Take Me To Another World

A few days later, I was at the train station with Harry, waiting for a train back home.
'I'll see you in four days, okay?' I asked him.
'Yeah. Have a nice time. I'll miss you,' he replied.
'You have a good time too. Have a good time with the boys while I'm gone,' I smiled.
'It won't be the same without you, but okay then,' he grinned. Everything seemed back to the way it was. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and hugged me tight. He held both of my hands in his. I knew that I'd miss him.

In a way I didn't want to go home. I knew that I'd have too see Zac, to talk to him about what he'd done. The papers where still raving with the photo's, but not as much as they had been four days ago. I stood there looking into Harry's eyes wishing I could just stay there. The woman through the speakers announced that the train was arriving. I fell into Harry's arms and gripped him tight.

'Bye, Harry. I'll miss you,' I said.
'I'll miss you too. Love you,' he assured me, and let go of me.
'Love you, too,' I said as I bent down to pick up my bag. I boarded the train and took a seat by the window. I looked out at him, smiled and waved. He did the same, standing on the platform with no one else with him. I looked away from him just for a second. As I looked, I saw several men with camera's, taking photo's of us. I looked back at Harry and jerked my head toward them. He looked around, then looked back and rolled his eyes. The train slowly started to move forward. He waved and blew a kiss through the window, and I did the same. The train gathered speed and away I went, on my way back home to my family.

* * *

When I arrived at Birmingham New Street, the first thing I saw was my mum, my dad and my brother. I hopped off the train and ran towards them.
'Tia!' They chanted as they came up to me.
'Hiya! You all okay?' I asked. It had been so long since I'd seen them. Mum and Dad didn't seem to have changed, but there was something different about my brother, Tyler.
'You okay, Ty? You look different and - ' but I didn't finish my sentence. Behind Tyler's shoulder was Zac. My eyes went wide and I was lost for words. My mum looked behind her and hissed at him 'I told you you shouldn't have come!'. He didn't listen.
'You alright?' he asked, but I ignored him.
'So! There's news! Big, big news!' Ty said, trying to break the tension. I smiled up at my big brother.
'Yeah, what's that then?' I asked.
'Tell you at home. Come on, it's so crowded here,' he said, and we all trailed off the platform, through the station and into the car park to drive home.

Mum and Dad sat in the front of the car. Ty was by the left window, and Zac was by the right, which left me squeezed in the middle. I honestly would have preferred it if I was stuffed in the boot with my bags. I tried to slide up to Tyler as much as I could, but I couldn't get far enough away from Zac. He watched out of the window the whole way back as I spoke with my family. It was a massive relief when I was home. I climbed out of the car and stood as far away from Zac as I could without making it too obvious I didn't want him to be there.

We walked through the front door and the first thing I was greeted by was many of my friends standing in the hallway with helium balloons and banners that read 'Welcome Home!'. I smiled and laughed at my family's attempt at a Welcome Home party. When we were in, the music started playing loud and chatter started. I received many pats on the back and hugs from everybody, until my mum pulled me aside and told me to go upstairs and get changed for the party, and that everyone would be in the garden when I came down. I climbed the stairs and opened the room to my old bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, which edge was covered in photo's of me, my friends and my family when I was younger. I looked around at the walls which should have been turquoise but where actually covered in posters and photo's from top to bottom. My double bed with my white bedsheets had been made. There was a purple halter neck top, white shorts and gold sandles on the bed with a little note next to them.

'Hope you like them, Ty and Jess xx'

'That's really sweet of them!' I said to myself, and dressed myself in the new clothes from my brother and his girlfriend. I looked once more in the mirror. My brunette hair that was naturally flecked with red and gold was a tangled mess. I picked up the hairbrush off the shelf and started to brush it. It was soon back to the way it should have been. Long, soft and lug-less. I re-did my make up and walked down the stairs and into the garden. My dad was at the barbecue, and most of the guests where dotted around the garden, mainly on the patio and decking area. Half way up the garden, however, was Zac sitting on the hammock that was drawn between the two huge chestnut trees. I made to walk over there when Jess pulled me to one side.

