That One Thing

Chapter 23

*Tatum's POV*

I sat on the ride back to the hotel with my head on Niall's shoulder and my eyes closed. He smelled really good. He always smelled really good. As the car drove Penelope brought out her iPod and hooked it up to the van's radio. "What shall we listen to?" she asked. "Something quiet-ish!" Saba said, obviously as tired as I was. Penelope scrolled through for a second before choosing Fireflies by Ed Sheeran. "Good choice," I told her, lifting my head and yawning. She sang along softly, I don't think she ever doesn't sing along. No matter where the music is playing. I joined in, equally as quietly. Eventually everyone who new the words sang along as well. Next Lego House came on and we all were singing. "Should I put on something a little faster to wake us up?" Penelope asked. "Yes please!" Saba and I replied. She put on Stutter by Marianas Trench. The boys looked at us singing and asked, "Who is this?" "A really awesome Vancouver band called Marianas Trench. I don't think they have released their album in the UK yet but they should!" I answered. We all rocked out for a bit to wake ourselves up. After that Penelope put it on shuffle and we started talking about what the boys wanted to do tomorrow.

* * *

As we pulled up to the hotel's back entrance Louis said, "I think we might have to change hotels, this is getting a bit crazy." He was referencing the huge crowd we had passed on our way to the back entrance. "Oh no! Please don't!" I said looking up at Niall. He put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder. "I don't know about you mate," he said to Louis, "But I'm going to stay right here!" and smiled down at me. Yeeaaaaay! I smiled back. "Anyyyways, lets goooo!" Penelope said, hopping with her crutches out of the van. We followed her and walked up the stairs and through the hotel to the door into the lobby. "Okay to try and avoid screaming lets go as fast as we can okay? Saba why don't you go and click the elevator button, when the doors open go inside and keep them open then call us over, okay?" Harry said. Saba nodded and headed out the door. It took a second but when the door opened she called and we rushed over and pressed the door shutting button as quickly as possible. No screams erupted from the fans, which wasn't surprising as the elevators were at the back of the lobby so they would have to look pretty hard to have seen us. Having so many people in the elevator it was pretty squishy, "Guys what if we are too heavy? What if it breaks?" Penelope asked nervously. Louis stared at her, wrinkling his nose, "Are you afraid of everything?" he asked. "Yes actually." Penelope replied bluntly, but she smiled. The doors opened and Penelope tumbled out. I turned to kiss Niall good bye. A couple times. Penelope cleared her throat, "There'll be time for the tomorrow! Let's go! I'm tired!" I kissed Niall once more and grabbed Saba's hand dragging her away from Liam. The boys laughed and Penelope huffed. The doors started to closed on the elevator and I blew Niall a kiss. He smiled back and the doors shut. I floated back to the hotel room in a cloud of happiness and tiredness. When we got inside Penelope got her pajamas on and plunked down in bed right away. Hmm not like her. I walked up behind he slowly, then pounced. "What's wrong?" I asked. She glared at me, "Nothing." She said. Obviously meaning something. I tried again, "What's wrong?" "Nothing!" she answered again, sounding more annoyed. Knowing Penelope she wouldn't be hard to crack. "What. Is. Wrong?" she sighed and sat up. "Harry hasn't talked to me all day. He is ignoring me purposefully and I don't know why!" She crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip like a toddler. I reflected on the day for a second. Huh, I hadn't really noticed their lack of talking. "Well that sucks!" I said, for lack of better words, "I wish I could offer my advice but all I know about boys comes from 'Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging' so to me it sounds like he is in full humpty-dumpty mode!" She sighed again, "Yes I realize that, but WHYYY?" she slid down and pulled the covers over her head. I decided to leave it at that and get on my PJ's.

*Penelope's POV*

Have I done something? Have I not done something? Was it something I said? Was it something I didn't say? The same questions swirled around in my head as I tried in vain to fall asleep. Harry had seemed fine and happy and he seemed to like me... I think? Maybe he thought all I was good for was a snog. That's so not me though! Oh, what am I supposed to do? If I had more confidence I would just text him saying "What's up?" just to try and find out what's going on in his head. But I had grabbed my phone, typed those exact words, then deleted them, about 50 times. I was never going to do it. I don't even know why I kept trying! 

I kept hidden under the blankets as I heard Saba and Tatum get into bed and turn off the light. I then reemerged and took a deep breath of cool air. Under the covers had been stuffy. I lay on my back and stared up at the ceiling the questions still swirling in my head. I decided to try and drown them out as I wasn't going to get to sleep either way. I grabbed my iPod and put in my earbuds playing Ed Sheeran loud enough I couldn't hear anything else. I closed my eyes and just listened to the music.