Houston We Got a Problem (McJonas) 20: Silence Is a Scary Sound

20: Silence Is a Scary Sound

Danie was in shock. She didn't know what she'd done wrong. After the party last night, she fell straight asleep as soon as Nick set her down on the bed. When she woke up with a terrible headache, she wobbled out to the hallway to the Jonas room to see if they were all awake. She got there alright, but Nick started treating her oddly. Like he was mad at her. But she hadn't bloody done anything! Okay, maybe she had gotten a little trashed at the party last night, but that was no excuse. It wasn't as if she had done anything really humiliating and drastic, right? Right?

Crap, she thought. Because she was drunk she must have done something wrong. She couldn't stand Nick having a tiff with her, especially not a lover's tiff. And when the Jonae left New York, they were going to have to leave her there with her mum in New York. And the long distance thing was difficult. Bloody difficult. As in thousands of psycho, vain, horn dog fangirls waving themselves about in front of Nick, trying to get his attention. And now that Nick was mad at her, he might just let himself get sucked in by all that jazz.

Danielynn packed her things in silence. There was absolutely no need to talk. There was no one to talk to. Since Nick was angry at her and Joe was angry at him and she was the only girl besides Denise. So she tried to backtrack and see what she had done so wrong. Hmm, falling asleep was the last of the other night that she could remember. And this morning? She recalled waking up in the room and walking out to find the Jonae. Wait. Something was off about when she had left the room. Could it have been that someone else was in there with her?

Her bed was empty, and so was the one closer to the door. All the sheets were all messy. She'd crawled out of bed, stood up and crossed down the hallway--wasn't the bathroom light on? Wasn't the door ajar? Wasn't there someone throwing up into the toilet?

Oh, God.

It was Tom Fletcher.

That's what Nick was so hacked off about. Perhaps Nick had come in while Tom and Danie were both in the room. But they couldn't have done anything. Danielynn would have remembered, wouldn't she? There was no way she could have forgotten if anything serious had happened, right? Right?

Damn that stupid guitarist. The more she wanted him to go away, the closer and closer he got. He was like a flea or some other bothersome pest. But now that they were leaving New York, Danie didn't have to deal with him anymore. So why did it feel so wrong for her to be so happy about leaving?

She didn't know what it was. Not precisely anyway. She knew something was bugging her, but she couldn't just put her finger on it.

'Mrs. Jonas?' she asked, when she'd packed all her things. Denise turned upon her with a motherly smile. 'I need to go visit a friend so I was wondering if I could go for a walk.'

'Of course, sweetie. And, um, Danielynn, hon?' Denise added, her fingers gentle on Danie's shoulders. 'Don't mind Nick. He's been a little touchy lately but I know the two of you can work your way through it. You two have the strongest young relationship I know. You'll work through it.'

'Thank you, Mrs. J.'

'You're welcome, Danie.'

Danielynn walked down the halls back to the room from whence she'd come. When she got there, it was deserted, but it reeked of vomit and sweat. She trekked to the McFly rooms and pushed open the door.

There stood Dougie, with a bad-tempered look on his face, Danny with a bored one, and Harry, looking stern. Danielynn blushed. She felt humongously out of place. One question remained. Where on earth was Tom? Harry seemed to have read her mind, as he stepped forward with his arms crossed still so stiffly over his chest. There was something of a hint of ice in his eyes, a poison and hatred that Danielynn had never seen before in someone normally so calm and relaxed like Harry Judd.

'Tom's not here. He went for a walk round Central Park. Says he needs to be alone,' he said bluntly, his arms' position tightening atop his loose grey surfer boy shirt. 'But I suppose his needs are a lot less than yours, aren't they, Turner?'

'Harry--this is me. You don't have to be all mad at me and call me by my last name.'

'Look, I'm not mad at you,' he said, though his tone contradicted the words. He looked down and dug the toe of his trainer into the hotel flooring. 'Tom just doesn't need this right now. Besides, the four of us plus Jazzie and Izzy are flying home tonight,' finished Harry, and then resumed to glare at her. Danielynn swallowed. Everyone was leaving her. She was going to be alone. But before she knew it, Harry had her in a big fat hug. 'I'm gonna miss you lots, little miss Danielynn Turner,' he whispered, and kissed the top of her head. And so they processed over to hug her, one by one.

'Make sure your boyfriend's brother gets home soon,' said Dougie, while lifting up his and Tom's trunks. 'He's with my sister right now and if I barge in on them banging....'

'Don't worry about it, Poynter. Have you yet noticed their purity rings?' Danie asked with a smile on her face. 'Those mean no sex until marriage. Which is pretty much the opposite of your rule, isn't it? You're the Mr. 'All the Sex Until I'm Forced to Commit' guy, aren't you?' Dougie nudged her with his elbow, a full-fledged grin peaking across his tanned face. 'Dang, Poynter, how are you so tan? The rest of these blokes are pale as a ghost and you've got that California-living tan. Don't tell me that this is a fake-bake,' she teased, pulling back his left sleeve to show his bronze-coloured arm.

'Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. You'll just have to figure it out, won't you? Anyway, we'd better go and get Tom about now, I've got to go tell Carmen goodbye.'

'And I have to tell Marguerite goodbye,' said Danny. The female raised her eyebrows. Marguerite? 'Abbie's sister. We hung out at the party and...hit it off,' he explained, shrugging, and picked up his luggage.

'Wait--' began Danielynn, but stopped. With her stomach lurching, she continued on. 'If I don't see Tom, could you tell him...could you tell him I said goodbye?'

'Of course we will. We'll miss you,' said Harry, placing a hand on her shoulder, and he walked out the door. Danny followed him, and then Dougie. For the umpteenth time in only a few hours, Danielynn Turner was alone.