I crouch behind the couch and slowly peek around the side. I don't see anyone. It looks like I escaped Louis and Zayn. They have been trying to get their so called revenge on me.

The first time they almost succeeded. I went down to breakfast this morning and found out that they dumped a whole bottle of hot sauce in my pancake mix. If Storm hadn't told me then it would have ended very badly. So, I switched my pancakes with theirs. They didn't appreciate it so much.

The second time they put itching powder in my shoes. I caught them doing this after lunch. I thought I repay the favor and do the same thing for them. I didn't put the itching powder in their shoes, though. Let's just say that they really don't like me right now.

Now I am hiding down in the game room. I ran down here as soon as I heard Louis yell. I know they will find me eventually, but later is better than sooner. Maybe I'll just hide down here for the rest of the day. I'll just text Niall and ask him to bring some food down here for me. Wait. Niall doesn't share. I'll ask Cher.

I could always come put of hiding. What's the worst that could happen? This is Louis we are talking about. He can be quite devious at times. Zayn most likely wouldn't do anything. Louis is a different story.

My cell phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I slide it out and check the caller ID. It's Riley! I haven't heard from him in a week and a half.

"Hey, Riley!" I whisper.

"Why are you whispering?" Riley asks, greeting me.

"I'm hiding from Louis." I lean back against the couch.

"What did you do?"

Riley knows me so well. He just automatically knows that I did something wrong. Maybe I'm innocent. Nah. Riley knows I did something to make Louis come after me.

"I was doing a weird dance behind Louis and Zayn while they were trying to be serious in front of the camera. Then this morning Louis dumped a whole bottle of hot sauce in my pancake mix. I switched our pancakes. The last thing that really made them mad was that I put itching powder where it should never go." I explain to him.

"That's just cruel. I don't blame them for coming after you." Riley says. "So, where are you hiding?"

"Behind a couch in our game room. I couldn't think of anywhere else to hide." I giggle.

This is a terrible hiding place. I should have picked a better place to hide. Anyone could find me down here. I should have hid in the pantry or a bathroom. Then I would have food or a bathroom. I'm out in the open down here.

"Carter?"

"Hmm?" I shake my head as if I was clearing my thoughts.

"I've been saying your name for the past two minutes." Riley states.

"Oh. My bad." I chuckle. "What were you saying?"

"I said I was sorry." Riley repeats.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?" I sit up straighter.

"For what's about to happen in a few minutes."

I tense up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I called for a certain reason." Riley starts explaining to me. "I already knew about what you two going back and forth with pranks."

I peek around the side of the couch. "He called you, didn't he?!"

"Yeah, he did. Louis was listening the entire time. It was a three way call."

"Traitor!" I shout at him through my phone.

"Hello, love!" Louis stands above me with his arms crossed.

Riley is such a traitor! He is supposed to be on my side. Not Louis's! I scramble up off of the floor and run for the closest door. I have no idea where I am going, but I don't want Louis to catch me. I burst out of the back doors that lead to the pool.

Goosebumps rise on my arms as I race through the back patio. It's pretty cold outside. It must be like forty degrees out. Maybe colder with this fierce wind. I'm not wearing appropriate clothing for this weather, either. Pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

Two arms wrap around my waist and pull me backwards into a hard chest. "I've got you." Louis sings.

"Let's call a truce!" I suggest, twisting around to face him. "We can pretend like all of this never happened."

Louis looks away, thinking. "I can agree to that."

"Really?!" I grin.

Louis nods. "One thing first."

"What?" I frown at him.

"This." Louis releases my waist and pushes me backwards towards the pool.

I feel myself fall backwards. I reach out and grab the front of Louis's shirt. Louis's face is priceless when I pull him into the pool with me. My back lands in the freezing water first. I take a deep breath just in time before I submerge into the water. The ice cold water surrounds me.

I push off the bottom of the pool and swim to the top. My head breaks the surface of the pool first. My teeth immediately start to chatter when the wind blows over me. Louis swims to the top.

I splash water at him. "Why did you p-p-push me into t-the p-p-pool?" I stutter.

"Revenge." Louis breathes.

"If I g-g-get sick, I b-b-blame you!" I wrap my arms around myself.

