Imagine [UNEDITED, ON HOLD]

Chapter 10: Jade

I woke up the next morning alone. My headache was a killer, and I was about to text Perrie and ask her to bring me some tablets, when I realised there were already some on the table. I mindlessly grabbed them and shoved them down my throat, chasing them with the water. I got up and saw that the others were still asleep.
Confused, I trotted back over to the table and saw the note. From...Niall?

Hiya Jade. Had to go record
with the lads. Have a good
day! Phone if ya need me xx
- Niall

"Oh, God," I said aloud. I remembered what happened last night, but I hadn't remembered Niall until now.
I sat in the kitchen gulping down another bottled water as my headache began to subside. God, I was never drinking like that again.
I almost laughed at that. I'd told myself every day that I would never drink like that again, back when I was a teen, and I'd never listened to myself.
I stayed there in the kitchen until Perrie walked in, Leigh-Anne following her a couple minutes later.
"Hiya, Jade."
"Pez, Leigh," I acknowledged. I propped my chin on my hands, waiting for them.
"So..." Perrie said.
"So..." I echoed.
"S--" Leigh-Anne started.
"No, shut up," I interrupted.
There was a little silence following Perrie's brief laugh.
Then there was a slightly bigger silence.
I finally just stood. "Alrighty, well, this has been a very enlightening conversation, but I'm gonna go now."
I made a dash for the door to the hallway and crossed the threshold when I heard Leigh-Anne calling after me, "Jade, we're going to Liam's place for lunch, so be ready in half an hour?"
"Sure."
I immediately dived into the shower, tying my hair up in a bun so it wouldn't get wet. Then, I dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, observing the snow on the ground.
I brushed my hair back into a side braid, and after applying my make-up, went back out to the living room.
Perrie was already in the car while Leigh-Anne was back at her and Jesy's flat.
I climbed in next to Perrie and looked around before turning to her. "Is Jesy coming?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Nah, she's flying out to visit family, remember?"
"Uh, no."
We stopped by Leigh-Anne's flat to give her a lift, and a few minutes after we countinued on our way, Perrie said, "We have to talk about last night."
"No, we don't."
"Yeah, actually we do," Leigh-Anne agreed.
"Fine. What?" I asked.
"So... Niall Horan?"
"He's just a friend. We go a long way back, it's complicated. I haven't had that many drinks in a long time and I don't plan to for a long time," I said firmly as we turned right. "It's fine. Just forget about it. You learned a little more about me, is all. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but it's not something I like to advertise."
"Why not?"
"I'm a different person now. Bringing up who I used to be reminds people of what I could potentially revert back to," I explained.
"But you won't," Perrie said nervously, confused, "right?"
"Would that make any difference at all?" I asked quietly.
"Of course not."

Louis answered the door with a big smile as we stepped inside and removed our shoes.
I wandered in towards the kitchen where Liam was cooking. He grinned when he saw me, "Hey, Jade."
"Hiya, Li. Can I help you?" I asked, not sure what else I could be doing.
"Of course. Could you cut up those tomatoes and add it to the pan on the stove?" Liam stayed at the table, rolling thin sheets of dough through a pasta maker to leave a large pile of floury dough strips.
After a couple minutes, I started on the last tomato. I slid the knife down while pulling backwards...into my finger. I dropped the knife. "Oh, shit, Li, can I have a plaster?"
Liam glanced over nervously and sprung up. "Yeah, course, be right back."
I rinsed it off, the small cut stinging from the tomato juice. Once he returned, I lay the plaster on top and sighed. "I think I'm going to leave before I cut something else more important, like, I don't know, one of those really big veins that would probably bleed a lot."
Liam laughed but waved as I turned and wandered into the living room.
I bumped into Niall who was rubbing his finger. "Oh, hi, Jade. I think I smashed my finger, but I dunno when."
I was about to walk past him, when I heard him say, "Are you okay?"
"You mean my finger?" I asked.
"What? No," he said, "I mean last night."
I nodded. "I'm fine."
He looked at me nervously. "Er, okay, well--"
"I'm fine, Niall."
"Right."
I still wasn't over the fact that my imaginary friend was real. I mean, sure, ten years old is a bit old for an imaginary friend, considering the fact that I had loads of real friends.
But I still assumed that I'd just grown out of it. I had a wild imagination, but not enough to invent a past like that. I wasn't clever enough at five years old to make all those rules that Niall told me.
I plopped down on the sofa next to Ashton who had his eyes glued to the Telly as he lightly drummed with his hands on his knees. I smiled. It was cute that somebody could be so passionate about something and not even realise it.
It's like I didn't realise how much I wanted to be a singer until I got told no on the X-Factor. I bet Ashton hadn't realised how deep his love for drumming went until he didn't have a drum kit to play for a while.
"Good program?" I asked.
"Doctor Who," he mumbled, not moving his eyes.
I trained my gaze back to the screen, just in time to see a young man wearing a bow tie talking to a short brunette girl, blue lights glowing in the room around them.
I felt Perrie lift my head up and lay it on her lap as she sat down, propping her feet on Zayn's shoulders. All of us were in one room watching the same program, a big knot.
My legs lay on Ashton's stomach, and Luke sat next to him, his head resting on the armrest of the couch. Next to Zayn on the floor, Liam sat with his back pressed against the couch, Louis next to him. Eleanor leaned against Louis with her knees tucked up, and Leigh-Anne's back was touching her lower legs. Everyone else was piled together on a big mess of blankets and pillows.
In times like these I'm glad I followed through with my plans to be a singer. I'm glad I got my life together, and I'm glad I repaired the screwed up family relationships I had.
The best, I thought. That's what this was. The best time of my life was happening right now. I was twenty-one, and everything I'd tell my grandchildren was what I was living.
I had to focus. I had to remember everything and never let it go. That's part of the reason I kept the book of everything we'd done. It was a reminder of what I'd worked so hard for.
It was a reminder that I needed to remember this forever. I owed that to myself.

_____________
I don't know how long I'm going to make this. I'm starting two new fan fictions...the first chapter for the first one is up. It's called Run. It's an Ashton Irwin/Jade Thirlwall one, which is the other person I ship Jade with. It's an AU fanfic which means even if you don't ship it you'll probably like it because of the plot. It's a bit slow right now, but It'll get better.
I have another I'm about to start, too.
Should I make it Niall/Jade, Ashton/Jade, Zerrie, Haylor, Jerrie...?
Help lol.