Boys of Summer

Tom/Dougie's Apartment, London, UK
June 29th
10:13 AM
DOUGIE'S POV

I looked curiously at Danny the next morning, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "How'd you sleep last night, Danny," I asked, studying his reaction. Danny looked up at me from his cereal, glaring at me, "Fine." I shrugged defensively, "Just asking. God, get your knickers in a knot." "Shut up," Danny said.

"Harry, are you all right," Tom asked, squinting at the drummer as he appeared in the doorway. Harry yawned and stretched, "Yeah, I just... had to sleep on the couch last night." Tom looked confused, "I thought you were sharing the bed with Dans." "I was; we got into a fight and she threatened to kick me in the face if she saw me for another minute."

"She's violent, isn't she," I muttered. "Shut up, Dougie," Danny said, glaring at me from across the table as he played with his cereal. "Shut up, Danny," Harry replied, smacking Danny on the head. "Don't touch me!"

And then the kitchen erupted into something that DOES happen, but not usually this loudly; a fight. Tom stood, trying to push Harry and Danny away from each other as they dove at each other. Random accusations were screamed at the other, most involving Dans. Is she gonna pull a Yoko and split us all up?

"Hey," Dans screamed, only drawing the attention of me and Tom. She looked amazed and disgusted at what was happening in the kitchen. She stomped forward, looking positively terrifying; what with the bed head and furious look in her eyes and the pimple forming on her forehead. She pushed Tom out of the way of my two fighting band members, shoving herself between them instead.

"YO," she shouted, trying to be heard. It didn't work last time, love, I thought as she tried screaming one last time. Then, quite obviously fed-up with the two, she pulled her elbow back, hitting Danny in the stomach, and then shot her palm up into Harry's jaw, smashing his teeth together.

Immediately the pair shut up, and I tried very hard not to laugh; the violence is much more amusing when you're not on the painful side of it. "Will you BE QUIET," she thundered. "I come downstairs to have a nice breakfast with some people I consider to be friends and this is what I get?"

Harry and Danny burst back into the accusations, pleading with Dani to listen to them both as they pointed. Her jaw set, she held her index finger up, pointing at each of them. I don't know how that got that meant 'be quiet,' but they did. She glared at both of them, trying to decide who to tell off first.

"Danny-" Oh, this is going to get fun. If this happens more often I may just come to like this girl. "-Harry is protective of me, learn to deal!" Is that all? That was kind of pitiful. She was better at getting their attention. As she turned to Harry, I was hoping for something more... fiery.

"And you-" Oh, please let her punch him. I want popcorn. "-are going to have to chill and LET me hang out with your friends without you around. They're YOUR friends. Don't you trust them? Don't you trust me? I'm going to tell you this once; there is not, nor will there ever be, ANYTHING going on between Danny and I."

I snorted, saying what first came to mind, as is my habit, "Not if Danny has anything to do about it." Dani turned to me, her expression amazed and almost disgusted, "Do you EVER think before you speak?" "Nope," I responded proudly. Tom hit me upside the head, seemingly disappointed in me.

"See, Dans-" "Harry, don't-" "Quiet!" Dani looked between the two fighting boys with pure anger. See, where was that fire when she was telling them off before? "Tom," she said curtly. Wait, why is Tom getting in trouble?

"Tom," she repeated, taking a deep breath, "What is on the schedule today?" "We were going to the studio," Tom replied, not stuttering. I wanted to clap as he stood his ground and didn't waver under Dani's intense glare; then again, she isn't really angry at him. But still, BRAVO!

"What time?" "Around eleven." She nodded, turning to look between her two 'boys.' "Listen, you two; you are going to sit down, you will finish your breakfast like civilized people, you will go upstairs and get ready to go to the studio, and through it all I want you both to think of how seriously idiotic you both are." That was a very curt fiery, very rarely used now a days correctly; point for originality and form.

"I," she stated, over enunciating the 'I', "will be having breakfast upstairs, away from all of you. And if I hear the slightest whisper of a rumor of something going on between you two that isn't apologizing or polite, I'll have your hair." Ending with a threat; classic, but with a nice twist: not threatening death. She's appealing to the vanity of the boys.

And with that, Dans stomped out, leaving two bewildered boys, a smirking Tom, and a pretty impressed me. It takes a lot of talent to convert pure rage into any actual accomplishment, especially with her 'hit first, talk later,' mentality, which she managed to work in. All in all, though lacking some of the passion that I enjoy, it was a very nice scold. Seven, maybe seven point five out of ten. Very nice, indeed.

Recording Studio, London, UK
June 29th
4:32 PM
DANI'S POV

I smiled at Tom, giving him a thumbs up as he started to press the piano keys lightly. He smiled at me and nodded back as he began to sing slow, balladic words into the microphone, "A tear slides down a young girl's face. It's a problem, leaving such a familiar place. Something's done, something's over, something is dead and gone, and who-" Tom hit a high note, Danny and Dougie each singing their respective back-ups. "-knows what the future will hold?"

"Stop," Danny called from beside Tom, sighing as he put his head in his hands, "Tom, this just isn't working." Tom sighed, leaning against the wall of the music studio, "I know-" "Oh, shut up, Danny," Harry said, rolling his eyes from behind his drums. I ground my teeth in annoyance; Harry and Danny have spent all day together and everything is a fight.

