Fragile

“Diana? Are you okay?”

I didn’t know. Was I? He just told me that the man with the scar was coming for us. Should I be okay?

I stared at the fabric of the couch, not wanting to answer. In truth, I didn’t have anything to say. I heard the whispering of voices swirling around me like wisps of smoke, there one second, but gone the next.

“Zayn, what’s up?” Louis asked loudly, his voice rising in pitch.

“I-it’s her. She’s screaming. All I can hear is her. S-she won’t stop. Lou, I can’t control it,” Zayn whimpered.

“Can’t you tune her out?” Louis asked, worried.

“I’ve already tried that. U-usually I can, but not this time. She’s different. I don’t even think she’s knows that she’s doing it,” he replied, sounding strained.

I looked up at the both of them, wondering what was happening. Zayn, with his head held in his hands, was being comforted by Louis who looked like he was about to have a meltdown.

Louis walked over to me and I felt him shaking my shoulders.

“Diana, you need to stop. Take a deep breath and clear your head. Please,” he begged.

“No,” I whispered.

“What?” Louis had a horrified look on his face.

“I can’t. Everything is too much. It’s all just too much. I feel like I’m going to explode, and I don’t want that. I need to keep it all in. I don’t want to feel everything all over again. Please, don’t let me go through it. I can’t take it anymore,” I said as tears fell down my face, warm droplets of salt water.

My mind seemed to clear as I let out my thoughts. I saw Zayn relax, and Louis just stared at me, speechless.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything. Forget I ever said anything. Just…just…” I said as I got up to run out of the door.

I let my feet take me down the cobblestoned road, wincing as I applied pressure to my injured foot. I had no idea where I was going; I just knew that I needed to get out of there. I was hurting the both of them by staying. I heard footsteps behind me and my breath quickened.

My muscles we screaming in protest, but I kept going. Someone was coming.

Suddenly, my tip of my foot caught the edge of a stone, and I tumbled forward, my hands scraping the pavement as they braced my fall. I hissed in pain as I scrambled to get up.

I felt hands grab my shoulders and spin me around. My voice was caught in my throat. I couldn’t make a sound.

My eyes widened as they met crystal blue ones.

“Thank God I found you. Don’t ever leave like that again. Listen. We understand everything. We wouldn’t dare hurt you. Hell, we are doing everything in our power to protect you. So, just stop running. You may think you’re protecting us, but by running, you are only endangering yourself, and by association, the lads. What you went through…what you are going through…you shouldn’t have to face that alone. You can talk to us. And if you aren’t comfortable, let me know. You can tell me absolutely everything. I will listen, and I won’t ever judge,” he said intensely.

I let him wrap his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest, letting the tears pour freely.

They were beginning to stain his striped shirt. I lifted my head up.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

That was all that seemed to come out of my mouth recently. I just couldn’t accept it. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that people cared. I was that insignificant snowflake that fell from the sky, cold and unwanted. However, Louis was here. He came after me. He showed me that he cared in more ways than one. His friend, Zayn, was also willing to help me. Maybe I wasn’t alone. Maybe I could trust people again.

I looked back at Louis and he was gripping my shoulders.

“Louis, what…” I said before I saw his face.

His eyes were glowing blue, getting brighter with every second, and his hands were shaking.

“Louis, are you okay? Louis!”

The glow in his eyes began to disappear, but was quickly replaced with fear. He grabbed at my hand and pulled me behind him. I blushed at the touch.

“We have to get out of here, and fast. Come on,” he managed.

“What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

He looked back at me, but continued to run. I planted my feet in the ground and let go of his hand.

“I’m not going with you until you tell me what’s going on,” I replied sternly.

He looked around as if someone were hiding in the shadows.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on when we get to a safe place, but we need to leave now,” he said, shifting his feet nervously.

I decided to trust him and follow him back to the flat. Rain started to fall as we made our way back. It soaked through my clothes, leaving them to cling to my body. My hair was dripping, leaving the dark strands to curl around my shoulders.

I heard voices coming from the other side of the door as I saw Louis dig into his pocket for the key. He was also sopping wet. I could see his toned muscles through the shirt that clung to him like foil. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.

“Like what you see?” he asked as I looked away, blushing.

I saw the glimpse of a smirk appear on his face. He turned the doorknob once the key was in the lock and let the door swing open to reveal four boys.

I tried to hide behind Louis as we walked in, every voice silenced.

“It’s okay, they’re cool. Just try and relax, you’ll be alright,” he whispered into my ear, his breath sending shivers down my neck.

