Part Sixteen

Sophia’s POV

“I win!” I shouted.

“No way!” Niall shouted.

“Want to play again?” I asked.

“No!” Everyone else shouted.

“What? Why not?” Niall and I both pouted.

“Because you are both too competitive!” Harry shouted.

“Yeah buddie!” We both high-fived each other. If you didn’t know or guess Niall and I had been having staring competitions for like an hour now, we’d drawn all of them.

“Fine, I’m going for food, anyone coming?” I asked.

“Food!” Niall and the rest of the boys shouted and ran out of the room. I laughed with the rest of the girls and then we followed them down the stairs. We walked down to the dining room at the hotel and met with the boys who already had their plates piled high.

*~*~*~*~*

“I’m just nipping loo,” Niall said and got up.nHe left the table we were sat at, in the night club we had moved on to after dinner. I then I decided I might as well go to the bathroom too.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I got up and walked off in the direction Niall had gone. I passed the dance floor and saw Lauren and Beth doing the ‘Zarry Dance’ and Zayn and Harry were watching in shock; I stopped for a minute to watch them.

“Oh no you didn’t,” Zayn and Harry gasped.

“Oh yes we did,” Beth and Lauren said in the same tone as they carried on doing the ‘Zarry Dance’.

“B-But that’s OUR dance! The Zarry Dance!” Harry shouted in outrage.

“Now it’s our dance! The… Bauren Dance!” Lauren shouted. Not as catchy as Zarry but it’ll do for now.

“Anyway, we do it better,” Beth smirked.

“No way!” Zayn gasped. Then it turned into a full blown Zarry Dance dance-off. Zayn and Harry verses Lauren and Beth. I laughed and walked off to the bathroom. I walked around the corner and felt my heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. A lump rose in my throat and tears formed in my eyes and I couldn’t stop them spilling down my cheeks.

“No!” I gasped. Not again. Please not again.

“Sophia!” Niall gasped and pulled away from kissing Courtney. What was my sister doing here anyway?

“Can I have my chewing gum back Nialler?” Courtney giggled.

That’s it. There was this little hope I had that Courtney had kissed Niall like Josh had to me, but if he had her gum in his mouth he must have kissed her back.

“I-I loved you,” I whispered.

“Sophia please,” Niall stepped forward.

“Oh Nialler, don’t get her hopes up, she knows I’ll always win the guy, she’s too ugly,” Courtney giggled.

“Don’t ever talk to me again… I hate you!” I whispered fiercely to Niall; knowing that I didn’t want to say that and it was a lie, “I trusted you after Josh! That was a huge thing for me!”

I then fled as fast as I could out of the club, none of my friends seeing me as they were too busy with their boyfriends or having a dance-off to notice a heart-broken best friend. I ran all the way to the hotel and into my room. I grabbed all of my possessions and shoved them into a bag and then I left the hotel. No note was left, no explanation, none were needed, Niall could tell them, and definitely no explanation of where I was going. I ran from the hotel and just ran, not knowing where I was going.

Beth’s POV

I laughed as Lauren and I had a Zarry Dance dance-off with the boys. Suddenly Niall ran over to us in a panic he tried talking to us but we couldn’t hear above the music. Behind him I noticed Courtney smirking. Not a good sign. I glared at her and walked over to her everyone else following me.

“What have you done?” I hissed as we walked out the back of club.

“Why don’t you ask Nialler? I’m sure he enjoyed it,” She smirked.

“S-She kissed me!” Niall cried, like actual tears falling from his eyes, “Sophia saw and then… then Courtney said that I had her gum in my mouth! I didn’t kiss her!”

“We believe you mate,” Louis said, patting Niall’s back.

“You b*tch!” Mel shrieked and dived at Courtney but Zayn and Harry held her back. Wow, she must be strong, two strong lads holding her back and even they are struggling.

“She’s not worth it,” Zayn whispered in Mel’s ear and she collapsed back into Zayn’s chest sobbing.

“Maybe not to you!” I snapped and then punched Courtney as hard as I could in the face, I heard a satisfying crunch from Courtney’s nose and smirked.

