Secret Love Affair

It's August thirteenth. I'm sitting in my car, sipping a diet coke and shoving fries down my throat. And Arabella's laughing at me like the good times of high school. Her hair is two inches shorter, the color a bit darker and her new shade of lipstick gives her a better pout than before.

"Ready to go?" She asks me as I throw away my trash in a nearby garbage bin. I had to stop to get food because I was starving. So we had to delay our backstage passes for about twenty minutes. I wanted to delay longer but Arabella insisted that we get there early. Arabella wants to see McFLY before the show. And McFLY doesn't know. Therefore Dougie doesn't know. I could've warned him but Arabella's been like an accessory to me attached at the hip. Even when I had to use the girl’s room in the shopping center she followed me! Talk about no privacy when a girl has to respond to nature.

Dougie sat in the dressing room with the rest of McFLY. They go on in about an hour or so but Dougie didn't feel nervous. Well...actually Lara was coming so yeah he did feel a bit nervous.

"I can't choose between the red or yellow shirt." Danny said shirtless once again. He had decided to run around backstage earlier all half-naked to get him amped up. But they don't go on for an hour so it didn't make sense. But that’s just Danny.

"Well they're both checkered." Harry said simply.

"Yeah but what color?" Danny asked again.

"Red!" Everyone said before Danny became obsessed with his looks.

Dougie randomly looked down the hall, hoping Lara would pop up.

No luck.

Dougie continued playing with a stack of plectrums. He's called Lara over ten times in the past hour but she never picked up. And she always picks up. Dougie looked up again. And he smiled. There was Lara looking beautiful as usual...and along with her was Arabella.

Dougie's heart sank as fast is it rose.

What is SHE doing here?

"Hey it’s Lara!" Tom sings. Lara slightly smiles, acting weird. She didn't laugh as usual.

"And Arabella!" Harry jumps up. Everyone, except Dougie, gives Arabella a big group hug.

"Hi boys!" She laughs. Dougie caught Lara's eye. He smiles. She looks away. Then Dougie frowned.

What's going on? He felt like something bad was going to happen. Like that bad vibe.

"What are you doing here?" Tom asks Arabella.

"Oh I just thought I'd come and visit."

Visit? Bullshit...

I've been a secret nervous wreck all day! I barfed up my breakfast, lunch AND snack thus resulting in my craving for McDonald's because my stomach is empty THUS making me spend my money. I blame Arabella.

And if Arabella keeps up the nice act towards Dougie, I might scream and then throw up again. She hugged him and complimented him on his silly jokes for crying out loud! Usually she would just snap at him. I wanted to scream, "What the hell did you sniff!?" at her but I kept my mouth shut and just watched her be her usual glamorous self...but being unbelievably nice to her cousin whom I am secretly dating.

I sat on the couch, watching Arabella compliment Dougie on his shirt of choice and as she plays ping pong with Tom, Danny and Harry, Dougie looks at me. He's giving me that look that clearly says, "Why didn't you call me?!" I just turn away. Gosh with all my turning away, he's going to think that I'm mad at him or something.

"Arabella can I have a word?" I ask her quietly.

"Oh Lara! You made me lose! Okay hang on." She laughs and throws the ping pong ball to Tom. I quickly look at Dougie then look away. I lead my best friend out of the room. I was going to ask her why she was being so nice to Dougie. I know it’s like asking to chop my head off but I'm ignoring that.

"What’s up?" I ask her. We were in the hallway, amongst the busy stage crew.

"The ceiling." She giggles. I ignore that.

"Arabella are you okay?" I ask like she's taking drugs or not. She's not really but the effect of my words just comes on its own.

"I'm fine Lara why?" She smiles sweetly. I frown. I don't like that smile. It’s not her natural one.

"You're being nice to Dougie Poynter." I say like it’s so obvious.

And it really is.

"I just decided that our bickering is so immature. We're adults now. Time to move on." That was her answer that was paired with the annoying sweet smile again. That smile was also her bitch smile.

Yes people I'm talking about my best friend.

Before I could object or reply, her eyes dart past me and she smiles her real smile.

"Megan!" She double-cheek kisses this really pretty girl, "I thought you'd never come!"

"Sorry I'm late. I was up in oxford with family." She laughs. Arabella hugs her tightly again.

I leave the question of why Megan gets the real smile and I get the fake one and observe Arabella's friend.

Megan had a mane of dark brown shiny (like hair commercial shiny) hair, bright brown eyes, and these full lips that are totally natural but still have the model pout. Or in other words- she was hot.

And I was probably jealous...

"Lara, this is my old friend, Megan. Megan this is my best friend Lara Keating." Arabella sounds weird on the "best" part.

"Nice to meet you." I shake her hand and smile to prove that I’m not weird.

"You too." she seems nice. A bit intimidating but nice.

We walk back to the dressing room. I saw that Dougie was still quiet and sort of calm but he still had that uncomfortable vibe. But when he saw us walk in, he looked VERY distressed...especially when he laid eyes on Megan right next to me.

"Everyone, you remember Megan," Arabella says cheerfully.

"Hello." the guys say. Dougie mumbled his greeting.

Alright now I'm getting suspicious of something. And when I looked at Dougie, I swear he looked green when Megan and I laughed together at Harry's joke on bras.

"Oh no." Harry said looking around.

"What?" Dougie asks.

"I lost my drumsticks." he said patting himself like it was on him. Clearly the sticks were not.

