Chapter 3 - Welcome to the Springs

Zayn's POV

We left the house around ten minutes later when Marnie came downstairs with glasses on, and – surprisingly enough – a One Direction wallet dangling from a belt loop. The wallet wasn't what caught my eye. It was her face. Her eyes mostly. She had on light purple eye shadow, mascara, and lip gloss. She could have had more on, but I couldn’t tell. I thought she wasn't wearing any before. In fact, she wasn't. I knew she wasn't because when I looked at her lips earlier, her already perfect pink lips, and they weren't glossy like they are now.

“What's that on your wallet?” Liam asked her, his brow furrowed. Oh yeah. He and the other boys didn't know that she was a fan of us, just like the girls didn't know about our true identity.

Marnie looked down and lifted her wallet up. She stared at it for a moment, then a blush rose to her cheeks. My heart fluttered, because she was beautiful when she blushed. She was beautiful when she wasn't blushing too. She was just beautiful in general.

She finally looked up, but didn't make eye contact with anyone. The blush was still visible on her cheeks. “Oh. It's my One Direction wallet. It doesn't look like much, but it holds quite a bit. Don't make fun of us for liking One Direction. They did more for us than you will ever know."

Little did she know was that I did know. I knew what she went through, or part of it at least. She told me not to feel sorry for her, but I do. I don't want her to feel like she has to hide because of her drunken ass murderous father who most likely is still looking for her somewhere out there. Of course, she isn't hiding. She applied to five different colleges, each in a different location. Her father could easily be hiding in one of those states right now. He could somehow already know where she's going to school in the fall and could be there, waiting for the perfect moment to … To do whatever. Yet, she's not scared. She's moving on from the tragedy that her father has plagued her with. She's getting the best education she can. She's going to become somebody in the world, just like the boys and I are today. She's not letting anything stop her.

“Did they now?” Niall said, glancing at us. Could he be any more obvious?

Marnie nodded after following Niall's glance. I know that she's smart, but I was hoping that she wasn't smart enough to catch on to Niall's glances and hints. “If I could have the chance to say anything to them, I would only say thank you and leave.”

Louis raised his eyebrows. “That's all you would do? You wouldn't scream and cry like all the other fans?”

Jessie went up to Louis and put her arm on his shoulder, making him look at her. They were nearly the same height with Louis only being about two inches taller than she was.

“We aren't like that.” she said with a slight, awkward shrug. Her speaking made everyone else look at her. “We aren't psychotic.”

“Jessie!” Marnie barked, making me at least jump. Marnie was glaring hard at Jessie like she was a small child who just got caught sticking her hand in the cookie jar.

If looks could kill, Jessie would surely be dead right now

The others looked at her curiously and shocked as she said, “We've talked about this. They aren't psychotic or crazy or delusional. They're dedicated. The reason why the band is so big today is because of the fans being 'psychotic.'”

After Marnie spoke her small speech to Jessie, my mouth dropped open. Mine wasn't the only one. Jessie's was the only one that didn't drop her jaw in shock and awe. She rolled her eyes, in fact. She probably had this conversation with Marnie everyday. To us, it was surprising that we met fans who weren't insane about us to the point they start crying when they see us. That just made Marnie all the more perfect.

“Okay...” Niall said, wanting to desperately break the awkward silence that followed after Marnie's speech, no doubt. “So. Why don't we go somewhere like we planned?”

I nodded. “I couldn't agree more with you, Mate.”

We ended up in two cars. Marnie, Jessie, Louis and I in one while Harry, Niall and Liam were in the other. Marnie was pleasant surprised that Harry had his American license. He had only gotten it recently, but still. Plus, we were technically driving illegally since Harry didn't have an Alaskan license, but it wasn't illegal until we got caught.

As we drove away from town in Marnie's black Caliber, I had no clue where we were going still, and neither did the girls.

Jessie gasped once we got out of town which made Marnie jump and slam on the breaks a bit. Louis and I gripped the backs of the girls' seats on instinct. Marnie kept going, however.

“Jesus, Jessie! What the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack and get us killed?” Marnie said, obviously annoyed, through gritted teeth.

“Sorry! Sorry,” she said with a blush rising to her cheeks. “It's just that I know someplace we could go.” the grin came back upon her lips once again. I wasn't sure whether I should have been afraid of the look on her face or not.

“Then say it.” Marnie snapped. “Without giving me a heart attack, please.”