“Where’s Sophia?” Molly asked.

“I don’t know she ran out of the club,” Niall whispered through his tears. Gosh I feel so sorry for him, him and Sophia had had a rough patch lately, we all thought they were happy again and now this!

“We have to find her!” Lauren shouted.

“We’ll go back to the hotel, she’s probably just crying in your room,” Liam said logically but there was pain in his voice.

“Come on,” I said and ran back through the club, not waiting for anyone. I knew they were all following me, I was a fast runner and I had a head start so I was at the front, Louis close at my heels, then Liam close behind him and then everyone else was behind us. I ran through the hotel lobby, up the stairs taking two at a time and then I sprinted to our room flinging the door open. I stopped suddenly causing Louis and Liam to run into me.

“No!” I cried and collapsed on the floor, letting the sobs out. I felt Louis pick me up and carry me over to the sofa. As the girls came in I heard them all break down crying. She was gone. She’d come back taken all her things and left, with no note, she could be anywhere now!

“Beth, sh, it’ll be okay, we’ll find her,” Louis whispered in my ear as he cradled me to his chest.

“I… I don’t want her to do anything stupid,” I cried harder into his chest.

“She won’t,” Louis carried on whispering soothing words to me as he rubbed my back. I knew all the other boys were doing it to their girlfriends; and Niall was pacing the room stressed out his mind. I slowly got off Louis and walked over to Niall. I put my hand on his shoulder, tears stained his cheeks and his eyes were dull and lifeless instead of bright and full of love for Sophia. I then pulled him into a tight hug, he hugged me back and we stayed like that for a while.

“We’ll find her,” I whispered in his ear.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sophia’s POV

It’d been three days since I’d seen Niall and Courtney… kissing. I haven’t slept, I haven’t eaten, I haven’t left my new hotel room, I hadn’t even left the bed, well other than to go to the bathroom. I was numb. I sighed, and decided that I shouldn’t let Niall ruin my life. I will not let him ruin my life.

It’s time I leave this hotel room. I slid out of the bed, my legs feeling like jelly because I hadn’t used them much in the last three days. I grabbed some clean clothes from my bag and went into the bathroom. I got in the shower and let the boiling water run down my back. I washed my hair and made myself look more presentable. Once I was presentable I decided I’d check Twitter, see what was going on in the world.

I logged on on my phone and opened a new tweet after reading some other tweets people had tweeted. There was something trending which was ‘#Lifesworthliving’. What a load of rubbish.

TWEET:

                Life is NOT worth living. You’re finally happy and then you’re world comes crashing down around you. #Lifeisnotworthliving!

I tweeted it and logged off. I picked up my bag and then left my room. I was on the third floor so it wasn’t far down, so I decided to take the stairs. I was at the top of the stairs when I felt really faint. I tried to hold onto the banister but missed it and fell down the stairs.

Pain. That’s all I felt. Pain. All over my body. Pain. Was the last thought I had before everything faded to black around me.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up to an annoying beeping sound around me. I groaned and my eyes flitted open. I frowned and looked around. Was this a hospital? It looked like it.

“Oh hello dear, you’re awake,” A woman said, she must be a nurse.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“You’re in hospital dear,” The woman smiled, “I’m Paula.”

“Hello,” I smiled politely.

“Can you remember what happened before you’re fall?” She asked pulling out a notepad. I didn’t know nurses had notepads to write things down in? Although, I don’t go to hospitals often.

“Yes I do,” I sighed, “Unfortunately. My boyfriend… or ex-boyfriend I guess you could call him... I found him kissing out with my sister. Once a slapper always a slapper aye? Not Niall, my sister. My last boyfriend, she slept with him behind my back. I ran away from my friends three days ago, they don’t know where I am. I don’t want to see Niall ever again. I loved him, I still love him… but he cheated, I can never trust him again.”

“Oh sorry, you didn’t need to know all that,” I smiled apologetically, but she was too busy writing notes.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go, I hope you feel better soon Sophia, bye,” Paula smiled and then left.

