Jumping Into Rivers

“A DAY OUT FOR ONE DIRECTION
Following their tour the boys take a break

The boy band were seen yesterday afternoon playing Frisbee in Regents park looking fairly worn out from the sold out tour which they wrapped up last week. But despite their busy schedule the boys, Louis Tomlinson (19), Zayn Malik (18), Liam Payne (18), Niall Horan (18) and Harry Styles (17) looking more than happy to be spending time with each other. More specifically Tomlinson and Styles who were seen cuddling just before heading to the ice-cream store down the road. There has been much speculation regarding the pair, who first met during ITV show ‘The X Factor’ where Simon Cowell grouped the five boys together to form the much loved British-Irish boy band. It was rumoured that during the show two male contestants had to be kept separated due to the strong sexual activity between the two. Could it be the two teenage heartthrobs in question? Many of the fans believe the two have more than friendship on their minds. Even to the point where their names have been conjoined to create ‘Larry Stylinson’. But the two wave off any questions, insisting it’s just a ‘bromance’.

The other three boys looked just as keen. It’s clear that they are enjoying their fame but the paparazzi have been causing issues. Liam Payne quotes, “The cameras get annoying sometimes. The fans aren’t so bad, at least their polite. We can’t walk down the street any more without being disturbed by the cameras. I mean it’s cool and everything but at the end of the day we deserve our privacy,” the boy band came third on the X Factors seventh run. Since then hoards of screaming girls have fallen in love with them. It’s a hard days job having teenage girls throwing their underwear at you, isn’t it boys? It’s just a shame two of the members may be too caught up in their own ‘bromance’ to appreciate it.”

Niall chucked at the article and threw the newspaper onto the kitchen worktop. “Seen the news, boys?” he laughed, pushing it towards Louis and Liam so they could see. They scanned the article quickly, taking in the information and looking at the pictures that accompanied it. One being the boys running happily in the park, smiles on their faces. The other, which Louis noticed to be much larger, to the point where it dominated the page was a picture of Harry and Louis, their arms interlinked as they huddled together in the cold weather. Louis rolled his eyes while Liam chuckled.

“They just can’t stop, can they? One minute we’re womanizers, the next we’re gay. Don’t let it get you down, Louis,” Liam offered, patting a hand on his shoulder, “they’re just trying to stir shit. It’s The Sun after all. Most people only use it as toilet paper.” Niall laughed and nodded in agreement, dumping three mugs into the sink and walking away.

“Niall,” Liam called after the boy. A distant reply was heard from the living room. “Aren’t you going to wash up those mugs?” There was a pause, before Niall replied, “But I can’t be bothered!” Liam huffed and walked towards the sink, plunging his hand deep inside and giving the china a wash. “Honestly, I don’t know how that boy will live on his own,” Liam muttered under his breath.

Louis snorted with laughter before turning back to the newspaper. He studied the pictures again, not looking at himself and the rest of the boys but rather at the bench where the man was sitting. Louis had to get in real close to see it, but it was clearly there. A soft patch of light which usually no one would take notice of right next to the guy on the bench. No one paid attention because no one really knew they were there, or more specifically, her. He smiled to himself, knowing that that soft patch of light was his dead friend. Her whereabouts as of the moment Louis wasn’t sure, but no doubt she was floating around the house somewhere.

And she was. Diana was currently in Harry’s room, stood in the corner framed by the shadows. A pale hand was placed to her chin as she watched the boy sleep. She’d been here all night. Last night she had been ushered away from Louis’ room. It was rather embarrassing actually. Louis had clearly forgotten Diana was there, and had begun to trail his hand into his boxers, eyes closed. The moment he opened them he received the shock of his life. “Sorry!” Diana squeaked, disappearing in a blink from the foot of his bed. Instead she watched the curly-haired one sleep.

He mumbled. That was the first thing Diana noticed when she entered his room. His voice was low, quick, and he barely made sense. But Diana caught it all. Some of the things he said were pretty humorous. Most often he would be quoting his own songs. “One thing...” he muttered at one point. It was three in the morning and Diana has to stifle a laugh as she heard the words. “Fall into...my arms instead,” he continued. A small pool of drool decorated the fabric where his mouth met his pillow. His voice was husky, the words slipping through his mouth without his recognition. Even while asleep he still dreamt of the band and of their songs. Most probably because he’d been repeating the same words for weeks on end while on tour. It was out of habit.

Diana found it a shame. She was hoping to receive some important information from the sleeping boy. After all, people are most vulnerable when asleep. To Diana anyway. She was use to her sleeping friends slipping out sleepy secrets without them realising. It was perfect for her really. She could learn several things about someone that they didn’t even know about themselves.

Harry Styles, it turned out, was actually quite a boring sleeper. In the sleep-talking sense anyway. She’d just have to try at a later date. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door creaked open. Louis’ head popped through, peeking in on the seventeen year old to see if he was awake. His eyes lingered on the boy for a moment or two before turning to the corner of the room and almost screaming.

“What are you doing?” he whispered in fury, noticing Diana in the shadows. “Watching him sleep,” Diana replied in a normal voice, obviously not afraid of waking Harry up, as after all, he couldn’t hear her anyway.

