Reality (Ziall AU)

1. I-C-U-P

1.  I-C-U-P

3 years later…

[Zayn’s POV]

“Jeez,” I groaned as I rolled over and slammed the alarm down. It was already too early for this. I just wanted to sleep. I didn’t want to have to deal with people. I just wanted to go back to bed, but I had to go off and start applying to different UNIs today.

You know, for a long time I thought that UNI was the life for me, but now I’m not too sure. I don’t know what I want to do.

Right now I live with my parents, which is really said since I’m almost twenty years old, but I do. I needed to get my life together, but for right now I was just stuck in a rut.

I groaned as I swung myself out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen. I knew no one was home because everyone had lives besides me. I had one sister already in UNI and one trying to get out of school earlier. I barely scraped by, getting low grades and just not caring, and it didn’t bother me. I know I’m destined for other things, but I just don’t know what.

I sat on the couch, with a piece of bread residing in my mouth as I chewed it lazily, and flicked on the TV. I groaned as I saw that it was another piece on that stupid boy band 4-Way. I mean, it sounded like an orgy; maybe it was the different they could take it in the butt.

I chuckled, but for some reason I decided to leave it on that station as I turned the TV up.

“Bad news for the boys in 4-Way this morning. With their horrible album releases and canceled tour, they might have to drop out of the business. Considering how they write these awful songs, I’m not shocked. What do you say about that Greg?”

“Well Denise,” Greg, the co-anchor started, “I’m just glad that someone has finally started to recognize these boys aren’t worth half of the time they’ve taken away from people. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they all have pretty nice voices, but something is definitely missing from their group. A powerhouse of some sort.”

“Definitely Greg. I mean, you can’t be a boy group unless you have the powerhouse or you’re a dancer. I mean, what girl wants to see four attractive boys with no talent? It’s truly a mess.”

I flipped off the TV and shrugged my shoulders. I had heard about the lads in 4-Way and I didn’t really think they were bad. I thought, rather, they just needed a different sound. Something to draw them away from all the pop stuff. Maybe a bit of edge or soul, but straight up boy band sounds aren’t working for them.

I pulled out my phone and noticed how I had to get ready for work. I groaned, letting my mind come back to reality instead of in some land where I knew what boy groups needed and trudged myself off to the bathroom to get ready for work.

[Niall’s POV]

I couldn’t believe it.

I looked around the room and Liam was standing over Harry and Louis, yelling at them for something else once more. I rolled my eyes because this was a constant thing. We had won the X-Factor, but yet, it seems as though it didn’t change anything. It was as though we could only perform the songs given to us by the judges because they designed everything up for us. On our own, it was pretty clear, we had nothing.

“Louis, this song isn’t going to work!” Liam spat shaking the paper in front of their faces.

“Why not?” Louis shrugged.

“I-C-U-P, baby that’s what Apple should make for me,” Liam recited as Harry and Louis snorted and began to chuckle.

“I thought it was great,” Harry said with a dimple filled smile.

“Well it’s not!” Liam said as he crumpled up the paper. “Do you guys not understand that our lives- well rather our careers- are in some serious danger? We could be out of the business for good! You don’t want that do you?”

“Well maybe we should start changing things,” I said, finally sick of hearing Liam being all bark and no bite.

“What do you mean?” Liam asked turning to me. Louis and Harry, also facing my direction, looked shock that I had spoken up through one of Liam’s tangents.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love all the boys and they really make me happy to be apart of this experience, but when we’re doing things for the band, I feel as though we all forget we’re friends because of the constant stress it puts on us.

“Well, maybe we should try something different,” I said as I stood out of the chair. “I mean, everyone’s been saying the same thing, about how we’re missing something, so why don’t we go find that something?”

“Are you saying we add someone to the group?” Harry asked.

“No, I’m saying we start over. We need to get back our fans and become the biggest boy band in the world!” I exclaimed raising my arms above my head.

“Okay, Ni, that sounds like a wonderful plan,” Louis said, feigning enthusiasm. “Now let’s just go pick someone off the street and get them to sing for us! How about Frank the hobo? I bet he has the voice of an angel.”

“I bet he does Lou, but I think we should stick to someone more in our age group,” I said patting Louis on the head. He stuck his tongue out at me and I let out a hearty laugh.

“Okay, so let’s say we find a new person, then what? We just announce it?” Liam asked, sitting in the chair next to the couch.

“No. We let someone catch us singing together. Then rumors will spark and we’ll get back the publicity we need!” I said grabbing my jacket off the hook.

“Alright, so Niall is a bit of a mad genius,” Harry said getting off the couch and standing next to me. “I’m in!”

“Well if Haz is in, then so am I,” Louis said getting up and standing next to us. We all looked over at Liam, who merely groaned as he stood up.

“I love you fools too much to let you go off and do something dumb without me,” Liam said with a smirk.

I fist pumped the air before swinging open the door. This was it. This was the time I’ve been waiting around for.

We’re going to change the band.

A/N: Another update for you lovely people! :) Enjoy!! xxxxx

-A x