"What are you two doing in the pool?!" Mary rushes to the edge of the pool.

Louis and I look over at her. Matt, Aiden, Cher, Liam, Harry, and Rebecca are right behind her. Rebecca has two large towels in her hands. I quickly swim over to the edge of the pool. Aiden and Matt reach down and pull me out of the pool. Liam helps Louis out of the pool. Rebecca wraps the towel around me.

"What were you two doing in the pool?!" Mary scolds at us.

My teeth continue to chatter. I'm too cold to speak. I better not get sick. It's Thursday. I need to be healthy for my performance. Not sick.

"Let's get you two inside and warmed up. We don't need you two getting sick." Mary ushers for us to get inside.

Matt scoops me up from the ground. "Cher, can you go pick some warm clothes out for Carter? I'll carry her upstairs."

"Of course!" Cher runs back inside the house.

Matt carries me back inside the warmth of the house. My teeth won't stop chattering and I can't stop shaking. I have never been this cold before. I feel like an iceberg. Stupid Louis. He just had to push me in the pool. What if I get hypothermia?

"P-p-put me down, Matt. I don't w-want to get you s-s-sick." I shiver, wrapping the towel around me tighter.

"I'm more worried about you right now." Matt climbs up the stairs with me still in his arms. "We need to get you warmed up."

I can agree with him on that. I don't want to get sick. I need to get warmed up. I really wish I could take a hot shower, but that would probably make everything worse.

"I'll help her change. Wait outside the door." Cher tells Matt.

Matt sets me on the bed and leaves the room. Once the door is closed, I quickly strip out of my wet clothes. Cher helps me change into a pair of thick, baggy sweatpants. I pull a black long sleeved shirt over my head. Cher hands me a pair of socks to put on.

"I'm so c-c-cold!" I rub my arms.

"Let's get you downstairs." Cher grabs my elbow and leads me to the door.

I expected to see Matt by the door, but Aiden is standing there instead. "Matt went downstairs to get more blankets." Aiden explains. "Mary is afraid you'll get hypothermia."

"Carter doesn't have any of the symptoms." Cher points out.

I push past them and head for the stairs. I don't have hypothermia, right? I try to remember my tenth grade health science class. My teacher told us that the symptoms of hypothermia were shivering, stumbling, confusion, poor decision making, weak pulse, and drowsiness. I only have one of those symptoms.

"Ouch!" I mumble when I stumble into the wall.

That was just an accident. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I don't have hypothermia. It's impossible.

"Where do you think you are going?" Aiden sweeps me up off the ground.

"Downstairs." I yawn.

Aiden and Cher share a look before proceeding downstairs. I bury my head in the crook between Aiden's neck and shoulder. His grip on me tightens when I continue shivering. Why am I so cold?

"There you are!" Mary motions at the three of us. "Put her on the couch."

Aiden sets me down on the couch. "Your hands are freezing!" He jumps when my hands touch his arm.

"Sorry." I mumble under my breath. "Where's Louis?"

Everyone starts piling blankets on me. I still continue on shivering as more blankets are draped on me. Why is everyone ignoring me? Where did Louis go?

"Aiden!" I reach out and grab his hand. "Where's Louis?"

"He's making you some hot tea, sweetheart." Mary answers.

"Is he okay?" I shift underneath all of these blankets.

"I'm okay!" Louis walks in the room with a black mug in his hands. "Are you okay, love?"

I shake my head. "Cuddle with me."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Louis lifts the blankets up a little and climbs under.

I slide back against the couch to make room for him. Louis's body heat radiates off him and makes me warm up a little bit. I snuggle up to him, enjoying his warmth. Louis wraps his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

"Hey Mary, her lips look a little blue. Maybe I should warm them up." Louis suggests, winking at me.

•••••••

Author's Note:

This was pretty much a filler chapter. The next chapter will be of her performance and whoever goes home.

So, what did you think? Don't worry. She won't get hypothermia. Maybe a small cold, but that's it.

I am so excited to finish this book up. Then I can start up on my new story idea. Well, I have to finish SIUTK, too. I really want to tell all of you some of my new idea.

Question...Anyone have any ideas what my new story idea is? If you already know then don't answer this question! I don't want you to ruin the surprise!

So, yeah!

Comment!