The Way Things Work

Chapter Seven

"HARRY! STOP! PEOPLE WILL SEE US!" Rob called down the street and Harry came to a sudden jolt of stop.

"What the Hell is wrong with you Harry?" Simon slapped the back of Harry's head as they pulled him to the edge of a vacant street.

"What?" He hissed.

"What? WHAT! THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY? YOU ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL AND AS SOON AS THIS TOUR IS OVER THERE WILL BE DRASTIC CHANGES!" Paul threatened. 

"L-Like what?" Harry had now known that he had gone too far.

"How about a lessened role in the band? No participation in interviews? Or even a complete lock down with no access to the public eye?" 

"You wouldn't." Harry growled, teeth clenched. 

"Believe me, I can and will if that is what it comes to. You are destroying yourself to the point of no return and in the making of this 'character' you are bringing the others down as well. To be completely honest I chose Sam because she was there, but it was luck. She seems sweet but we can take advantage of her situation to make it seem like you have saved her-not the other way around. We can utilize her in was we can't with normal girls, she is broken and in need of a fix. It sounds crude, but I am not concerned about her, only you, Harry." Rob said rather coldly.

"-But even I kind of care about her-"

"No, Harry. You need to be concerned with one thing and one thing only: you. If your act doesn't clean itself up-you're out of the band." Rob stared straight into Harry's eyes; the look was so strong, it could knock over any creature within a 50 mile radius.

"W-What? So I can't worry about her? And you're going to kick me out?" Tears lined his crystal eyes, his heart was breaking further although he would never say it.

"Look Harry, do what you want with her, that's not important but I will make sure you are out of the band if this doesn't stop." He didn't care about what happened to you or how Harry treated you, all that really mattered was the out come of Harry's image. 

"Rob, maybe you're taking this too far-" Simon stared.

"No, I'm not. This little bastard will ruin all we've worked for if he doesn't knock it off."

"Excuse me?" Harry slammed a wall, leaving a bruised hand and non-dented wall. 

"You heard me Harry. You are worthless, we only need you for your image and that isn't looking so hot right now. Watch your step." He bellowed in Harry's ear before storming back to the restaurant.

"ROB!" Simon blustered down the pavement after Rob: he had said to much.

"Y-You all really think t-that?" Harry pulsed.

"No. He is just agitated at the way you behaved. I'm not sure what is going on with him but do not listen to him. You are important to this band, we all love you, the old you. And you better damn well make sure you treat her right, she is fragile and important. Harry, she is more than a ploy she is a person, do not exploit her past for your benefit." Paul hit his back lightly with a small smile. "Let's go back, I'll get you that drink." 

They all went back and Paul fed Harry's alcohol addiction to simmer his feverish temper. Now a days, since the unspoken production of Angel, in order to heal Harry's harsh fuse, they allowed him to drink. Slowly, yet surely Harry was growing an unhealthy attachment to alcohol.

"Well I've paid. Girls the limo will take you to your places so you can begin to prepare for your departures in two days." Simon mimed to the sleek, black car the awaited outside the doors. You hugged all of them goodbye and saved Harry for last. You vigilantly took Harry into your arms and remained there for an instant. He seemed weak. "I know you didn't mean it and I forgive you." You whispered into his ear before reluctantly letting go. Even the smallest touch gave you butterflies in your stomach, it was non-explainable. You broke away and headed outside. missing Harry's thank you.

"We'll drop you guys off first." Eleanor turned and gave the driver directions as you headed home.

"That was quite a dinner." El let out an uneven laugh.

"Oh yes." You wined.

"Anyway, we can meet up at the airport because tomorrow I think I am going to spend with Louis. Is that alright?"

"Why are you asking us? Of course it is!" You chuckled and turned to Sarah, "Do you want to spend the day with the 'guys' as well?" You wanted her to see Liam, she deserved to.

"It's alright, I think we should spend our last day out-"

"Sarah, you deserve to go out, you're practically babysitting me."

"No, I am not. I am showing you how much I love you. Remember Tom?"

"Yeah." You snickered at the thought. Tom was a guy you had fantasized over and one day he finally asked you out. The day of your first date Sarah got sick, and you stayed home; he never called you again.

"See, we do it for each other. Besides we will be seeing them in two weeks." She smiled as you said goodbye and hopped out of the limo. 

"Coffee?" Sarah called from the kitchen.

"Nah, could you please grab me a water though?"

"Of course" She chirped as she whirled into the lounge room with a coffee and a water. "Sit." She patted the couch next to her. 

"What's up?" 

"You ready to pick up and move?" 

"I guess. It's not like I'm really leaving anything behind. What about you?"

"I'm totally excited! You know I already don't see much of my family, they're in California! I'm ready to leave the drama. Maybe when we get there you'll have a fresh new start. Nobody will know your story and you can leave it behind. It will be hard, but who knows?"

"Maybe." You smiled at the ground and thought of a new start; aside from the guys, no one knew you as anything more than a face on a magazine. 

"C'mon babe, let's pack!" She dragged you into your room to get you packed.

There was one more full day until your ‘restart’.