I Wish

My eyes fluttered open, and my blue iris’ took in the popcorn ceiling above me. I let out a loud yawn, lifting my palms up to rub my eyes free of any sleepys. I let my arm fall over to my left, reaching for my phone that was supposed to be on my bedside table.

Except my bedside table wasn’t there. I furrowed my eyebrows, flopping my arm over my eyes to shield them from the light streaming in from the window.

Wait. I didn’t have a window.

I sat up so quickly that my head started to spin and my eyes blacked out for a couple seconds. When I finally got my vision back, I took in the room around me.

I wasn’t in my bedroom. This room was huge. The light was coming in through a pair of glass doors that I assumed let to a balcony. The floors were carpeted in a cream colour, and there was a set of French doors directly across from me. I was perched in a huge king sized bed covered in a red a beige duvet.

I let out an ear piercing scream.

“Woah! Babe! What’s wrong with you?” My head spun around so fast I swear I got whiplash. I let out another scream at the boy sitting next to me in this ginormous bed in this humungous room. “Rylee! Calm the fuck down!” He yelled, grabbing my shoulder with one hand and using the other to cover my mouth. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I was so confused. Finally, my brain recognized this boy in front of me. I reached up and yanked his hand off of my mouth.

“You’re Louis Tomlinson!” I exclaimed. He gave me a confused look, before reaching up and running a hand through his hair.

“Yes, Ry, I’m Louis Tomlinson. And you’re Rylee Matthews. I’m not in the mood for playing the name game, hun, it’s way too early.” He said, flopping back down onto the pillow. In seconds his light snored filled the room again. My chest was heaving up and down as I struggled to breath. I scrambled out of bed, my feet sinking into the plush carpet below them. I hurried across the room to the French doors and pulled them open. I struggled to hold in yet another scream.

It was a hotel room, it had to be. It wasn’t filled with the homey things that came along with a house. The room I emerged in had a couple white sofas around a huge flat screen TV. In the far corner there was a kitchen, complete with full fridge and a microwave that had more buttons than a remote control. I pulled the door to the bedroom I had come from closed behind me, stuffing one of my fists in my mouth to keep from screaming again.

“I’m dreaming. This is a dream.” I whispered to myself as I started slowly across the room, looking around slowly.

“Hey Ry.” I yelped loudly, jumping as I turned around. A boy was emerging from a door just down the wall from the room I had come out of, rubbing his eyes. I let out a groan.

“Oh good lord, you’re Zayn Malik.” I muttered. I groaned again. “And you’re fucking shirtless!” He cocked an eyebrow at me, running a hand through his messy, un-gelled hair, before stepping past me towards the kitchen.

“Are you feeling okay?” He asked as he pulled open the fridge. I didn’t answer him, instead I flew back to the door I had come through and slammed it shut behind me. I leaned my back against in.

“Zayn Malik is in the room next to me. I just woke up next to Louis Tomlinson. What the fuck is going on.” I said to myself in a hushed voice as I did another scan of the room. My eyes locked on a door in the corner and I hurried towards it, yanking it open to reveal an expansive bathroom. I stepped in and closed the door behind me. “This is fucking ridiculous. This has to be a dream.”

I stepped towards the mirror that covered the wall over top of a huge, black marble countertop. My eyes locked on my own blue ones, and I let out a breath. I didn’t look any different. Same short blonde hair, same baby blue eyes, same smattering of freckles across my right eye and nose. I braced my hands on the counter in front of me, and took a deep breath.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Rylee. You’re just dreaming. It’s just a dream.” I muttered. I took another deep breath, gave myself a reassuring look in the mirror, and headed back towards the door. When I opened it, the room hadn’t changed a bit. Louis was now sprawled across the bed, taking up the space I had just vacated. I hurried across the room, hitching up my pyjama bottoms as I went, and went back through the French doors to the living room. Zayn wasn’t in the room, and with a quick glance through a pair of glass doors on the back wall, he was now smoking a cigarette outside.

