The Story Left Untold

The next few days passed too quickly for my liking. Louis and I were practically one person at all times, doing seemingly everything together, and never leaving each other’s sides. Things were back to the way they were before we had stopped talking, except we were now a couple.

“I really don’t wanna go home Lou,” I mumbled into his chest, grabbing his jacket in my fists.

“I don’t want you to leave either, Payt,” he whispered into my hair, kissing it lightly, “But I’ll be in Doncaster in a week for my birthday and Christmas. It’ll be taste of what we’ll face when tour starts up again.”

“I know,” I sighed, tilting my head up to see him, “I should probably go, the cab just pulled up.”

“I really wish I could go with you, but I know you understand,” he said, pulling me into another embrace, “Bye Payton, I’ll see you soon.”

“See ya, Louis,” I said sadly, reaching up to kiss his lips.

Our lips lingered on each other’s for a few moments, and I reluctantly pulled away so I wouldn’t be late to the train station. He released me from his grip, his hand staying connected with mine lightly as I stepped away from him, and watched him with sad eyes as I slid into the cab. I went to pull the door behind me, but it was stopped when Louis stuck his head in and stole another kiss. We shared a quick grin, and he handed the driver a few bills while telling him my destination. Our eyes stayed connected as long as possible, and before I knew it I was being dropped off at Kings Cross Station.

I already had my ticket; Louis had made Harry pick it up when he decided to surprise me with the trip, so I took the time until boarding to browse the convenience store nearby. I went to the magazine rack, picking up a few of the fashion magazines I already owned stacks of, and even grabbed the newest issue of Rolling Stone. A container of grapes, as well as a large bottle of water, rounded out my purchases, and I stood in the short line to check out. I placed my items on the counter, and nearly fainted when I saw my face staring up at me from almost all of the gossip magazines on the counter. I grabbed a copy of the ones with my face, the clerk giving me a weird look, and rushed out of the store as soon as I paid. The bag felt heavy in my hand as I went back to the station, and all I wanted to do was board and look through the magazines.

When boarding was finally announced, I found two empty seats, and hoped that the one next to me would remain that way. I stowed my duffle, my purse and shopping bag still on the seat next to me, and pulled out the first gossip magazine. I flipped through it idly and scoffed at some of the trash they ‘reported’ on. I figured the article about Louis and I would be a page, at the most, and felt my eyes bulge when I saw that it was a two page spread, pictures included.

<b><u><i>Hometown Sweetheart?</u></b>

Louis Tomlinson (One Direction) recently returned back to London from a visit to his hometown Doncaster, but wasn’t alone. Tomlinson and Payton Beckett (according to a source close to the pair) arrived on Thursday afternoon, clearly haven taken a short road trip together. The pair was spotted out shopping the following day, and Tomlinson seemed to be showering his new bird with gifts, including lunch at a quaint little café.

A trip to the movies the next night followed, and the two seemed even more interested in each other. We asked the staff of the theater about the couple, and one girl would only say, “Both were extremely sweet, and you could tell they were happy”, before declining on elaborating. Snow angels, and lots of snogging, in the park were next, leaving no questions to if they were actually an item.

Sorry ladies, but it looks like another member of 1D is off the market.<i>

I reread the article multiple times, impressed that a nasty picture of me hadn’t been painted, and finally stared at the pictures that had been snapped by the paparazzi. There were a few from us out shopping, even one of us through the window of the café where we had had lunch, and even one from us arriving at his flat the first night. The second page was only three pictures, all from the night at the park. The two smaller ones were of us walking together, and me pulling Louis down into the snow. The final one, the one I knew would be the biggest fuel in the fire of our relationship, was of us kissing after he pulled me up. I snapped a picture of the spread, sending it off to Lou, and dialed Kinsley’s number so I could talk to her about the magazines.

“Well, if it isn’t Louis Tomlinson’s girlfriend herself,” she answered, a smirk present in her tone, “How ya doing, love?”

“I should’ve known you already saw the magazines since you work at Tescos,” I said, laughing lightly, “And I’m fine, for now. Then again, I haven’t checked any social media sites, and have only been through one magazine.”

“And I’m a sucker for celebrity gossip,” she said pointedly, “The articles have nothing mean to say, yet anyways. I have a feeling social media is a whole different story though. Just remember that they don’t know you, and their words come out of a dark place that isn’t justified.”