“Get out!” Louis demanded. The blonde haired dead girl rolled her eyes and strolled out of the room with weightless footsteps. “I was only watching him,” she said matter of fact as she drifted past the older boy. “That’s not the point!” Louis said, his voice growing louder as he closed Harry’s door behind him. “You can’t just watch my sleeping friends. It’s beyond creepy!”

“I’m not sure if you’re aware, Louis,” Diana started, “but I am a ghost. My entire existence is beyond creepy.” She laughed as Louis rolled his eyes. “Besides, it’s not like he would see me if he were to wake up anyway.”

“But that’s not the point!” Louis repeated, his voice tired. Zayn chose this moment to walk out of his room. “Who’re you talking to, Lou?” he asked, eyebrow raised. He scratched his head, where his hair was sticking out. Not in its neat little quiff like it usually was. “Oh, uh, no one,” Louis laughed.

“I heard voices,” Zayn replied, still confused. “Nahh, mate. You must have been hearing things,” Louis shrugged. Zayn just blinked sleepily and walked down the stairs, yelling to Liam to put the kettle on.

Louis turned back to Diana, hands on his hips with a furious expression on his face. “Why were you watching him anyway?” he demanded.

“Well, it’s not like I could have stayed in your room last night, is it?” Diana smiled. Louis blushed remembering Diana’s face as she caught him wanking. “Yeah, well. You may be a ghost but I need my privacy. But why Harry?”

Diana sighed and said, “I can’t really tell you yet. You’ll just get mad if I do.”

“We said no secrets, remember?” Louis retaliated. “My room, now. You tell me everything.” Diana huffed but followed Louis obediently into his room. Louis made sure to close the door behind him. Turning back towards her he noticed she was biting her lip. Nervous. Niall always did it before they had to go on stage. “Tell me,” Louis said, to which Diana raised her dead blue eyes to his.

“Louis. I want you to be honest with me. Completely honest. If you can’t do that I’m afraid this conversation will be pointless,” Louis didn’t say a word, but kept stern eye contact with her to show her he would be. “What do you believe your relationship with Harry Styles is?”

The room fell into silence. Louis’ cheeks heated up and he bumbled a reply, “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Diana said softly. “I’ve been here merely days, Louis Tomlinson. And already I believe I have seen things no one else has. Something that is so obvious it is so easy to over look, but something that is so easily dismissed because of what it is.”

“That made no fucking sense,” Louis said bitterly. “I don’t know what you mean. Harry is my best friend. That’s clear to anyone. If you’re going on about these rumours they’re not true. I’m not gay, neither is he. It’s just something people like to make up,” he looked mad, but his heart was beating furiously. And Diana could tell.

“Louis, who was the last person that you thought about before you were about to jump off that bridge?” Diana spoke with such seriousness it made Louis’ eyes widened. He gulped. She knew. He knew. They all fucking knew.

“I think I know something, Louis. And you have to promise me that you won’t stop being yourself just because I think it. Do you understand?”

“What are you trying to say? Do you really think I fucking love Ha-” Louis started, his voice and body language full of denial. His face in a scowl.

“Louis,” Diana interrupted. “You were going to kill yourself. You wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for me. Trust me. If you could see what the world would be like had you of killed yourself like I can, your attitude would be much different to now.”

“Show me then,” Louis demanded. Without even a flicker in his voice. He was serious.

“You’re not ready, Louis. You’re fragile. It’s been only days.”

“I said show me. You want me to understand? Then fucking show me.” Louis’ voice was growing louder, and he didn’t fear that anyone else could hear him. With a huff and an annoyed face Diana grabbed his hand.

Her skin was like ice. And something happened the moment the contact was made. Louis felt like he was falling. His stomach twisted in knots and the world before him flashed in a colour of lights. He felt everything. For a split second he felt both dead and alive. He felt invisible and invincible. The only thing he could certainly feel was Diana’s deathly cold hand in his. And then his feet touched ground and he was in London.

It was night time. He felt the breeze on his face but it wasn’t quite natural. The ground was hard but his feet felt light. Without Diana’s hand grasping his own he felt like he’d float away. He couldn’t quite breathe, but it wasn’t as if he needed to. He wasn’t there, he wasn’t real. He was watching the world but nobody was watching him. They were standing on the bridge. Westminster Bridge. That bridge where this whole thing started.

“Is that...me?” Louis whispered, noticing a figure emerge from the darkness vodka bottle in hand.

“That’s you,” Diana whispered back. Her voice was uncertain. She knew what was coming. Louis turned toward her and was surprised at what he saw. She was more alive than ever. Her skin was milky, soft freckles scattered across her nose. Her blonde hair was radiant and alive. Her hand was warm, a pulse beating beneath his. Her eyes sparkling with life.

Louis wasn’t alive. Nor was he dead. He didn’t quite know what he was in this moment, but he kept his hand in Diana’s. Needing her comfort. Needing her security.

“This is it, isn’t it?” Louis said, watching as his three day old self clambered up onto the railings, his feet dangling above the water. He felt sick. He wanted to scream. To stop himself from being so foolish. He had a great life. Why ruin it? What for? What was he doing? His breath quickened, and he knew exactly what was going through his mind.

And then his breath stopped. Because Diana didn’t appear. Not like she did last time. Instead Diana held on firmly to his hand, her own face full of pain and despair.

“This is it,” whispered Diana. Her voice tight. She gave Louis’ hand a squeeze.

And then he jumped.