All Grown Up

There wasn't anything better in this world, then driving around at night and listening to music. It didn't matter where you went or what you listened to, it just calmed you down. It helped you relax and go over everything that's happening or has happened in your life.

It was the cheapest form of therapy.

My phone was tossed in the passenger seat. The windows were rolled down. The music was up loud. And my mind was somewhat at ease.

All the lies I told you now the truth
Here I am with nothing left to lose
Now that I'm crawling in my skin
Maybe it's time I just give in
I've become the leader of the broken hearts

And now I finally know what it feels like
To risk everything and still survive
When you're standing on the battlefield
And all the pain is real
That's when you realize
That you must've done something right
Cause you've never felt so alive

Holding out for more than I deserve
And hanging on to all your careless words
Maybe it's time I cut the cord

It'd been a few days since the movie premiere and I had successfully dodged any and all phone calls-slash-texts-visits from Harry. Niall had kept in contact with me. He was the one who called me when I refused to answer Harry's calls and texts. I may or may not have told him about us dating. And he may or may not have blown up on both of us. Ian was the second person I told everything to. He offered to go beat the living shit out of Harry, but it wouldn't let him. I didn't want Harry hurt.

I told Lilly I was going for a drive and that I'd call her to check in in an hour or so. Niall had text me apologizing for somewhat blowing up on me. In reality, he hadn't really blown up on me. He just called me a butthead for keeping a secret from him and then hanging up on me. He apologized for insulting me. He called me a butthead and he thought that was insulting me. That was in all honesty the nicest thing I had been called as an insult. I brushed it off and told him I was going for a drive to clear my head. He told me to be careful and to call him to let him know I made it home safe.

And now I finally know what it feels like
To risk everything and still survive
When you're standing on the battlefield
And all the pain is real
That's when you realize

And now I know what it feels like
To risk everything and still survive
When you're standing on the battlefield
And all the pain is real
That's when you realize
That you must've done something right
Cause you've never felt so alive

I'm the leader of the broken hearts
I'm the leader of the broken hearts
I'm the leader of the broken hearts—

It all happened so fast. Rain coming down in buckets. Looking down for a mere second to roll up the windows. Then glass shattering and metal crunching. The world outside started spinning. I covered my face trying to shield it from the shards of glass and let out a scream as the car seemed to fly up in the air and land on it's top. The only thing I heard was the screeching of tires, the heavy rain, and my heart pounding in my head. I felt the air bag hit my face and chest, causing me to choke on my breath.

I tried to move only to cry out in pain. My whole body hurt. Maybe if I yell, someone will hear me and call for help. “Help! Hel--" Before I could finish the sound of metal hitting metal met my ears as the car jerked forward. I opened my mouth to yell for help but I couldn't breathe. My chest hurt. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I squeezed my eyes shut wanting it to stop.

Please stop. Make it stop.

I felt my body relaxing and my vision slowly turning fading. My breathing became shallow and slow. It didn't take long for my vision to completely fade and darkness to surround me.



"'Lo?"

"Is this Niall?" A frantic voice was on the other end of the phone, puzzling the tired lad. "Yeah. Who's this?" He questioned.

"Ian King, Ana's friend," the voice replied. "Listen, something happened. She—" The Irishman sat up on the couch, catching the attention of the other people in the room.

"What happened? Is she okay? Is she hurt?" His words were so rushed and his accent was so thick, you could hardly understand him.

"She got in a really bad wreck. It was a three car pile up. It happened a few miles outside of the city."

"What hospital is she at?" Niall stood up, slipping on his shoes on the process. Liam, one of Niall's friends, spoke up. "What's going on? Who's in the hospital?"

"Shut up, Liam," Niall snapped. "What hospital is she at, Ian?"

Harry immediately abandoned the rerun of the footie match from earlier in the day. "Is it Ana? Is she okay? Did something happen?"

Niall glared at the curly haired lad. "If yeh don't shut yeh gob, I'll shit it for yeh." When he got mad, his accent was thicker then ever.

"She's at St. Mary's on South Wharf Road. They won't tell me anything."

Niall's heart dropped. His best mate was hurt and there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know how she was. He didn't know if she was going to make it. He didn't know anything. "I'll be there in a bit."

He gathered his keys and headed for the door, but not before hollering over his shoulder. "'M goin' to the hospital! Someting happened to Stasia!"

At the mention of her name, they all jumped up. "We're going with you," they all stated.


"I'm not going back to school," I stated.

My mum and dad both let out loud sighs. That was always their first response when I threw fits like his. They said they were my drama queen tantrums. I personally didn't see where I came off as being a tantrum throwing drama queen. I was just trying to save myself from anything else those insufferable tits had yet to put me through. But what in the bloody hell had they not put me through? They'd put me through hell and back.

