My Gift Is My Curse

“Members Harry Styles and Niall Horan of boy band One Direction were spotted walking into their hotel just an hour ago with bruises caked up on their faces. Could this have perhaps been a fight between both members? What could have caused it – the solo Horan wanted being given to Styles? Harry’s cousin, Alice Lemons, has yet again returned for another tour with the band, could this have been another bar fight instigated by the teenage girl?”

Alice sighed and shut her laptop. She’d been sitting in the hotel for no longer than an hour, and there were already articles about the way that her cousin and boyfriend looked.

It’d only been a day since the fight, and the bruises had filled in quite quickly. Niall woke up with black and blue swelling painted across his nose and another rather large bruise on his left jaw. His stomach had bruises that led down to his hips, and across his arms were nail marks from Harry’s harsh grip on his skin.

Harry had large bruises around his left eye and his right cheek, while his bottom lip was swollen and had a cut from when Niall had busted it open. Across his shoulders were large bruises in the shape of hands from Niall tackling him to the ground and holding his hands there mercilessly, and he also had bruises across his toned stomach.

They had basically torn each other up.

Alice wanted to scream and cry over the fact that this had all gone down because of her.

She was the reason that Harry and one of his best friends had just beaten the shit out of each other. There wasn’t anyone else to blame but her.

By the time everyone had woken up, the bus was already parked at the hotel. It was around nine in the morning when Harry had collected his belongings and went inside the building with Louis to get their own room.

Not even half an hour later Niall had gone up with Josh Devine, with Liam, Zayn, and Alice in tow. There weren’t a ton of fans outside the hotel just yet, for they’d just arrived and had switched from the original hotel they were staying at. Though there was a good amount, enough for them to all snap pictures and record videos of the boys walking inside the hotel.

They were getting three days off, the first break they were receiving in over a week. They were in France, and there had previously been a lot of excitement over getting a three-day break in France.

But that had quickly changed. Now no one was exactly sure how to feel about it. How were things going to work? Were they going to just avoid each other the entire time? Work things out? Did they just need space for the time being? No one was really sure how to feel or act upon the situation.

A knock suddenly sounded at Alice’s door. She stood up off of the tan comforter and walked towards it, checking to see who was standing on the other side through the peephole.

She took a large breath and opened the door, slowly breathing it out as her boyfriend had a weak smile set on his pale pink lips and walked inside of the room.

Alice shut the door and walked back to her bed, sitting with her back against the headboard like she’d just previously been doing. Niall was sitting on the left corner of the bed across from her, and was completely silent.

The pair sat in silence before Alice decided to actually speak up. “Why did you lie to me?” Her voice was weak. She lacked drinking any fluids and hadn’t even slept the entire night through, only about an hour. She was drained of anything and everything.

The blonde wasn’t sure what to say. There wasn’t much to say, was there? He just wanted to write peace in their story again though, make sure that everything was okay and there wouldn’t be a terrible ending.

“I’m not sure.” Niall replied. “I’m so… sorry, Alice. I just…” He shook his head, trying to gather the words. He’d spent a good three hours thinking about what to tell the girl, how to explain why he’d lied, before he’d passed out from pure exhaustion.

Alice bit her lip and felt the warm tears fill her eyes. She ran an anxious hand through her hair and inhaled a sharp breath. She didn’t want to cry, no, but it wasn’t like she could hold it back. Everything felt rocky. Things had changed. Things were going to continue to change.

Silence still hung through the air around them, although this time it was more awkward than anything. Alice’s lips trembled with sadness as each second passed, and she tried her best to keep her tears from falling, to keep everything from breaking.

“I think Harry might be kicking me off the tour.” She said, and closed her eyes as Niall continued to be silent. The tears flowed easily now; she wasn’t going to stop them. She just couldn’t. “He already told his mom about it, Gemma’s coming tomorrow. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Finally Niall spoke up. “You talked to him?”

