Chapter Two

                                    

                                          
I closed the laptop quietly placing it on the floor below me and leaving the room with the smallest amount of disruption possible. I needed to make cookies. They were on their second action movie of the afternoon. No doubt we had 2 more to come before they called it quits for the night at about midnight. I tolerated a lot of things for the guys. Action movies being one of them. Horror films being another. I'd tried my best to get them to watch something I'd like. A rom com once in a while. It was always immediately refused. If I was lucky I could get them to watch an action comedy or a romantic action. Think Mr and Mrs Smith or Mr.Right. Always refused, which is a shame. I think they'd love some of them. Most of the time, I'd escape and make up some distraction just to get me to leave. I loved them and as much as we were so similar in a lot of things, their tastes in media were very male standardized and the complete opposite to my own. 
I was able to put my earphones on in here whilst I made them the treats. Lil's famous cookies. A tradition for me to make their first night back and the night before they left. Tonight was their first full night back when I was here. They got back at 3am yesterday morning after hours of delays and traffic. And they hadn't even been that far away this time. Only up in Scotland. This next leg was over the channel, visiting a list of countries I was struggling to keep a track of now. It used to be easier when they were smaller and the list was maybe 10 UK cities. It wasn't that easy anymore. This tour was their biggest yet. Breaking things they never thought would happen. I did. But they didn't. 
I'd told them right from the beginning when this all started 10 years ago in high school that they'd be huge. They just laughed at me. Now look at them. World wide icons. Music awards they were running out of space for. Sell out tours on a bi yearly basis. 
It was a lot harder than we thought it would be. Especially me not going with them. I could. My job didn't need me to be onsite. I never told them that and I doubt I ever will. It was the best excuse for me not going with them. I missed them when they were gone. I didn't really have anyone else. It was just me myself and I if they were away. But I couldn't handle tour. One run in with the paparazzi was enough for me. 
Ever since that one picture got out of me in a bikini whilst we were all on holiday, back when their first proper single went major, I have avoided being associated with them in everyway I could. Outside of this house, the car and my place, I didn't know who they were. 
They did a lot of Live videos, they loved keeping close with the fans. They'd been like that from the very beginning. I was always there, in the background. Never showing my face, pulling my hood up or burying myself behind my hair, using books or my phone to hide. It had worked for 5 years and I didn't see it being different anytime soon.
"What you doing?" I looked up at Rob, pulling an earphone out and handing it to him as I continued to dance around like a crazy person. 
"Making cookies." He smiled, leaning his forearms on the counter as I added all the contents into the bowl, slowly mixing them together. 
"LIL'S MAKING COOKIES." There was a collection of heavy feet, pounding down the hallway. "I was here first. I get dibs."  I watched Luke pull his phone out and I knew what he was doing. I stopped mixing, pulling hood over my head as he started speaking to the phone and I turned my back to them. 
This is where I black out unless I'm spoken to. Just in my own world. At least I have the music tonight I guess. It made me so happy that they still kept in touch with reality like this. Made them seem more human, less like the superstars they actually were. 
"Right Lil?" 
"Sorry say again?" 
"They want your cookie recipe." 
"Oh yeah, not happening." I chuckled slightly. "You guys would have no reason to come home to me if I gave it away." 
"Lil. They want to know what your favourite cookie is? Do they mean biscuit? Are you guys American?" I dished the batter onto the trays, sliding them into the oven and setting a timer on my phone. "Yeah so biscuit." 
"Um. I mean I love shortbread." I brought his live up on my phone so I could see what they were looking at. His face. Thank god. I turned around, sitting up on the counter and smiling at them. They were very respectful when it came to knowing my boundaries on this. As much as they didn't understand or agree with it, they would never intentionally put me on screen without warning. 
"Someone say's Shortbread is the best." I nodded as Robbie came and stood beside me. 
"You can take your hood down." He leaned his body in close to mine as he spoke at a whisper. I looked at him, shaking my head. "Lil-" 
"I'm good." He dropped his shoulders. I never have been the most confident of girls. Never the loudest in the room either. But I was there. In every room I needed to be in for them, for him. At every show I could get to, I was backstage. Their loudest cheerleader right from day one. 
"Lil. Everyone wants to know why you don't come on tour with us?" I rolled my eyes, smiling. I knew they could hear me if I spoke loud enough. 
"Because I have my own job. I can't just bail to follow 4 low lives around." 
"HEY." They all shouted and I giggled.
"That's it Lils." 
"Oh no." Robbie came at me and I ended up running around the kitchen to avoid him. It's a damn good job I still had my hood up as I dashed behind the other boys. I didn't get too far down the hall before he had his arms around me, tickling until I was laughing loudly. "I'M SORRY. YOU'RE- ROBIN-" I couldn't breath through the laughter. "You're not low lives." 
"What are we then?" 
"Drama kings who need to learn to catch their own spiders." I giggled as Robbie threw me over his shoulder. 
"You can bloody sleep with the spiders for that." I crossed my arms. 
"Fine but the cookies will burn and you guys won't get them." He stopped in his tracks in the middle of the kitchen, facing the other boys and the camera. "Is it worth it?" 
"I don't know guys? Is it worth it?" He walked over slowly. 
"Oh! I'll do a poll." I rolled my eyes and huffed, Luke and his damn polls. 
"You could at least put me down whilst you do this." 
"Nope. Stay put princess." I gagged at the nickname and they all chuckled. 
"Poll says cookies are more important." The grin on my face as he put me down in front of him, back to the camera, must have been hilarious because even he couldn't stop smiling down at me. I put my hands under my chin, closing my eyes and kicking my foot up sweetly. He chuckled again, picking me up by my waist and moving me out of camera view. I stood on the end of the island, watching on my phone and keeping up with the comments like they were. 
"Wait what did that one say?" Bailey scrolled on the phone. "Oh we missed a load. Hold on. Ha, they say you guys would make a cute couple." 
"Never going to happen." Robin laughed and continued scrolling as my heart broke and I laughed it off. Just laugh it off Lil.