Jessie leaned over and whispered to Marnie. I heard a bit of what she said, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was that she said.

Marnie slowed down and seemed to think about it for a moment, whatever it was that Jessie had said to her. After a moment, she turned her right blinker on and looked in her mirrors to make sure no one was coming. When she was certain that no one was, she turned on a side road and went straight onto a bumpy road. I looked behind us to make sure that the others were still following us.

“Just a heads up,” Marnie said to Louis and I, making me turn back around to look at her and pay attention. “The drive to the place we're going is kind of long and we won't have cell service up there I don't think, so if you want, someone ought to tell the others.”

“I'll do it.” I stated as I got my phone out. Even though this move was only temporary, I'll probably have to get another phone. That's just great.

As I sent Niall a text to let him, Liam and Harry know that we'll be driving for a while, Louis snorted and said with that ridiculous grin on his face, “No cell service and a long drive to our destination. Hm; you're not plotting our deaths are you?”

I was so shocked by this that I dropped my phone in my lap. I knew Louis was only joking, - that's all he ever does is joke – and he didn't know about Marnie's parents or past, but that was still too far. Jessie seemed to think the same thing, because we both tensed and looked at Marnie with worried looks.

Marnie was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles had turned white. When I looked into the rear-view mirror and saw her reflection, it wasn't anger I saw in her eyes. Well, it wasn't only anger at least. I saw sadness in her blue eyes. I know she said not to feel sorry for her, but I can't help it. Her life is a disaster. I do feel sorry, because no one, especially people like Marnie, deserve this kind of life. They needed someone to show them that they're loved, that love does exist. For Marnie, I want to be that person. I want to be the person that shows Marnie that love exists for someone with a crazy messed up life like hers.

Although, how can I be that someone, when she doesn't even know who I am?

Louis leaned over towards me like he was going to say something, so I leaned over to meet him in the middle.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Marnie's POV

I drove in silence, gripping the steering wheel semi-tightly. I had relaxed a little bit since William's comment about us secretly plotting their deaths. I knew he was only joking, but it was too far for me. It hit home. No one had said a word since William had said something in secret to Ethan. I liked the silence. It gave me enough time to calm down and relax after something that bothered me happened. For example: William's comment from earlier.

“So uh, where is it exactly that we're going?” William asked, breaking the sweet, bliss-filled silence.

I let out a heavy breath, but said nothing. I would let Jessie handle the talking. She was the one who liked him, right?

“We're going to a place called Chena Hot Springs. It's a natural spring up at the near tip-top of a mountain that may or may not be a non-active volcano.” she said while biting her lip.

“What do you mean by 'may or may not be a non-active volcano?'” William asked in curiosity. The very curiosity that might get him hurt someday.

“It may be a non-active volcano or it may not be. I forget whether it is or not.” she shrugged. “Don't worry. If it is a volcano it won't erupt. In our – well, my – eighteen years of living here it hasn't erupted.”

For the rest of the way there, it was exactly like that. William would try to strike up a conversation, Jessie would reply to him for about a minute, and then the car became silent again. Ethan and I never said a word for the rest of the hours' worth of driving to the spring.

When we finally got there, William and Jessie had started up another conversation. This time it was about bears and whether or not they would attack us while at the springs. While Jessie was explaining to him that she was positive that they wouldn't, Ethan came up to me with a small smile on his face. I plastered a small smile in return onto my face so he couldn't see that I was bothered.

He looked around while stuffing his hands in his pockets. “This place is beautiful.” he said softly.

I nodded and looked around the resort. “It is. It's peaceful up here.”

The resort had a three story high, two blocks long wooden building where tours, a quick shop, a history on the resort, and where celebrations were held inside. Cabins were lined up across from the tour building so that people who want to stay here over night can. Behind the cabins were animal pins, since the resort had a petting zoo too. In front of the parking lot was a horse kennel for people who want to go horse-back riding, across from that was a path to the bigger restaurant and gift shop cabin. Next to that was, believe it or not, an ice hotel, completely made from ice. Well, probably not completely, but still. It was built to withstand the summers and the winters. Last but certainly not least was the spring that was turned into a rock pool. The cabin that led to the springs had locker rooms for both men and women, and held a swimming pool with multiple hot tubs inside. The resort was an absolutely amazing place to be.

“What are we doing here?” James asked as he, Sam and Ed walked up.

 Jessie looked at them with a smile on her face. “We're going horse-back riding.”