“I know, I’ll try,” I said softly, “I’m going to brave the social media world now, I’ll let you know how that goes.”

She laughed, bidding me good luck, and we exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. I chose Facebook first, figuring it would mainly be friend requests, and was right when a 100+ icon was above the Friend Request area. I knew that I’d have to change my settings when I got home, and scrolled through my wall next. All of the posts were from girls I went to school with, suddenly wanting to hang out because they had figured out who my boyfriend was. I rolled my eyes, posting a status about how I didn’t need a friend just because they cared about my friend’s status, and shut it off before heading over to twitter.

My hundred odd followers had multiplied overnight, and I was nearing 300 thousand. My mentions were blown up, a few still coming in, and my stomach twisted as I read over them. Fair shares were telling me to back of Louis since he was ‘their man’, and many had pictures of the pair of us attached. The ones that supported us, however, brought a smile to my face, and made me forget about the hateful comments. I scrolled through my timeline, scrolling past most tweets, and blushed as I read Louis’ tweet about already missing me. I typed back, immediately closing the app so the replies wouldn’t freeze my phone, and dropped it back into my phone.

A few magazines later, and the train had pulled into the station in Doncaster. I gathered my bags, waiting patiently behind the other patrons to exit, and was thrilled to be back in my hometown. I caught a cab, seeing as all of my family and friends were working, and jumped out as soon as he pulled up to my house. I knitted my brows in confusion as I spotted my grandparents car in the drive, along with an unfamiliar car, but brushed it off as I looked for my keys. There were voices coming from the kitchen when I walked in, and I dropped my duffle by the stairs as I headed in to investigate. Sitting at the table were my grandma, grandpa, and Mr. Tavares, the lawyer who dealt with all family matters.

“Oh, Payton, you’re home already,” my grandma said, standing up to hug me, “You remember Mr. Tavares, I presume?”

“Right on time,” I smiled, hugging her back, “I do. Nice to see you again, sir.”

“Nice to see you again too, Payton,” he said, motioning for me to take the open seat opposite of where he was sitting, “Please, take a seat. We have some things to discuss.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, my heart stopped in my chest. His face was hard, making me immediately realize whatever we were discussing was serious, and my grandparent’s faces mirrored his expression. I sat down tentatively, my purse and bag of magazines landing near my feet, and took a deep breath as they started talking to me. They told me about the arrangement my parents had made in their will, the one leaving the house to me, as well as custody of Kennedy, something I knew all too much about already. They praised me on how well I had been doing with her, a smile of thanks finding its way onto my face, and even talked about all the future responsibilities that I would soon be facing with her. I nodded, knowing my plate would soon be even fuller, and waited for them to get to the actual point of this surprise visit.

“Now, Payton, we know that you’re an amazing sister to Kennedy, don’t get us wrong,” my grandpa state, speaking for the first time since I arrived, “We’re just not so sure that you are the best choice to be raising her anymore.”

“Wait, what?” I asked, my breathing already becoming labored, “You guys said I’ve been doing a great job, and I wouldn’t just stop. Why?”

“You’re all over the news now, Payton!” my grandma exclaimed, looking almost angry, “How can we expect you to be a good role model when your face is on every tabloid, and on those trashy tv shows? Kennedy needs someone who is respectable, and not in the media.”

“This is bullshit,” I cursed, surprising them, “Kennedy has known Louis since she was born, and knows that he’s famous! It’s not like I found some random guy, and decided to hook up with him. And who do you expect to raise her? You guys?”

“That’s actually the plan,” Mr. Tavares piped up, “Your parents stated in the will that if you were unable to care for Kennedy, she would be placed in their custody instead. They’ve built up a case around it already, and I’m here to give you court dates about the custody hearing. The house will also be put up for sale, and the estate will be split between you and Kennedy.”

I had tears falling freely down my face, and sobs were wracking my body. I pushed myself up from the table, sick of being around everyone, and grabbed my purse while storming out of the kitchen. My breathing was uneven as I picked up my duffle, and I barely made it to my bedroom before collapsing onto the floor in a heap of sobs. I fished my phone out of my bag, knowing I needed to call Lou, and mumbled the one word I knew he would understand as soon as he picked up.

“Hurricane.”