Tom and I are stuck rushing around playing peace keeper because of their childish bickering. And Dougie is no help; half the time he's not there and the other half he's acting like it's a show. He's fucking sadistic!

"Harry," Tom said, rolling his eyes, "This really isn't working." "Oh, so you're taking his side, then?" "I'm not taking sides," Tom protested, "I'm acknowledging that something is seriously wrong with what we want to be our next single!"

Tom sighed as he threw his notebook on the ground, loose papers flying, "Maybe we should just try another song." "No, "Dougie said, speaking for the first time in almost a half hour, "I really like this song. It's different."

"Of course you like it, you wrote the melody," Harry snapped. I sighed burying my head in my hands and wishing to be anywhere besides in the recording studio. And everyone else was getting annoyed too; their producer, their manager, the guys working the sound board, even the dude who delivered lunch asked how old they were.

"Dans," Danny asked, looking at me desperately and drawing me out of my reverie, "What do you think?" "Oh no," I protested, "Your music, you deal. Don't get me involved." "Oh, great help you are," Dougie muttered looking almost disgusted.

"Don't talk to her like that," Danny said, looking at Dougie like he was crackers. Wait, crackers? Since when do I think in British slang? "Don't defend my cousin," Harry cried, standing up from behind his drums.

Then came the yelling. I groaned as I shoved my head into my hands, covering my ears to block it out. I'm so sick of the yelling!

"That's it," I cried, cutting off the two combatants, "I'm tired of this!" I glared at the two boys, both of whom seemed flabbergasted at my outburst. "Both of you are fighting about one of the stupidest things in the world!" Still, neither boy seemed to understand why I was so annoyed.

"Tom," I said, turning to the singer for support, "Isn't this getting ridiculous and stupid?" Tom stood there awkwardly, his hands on his hips, nodding. I turned to the bassist without thinking, "Dougie?"

Dougie stood there for a second, his bass suspended from his shoulders, looking at the ground. Shit, why did I ask him? But still, I could've kissed him when he gave his reply, "This is getting bad. It was fine at home, but now it's interfering with our music." Oh my God, pigs are flying.

"Dans-" "Dani-" "No," I said desperately, wanting to cry. I sighed as I looked at the two boys, shaking my head slightly. I felt so bad, looking at the two of them; Harry is so protective and territorial, and Danny just wanted to chill and talk. "Harry," I said quietly, "Come here."

Harry glared and Danny spitefully, and I almost smacked him and cried at the same time. I hate fighting so much. I hooked my arm with Harry's, leaning my head against his shoulder as I led him out of the studio.

I didn't speak until we were safely in the hallway, the door closed behind us. "Harry, what is wrong?" He refused to look at me, "I don't want you dating Danny." "I'm not going to date Danny," I said, taking Harry's hand. "Come on, you can tell me, I'm you Dans. Your Dotty-Dotty-Dans."

Harry smiled at the sound of his long-lost nickname for me. "It's just..." He trailed off, wrapping his arms around me instead. "Danny, he's the closest to a player that this group has. Girls, they just always fall for him, and they always think he loves them like they love him, and he never does. And I know he doesn't mean to, but he hurts so many girls."

"I don't want you to be one of those girls," Harry said, pulling away and looking at me honestly. "And when I saw you sitting with him last night, it brought back all of the girls who leave our apartment with these stupid smiles on their face, and I never see them again. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I'll always come to London to chill with you," I promised, "And besides, you forget I have that 'player-radar' thing. I'm not going to fall for Danny." Harry smirked as he remembered my player-radar, which has never failed me. I don't know how, I just always know when a guy only wants to do me. It's useful, and I thank God for it every time it saves me from heartache.

Harry nodded, giving me another hug. "Okay, let's go back in there, then," I said, hooking my arm with Harry's again and pushing the door open back into the studio. I smiled reassuringly at Tom, and he smiled back at me. Danny sat on his amp, staring at the ground as he strummed his guitar.

He raised his eyes to meet Harry's as he and I walked into the room. I smiled as I untangled my arm from Harry's, allowing the boys to do that weird half-hug that guys do instead of actually hugging. "I'm sorry," they both muttered, looking away from each other embarrassedly.

I rolled me eyes, standing next to Tom. Wordlessly, he stuck his hand out, which I slapped proudly. "Well, lads, I think we're done for the day, then," the producer said, leaning in through the door.

"Actually, I think I'm going to stay," Tom said, sitting in his chair and strumming his guitar, "I should probably keep working on this song. Dougie?" "Yeah, yeah, we'll stay," Dougie said, sitting on his amp and cracking his neck.

"Then I think the two of us will go," Harry said, stretching his back, "Cause I don't write songs." "And I'm not writing this one," Danny said, starting out of the studio. "See you two," I said, waving as I followed Danny and was followed by Harry.

Danny sighed as he walked out onto the street, looking for a taxi or something to take us home. He waved one down, smiling at me and Harry as he slipped into the front seat. "Pizza for dinner," he questioned, looking over his shoulder at the two of us.

"What do you say to that, Dans? Pizza and maybe a movie." "Sounds tasty," I agreed, smiling at the two boys, happy that the fight was finally over. I wondered if all the fights were like this, cause if so I'm totally screwed.