“If this is a dream, I’m going to make the most of it. I’m exploring this huge ass hotel room.” I decided, striding with purpose to a hall way branching off next to the kitchen. Down this hallway there were four more doors. My hand grasped the door handle on the right wall closest to me, and I swung it open and stepped inside. This room was slightly smaller than the room I had woken up in, but still just as extravagant. It was slightly darker, seeing as it didn’t have doors leading to a balcony, but there was a window against the back wall which was covered with brown curtains. There was a king sized bed in the front of me with a lump in the middle of it that was moving up and down slowly. My bare feet sunk into the carpet as I walked over to the window, and I flung open the curtain. A groan immediately erupted from the bed.

“What time is it?” A scratchy voice said, and I glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

“Ten thirty.” I said.

“Too early, Rylee.” The voice said again, and I flinched at the mention of my name. I still had no idea who this person was.

“Time to wake up, dude.” I said, slapping the lump with the back of my hand. Another groan came out of the lump before the boy sat up slowly, running a hand through his blonde hair. “Niall Horan.” I said, slightly less surprised. I was expecting another member of the boy band.

“Uh, yeah?” He said, raising an eyebrow at me. “Did you make breakfast again? I’m starving, me stomach is grumbling.” He said.

“You’re always hungry.” I said, then furrowed my eyebrows. How did I know that? It seemed like the right thing to say, because the boy chuckled.

“You’re right. I’ll be out in a bit, Ry, I need to grab a shower.” He said, and I nodded before hurrying out of the room. When I entered the next room, I found myself already knowing who would be waiting for me.

“Up and at ‘em, Styles!” I called, pulling the curtain back on his wall as well. I spun around quickly, my hands grasping the pillow that the curly haired boy had flung my way. My mouth dropped open.

“You always catch them; I don’t know why I bother anymore.” A deep husky voice said as Harry Styles flung his legs over the side of the bed.

“Neither do I.” I breathed out. This was getting weird. How the fuck did I manage to catch that pillow? It hadn’t even registered in my mind that he might throw something at me before I already had it in my hand.

“You alright, Ry?” I turned my attention back to Harry, who was looking at me with concerned eyes. I realized I had been staring at the pillow in my hand, and my knuckles were turning white with the grip I had on it. I nodded slowly, letting it drop from my fingers.

“Yeah.” I said slowly, before shuffling out of his room, leaving him looking very confused. I tried the next door knob to find it locked, so I entered the next door.

“I’m already up, Rylee.” A voice chuckled, and I glanced to my right to find Liam Payne emerging from the door in his room that led to the bathroom that I assume I had just tried to go in.

“Oh. Alright.” I said, sending him a hesitant smile before leaving his room and hurrying back down the hallway to the living room. Zayn was back in the room, sitting on the couch with his feet perched on the table in front of him. He looked up as I came in. I stopped in the entrance to the hallway, looking back at him.

“Rylee, are you feeling okay this morning? You look a bit peaky.” He said. I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it when nothing came up.

“Yeah, Ry, you’re acting weird. Usually you don’t wake me up until you know there’s food ready.” My eyes shot to the kitchen where a shirtless Niall was raiding the fridge.

“I – I don’t –“ I looked up as a fully dressed Harry pushed past me into the room, following by Liam.

“You don’t what?” Zayn prompted as Harry flopped down next to him on the couch. My eyes flew to the French doors on the wall opposite me as they opened and a shirtless Louis shuffled out, rubbing his eyes.

“Rylee?” Niall asked, his hand stuck in a box of Lucky Charms.

“What – I don’t – this is –“ I stuttered.

“Babe, are you okay?” Louis asked.

“She’s acting weird this morning, Lou.” Niall called.

“She does look a bit pale.” Liam noted from his spot at the table. My wide eyes turned to Louis who was walking towards me. I back up and felt my spine hit the corner of the wall behind me. Louis furrowed his eyebrows at me.

“Are you sick, babe?” Louis asked.

“Stop calling me babe.” I muttered, but my voice was overtaken by Niall as he let out a huge burp. The boys laughed at him, and I took advantage of the few seconds that the attention was pulled off me and sprinted across the room, pulling the French doors shut behind me and locking them.

“Rylee?” Louis’ questioning voice rang out. I backed up from the door until the back of my thighs hit the bed. I sunk down to the floor, tucking my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs.

“Ry, are you alright?”

“Rylee?”

My hands flew up to cover my ears, and I closed my eye tightly. I was dreaming. I wasn’t actually in a hotel room with five boys from the world’s most famous boy band. This wasn’t real.

