Extraordinary

Chapter 49: Things on Stage

Louis’ P.O.V.

I have to admit, I felt quite surprised to get a call from Chloe from Lola’s phone. Why wouldn’t I be? But after I heard Lola singing, I’m glad she did. So Lola didn’t think she was a good singer? She was fantastic if you ask me, especially with Bohemian Rhapsody. To some, that can be a challenge to sing. It wasn’t a challenge to Lola though, she conquered it.

I wish she would sing it to me so I could hear her more clearly. God I hate these long distance relationships.  We’re forced to only communicate over phone. You can’t even hug or cuddle or do anything with them that would make them feel better.  I wanted Lola here with me so badly after I had that nightmare, but all we could do is talk.

As I pull on my black t-shirt, Liam walks into my dressing room.

“You ready?” He asks. I nod. He’s about to walk out when he turns toward me.

“How’s the rib?”

“Fine,” I shrug. “Not hurting at least,”

“Good, you’ve got to be careful out there you know. Fans are starting to throw things on stage. Hard things,” He smiles. I laugh.

“Thanks for the warning, I think I’ll be fine,”

As we all join in the open backstage area to grab our mics and put our earpieces in, I can already hear the screams coming from behind the doors. Just think, this is someone’s special night to see us, and I’m really proud to be part of it.

But they’re all the same. The same songs, the same chants, and the same horrible jokes from Harry. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy every moment of our performances. Ever since I was younger I lived for this moment.  I enjoy seeing the fans’ faces light up as we walk out on stage. I’m living the dream and it’s awesome that I’m out here doing this.

We’re into about the 8th song when I’m starting to feel exhausted and really hot. I wasn’t going to pass or anything, but the stage lights were starting to beat down on me like the sun. Liam glances over at me with a worry-filled look, but I just wave it off and start to sing my solo. As Harry starts to sing his part, I take a breath of relief. Singing made the weird feeling in my stomach go away, weirdly enough.

But all of that relief flooded away when something, the smallest of things, hit me in the chest. I didn’t what it was, but of course it had to hit my rib and cause the most unbearable pain. I shut my eyes and put my hand over my rib, waiting for it to start numbing away like it should, but it didn’t this time.

“What happened mate?” Liam asks, running toward me. I could barely hear him in here.

“Hit, something hit me,” I groan in pain again.  

“Can you stand up?” He asks. I slowly start to move, gripping onto his shoulder to make my body to stand up. It hurt like hell alright, but I was back on my feet. Not for very long though. After a few seconds of starting to walk, I instantly collapsed onto the stage floor. Liam grabbed my arm and helped me stand, so I leaned onto him for support. As we started walking towards the backstage, I glance up to see Paul running to us.

“Louis what happened?” He immediately asks when he reaches us.

“I think someone threw something on stage that hit his fractured rib,” Liam answers for me. Paul takes my arm and guides me away from Liam, somewhere near the dressing rooms back stage. The more I walked, the more the pain started slowly going away.

“I’m fine, I need to go back out there,” I tell Paul. But he’s not convinced.

“We’re gonna get you some ice first, and then I’ll be the judge of when you go back out there,” I groan as he lets me sit down but I immediately hiss in pain. It practically felt like I was bending the bone. As Paul walks away to get ice, I try to ignore the constant aching that my chest is feeling like right now.

“Louis!” Someone exclaims. I look up and see the rest of the lads running towards me with concerned faces.

“I’m fine,” I tell them immediately. Right now, I didn’t need anyone worrying about me. Why am I suddenly getting a feeling of déjà vu?

“You collapsed on stage Lou, that’s not fine,” Niall says.

“Someone threw something that hit my rib, nothing serious,” I watch as Paul runs toward me and hands me a bag of ice. I place it on my bottom right and instantly feel the pain freeze itself away.

“Go, go back out and I’ll be there in ten minutes, I promise,” They all look hesitant, but nod anyways.

“Alright, don’t feel like you need to,” Liam says. I nod and they all run back onto the stage making the screams louder and louder.

After I’m alone, other than the crew running around backstage who pay no mind to me, I decide to call Lola. The one person I can talk to who actually understands this. Then again, do I want her to be worried? No, but she’s always worried. I whip out my phone and press the call button before my thoughts can change my mind.

“Hello?” She picks up after the third ring, greeting me tiredly.

“Hey Lola,” I greet her as cheery as I can, but even that brought back the ache in my lower abdomen.

“Hey, you okay?” She asks. “You don’t sound right,”

“Don’t be mad,” I say. Nice going Lou, she probably thinks you’re drunk now.

“Oh God Louis what is it?” Her voice suddenly sounds very awake and nervous.  I didn’t want her to worry, but I didn’t want to keep this from her either.

“I got hit,” I begin. “They’ve started throwing things on stage and it hurt like a-“ I set the phone aside for a moment to get through this large wave of pain.  I could tell that I wouldn’t be out there in ten minutes. The lads would surely start to worry.

“Oh Louis,” she says. “I’m sorry that had to happen to you,”

“Me too,” I sigh, letting the silence overtake our phone call.

“You know I remember,” I start. “When you were out there on that football field, caked with mud and grass. Well we both were, but when you fell and I wanted to help you, you said the same exact thing when you were about to pass out that I did tonight when I was about to collapse,”

“So you’re going to say ‘I’m fine’ to everyone like I did a year ago?”

“Exactly, because I am,”

“Louis I told you to be careful,” She scolds me.

“I know, and goddamn it even Liam told me they were throwing things. It’s always those moments that make you so paranoid that something actually happens to you,” I tell her.

“Yeah, and it sucks,” She sighs. “How does it feel now? Can you stand?”

“I think so,” I answer her, standing back up to only feel a faint pain that goes away in a matter of seconds. I drop the bag of ice next to the chair I was sitting in.

“Are you standing?” She asks.

“Yep, I think I can go back out there,” I tell her, finally feeling relieved.

“I know you’ve heard it a millon times Lou, but I’m going to tell you again. Be. Careful. Out. There.”

“Alright, got it,” I say.

“And…can you call me after the concert’s finished? Just so I know you’re okay,”

“Of course, I promise that I will,” I smile. “I’ll call you later,” She says a goodbye and hangs up first, so I press the end call on mine and slip it back in my pocket. I stand back up and run back onstage into the even louder cheers than the times before.

A.N.: Remember when Niall got hit with something that hurt his knee? I do, and boy did he look in pain. Louis just flicks the people off that throw stuff at him. Thanks Sassmaster.  Hope you enjoyed the update, and may the odds be ever in your favor for the next one! -CookieKrumm