A second after she’d gone another nurse came in.

“Sophia you’re awake how are you feeling?” She asked.

“Well, I feel sort of light-headed, and the rooms spinning,” I mumbled and then everything went black.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Beth’s POV

It’d been five days now and Sophia was still missing. The day after she left we went back to our house to see if she was there, she wasn’t. We called all her other friends, even her family back in Ireland. None of them had seen her; none had heard from her. However, two days ago she had tweeted saying that life wasn’t worth living; which worried us all.

I was walking around the streets getting some air; I couldn’t take much more of it. The boys had left now they had to go back to work, but they tweeted, text and called us every day- always asking how we were and if we’d heard anything from Sophia. We’d moved back into our house, but it wasn’t the same, it had an eerie silence to it now, not knowing what to do without Sophia.

I walked in to shop and saw Sophia lying in a hospital bed asleep on the front cover. I gasped and grabbed the magazine I tore open the magazine to the page the article was on and read it.

‘Popstars Girlfriend Throws Herself Down Stairs After Catching Boyfriend Cheating!’

It was only the title but I was already feeling sick.

I numbly walked over to the counter and paid for the magazine then I ran back to the house. I ran in and shouted for everyone to come. They all ran in and I read out the article to them.

“Niall Horan’s (member of popular boy band One Direction) ex-girlfriend is now in hospital after throwing herself down three flights of stairs in the hotel she was staying at. She had been missing for three days before she had tried to take her life. She had also tweeted ‘  Life is NOT worth living. You’re finally happy and then you’re world comes crashing down around you. #Lifeisnotworthliving!’ before she had thrown herself down the stairs in attempt to take her life.

Sophia is now in hospital, she woke up two days ago and told us that she had caught Niall kissing her sister; this was not the first time Sophia’s sister, Courtney Dowell, had dated Sophia’s boyfriend behind her back. Sophia’s ex-boyfriend Josh Chambers had slept with Courtney Dowell for over three months behind Sophia’s back before she found out on her sixteenth birthday.

Sophia has now been in a coma for two days and doctors say they have no idea when she will wake up; it seems that before she threw herself down the stairs she had been starving herself.” I carried on reading until the end of the article. Once I had finished everyone was in a shocked silence.

“We need to call Niall,” I said, and just as I said that my phone rang, it was Niall.

“Niall,” I answered the phone.

“Have you heard anything?” He asked not beating around the bush.

“Niall, she’s… she’s in hospital!” I cried, letting the tears flow.

“What?” He shouted.

“She’s in a coma!” I cried.

“I’ll be at yours in ten,” He said then hung up.

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Beth!” Niall threw the door open and ran in the house, we were all sat on the sofa crying.

“Niall,” I got up and hugged him.

“Explain,” Was all he said as the rest of the boys ran in.

I handed Niall the magazine and the boys all read it. “No!” Niall let out a strangled cry.

“We’ll go to the hospital,” Liam said.

“I’m family, they’ll be able to tell me what’s going on,” Mel said quietly.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I asked when no one moved. Then we all ran outside and jumped into the car and Louis drove us to the hospital as fast as he could- which was pretty damn fast.

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Where’s Sophia Dowell’s room?” Mel asked in a panic as we ran into the hospital.

“I’m sorry, only relatives are allowed to see her,” The receptionist said eyeing us all.

“I’m her cousin, I’m the closest relative she’s got,” Mel said impatiently.

“Okay, you can come through, but only you,” The receptionist said sternly, then she called a doctor over and they took Mel away from us. We all sighed in annoyance, and then we were directed to the waiting room, we all sat down except Niall who was pacing… he’d been doing that a lot lately.

Mel's POV

I followed the Doctor to wherever Sophia's room was. Did she really attempt to take her life? It just doesn't seem like her... She was heart-broken though and none of us even saw her run out of the club. That's what makes us all feel so terrible, like it's partly our fault. Courtney has gone too far this time.

