Beneath Your Perfect

I awkwardly stood by the door as Liam continued to snore peacefully on the couch. I bit my lip before shrugging and leaving my apartment anyway. He would probably be gone by the time I got back and I wouldn’t have to deal with him.

I shut the door quietly behind me and headed down the stairs. I paused when I reached the lobby and saw a group of people standing around the front, looking in, cameras pointed. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to take the backdoor out of the apartment complex. I thought about warning Liam who was waiting for him outside but I didn’t owe him anything and he probably deserved whatever would happen anyway.

I took my usual route to my favourite park, along the way stopping to get a coffee from my favourite cafe. I did this every morning. I would then walk to the park across the street from the coffee shop or sometimes I would wander further down and around the city looking for inspiration. Looking for something that would inspire my writing. If something caught my eye I would take a photo of it to remind me later.

I paused and placed my drink down on the ground beside me as I knelt down and took a photo of an older girl helping a younger boy up off the ground, he had fallen over. His eyes were red and swollen and his face was screwed up in a grimace. By the way he acted you would think he was in terrible pain, however the moment the older girl bent down and helped him the pain in his face went away. The moment her loving and caring nature was shown it was like his pain disappeared.

I took a few more photos before picking my drink back up and crossing the road towards the park. I sat down by the lake and continued to drink my coffee as I glanced around at the people and scenery around me. It was a nice warm day in the middle of July and the sun had been out for a while.

I stayed out for a while longer before finally heading back home. Photographers were gone from the front of the lobby, I sighed in relief and hoped that meant that Liam Payne had disappeared from my apartment and preferable my life for good.

I cautiously opened up my apartment door and glanced around. The blanket that I had laid on Liam last night had been carelessly tossed on the ground. A glass of water, barely touched had been left resting on the carpet. I sighed and picked up both before moving into the kitchen. My eyes searched around for anything that would resemble a thank you note from the pop star, but nothing caught my attention.

I grumbled annoyed as I realised that the rude drunken pop star I had helped last night was probably in no way grateful for what I did. Probably didn’t even remember me.

I froze slightly as I heard the front door shut. Nervously I walked out of my kitchen and sighed in relief when I saw Aria and Sarah standing in front of my door.

“Is he here?” Sarah whispered to me. My eyes scrunched up in confusion.

“Is who here?”

“That drunken guy you brought home last night.” Aria said loudly glancing around the apartment. “You owe me by the way, he started talking to me first.”

“He’s not here,” I told them rolling my eyes. They both looked at me surprised.

“But he left the club after you, so we assumed...”Sarah trailed off. I scoffed at my friends.

“I can’t believe you both think that I would sleep with someone I barely know. That’s Aria’s area of expertise.” I whined, moving into the living room and threw the blanket onto the couch as I glanced around for my notebook.

“So he wasn’t here then?” Aria asked, not even worried that I half insulted her a moment ago.

“He was,” I sighed. “He passed out on the street so I couldn’t just leave him there. I helped him upstairs and he slept on the couch all night. All he managed to say to me was his name. Then this morning I left before he woke up and he was gone by the time I came back.”

“What was his name?” Sarah asked searching the room with me, knowing what I was looking for.

“Liam Payne.” I muttered as I picked up a cushion. I knew I left my notebook in here somewhere. I ran into Sarah as she stopped suddenly and turned around. I backed up quickly so I didn’t have to go cross eyed trying to stare at her.

“From One Direction?” She asked me incredulous.

“Rich?” Aria asked excitedly.

“Yes that Liam Payne.” I said before rolling my eyes at Aria, she flipped me off before settling herself down on my couch.

“And you didn’t shag him? God Jade, you’re such an angel.” Aria muttered before biting into the apple she had found in my kitchen. “Hey we could totally sell your couch for thousands of dollars now that he’s slept on it.”

Sarah and I both laughed before I let out a groan in annoyance.

“Are you sure it’s out here?” Sarah asked. I shrugged and threw myself down on the couch next to Aria. She offered me a bite of the apple. I shook my head.

“You know what I’m curious about? How someone with a reputation of being responsible and mature could end up being the drunken lad passed out on my couch last night.” I told them truthfully. Aria made an annoyed noise as Sarah shook her head.

“Must people always be characters in your book.” She laughed at me before sitting on the couch across from us.

“I never said he would be!” I tried to defend.

“All people with mysteries surrounding them always end up in your stories. You just can’t help yourself, you’re like drawn to them.”Aria mused.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” I muttered.

“Says the writer.” Aria scoffed.

“I better get to work. I’ll see you both later.” Sarah said before waving goodbye and leaving. I turned to Aria, she raised an eyebrow at me in question.

“Are you leaving soon too, I feel the need to write.” I told her. She laughed at me.

“I have nothing to do today, so I was just going to chill here. You can go write, I’ll just watched your TV.” She said stretching her legs out and grabbing the remote. I shrugged and headed towards my room, still raking my brain wondering where on Earth I ended up placing my notebook.

I placed myself in front of my laptop and opened up a new document. I paused staring at blank screen for a moment before my hands automatically began flying over the keys as if they had a mind of their own.

“Aren’t you hungry yet?” Aria asked walking in not long later and falling down on my bed. I glanced at her before looking at the time, I gasped out loud, I had been writing for four hours.
“I hadn’t realised how long I had been writing.” I told her truthfully. She laughed at me.

“Come on my little workaholic. Let’s go get some food.” She said wrapping her arm around my shoulder and leading me out of my apartment. I listened to her intently as she told me about the latest boy she had wrapped around her fingers. I nodded and responded in the appropriate times but mostly my head was still stuck in the story I had begun to write, about a boy who had been tortured until he was broken. Until he no longer resembled who he once was.

Aria froze from next to me catching my attention. I glanced towards her before looking forwards. Outside our lobby doors were about twenty people waiting with cameras already flashing at us.

“What the hell?” I asked walking forward slightly.

“It can’t be for you. I mean he’s gone right?” Aria asked me, just as stunned. I nodded at her. We nervously pushed open the doors and stepped out onto the pavement, assuming that these people would realise we were not who they were after and leave us be.

Apparently though I was who they were after. My eyes widened in shock and my body froze as question after question was thrown at me.

“Are you dating Liam Payne?” Someone yelled in my face.

“Did you sleep with Liam Payne last night?” Another yelled at me.

“Did he pay you?” That was the worst question of all. Before I could react, Aria had pulled me inside and shut the doors behind us. She quickly ushered me up the steps and back into the apartment as a few tears fell from my eyes. I could handle the dating question but they actually thought I was some whore that Liam Payne had payed for. That one hurt a lot more than the others.