Being a Payne - Chapter One

Elizabeth’s P.O.V
After finally finishing my studies in Australia, I am flying back home to Wolverhampton so I can see my family again. Unfortunately, I will not be able to see Liam because according to mum when I talked to her a few days ago, he’s still on tour and won’t be finished for a couple more months. I can’t wait to see the family again, I have missed them all dearly and I have incredible news to tell them. No one knows that I am coming home; it is all going to be a big surprise, man I can’t wait to get home.


As I settled into my first class seat on the plane, I run over what I was going to say to my family when I tell them the big news. I am really scared as to how my parents are going to react when they see me again after three years of me being away from home, as well as what it is I have to tell them. I know Nicole and Ruth are going to be happy when I tell them that I finally made my dream come true, they are the only ones who know that I’ve been dreaming of becoming a famous singer songwriter like my twin brother Liam, member of the famous boy band One Direction. I’ve always loved singing and writing songs, I just never told anyone besides from my sisters because I was shy about it, I didn’t want a lot of people to know about my dreams.

Coming out of my thoughts, I reach into my ‘keep calm and kill zombies’ carryon bag that is placed on the seat next to me, and I pull out my hard cover notebook that I write down my finished songs in. I have two different song books, this one and a red leather one that I write ideas that I have for songs in. It really is handy having two different coloured song books. Flipping through the notebook a couple of times, my eyes skimming over my song titles until I stop on Two Worlds Collide. Ah, such a lovely song, wrote this while I was back home. I gently clear my throat a few times before I start singing the song, softly so that no one else can hear me. (A/N: I do not own the song, all rights go to Demi Lovato, I take no credit at all)

She was given the world
So much that she couldn't see
And she needed someone
To show her who she could be

And she tried to survive
Wearing her heart on her sleeve
But I needed you to believe

As I continue to sing, my fingers start tapping on the armrest of the chair, my right foot starts tapping to the beat running inside of my head as well. This is why I don’t sing in public places like this very often, I get so easily lost in my own music and my hands and feet always tap along to the beat.

You had your dreams, I had mine
You had your fears, I was fine
It showed me what I couldn't find
When two different worlds collide
La da-da da-da!

I continue singing the rest of the song, relaxing the nerves that were building up inside of me about returning home after so long, and by the time I am finished, I feel a small smile on my face. There was this song or Our July In the Rain (Owned by He Is We) that I am going to sing to my family when I arrive home, that is how I am going to tell them the big news, by singing to them. I was incredibly excited to tell everyone about me being a famous singer songwriter over in Australia, but at the same time I’m also absolutely terrified about their reactions. I know for a fact that my sisters Nicole and Ruth, are going to tackle me to the ground, but my parents and Liam, I was unsure about. My parents are going to be supportive and happy for me, I know that, but Liam, I have no idea what to expect from him… I hope he’s going to be happy that I have accomplished my dreams just like him but it has been so long since we last spoke, I don’t even know if he is the same as he was three years ago when I left.. In the past, Liam was never really one to get jealous or angry over things like this, but he might have changed. God, I really hope he hasn’t, although I can’t really talk seeing how I have changed as well.


Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I pull out my headphones and iPod from my bag and shove the headphones into my ears. Music should help to calm me down and stop me from worrying and over thinking too much, like I always do. Scrolling through the lists of artists on my iPod a few times before I decide to listen to one of my favourite songs, Good Girls Bad Guys by Falling In Reverse. Unlike my brother and the rest of the family, I much rather prefer heavy metal, rock, death metal, metal core and rap music than to anything else. Just another thing that makes me incredibly different to him and everyone else in the family, it really does seem like I don’t belong... Damnit! I really gotta stop thinking like that; I guess the bitches in high school have gotten to me more than I thought they had.

After a couple of hours of switching between singing, listening to music, reading, drawing and writing some new songs, I eventually dozed off to sleep.

***

An unfamiliar hand grips my shoulder and begins lightly shaking me, trying to awake me from my slumber. I go to wave them off, wanting to get a few more hours sleep, when I suddenly remember where I am. My eyes snap open and I looked up sleepily at the flight attendant that is leaning over me, guess I know who was shaking me


“Miss, we have arrived in London” She says sweetly to me, a small smile on her face and I sleepily return it.

“Thank you” I say, trying to hold back a yawn as I gently rub the sleep out of my tired eyes.


Grabbing my bag from next to me, I slowly get up and stretch slightly before making my way out of the plane. As I stepped outside of the plane, the cool autumn air fills my lungs as I breathe in deeply. God was it good to be back in England again.


Walking through the airport to the baggage claim section, I smile. I’m finally back in my home country, and soon in a matter of hours, I will be back in my home town with my family. Just as I get to the baggage claim section, I see my multi-coloured striped suitcases running along the conveyer belt. As I blot over to it, I almost topple enormous amounts of people over in the process. Quickly grabbing my suitcases off of the conveyer belt, I pause for a small breather, man I was really out of shape. After catching my breath, I continue walking through the airport and towards the car park where my newly rented car awaits me.

I look around the car park for a couple of minutes until I spot my temporary car, a beautiful shiny black convertible. Pulling the keys out of my pocket, I click open the boot to stuff my suitcases inside. Throwing my bag into the passenger seat, I climb into the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition, the car purring into life. Clicking myself in I careful pull out of the car park, and I speed off down the busy London streets. Flipping a switch on the side of the steering wheel, the roof to the car comes down and I am hit with the cool autumn air, it was going to be a long drive back to Wolverhampton.


Turning on the radio with another switch on the steering wheel, I catch the end of one of my brother’s songs, Midnight Memories, and I smile to myself. I really do miss Liam; it sucks how he’s not going to be with us when I tell everyone about my success. Just as I am about to change stations, a new song comes on and what I hear surprises me. One of my own songs, Mistakes (owned by Demi Lovato), begins to play. I quickly, but carefully as I don’t need to be involved in a car accident at all today, pull over to the side of the road and park my car. I stay in my seat, staring out at the scenery ahead of me, slightly frozen in shock.


What is one of my songs doing being played on the radio? I’m used to hearing it over in Australia, but hearing it on a London radio station? I wasn’t even notified that my music was even known in the UK.  As the song comes to an end, one of the radio hosts’ begins to talk about me.


“And that; everyone was Mistakes by a famous Australian singer songwriter by the name of Elizabeth Payne, preferring to go by the name of Liza. Most of you are probably wondering whether she is related to the Liam Payne of One Direction, and our sources say that she is indeed, but we are unsure of how they are related-“


Quickly shutting off the radio, not wanting to hear anything more, I tighten my grip around the steering wheel, my knuckles begin to turn bone white so I release my grip. I was screwed if anyone in my family had heard this. I can only imagine how mum’s going to react; she’s probably going to have a heart attack and Liam... His reaction is the one I’m the most terrified about.