"Now before you go in you should know... your cousin, Sophia, is in a coma and we don't know when she'll wake up, she woke up two days ago and then collapsed. We have tried everything we can to wake her, but she won't wake up. We've been waiting for a relative or friend to turn up, I think that if you talk to her she might wake up, you know hearing a familiar voice," The Doctor smiled sadly.

"Her family live in Ireland... They've had troubles and she doesn't talk to them anymore... Well not much. If any other members of her family come can you not let them in, I'm really all she has left..." I said quietly.

"Sure, I'll let reception know," He said and went to leave but I stopped him.

"Also, I need to know... how did she... fall?" I whispered, scared of the answer.

"Ah, you saw the magazine?" He asked and I nodded, "We don't know how they got that information, I'm sorry. Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear, I don't think she attempted suicide. I think that she hadn't eaten in a few days, and she fainted at the top of the stairs."

"Thank you," I sighed in relief. He walked away and I took a deep breath before entering Sophia's room. I had braced myself for the worst when I saw a sign that read 'Intensive Care' when the Doctor led me here.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside. I heard the door shut behind me as I took in the appearance of the room, my eyes blurring from tears. The room was full of hospital equipment, and Sophia was lying in a hospital gown on a bed in the middle of the room, the duvet was wrapped tight around her, but her arms were left on top of the blanket. There were loads of machines around her; some measuring her heart rate, some measuring her sugar levels and loads more. To top it all off she had wires and tubes going into her everywhere- from up her nose, to in her arms. There were also bags of liquid around her with tubes attached going into her arms.

Despite that, Sophia looked very peaceful lying in bed... She looked asleep... almost dead. Her skin was paler than usual, she had slight dark bags under her eyes, and there were light blue bruises on her arms around where the tubes went in. Why? Why her? She was so innocent, she never did anything wrong! All she wanted was to be loved and her b*tch of a sister has to ruin that every time!

I took a steady breath and walked slowly across the room. I took her cold hand in my warm ones and sat on the side of her bed, careful not to jostle her.

"Hey Soph, it's me Mel, your cousin. I don't know if you can hear me, but the Doc said it might help you to wake up if I talk to you… So here I am." I started, not knowing what to say, I knew one thing though, not to mention Niall, "It's not the same without you to cheer us up with your crazy coffee addiction, everything is much quieter. We all miss you, the girls and I moved into your house again, but like I said, it's not the same without you. Something's missing... You're missing. Please wake up, we need you... I need you, Sophia please."

I carried on talking to her for a few more minutes but a nurse came in saying that I had to leave. "Hello guys," I said tiredly, it had been a long day.

"How is she? Oh and the boys got a call from their management, they had to go back on tour. I said you'd keep them updated," Molly said.

"Okay, well, there's good news and bad news," I began and they nodded for me to continue, "Good news, Doc doesn't think she attempted to end her life, he thinks she fainted because she hadn't eaten in a few days and that's why she fell down the stairs. Bad news... She's in a coma, as the magazine had said, but they don't know when she'll wake up. They've tried all they can but she won't wake up. It's a waiting game now. He said it might help if we talk to her though; but visiting hours are over so we'll go home and I'm coming back tomorrow morning if you want to come with me."

"Definitely," They all nodded and muttered their own confirmations.

"Okay, let's go home," I sighed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When we got to the house I went to my new bedroom- the old spare room that had loads of junk in, but we'd cleared it out and made it... Mine. I shut the door and pulled out my phone and dialled Zayn's number.

I waited patiently as it rang.

"Vas Happenin' this is Zayn, sorry I can't answer the phone right but you know what to do after the *BEEP*," His voicemail said.

"Hey Zayn, it's Mel, just ringing to let you know Sophia didn't throw herself down the stairs, she fainted and fell, accidently. She's in a coma at the moment though and they're not sure when she'll wake up. The girls and I are heading down to the hospital again tomorrow. Call me when you're free and I'll give you more details," I said before hanging up.

I quickly slipped into my pyjamas before I climbed under the warm covers of my bed and shutting off the lights.

I'll tell you now, sleeping with your mind full of worry is not an easy thing to do. I was tossing and turning all night worried sick and praying Sophia would wake up soon.