I saw Zayn sitting at the old wooden table next to the kitchen, rubbing his temples. He had a cup of tea beside him, but it looked untouched.

Next to him sat a boy with wavy hair that framed his face perfectly. His eyes were a warm brown, inviting me to sit. I felt compelled by them as if I didn’t have a say in the matter. I shook my head, and I saw his eyes widen and his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

At the refrigerator stood a boy with pale skin and bright blue eyes, full of life. They were sparkling with a carefree light. He seemed fun and easy to talk to, but I looked away and my eyes rested on a pair of green ones. The eyes still startled me, but I knew they were different; they were open and trusting.

“Lads, this is Diana. Diana, you know Zayn and Harry, and that there by Zayn is Liam, and the bloke eating out my kitchen is Niall,” said Louis.

I chuckled at his statement, letting my laughter ring out. Then I remembered that he promised to tell me what happened out in the street.

“Lou, she wants to know what’s going on. Can we please tell her before my head splits open?” Zayn groaned, trying to rub away the headache that came back full force.

“H-how does he know that?”

“He can read minds and receive thoughts. That’s his ability. We all have one. Mine just appeared. Anyway, we all met a few years ago during high school, and we instantly became friends. Thing is, Liam and Niall had a secret. Liam could convince you to do whatever he wanted with just a thought, and Niall was able to influence emotions and use them to his advantage. Niall also has the power of mimicry. He can copy voices and handwriting.

“They weren’t sure how or why they were able to do the things they did. The abilities appeared as they were growing up. What became more interesting was that Zayn and Harry also began to develop talents. Harry came first. He could also understand emotions, except he could only do it to prove that someone was telling the truth. In addition to that, he can move things with his mind.

“You already know what Zayn can do, so I’ll just skip to my discovery. I think that I can tell the future. That’s why I was so worried before when I was trying to rush you back here. I saw something. He’s getting closer. He’ll be here soon, and we need to be ready for him. He’s not done with you, and he wants his revenge on me for saving you. But there’s something different about him. It’s like he’s possessed by something. It’s driving him, and he seems to be a hazard to all of us.

“The fact that he’s coming after all of us makes me think that maybe we received these powers for a reason. Maybe somebody wanted us to have them for the purpose of helping others. It would make sense, and right now, we don’t have any other theories,” concluded Louis.

The room was silent. Its deafening nature filling my being until Zayn finally muttered a few words.

“What aren’t you telling us, Lou?”

I looked into Louis’ blue orbs to find that he was hiding something. A veil covered his once open nature, leaving him closed off.

“It’s nothing you guys have to worry about,” he replied, his eyes glistening.

“Tell us,” I said quietly.

He looked up at me, startled at my words. The tears began to streak his face.

“I can’t,” he cried.

I walked over to him, ignoring the stares from the others, and wrapped my arms around him. We were both damp from the rain, but I held him as he cried.

“You can tell me,” I pleaded as I stared into his vulnerable blue eyes.

“O-one of us won’t make it out alive,” he replied shakily.

I stared at him calmly and continued to comfort him. He saw one of us die. That must have been horrible. I didn’t need to know who was going to die. I knew that we needed to change that outcome, and fast.

The rest of the boys began to round us and joined into the hug. Moments later, we all detached ourselves from each other and sat at the table.

Liam stared at me with that confused expression. “I don’t understand you,” he said.

“What?”

“Nothing I do has an effect on you. Instead it just bounces back and hits me full force. It’s as if you can influence our powers without even trying. I don’t get it.”

“Umm, I don’t know what to say to that,” I supplied.

“Good Lord, don’t think it either. I can’t handle any more of your thoughts bashing in my skull,” whined Zayn.

“Sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine,” Zayn said.

I looked around and met eyes with Niall, the boy whose hair was fighting to become its natural brown, which looked quite lovely. He stuck his hand out for me to shake. I took it, smiling.

“I’m Niall!” he said brightly, his smile lighting up his whole face.

“Diana. Nice to meet you. Oh, and I love your accent,” I replied, noticing his Irish brogue.

He blushed, a red crimson rising in his cheeks. He began to laugh, and I soon followed. His laughter was contagious, bringing absolute joy and cheer to all around him.

“Mate, stop that,” said Liam sternly.

“Alright.” Niall pouted.

Immediately, the room became less cheery. I wished that Niall kept his power going, but Liam wanted to ruin all the fun. Did I just think that?

I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts.

Harry looked at me with wide eyes. “Are you okay with all of this?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“I’m not running. So, I guess I’m alright with it. I have you guys to protect me. I need to accept help sooner or later. I can’t fix everything on my own. I need to learn that,” I replied with a smile.