Mess is Mine // Calum Hood

Chapter 13

May 2018

Sierra and I arrived back at the apartment after a long day of shopping for outfits for New York City. The boys were about to release their third album, Youngblood, and Luke had invited Sierra to come out to NYC to celebrate with them. Sierra, Ashton, and Calum insisted that I came along as well, and who was I to say no to a quick trip out of LA?

Things with Calum were going decently well after the San Diego incident. That morning, I had woken up before him to the sound of my alarm at seven in the morning. I gently woke him up, and had instantly pulled me into the tightest hug he'd ever given me, thanking me endlessly for driving out to come take care of him. I told him it was no problem and that I'd do it again if he needed me to - and it was true. I would.

The boys were already out in New York. Sierra and I had a whole debriefing with the boys' PR team and management. Basically, we were supposed to stay out of sight for the most part, not be seen in pictures with the boys, and to not post any pictures that would indicate we were there with them. We were allowed to post pictures, just not with or of the boys, which was understandable. This week was about their music, not us. Other than that, it was mostly for our own protection. Fans had already been tearing into Sierra and I on all social media platforms, and their management team just wanted things to be easier for everyone all around.

It was only about seven at night when we returned to the apartment, but we immediately retired to our respective rooms to pack and hopefully get some sleep. Our flight from LAX left bright and early in the morning, and I wanted to be as well rested as possible. Packing took much longer than I thought, due to the fact that I couldn't decide what to bring and what to leave. I spent a solid 20 minutes debating on a pair of heels, and another 10 on whether or not I should bring a dress. I eventually just tossed both of them in the suitcase before zipping it and setting it by the door. Finally, I crawled underneath my covers and drifted to sleep at 11:00.

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The flight had been long, boring, and mostly silent other than Sierra's quiet snores, but we were finally in New York. Management had a driver come get us and take us to the hotel the boys were staying at, and we were informed that Paul would be our personal security and assistant for the time we were here, which was absolutely crazy to me. As much as I appreciated what they were doing for us, I felt slightly guilty about even coming to New York in the first place. I mean, this was the boys' big moment, and I kind of felt like an intruder.

Today, the boys were going to Times Square to see their ad on the big screens, and they had a performance later that evening. As much as Sierra and I wanted to go to with them to Times Square, everyone came to a mutual decision that it would be best if we didn't. We spent most of our day exploring the city on our own - plus Paul.

By the time the concert rolled around, I was already exhausted. Sierra and I made a quick stop at a Walmart on our way to the venue to pick up a Redbull.

"Let's make things interesting, shall we?" Sierra said with a playful smirk on her lips. She dragged me over to the liquor aisle, grabbing a bottle of vodka.

"Oh god," I whispered, lightly facepalming. Redbull and vodka - a very fun but dangerous combo. "We need bottles."

We wandered around the store before finding reusable bottles. We picked up two and checked out before getting back into the car that was waiting for us in the parking lot. Paul sped off to the venue, and we were arrived much quicker than I assumed we would. The boys weren't supposed to go on for about an hour, and most of the fans were already inside. Paul guided us through the back entrance and through a series of hallways. We heard the boys before we saw them. Someone swung a large door open, revealing the boys and several members of their crew.