldn't calm down. It was like sleepwalking, while she was awake.

  The nightmares had scared her more than she cared to admit. Usually, her nightmares weren't that bad- in fact, they seemed to be improving. But now... it felt like it was back to square one. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again. The unnatural sweat, pouring down his features. The black ooze that dissolves her skin. The way it felt, too- like her body was disconnected from her mind. She didn't understand it. All she knew was that she was scared, and it was impacting her more than she cared to admit.

  In the blink of an eye, the interview ended. Johanna commented something about it being ten minutes over, but to Annie it felt like it couldn't have been ten minutes total.

  People shook hands, exchanging goodbyes and thank yous, all but Annie. No one paid her much attention. She was the sick girl, she realized. They gave her looks, like she couldn't understand what was going on anyways. Annie didn't know how to explain it, but it was frustrating. I'm not sick! She wanted to scream. I'm fine, nothings wrong with my mind.  But that'd be a lie. Obviously, something was wrong, and at this point, it felt like Annie couldn't even form proper words. Calum glanced at her with the same expression from earlier- worry- as he shook the last person's hand.

  He strode over to where Annie was, taking her hand and gently pulling her to her feet. Annie stumbled, as if her soles were made of rubber.

  The boys were looking out the window and groaned, muttering things to Johanna. She gave orders- at least it sounded like it. Annie wasn't able to understand her words. Too much was happening, and her head hurt.

  You're going into shock, a voice whispered, droning out the sounds of the outside world. A sense of numbing and emotional detachment coupled with symptoms of anxiety, the voice whispered, as if reading from a textbook.

  Annie tried to reason with herself. Shock lasts for a minimum of 2 days, she thought, as if she could argue with herself.

  And a maximum of 4 weeks, it whispered dreamily. After which point continued symptoms may result in a diagnosis of PTSD.

  "Annie?" Calum said, waving a hand in front of her face. She looked at him with wide eyes, feeling like she had just woken up from a dream but still wasn't sure what was real or not. "Come on, we need to go."

  He walked down a hallway, holding Annie's hand and guiding her. She felt disoriented, and dizzy. They went down a staircase, and to the front doors.

  Annie froze. The glass doors showed a slew of people, pushing, screaming and shoving, cameras flashing and pens being waved in the air. The boys kept walking forwards, but she was frozen.

  "Annie, come on." Calum said, trying to pull her behind him. He looked back when she didn't move. "What's wrong?"

  Her breath shaky, she tried to close her eyes to focus. Think! Think! He asked a question! She had to think!

  He must have understood what that look meant, however, and turned, signaling to Johanna to wait. He pulled Annie's glasses out of her pocket, placing them on her statue - like form. He zipped her jacket up all the way, pulling up the hood and tugging the hoodie strings. Finally, he got out his own sunglasses and put them back over his eyes, pushing them up on the bridge of his nose. "Look, now we match." He sent her a reassuring smile, which Annie returned although confused. "Ready?"
  Ready for what?

  He leant down, and kissed her on the nose. Annie's eyes fluttered, her breath relaxing. Calum wrapped his arm around her waist, holding on tightly to one of her belt loops. "Luke, help me out here." Luke didn't have to be told twice, jogging over and going to the other side of Annie protectively.

  Then the doors were opened and they were outside. It was bright, even with the sunglasses. Annie grabbed the end of Calum's shirt, clinging onto it like a safety blanket. It was loud- people kept screaming. Why were they screaming? What was wrong? The other boys had sunglasses on too, and Johanna pushed ahead of them, people backing up around her. They made it halfway through the crowd when an image flashed in Annie's mind- his frame over hers, his greasy hand in her hair. She tripped, but Calum kept her up. Another flash hit her, and then another, and she was left stumbling, barely able to walk.

  "Johanna, where's the car?" Calum called. The plan had been to walk back to the van a few blocks away, but now Johanna saw that wouldn't work. Calum scooped Annie up in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest. It was too loud, and the flashes kept coming! She wanted to scream, but no sound came out- just like in the dream.

  And just like that, the sound was cut off. Annie looked up, to find they were in a car- a cab. Johanna sat in the front passenger seat, directing the driver, her words loud and forceful.

  Annie curled up more, burying her head in Calum's chest once more. She felt his hands tighten against her waist, and though he was silent, his actions spoke loudly. I've got you.