Half A Heart

Chapter 9

“Louis! Is it true you’re going to leave Eleanor Calder for Jessica Hail?” A man asks, tape recorder in hand. Right now we’re at the press conference and I’m sitting in between Niall and Harry. Management wanted Louis as far from me as possible.

“No, I love Eleanor and the rumors are false,” Louis states. “So you don’t have any feelings for Jessica at all?” The same man questions. “She’s just my friend and we’re not even that close, I’ll never think of her as anything more than my friend,” Louis confirms, my heart shattering at his words.

“Jessica, what about you? Do you have any feelings whatsoever for Louis?” A lady with broad shoulders and red hair asks me. Okay, you can do this. Remember all those acting classes and times you fooled your mother? Now lie to all those people, you can do it!

“N-No,” I stutter. Shit, well that pep talk failed. Louis looks at me with a confused expression. “I don’t f-feel anything towards him at a-all,” I lie through gritted teeth, sweating slightly. Lying has always been so easy, except for now. Ugh, what is wrong with me.

“Are you sure? You stuttered a bit there,” Another man pushes it. “Thanks for stating the obvious,” I whisper, forgetting I have a microphone. Damn it, everyone heard that. Stop being so nervous! “I-I,” I pause, cursing under my breath. Stop stuttering. “I-I,” I try again, taking a deep breath.

I look up at everyone. “I need to go,” I inform them before getting off my chair and running out the door. What the hell is wrong with me, I just had to lie, that’s it. One lie. WHY DIDN’T YOU LIE GOD DAMN IT.

Speed walking out of the building, I sit down on the edge of the pavement, resting my head in my hands. I hear footsteps approaching me. If it’s management saying I have to go back in there then screw them, I’m not in a contract with them, Louis is. So Louis’ the one who has to deal with the press.

“It’s pretty hectic in there,” My eyes snap up to where Zayn is looking out at the road. He sits down next to me, smiling sympathetically. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I couldn’t just lie- I mean, why I couldn’t just tell them the truth,” I badly cover up, cursing to myself again.

“It’s hard to lie about strong feelings. You’re used to lying about homework, excuses and simple things, but you’ve never had to lie about emotions you have,” Zayn rubs circles in to my back. “I guess... But I’m still sorry,” I smile at him. “Don’t be,” He shrugs.

“You were under a lot of pressure and where just thrown into the spotlight, being asked to tell people you feel nothing for Louis. It’s not your fault people started shipping ‘Louessica’,” He chuckles, putting quotation marks around Louessica. I laugh lightly, stuffing my hands into my jean pockets.

“So do I have to go back in there?” I sigh, knowing the answer. “You don’t have to, but running away never solves anything,” He says wisely. I nod, getting up slowly and walking back towards the building. Here goes nothing. It’s time to face the chaos.

When I walk back in, everyone’s eyes turn to me and the room goes silent. Zayn takes his seat and so do I, shifting uncomfortably. “So... Where were we?” I ask awkwardly. “What was that all about?” Louis asks me through his microphone, raising one eyebrow. “Just nerves. I have stage fright,” I cover up.

Finally those long six years of drama classes have finally paid off! “Oh, are you okay?” He questions, sounding worried. “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s nothing,” I shrug off. “So you have no feelings for Louis?” A different reporter from last time quizzes me.

“Let’s just get this over with. I don’t like Louis in that way and he doesn’t like me in that way, Harry’s hair is curly-” Harry cuts me off, “What?”