Grade 8

"We're going on the yacht one more time before we have to leave, wanna join?"

Lena looked at Niall and his always present smile. She had been turning them down all week to go out on the water with them. She hardly ever did anything that required her to wear anything other then jeans. Now that Sam had gone home to London Niall had been hanging around Lena even more.

"I don't know I-"

"No excuses this time." Niall cut in. "We want to get to know ya more."

"Fine." Lena groaned. "Give me a couple of minutes to change then I'll be down."

"Perfect." Niall said walking away from her door.

Lena shut the door to her room thoughts swirling. She was about I be stuck on a boat on open water with Harry, the boy she had yet to stop thinking about. After the concert the night before she had gone straight to bed declining to go to dinner with the boys and some of their crew to celebrate. Lou had given her a lot of information that needed to be mulled over properly.

Lena went to we packed and waiting suitcase digging through it to find the swim suit her mom had packed her. It was hot pink with not enough material in Lena's opinion, of course she hand picked though her mom had. She put a pair of basketball shorts and one of Rich's old t-shirts over it to cover herself up better. Grabbing Lucy she made he way down to the lobby where three fifths of One Direction were waiting.

"Where are the other two?" Lena asked.

"Harry is with Lou and Tom but they're going to meet us at the marina." Louis answered. "And Zayn is still getting ready. Ah here's the princess now."

Zayn came over to them from the lifts a snap back over his hair and he looked like he just threw some clothes on. She was pretty sure she had seen his shirt in Liam's room the day before.

"Alright you woke me up so let's go."

They all pile into a car Lena was the Luke winner of the front seat meaning not having to squish between one of the boys. Lena was quiet the whole ride to the marina just content listening to the overly loud and excited boys in the back talk.

"Are you a good swimmer Lena?" Louis asked her.

"I'm alright." In truth as a child Lena was always in the water. As a kid in the summers she would enter into swim meets winning a few medals and trophies. She even made it onto her middle school's swim team for a year before everything started to go wrong.

"We're all going to have a go at some her skies." Liam told her excitedly. "It's going to be a blast."

"I love riding on those." Lena said turning to look at them. "Whenever my family goes to the lake we rent a couple. Sometimes we even race with them."

"No racing this time." Paul spoke up from next to her. "We're renting one and taking turns."

"You always ruin all the fun." Louis whined.

"I don't feel like having to take you to the hospital." Paul commented. "And with you five that's a possibility."

"We're responsible!" Louis replied with a huff of hot air.

"I've known you for less then a week and even I know that's not true."

There was laughter throughout the car while Louis pouted about Lena's comment. As they pulled into the marina Louis instantly perked up the thought of having one last relaxing day on the water putting everyone in a good mood.



Harry had just finished with his turn on the jet skies and now he made his way to the front of the boat to soak up the sun while everyone else was jet skiing. He wanted some time alone to just relax. Walking out onto the deck he found Lena had already claimed the spot she was laying on her stomach in her bikini giving Harry a good view of her backside. There was a feeling in his stomach that hadn't been there since his last night with Alexis in New York. It was a pull he knew was just physical he couldn't find himself falling for her.

He walked over to her blocking the sun momentarily causing her to look up at him. "What are you doing?"

Harry gave her a cold look. "I want to sit in the sun."

"There isn't somewhere else you can go?" She asked already setting her head back on her hands.

"No." Harry grumbled laying down beside her.

They lay next to each other not a word being said it was so peaceful Harry had started to doze off. The sun was warm on his skin a feeling he wished to bottle up for those dreadful English winters. The only noise the far off sound of the rest of their party having a good time on the other end of the boat. If Liam hadn't interrupted their moment of silence Harry would have taken a much needed nap.

"Hey Lena want a go at the her skies?" Liam asked. Harry opened one eye to look over at him. There was water dripping off of him and he was watching Lena expectantly.

"Sure." The sun was blocked from Harry for a moment as she stood up.

Liam's eyes grew wide as he took in Lena. Harry rolled his eyes it was like Liam hadn't seen a girl in a bikini before. His eyes looked to her and he suddenly understood why Liam looked so freaked. While his eyes had instantly gone over her whole body, he was pretty impressed by how good she looked with curves in all the right places, they stopped at the thin fading lines covering her thighs. He knew what they were and what they meant nothing would have taken his eyes away from the sight.

"It's nothing." Lena mumbled catching their looks. "Just old scars." She pulled her gym shorts up hiding them from view.

She walked away from them towards where the jet ski was waiting for her to take a ride on.

Riding on the open water was just the relaxation she needed after her run in with Liam and Harry. The other boys hadn't noticed a thing when she took her shorts off to ride the jet skies. Having the cool ocean water hitting her in the face felt so nice she didn't want to go back. After a few laps around the boat, even going pretty far from the boat a couple of times, she drove back to the boat to give someone else another turn.