Tia! God you look so different! Oh, you look lovely! Did you like the clothes? I chose them, but Ty chose the sandles, I was quite impressed actually! It's really good to see you, love!' she spilled out excitedly, and pulled me into a rib-cracking hug. There was something different about her as well, but I couldn't think what. Tyler came out of the house and found he talking to Jess.
'Have you told her the news?' Tyler asked his girlfriend.
'Oh! God, no! Tia, it's brilliant! I'm pregnant!' she laughed. That was what's different about her! Her and Tyler looked so happy, and as I looked down, the smallest of bumps was showing in her dress.
'Oh, wow! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations! Aw, I'm going to be an Aunty, and Harry will be an Uncle! When's it due?' I cheered.
'Um, January! Yeah, It's been nearly two months since we found out! We'll let you go now, I need a drink. See you later!' Ty smiled. They walked away and I turned to look at Zac. He was still on the hammock, alone and on his phone. I went up to the buffet table near Dad and pinched a couple of sausages.
'Oi! Cheeky!' He called.
'Sorry, Dad. Sure you can spare a couple of sausages for your little princess!' I smiled over my shoulder.

I walked down the garden and sat next to Zac on the hammock.
'Brought you a sausage,' I said, handing him one. He took it and nodded his thanks. I decided I'd text Harry. I brought him up on my contact list. I sent him the message;

'Hey hunny, home now, great news! You're going to be an uncle! xxx'

then put the phone away. I looked at Zac who'd been watching me text. I placed the phone in my lap.

'So. About the press. How could you have been so stupid?' I asked, looking at him with curiosity.
'I told you. I didn't think that they'd do what they did with the photo's, or with what Marcia said.
'Where is Marcia, anyway? Thought she'd be here. She loves a good party, especially one with lots of boys...' I stated.
'Don't be harsh,' he said and I rolled my eyes.
'Why did you give them to them anyway? Why would you want them printing about stuff that happened over a year ago now? I thought you'd got a new girlfriend. Moved on. Didn't think you still had those photos,' but he shook his head.
'No.'
'No? What do you mean, no?'
'No. I haven't had a girlfriend since you,' He admitted.
'What? Why not? We broke up because so many of the girls wanted to go out with you, and you started caring more about some of them than what you did me! Why haven't you hooked up with one?' I demanded. 'Do they not like you any more?'
'No they do. Just haven't got with one,' he answered.
'Why?' I joked, playfully nudging him in the ribs.
'Because I - um, just haven't wanted to,' but I knew that wasn't what he'd wanted to say.
'Tell me the truth, Zac. Why haven't you got yourself a cool new girlfriend, who's prettier than me and deleted all those old photos from your camera and laptop?' I persisted.
'I don't have to tell you everything, okay?' he scorned.
'No, you don't. But you can tell me that seeing as you gave the photo's to the press. Why did you want the photo's to be printed and why haven't you got -' but I was interrupted by a disgruntled mumble.
'Pardon?' I said. He mumbled again, louder this time, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.
'I said that I haven't got a girlfriend or deleted the photo's because I'm not like you and I'm not over it yet!' he said with a raised voice. I sat there in shock for a few seconds but then came to my senses.
'Don't be so stupid. Of course you're over it, it's been one and a half years! It was that long ago! Since then I've got a new boyfriend and moved in with the boy!' I indicated.
'Yeah, well, like I said, I'm not like you,' he murmured, this was audible.
'That still doesn't explain why you wanted the pictures printing,' I inclined.
'God, Tia, isn't it obvious?' he sounded quite exasperated.
'What?' I asked, in a slight bitter tone at the way he was dragging out what he wanted to say. My phone lit up as I got a text from Harry. I opened it and read;

'Fantastic! Say congrats to Ty and Jess for me love. I'll post a little something to your house for the baby xxx'