A bitter laugh escaped Alice’s trembling lips. “God no, he’s-he’s going to yell at me, to give me hell for being with you. Louis came and saw me and told me all of this last night. Harry stayed in the crew’s bus last night, apparently he wasn’t trusted enough to come back to this one because he wasn’t done with you.”

“I lied because I didn’t want you to be angry with me.” The blonde said. “We were just hanging out, it didn’t mean anything. We were giving the press something to talk about.”

Alice sighed. “But I would’ve found out anyways, then. The paparazzi stalk you guys like crazy. I’m surprised there was none around during the goddamn fight. And you know what? The thing that makes me the angriest, is that you were trying to keep this from me. Yeah, I’d have been annoyed that you were going with her, but seriously? You fucking thought of telling all of your friends to lie to me about this so you could just go on some fucking date to stir shit up in Hollywood?”

Niall couldn’t face Alice. He could practically hear the tears falling from her eyes, her voice was raspy and angry, and the bed shifted as she got up and stood in front of him.

“You have been able to tell me everything that you could possibly think up in that fucking head of yours, but you can’t tell me anything about this?” She was raising her voice now. “Can’t tell me why when she’s around you’ve turned into some thickheaded asshole that completely ignores me? Tell me, Niall, is this all for having your mates think that you’re getting some ass, or is this all because you actually want to date her?”

He was a coward when it came to Alice Lemons. Niall Horan was an absolute coward. He would never know what to say or what to think, how to feel or how to react. He was always scared she’d break or that she’d leave him, or that she’d just be so angry with him.

“I didn’t, it didn’t mean anything.” He spoke. “I swear, Alice. It’s you, it’s always been you, it’s not her.”

Alice shook her head. “That’s not good enough, Niall. You’re not answering my question.”

He licked his lips. “Wha – I, I don’t want to date her! That’s ridiculous! Please, Alice.”

“Get out.” She said. “And come back to me when you can actually be a man and explain yourself.”

“Alice.” A sob escaped Niall then, as hot tears spilled from his blue eyes. But he stayed silent, and so did she. It was clear that he’d been caught; it was now clear that Alice knew what was happening. And maybe even the boys did, too, he thought. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about anything at the moment, he just felt so fucking weird.

When Alice pointed to the door, and said, “get the fuck out,” Niall complied.

Finally alone again, Alice let out a loud, frustrated scream. She felt anger bubbling up inside of her. It picked at her fingertips, and there was venom just begging for release.

But, unfortunately, Alice wasn’t alone for very long again. Rather than just kindly knocking on the door and waiting for a response, the person on the other end slammed their fist down and said “open the fucking door right now.”

She almost didn’t open it for him, because she knew what was going to come. How she was going to be scolded for being so stupid, for ruining everything, for just being there.

If there was anything Alice truly hated more than anything, it was fighting with her cousin. They were always fighting for the last word, at one another’s throats with angry and refused to back down. Typically there always had to be someone to step in, because someone would always be on the verge of saying something that could never be taken back.

But as soon as the door was opened, Harry just stomped inside, and turned around once he was right in front of the bed. Alice shut the door – slammed, actually – and turned to face him.

“Really?” She asked. “Was it necessary to make such a dramatic entrance?”

Harry’s green eyes just pierced into her brown ones. He was giving her that look, where his eyes were narrowed and his brows were pushed together in anger. It was the look that didn’t even need any sort of explanation, because everyone already knew.

“Don’t you dare back talk me right now.” He said. “Considering the circumstances, I don’t even think you have a right to be in this hotel. You should be on the next fucking flight back to Holmes Chapel.”

“Okay.” Alice laughed, and shrugged at him. “Then send me back.” She said mockingly.

Harry bit his tongue for a moment, his stare never faltering. “Is this all some joke to you?” He questioned her. “I just got into a fight with my mate over you two fucking and you’re being a bitch and laughing?”

“See, Harry, that’s the problem here!” Alice yelled, throwing her arms into the air. “You got into a fight with your fucking best friend over me. Why? Why do you have to be angry about it? Couldn’t you have just accepted it and moved on, rather than being all dramatic and throwing punches?”