"How was it?" Liam asked his smile much too big.

"Just like I remembered it to be." Lena answered handing the life vest to him. She pulled her shorts on without drying off not wanting anyone else to see her scars. "Have fun."

She sat down next to Zayn who was smoking a cigarette while talking to Louis. Lena eyed the cigarette wanting to have one badly but she had quit before coming on tour. Her mom would be furious if she found out Lena was smoking again.

"I didn't know you guys smoked." She finally said taking her eyes away form the tempting cigarette.

"I'm really the only one that does." Zayn explained taking another drag off the cigarette. "Niall and Louis do sometimes."

"But if anyone asks we don't." Louis quickly put in. "The fans don't like it much."

"So you lie to your fans?" Lena asked looking between both of them. "That doesn't seem right."

"It's not." Louis agreed. He looked away for a second and Lena could see how conflicted he was about it. "But it's what we have to do."



There were fans waiting for them at the marina. Lena looked over the side of the boat her eyes going wide at they amount of people they would have to go through.

"Shit." She groaned.

"It looks worse then it is." Niall tried to comfort her. "Just smile and wave."

Lena followed him to the door of the boat where everyone else was waiting to leave.

"Alright boys you go first take some pictures and get into the car. Lena stay here until they've had enough time with the fans." Paul instructed.

Lena watched as the five boys accompanied by a few security guards made they're way into the crowd. She hung back for a few minutes letting them have time with their fans. Paul gave her the signal meaning it was time to follow him into the mayhem.

Her name was being called from every direction. There was shouting and crying from every which way and Lena could feel a headache coming. Unlike the boys she made a bee line for the car not stopping for pictures with anyone. Ahead of her Harry was still taking pictures while the rest of them were safely in the car.

"C'mon Harry." Paul said nodding toward the car. "We have to go."

Harry took one last picture then fell into step with Lena for the last few feet to the car. With out realizing it he put a hand on her lower back when she took a step back from a particularly pushy fan. Lena looked back at him confused which made him bring his arm back to his side with a disinterested shrug.

"Alright both of you get in."

Lena didn't need to be told twice she fell into her seat with a heavy sigh. Harry sat next to her as the door closed closing them off from the fans.

"That was insane." Lena mumbled.

"Get used to it." Harry said looking out at the fans. "It's only going to get crazier."



"Lucky us."

Lena, as always, ignored Harry's comment. "How are we picking bunks?"

Harry walked onto the bus putting his things in the bunk he wanted not waiting for anyone else. Lena and the other four boys followed suit picking out a bunk without too much bickering.

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Harry asked Lena who was unpacking a few of her things.

"I'm so happy I get to be on the same bus as you." Lena replied giving him a big fake smile. "Why don't you just stay away from me and I'll do the same for you."

"Sounds perfect." They glared at each other for a moment then Harry turned to his bunk.

Lena climbed into her bunk drawing the curtain closed enveloping her darkness until she located the switch for the overhead light. Finding the note book she had all of her songs in she started to work on a new song. Most of her songs were about things she had went through, a few were based off of other people am their lives, after everything that happened writing was the only thing to save her from herself.

Pushing her shorts up to reveal the scars decorating her legs she traced them trying to think back on why she did them. Sometimes she would cut herself because something set her off other times she just needed to do it, it was something she craved. Even two years after the last time she put razor to flesh she found herself wanting to. Like right now she wanted nothing more then to feel the familiar sting of a fresh cut.

"Lena-" Niall pulled open her curtain right as she was hastily pulling her shorts down to cover the scars. "Uh, we're going to watch a movie if you want to join us?"

Lena held up her notebook for Niall to see. "I'm working on a new song, maybe another night. We have the next few months together, right?"

"Right." Niall grinned at her. "I'll let ya get to it then."

Niall walked the lounge at the back of the bus his four band mates were all sitting on the couch bowls of popcorn situated between them. He took a seat next to Liam his hand instantly going into his bowl of popcorn taking out a handful of the buttery movie snack.

"She isn't coming?" Louis asked noticing there was someone missing.

"Nope." Niall said around his mouth full of popcorn. "Said she's working on a new song."

They all seemed to except this answer as Liam hit the play button. Niall tried to focus on the movie but his mind wondered to the scars he had seen before Lena had covered them up. Niall was a naturally happy person and he had never understood why people felt bad enough to hurt themselves whenever he found someone who did he did everything in his power to help them. He was instantly drawn to people like Lena but not in a romantic way he just wanted to befriend them and help them through whatever it is their going through. All he wanted to do now was find out why she hurt herself and if she still did it he wanted to help her stop.