"Yes you are, love. You need to graduate and go to uni," my dad spoke.

"No I'm not, Dad," I snapped. "You don't know what they put me through!"

Mum sighed yet again. "Don't yell at your father Anastasia Doreane. He's just trying to do hashtags best for you." She fixed her jumper and then pulled on her coat. "None of them children hate you, they do it because they like you."

Oh my god. She did not just say that? Who in the bloody hell did she think she was? She had no right telling me that. And neither did my dad. They didn't know half of what I went through. They were the popular kids in school. They didn't have to worry about being bullied for wearing glasses or not dressing as nice as everyone else. I was singled out by a group of popular kids. For no reason. And I couldn't take it anymore.

"I hate you!" I screamed. "I fucking hate you!"

Hurt flashed in my mums eyes while anger flashed in my dad's. I ran to my room before they could say anything else. Before I slammed my door, I sent them a few more screamed words.

"You're the worst parents anyone could ever have!" Tears were streaming down my face and my voice was cracking. "I hate the both of you!"


Knocks at the door broke me from my slumber. I stumbled out of my room and to the front door. Rubbing my tired eyes, I pulled it open to reveal two policemen standing there in the pouring rain.

"Can I help you?" I practically slurred. One of them looked down at his shoes, before looking back up at me with a solemn expression. "Miss Anastasia Foster?"

I nodded. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to inform you of this, but your parents got in a bad crash a ways down the road." My mind couldn't quite comprehend what they were saying. "They didn't make it."

Those words took more time to process then they should have. My parents were dead. They were no longer alive. I was all alone. I was only fifteen and had no idea what was going to happen. This—

"Miss?"

"Wha? Huh?"

"Are you okay? Did you hear what I said?" One of them questioned. "I said your parents are no longer alive. Is there someone we can call to come and get you? If there isn't, we'll need to contact Child Protective Services."

I numbly nodded. "My grandma and grandpa."

I gave them their number and they called them. When they said those words to my grandparents, my heart stopped when I remembered something.

The last thing I told my parents was that I hated them. I was a horrible daughter.



"You better bloody well fucking tell me what's going on with Anastasia Foster or I'll bust back there myself!" Ian exploded. The nurse behind the desk jumped at his outburst.

"I'm her next of kin! I should be allowed to know what's going on with her! I'm her emergency contact, now tell me what the fuck is going on with her. And if you don't tell me, I'll call your supervisor and have your job."

The nurse immediately started typing away on her computer. She stammered out an answer when she finally found what she was looking for. "She, uh... she's in surgery right now for a collapsed lung a-and a fractured wrist and a uh, broken leg. The leg was broken in multiple places and needs a cast. So does the wrist."

"That wasn't that hard, now was it?" Ian patted the desk and turned around, walking back to the waiting area. Harry and the others had arrived a short ten minutes after Ian had called them and been a nervous wreck ever since. Niall's legs were jumping, Harry was pacing, and the other three were wringing their hands. They'd become close to the blonde haired dancer over the last few months and considered her family. The lads birds had taken a liking to her. She'd been welcomed into their family and she didn't even realize it.

The door to the emergency room slid open and rushed footsteps met their ears. Soon after, a group of about fifteen people; teens, preteens, adults, and children, rounded the corner. They all went straight to Ian. Rushed questions were all a jumbled mess. A man with facial hair and wearing a snazzy suit, cut everyone off.

"Go sit and calm down," he stated. "I'll find out what's going on."

Ian gave the man a quick one armed hug. "Thanks for coming, Vince. I know Ana would want you here."

He gave him a sad grin. "I'd do anything for that little spitfire. Now what's going on?" Ian then went on to tell him and everyone else what was going on.

Niall stood up, not being able to take sitting for another second and went to stand by Harry. He grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall. When they were out of ear shot, he pushed Harry against the wall. The green eyed boy raised his eyebrows at the Irish lad. "What are—" Niall cut him off.

"When she wakes up, I want you to go in there and tell her how you feel and then I want you to go and tell everyone that she's your girlfriend. I don't care who you tell, just tell people," Niall instructed. "The reason she's been ignoring you is because she doesn't want to be kept a secret. She likes you. And after all the shit you put her through, you should be praising the gods above that she likes you as much as she does."

"But—"

"No, Harry, there's no buts about it! You just need to do it and quit being such a prick! She cares about you more then she does anyone else, and you're over here making her feel like shit, saying you're 'Not ready to share with the world that you're dating her.' That right there, that would make anyone feel like proper rubbish. Especially her. She's a person who has had suicicdal thoughts, and you don't mess around with that stuff."

They were both silent for a few minutes. Harry thinking over everything and Niall catching his breath.

"Just do it," Niall mumbled. "Before it's too late."