He stepped closer. “If you thought I’d be fine with it, why did you have to behind my back about it then, hm?”

“That’s not–!”

Another step closer to her. “You’re being a hypocrite right now, you know that? As usual, though, I’m not surprised.”

He was pushing her buttons now, trying to get a complete blow out from her. Make her scream, push him, and get him to yell back at her.

Alice clenched her fists that were now back by her sides. “No I’m not, Harry.” Her eyes were darting back and forth from both of his, and she was trying her best to hold it in.

“Mm, really now?” His tone was menacing.

She clenched her white teeth. “Yes. I’m angry at you, because you’re being an idiot. I never once said I was sleeping with Niall, did I? Nope. I just said I think I might be in love with him, and you decided that you knew everything, right?

"You decided that by that I meant I want to fuck him, and have fucked him, and didn’t even bother listening to me. You just put it in your head that you were going to go and kick his ass, yeah? And look, you did! You punched him in the fucking face because of it! For all you knew, I could’ve just been in love with him, I could’ve just been walking around like a goddamn puppy all gaga over him.”

Harry licked his dry lips, a smirk forming on his face. “Yeah, but I knew better than that. You think I couldn’t always see the way you two look at each other? Those stupid fucking smiles you give and when you think I can’t see you two holding hands? Please. I’m not a fucking prat, I knew you two wanted to shag. Did I actually think it’d happen though? No, I didn’t. Why? Because I thought you both were smarter than that. But apparently, I’ve been proven wrong. You’re both as stupid.”

“Don’t call him stupid, Harry. He’s a grown man, he can choose what to do with his life, just as I can choose what I want to do with mine.” Alice stepped closer to him now, egging on his satisfaction.

“Doesn’t mean I approve of it.” Harry said, and a grin broke out on his face. “And I’m pretty sure Simon wouldn’t be too pleased to hear about this, especially if he found out about the fight, and that you were the main cause of it.”

Alice looked at him. “So, what you’re gonna blab to Simon that you punched Niall? Go right ahead, asshole. Watch me sit back and not give a fuck.”

“Oh, baby cousin.” Harry cooed. “Did you forget what Simon said?” He stepped closer. “If there were any more problems on tour, then you would be sent back to Holmes Chapel.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, mockingly, “and you wouldn’t ever be allowed back on tour with us again.”

Not even a second later Alice shoved Harry away from her, making him wince as her hands roughly pushed the bruises on his shoulders. “You fucking dick! Don’t you dare, don’t you dare sit there and do this.” Tears were burning her brown eyes again, and she knew what was happening, she understood.

Harry was going to blackmail her.

He laughed at her. “You can cry about it all you bloody want to, but I warned you. I told you two to stay away from each other.”

Alice grabbed his jaw and yanked his face towards hers. “Don’t fucking do this, Harry. Do not do this!” She yelled.

But she knew it was too late.

Harry easily removed her hand from his face and placed it back by her side, then fixed his t-shirt. Finally, his green eyes made contact with hers. “If you continue to stay with Niall, then I won’t hesitate to go to Simon and tell him about this – that you have come between the both of us – that I warned the both of you, and you went behind my back.” His tone changed, now on the lines of mockery and humor, “And now I’m very, very angry about this, and I’m so mad at Niall that I’m thinking about leaving the band.”

He tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear, and watched the tears slide down her flushed cheeks. It was all too easy. He was going to keep them away from each other, he didn’t need this happening. This wasn’t good for the band; this wasn’t good for Harry or Niall.

“And if you stay away…then I won’t need to go to Simon. Everything will be just peachy. Niall and I will make up, and everything will be okay. The band will stay together and we can just pass this off as a bar fight.”

He walked towards the door and opened it to walk out, but then turned back to face his cousin. “It’s up to you, Alice. Whether you want to stay or go. We both know you and Niall weren’t going to last anyway. Hurry up and make your choice, time is ticking.”