I decided not to reply to it right at that moment, when I was talking to Zac.
'Go on then. What's so obvious that I can't see what it is I'm supposed to know? Eh?' I grumbled.
'Well, if I'm not over it and it's been almost two years, I don't want another girlfriend yet and I still have the pictures, what do you bloody well think I wanted the pictures printing for?' He spat. My heart seemed to stop for a few seconds and then start pumping a hundred times faster than what it usually did as it dawned on me his reason.
'No. No, you...you can't! I'm...We've...It was too long ago! You're putting this on! It can't be true?' I stuttered. Zac rolled his eyes at me. 'Don't roll your eyes! You could have told me rather than trying to make me guess! You almost ruined my entire relationship with Harry by sending in those pictures! You might have liked that but I wouldn't have!'
'I know. When the papers came out I didn't bother with them too much because -' but I interrupted him.
'Did you think that when the papers where released that you wouldn't bother doing anything because you liked the idea of me ditching Harry for you? And when you saw the interview, did you think that if Harry thought I was having an affair he'd break up with me?' he nodded slightly. 'And did you honestly think...did you actually believe that I'd never know it was you who sent in the pictures? I bet you actually thought that if we broke up, I'd come home, and I'd be right where you wanted me. In your arms. Bet you thought I'd be yours again.' I scorned. He looked up and nodded again slightly. My jaw dropped as he admitted to that.
'I didn't mind the articles. Yes, I did like the idea of you coming back for me. I thought that if I never told you then you'd never know that it was me who sent the photo's because if I'm totally honest no one else knew. I thought that if you broke up with Harry, you would come home. I thought that I'd be there to comfort you and we'd end up together again. There'd be nothing wrong,' he went on.
'You sick, twisted little -' I scolded but he interjected;
'I don't need you to tell me what I am! With all the other photo's I have on my laptop that I could have sent in, the ones from last summer when you came home, I could have made them seem really recent and broke you and precious Harry up for good! I have videos I could have sent in to the news! I could have torn your life to shreds but I didn't! Don't you fucking well judge me on what I did when I could have done so much worse!'
'Don't you use that tone with me! And I can't actually tell you what you are because there is nothing that would describe it! You ask me out and I say yes because we'd been good friends for so long! After about two years, when you're on the football clubs official team, all these girls want to hang around with you and be with you. You sit with them instead of me in the college canteen! You call and text them when your with me! You weren't having an affair but you weren't far from it! I spent a year putting up with all that shit and then you come to me spilling out all that crappy drama! How can you possibly still have feelings for me and want me to break up with Harry so badly when for the last year of our relationship before I finally out my foot down and broke up with you, you showed me no affection what-so-ever! It's insane!' I was on my feet now with anger.
'Yeah, maybe it is insane! But you met One Direction and suddenly everything was about Harry pissing Styles! You wouldn't talk to me like you used to! You fell for Harry before we'd even finished!' he yelled.
'Oh, and I wonder why! You and your precious girls! A blonde on your left, a red-head on your right! I was lonely, Zac! And Harry was there! I broke up with you because I'd had enough of being totally ignored! I didn't want to hurt you! So I broke up with you five months before I started dating Harry. I didn't spend more time with him that what I did you until we'd finished! I did the complete opposite of what you did Zachary!' I shouted.
'Complete opposite of what? So I hung around with a few girls a few times -'
'A few times? A few times? It was bloody twenty-four seven! A few times my arse! Do you not remember the night when we were supposed to go to the cinema but you never showed up because you where with that dumb blonde? That was the tip of the iceberg! I broke up with you that very next day! And do you remember what you said to me? No? You told me you didn't care ad you were way over me anyway!'
'I never! You liar, I never!'
'Me a liar? Ha! Yeah, of course I am! I'm the liar!'
'Yeah, you are! I never said that!'
'You did! And I honestly believed that! Do you know why? Because by the end you couldn't touch me. You couldn't kiss me! You couldn't hug me! You couldn't even hold my hand!'

Before I could go on, something happened. He'd leaned in close and his lips where locked with mine. It must have lasted more than a few seconds. I stood there in rage.
'Well, I can kiss you now! I can hug you now!' and he squeezed me. 'I can hold your hand now!' and he reached for my hand. Before he could take hold of it I raised it in the air and slapped him hard across the face, knocking him onto the hammock.
'You DARE do that again, and you'll get more than a slapped face! You may be able to do that now, but that is not acceptable! I'm with Harry! A few days ago, our relationship was hanging by a thread and it's all because of you! You think it's cool doing this to me? It's not! You're a complete and utter bastard, and you know what Zac, I hate you! You kiss me, you hug me, you try to hold my hand! But the only person I want to do that to me is Harry! I love him, and nothing will change that! Not even you, you sick psycho!' I shrieked.

I stormed through the stock-still, silent crowd of guests who had heard and seen everything. Tears were once more stinging my eyes, for more and less obvious reasons. I ran up the stairs and into my room. I slammed the door behind me and collapsed on the floor, crying.