“Rylee! Open the door babe!”

“Come on Ryles, this isn’t funny anymore, I’m starving! You said you would make me breakfast.”

“Rylee!”

“GO AWAY!” I screamed, tears leaking out of my eyes as I started to rock back and forth.

“This’ll work.” I heard Zayn’s voice say. The doorknob began to jiggle, and I started rocking faster, tears now pouring down my cheeks. The door flung open, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, letting out a sob.

“Rylee!” I heard Louis’ voice yell, and suddenly I felt arms around me and I was being pulled into his lap. “Shhh, babe, it’s okay.” My body wracked with sobs as Louis rocked me back and forth, running his fingers through my hair. This just made me sob harder. I realized what was happening, and I pushed him away from me, scrambling to my feet.

“Get away from me!” I yelled, backing away from him. He looked up at me with confused eyes, slowly getting to his feet. Harry, Niall, Zayn and Liam were crowed behind him, looking equally as confused.

“Are you alright, Rylee?” Zayn asked. I shook my head, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

“No I’m not. I don’t know you. I don’t know any of you.” I exclaimed.

“I think she’s delusional.” Niall muttered, and Harry hit him over the head.

“Rylee, babe, maybe you should go back to bed.” Louis said slowly.

“Why do you keep calling me babe?” I exclaimed. His eyes widened and he threw his hands up in the air.

“Maybe because you’re my girlfriend.” He said, narrowing his eyes at me in confusion.

“What?” I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. “No I’m not! I’m Rylee Matthews. Your girlfriend is Eleanor Calder!” I said. The five boys looked at each other.

“Who’s Eleanor Calder?” Louis asked incredulously. My eyes flew to the bedside table where a picture frame stood. I hurried over to it. It was a shot of Louis and I, lips pressed tightly together, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I let out a noise that sounded slightly like a dying cat, and dropped the picture frame.

“You’re my boyfriend?” I breathed out, looking at Louis. He nodded slowly.

“Yes. I’m your boyfriend. You are my girlfriend. I don’t know anyone named Eleanor Calder.” He said, looking puzzled.

“Oh, I’m most definitely dreaming.” I said.

“You’re what?” Harry asked.

“I’m dreaming. That’s the only explanation.” I said. I felt my heart rate slowing down slightly. I was certain this was just a dream and I would wake up any second.

“This isn’t a dream, Rylee. We’re real.” Liam said. I sunk down onto the bed.

“No it’s not. You wouldn’t know if it was a dream. This has to be a dream. I’m Rylee Matthews. I was born in London, England. I work at a hardware store with my best, and admittedly, only friend Alena. I’m going to university to become a teacher in the fall. I don’t know you guys, I only listen to your music.” I explained. They looked at each other, sending each boy looks that I couldn’t identify.

“You should probably lie down.” Liam decided. I shook my head.

“I know how to wake myself up from this. My dad always told me that when I want to wake up in a dream, to just say one, two, three, wake up.” I said. I breathed in slightly, squeezing my eyes shut. “One, two, three, wake up.” I announced. My eyes fluttered open to find all five boys looking at me like I belonged in an insane asylum. Suddenly, Niall vaulted over the bed, and before I knew what was happening, his fingers pinched the back of my arm tightly. I yelped in pain.

“Bloody hell, Niall!” I exclaimed, clutching my arm.

“See. You’re not dreaming. That would’ve woken you up.” Niall said proudly. My heart started to speed up again.

“Oh good lord, this isn’t a dream.” I breathed out. Suddenly, my mind flashed back.

This girl had it made. She was gorgeous, with her long brown hair and slim body. But her looks didn’t particularly matter. She was dating one of the most famous boys in the world right now, and they seemed hopelessly in love. He cared about her enough to buy her a car. I followed her on Twitter, which was enough to tell me that she was a pleasant enough girl with a lot of friends and a decent family life. It was better than my broken family, one close friend and no one even remotely close to being a boyfriend, that was for sure. I sighed, running my hand down Dog’s back.

“Eleanor Calder, I wish I had your life.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Holy shit.” I breathed out.

“What’s wrong?” Louis asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“It worked. My wish worked. I have Eleanor Calder’s life.”