"I'll help you find them." Tom says getting up. I look at Arabella and Megan whispering.

And suddenly feeling unwanted, I agreed to help Tom and Harry. But I quickly smiled at Dougie to hopefully give him the sign of everything will be alright. I wasn't sure if Arabella was the only thing causing his uncomfortableness.

I could hear the crowd filling in the auditorium. I smiled, picturing half the crowd crying over McFLY. I thought about Megan. What’s her history with McFLY? And why is Dougie so jumpy around her? And why is Arabella sending bad vibes to me?

Tom and I watched Harry like a poor puppy.

"Who is Megan?" I ask. Tom looks at me and frowns.

"Arabella's friend who Dougie almost hooked up with last year." He said looking at me.

LAST YEAR? THATS LIKE STILL FRESH!

"Why didn't it work out?" I asked still a bit shocked from the news. That’s why Dougie was acting weird!

But why bring Megan to him again?

Tom shrugs, "I dunno." He looks at me again and nods like in a form of understanding. I look at him weird. Even though I wanted to tell Tom everything, I didn't. Not yet. I want to get through this myself. Once again, it’s like saying "Chop my head off!"

"Are you two going to help me or not?!" Harry yelled annoyed.

Dougie watched Danny swear numerous times as his phone kept losing signal.

"Fucking phone..." Danny mumbles and looks at Dougie, "I'm going go get some signal elsewhere." Dougie nods and Danny walks out. Now it’s just Dougie, Arabella and Megan. An uncomfortable silence settles amongst them.

And Dougie hated it. He wanted Megan to leave. Along with Arabella. She was up to something and Dougie perfectly well knew it. Maybe they'll cry and run away if he screams at them.

Dougie ignored their gazes. And instead of screaming at them, he slipped on the earphones and blasted some music on his iPod. He wasn’t even ten seconds into the song with Arabella ripped out the earphones.

She smiles at him, "No reception." and she shows him the phone. There were three perfect bars on the reception lines.

"You didn't have to tell me." Dougie gives her a dark look. Arabella's smile turns to a frown with angry eyes. She walks away. But before she stepped out she looked back at Dougie.

"See you later. Have a good show." and she gives this evil wicked smile.

"Fuck off!" He screams after her.

Dougie then realizes that its only he and Megan now. He looks at her in her jeans and fancy top. He didn't want to be around her...even if she was fit.

"How are you?" Megan asks Dougie. She flips her hair.

"Fine." he said and he knew it'd be rude to not ask her too, "you?"

"good." she smiles. "Listen Dougie about last September-"

"No. Forget it. It’s not a big deal." Dougie said ready for her to leave.

"Yes it is. I shouldn't have kissed that guy-"

"We weren't dating then." Dougie finally looks at her.

"But we were heading in that direction." She says.

Dougie doesn’t answer. Megan was a brief thing in the past. Lara is now.

Dougie gets up. If Megan wasn't going to leave then he would himself. Megan gets up too.

"No Dougie wait!" She grabs his arm and gets close to him.

"I'm willing to head in that direction again." She whispers. Dougie looks down at her.

"I've already gone in that direction with another girl." He said simply.

Megan's soft face turned to anger, "It’s that Lara girl isn't it! I saw the way you looked at her! I knew it!"

Dougie kept his cool. "Never said Lara. Just a girl."

"Well that girl isn't here right now so then we can take off from last time." She whispers into his ear, "Remember that time in the pool?" then she puts her arms around his neck...

I had partially calmed down now that Arabella and I made fun of Tom together. She was acting normal again. Even talking crap about Dougie. I didn't like that but I let her say her thoughts.

As we're walking back with Tom, Danny and Harry, Arabella spots a cute stage crew guy in the hallway. She wolf whistles.

"Arabella!" I laugh.

"Oh Lara you've wolf whistled a thousand times before." Arabella grins, linking arms with me.

"I didn't know that Lara!" Danny laughs.

"I don't!" I blush. I've only whistled once last year and I was drunk!

"Except when you're drunk!" Arabella sings. I laugh and take the lead to the dressing room. I had taken Harry's drumsticks and I was tapping them on the walls. I spot the dressing room and open the door.

And the air of things change...

I take a small intake of breath and drop the drumsticks. I could hear the sticks falling in slow motion at my shoes.

.....oh.....

"oops..." I say softly, "Wrong room?"

Dougie looks at the group and pushes Megan away. She falls to the floor. And I'm too busy replaying the scene in my head of when I see their mouths connected.

Dougie and Megan kissing.

Kissing...

Mouth to mouth.

My mind is buzzing. I feel light headed. A bit dizzy. And I KNOW that my heart is about to burst.
Then after the third replay in my mind, I feel something shatter within me. Shattering and falling.

I felt sick.

I look into Dougie's eyes and he looks into mine. It was hard to read him. I'm not crying, just speechless, frozen. Everyone is quiet. Then, I walk away. I just walked away.

I felt numb. I walk slowly and no one runs after me...even if I had hoped Dougie would stop and explain himself.

He was kissing her. Kissing her.

But as I'm almost at the exit door, Arabella grabs my hand softly. I look at her with no emotion.

"I know about the ffair." She said quietly. Yeah she was quiet but Tom, Danny, and Harry could still hear.

I look at them, then at her. She's not smiling or anything.

"This is too much in one day. I have to go." I briefly see Dougie's head pop out of the dressing room.
I quickly run out of the hallway quietly.