A few days later...
I was sitting at home, having a lazy day, while Carli and Niall were out a a date, a regular occurrence. Nana was still in London, but today she had a guided tour and insisted she go by herself. I was laying on the couch, reading my favorite book when our land line rang.
I answered it and a woman's voice came out, "Hello, is this Ily Marie Johnson?"
"Yes" I answered, "Is everything OK?" I ask, unsure.
"Actually ma'am I'm afraid not. I'm sorry to inform you that your grandmother was in a car accident and is currently in the I.C.U. At the St. Ann's Hospital. Is there anyway that you could come visit her?"
"Of course." I replied shakily. The woman thanked me and I quickly dialed Carli's cell number.
"Sup slut" she answered cheerfully.
"N-n-ana's in t-th-the I.C.U." I stuttered out.
She gasped and quickly muttered something to Niall. I gave her the address information and she said they were on their way. "Hang up and go to the door." she hung up and I walked to the door, to find Liam standing there, car keys in hand. He pulled me into a huge bear hug and told me it would be okay. We rushed to the hospital and practically ran into her room. She was laying on the bed, her chest barely moving. There were monitors everywhere, and they were all beeping constantly. I fell into a chair and sobbed. I sobbed until I ran out of tears. Then I just sat there until I felt someone pull me out of the chair into another huge hug. Then the tears came back. I sobbed some more, while Nana just laid there, unmoving on the bed. Whoever it was rubbed my back and whispered to me it would be OK. When I finally stopped crying I looked up to see Harry's green eyes, also tinted slightly red. Had he been crying too. I didn't know what to do so I flopped down onto the small couch. Harry sat down beside me. We sat there in silence, listening to the beeping of the monitors. Liam came back in and squeezed on the couch and we sat in quietly, them hugging me from both sides.
I was woken up by the erratic beeping of he machines. I sat there dazed as doctors and nurses surrounded Nana. I started to cry again. Liam snapped out of his stupor when he saw me crying. He picked me up bridal style and rushed me out of the room. Harry got up and quickly followed us out. Liam sat me down and and looked me straight in the eyes. "Hey hey" he said quietly and softly, as if talking to a child. "It is all be okay. Everything is going to be okay. We will be here for you." Harry stepped behind me and together they sandwiched me in a hug.
Then, Carli came running in, with Niall Zayn and Louis right behind her, pulled me into a hug, and asked me if she is okay. At that point, I was still halfway crying so I stuttered out "W-w-we d-d-on't know-w yet. Th-th-the d-doctors all r-r-rushed in there and w-w-e had to leave." I sat down in a chair, probably looking defeated. Carlin sat sown next to me and all of the boys huddled in front of us, trying to help. After a little while, Niall exclaimed the food helped everything plastered a huge grin on his face, grabbed Carlin's hand and they rushed for the food court. Zayn and Louis decided to go with them, as they hadn't eaten that day either. I sat there in that hospital's chair, with Harry on my left and Liam on my right. We just sat there, waiting for any news.
Eventually, a doctor stepped out and approached us. "Hello"he said in a American accent, making me home sick. "Are you Ily Johnson?" he asked gently. I nodded my head and leaned against Liam. "I am so very sorry to inform you of this, but your grandmother has passed. It was very peaceful and painless." I sat there in shock for a few moments and then sprinted to the cafeteria. Carlin was sitting at a table with Niall Zayn and Louis. I ran straight at her. She saw me coming, and her eyes got very wide. She stood up and just in time for me to plow into her. I sobbed and tried to talk at the same time. "Nan-nas g-g-g-one." I stuttered. We collapsed onto a chair and sobbed, right in the middle of the cafeteria. We sat there for hours crying. Eventually Liam pulled me off of her and whispered to me that visiting hours were over. Niall did the same for Carli. They carried us back to the car and sat us down gently.
I woke up the next morning in my bed. I was alone, or so I thought. I sat up and looked around, and I saw on my bedroom floor Harry, Liam and Louis, all still asleep. I got up and carefully tiptoed around the three sleeping boys. I opened Carli's door quietly to find Niall and Zayn on her floor. I quietly closed the door and walked to the kitchen. I picked up the phone and dialed my home number.
"Well look who decided to call her mother. You've only been gone for what five months?" she asked sarcasm dripping in her voice. I sighed. This was a normal conversation for us. My mother and I had never had a good relationship.
"I just called to tell you that Carli and I's plane leaves today so we'll be there soon." there was no reply and when I looked at the phone's screen it was blank and unlit. Having that conversation with my mom made me strangely home sick. Not because I missed her, but because I missed my other family, mainly my Aunt Dani. As I was packing to leave, I realized I was packing more clothing than I needed for the two days we were going to be there. I realized I wanted to go home and stay there.
I ran into Carli's room, crying. She pulled me into a tight hug and asked me "What's wrong?"
"When we go home, I'm staying. I'm staying there and I'm not coming home."
"Why?!" she asks alarmed.
"I cant take it anymore, Carli, I love going to school and the boys and everything, but I need to go home." she nods, we walk back into my room and we start to pack enough clothes for a couple of weeks.
"I think that you should stay for a couple weeks and see if you feel OK to come back." she says softly. I nod and we slowly walk down the stairs, where the boys are waiting for us. Harry Liam and Louis were driving with me to the airport, and Carli was with Niall and Zayn.
"Geez Ily, you have more bags than I do!" Louis joked after we had loaded all of my bags into the trunk of the car. I immediately burst out into tears again. Harry, who had been sitting with me in the back seat immediately pulled me into an awkward side hug and asked what was wrong.
"I-I-I'm staying home. In America." I stuttered. The boys all gave me shocked looks, but didn't say a word.
About half way to the airport, Harry broke the awkward silence that had settled over the car. "Ily, I know that you're feeling home sick and what we're about to ask you is a big deal, but we were all wondering if you would like to come with us on tour."
'Yes, yes a thousand time yes,' I thought. I loved all of the boys, and over the past few weeks Harry and I had become really good friends. And on top of all that, I was starting to fall for Liam, fast. But I couldn't handle it anymore. I couldn't be away from my family. I wasn't strong enough. "Guys, I love you all to death, but I can't handle this right now. I'm still waiting for my Nana to call me and say I got you good. Wanna go to lunch. I really need my family right now." I said, a small tear running down my cheek.
Harry looked at me with a sad look on his face. "But Ily, we are your family. Or at least, I thought we were." I bawled. I bawled the rest of the way to the airport, I bawled getting on the plane, even though the boys were coming with us.
The seat belt light wasn't on yet and I was still crying softly, sitting in Harry's lap. The boys and Carli were trying to convince me to come on tour. "Ily, I know you miss Aunt Darla, but you cant stay home. I'm afraid... I'm afraid they are going to treat you the same way as last time."
I didn't know how to respond to that. I knew she was right. Most of my family treated me like crap, and the ones who treated me well didn't know anything was going on. "I love you all, each and every one of you." I said, my eyes lingering a little longer on Louis than they should have. "And I would love to go on tour with you, but I don't think I can handle it right now." They all nodded and settled into their seats. We all sat in awkward silence the entire way home.