TRIGGER

Ashton

Harry's best friend was Liam.

As far as Ashton could tell, Liam was real.

Harry adored Liam. He adored everyone, really, but especially Liam. Before Liam was allowed to visit, Harry would go on and on about Liam, and how much he liked him, and how he couldn't wait to see him. Which made Ashton kind of sad, because he didn't have anyone to visit him.

Harry was generally in a good mood after Liam's visits, grinning and laughing and telling horrible jokes that only he laughed at.

It was while Harry was laughing at one of his bad knock knock jokes that Ashton saw her.

She was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, her face illuminated by the glow even though she wasn't watching it. Her dark, rich hair fell over her shoulder, and her bright eyes met Ashton's.

She raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking why he was staring. Ashton smiled sheepishly at being caught and shrugged.

She grinned, and Ashton found himself drifting away from the small group he was in and walked over to the girl, taking a seat beside her.

He kept looking at the TV, avoiding her gaze. "Anything good on?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Nope. What's your name?"

"Ashton. Yours?"

"Hazelle," she answered. "Saw you staring at me from over there," she said, nodding towards where Ashton had come from.

Ashton shrugged. "Zoning out, more like. Harry's jokes get old," he said with affection.

Hazelle snorted. "You're telling me. I've been hearing them for yea- a while," she said, slipping up on her words.

Ashton didn't let it go. "Years?"

"What? I didn't say that," she said, belligerent. "Don't make stuff up." Her lips pressed together in a tight line, and her arms crossed so tightly Ashton wondered how she'd untangle herself.

"I heard you say it," he pressed, morbidly curious.

"Shut up!" Hazelle hissed. "I regret making eye contact with you. Go back and pity Harry by laughing at another one of his stupid puns," she said.

"No."

"Seriously, go," she whispered.

"Not until you tell me."

"No! No, I won't, I can't, damn it!" she said angrily, eyes starting to tear up.

Ashton reached a hand out in an attempt to comfort her, but she merely flinched away and yelled, "Don't touch me! Get the fuck away from me!"

Everyone in the rec room turned to look at them.

Ashton quickly got up and held his hands up. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving," he said, thoroughly confused by her behavior.

A second later, three more people were by the couch with them. Harry, and a tiny, thin, dark haired girl and a dark haired boy. "Ashton, I think you'd better go," Harry said quietly, looking at Hazelle with concern. "Rose, is she okay?"

The brunette, Rose, didn't answer him, instead focusing on Hazelle. "Hazelle, what's wrong? What triggered it?"

But Hazelle was beyond listening. She was curled up in a tight ball, eyes wide and unseeing, mouth clamped shut.

"Rose-"

"Calum, I need you to leave right now," Rose said. She glanced at Ashton. "You too, whoever you are."

"I-"

"Ash, you'd better go," Harry said softly, interrupting him.

Ashton snapped his mouth shut. "Right." He looked regretfully at Hazelle. "I'm sorry."

Her hazel eyes didn't even register him.

"Hey, we'd better go," Calum said, tapping his arm cautiously.

The rec room was pretty much cleared by then. Ashton and Calum walked out together in silence. Guilt tore at his chest as harshly as confusion raged in his head.

"I don't understand," he muttered. "What did I do?"

Calum shrugged. "I don't know. Rose just told me that Hazelle gets triggered really easily." He sounded sad, almost as if he could relate.

"But that-"

"A panic attack," Calum said shortly, his lips pressed together. His expression was strained.

Ashton nodded to himself, keeping his mouth shut. He was dying of curiosity, but he knew he wasn't going to get any answers right now.

Calum and Ashton parted ways, going to their respective rooms. Ashton jumped onto his bed and lay on his back, closing his eyes.

"Hey, er, Ashton."

Ashton opened his eyes.

Harry was standing by his bed, fiddling his fingers. "Sorry about Hazelle," he said. "I just, we needed to calm her down, and uh, she won't do it when there's a threatening force nearby. Not that you're threatening, or not to me, but she thought you were to her, I don't know, but yeah, it was best you didn't stay."

"Why?" Ashton asked, sitting up.

Harry shuffled his feet, his fingers touching his curls absently. "Erm... Hazelle's... easily triggered."

"Yeah, Calum told me."

"Yeah, so, she uh, she kind of, yeah. She doesn't like it, she's not proud of it, but she gets panic attacks. A lot. Hazelle hates it, you know, she doesn't like being prone to panic attacks that overtake her at any second, with or without a trigger. But she, yeah, it's gotten better-"

"How do you know Hazelle?" Ashton asked.

Harry shrugged. "We met in school before here. We've known each other for ages."

"And you knew about this?"

Harry shook his head. "Not until I ran into her here."

Ashton chewed his lip thoughtfully. "So... why?"

"Hm?"

"Why the panic attacks?" Ashton asked.

"I'm not a doctor," Harry said evasively.

Ashton shot him a look. "But you must know something."

He shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I don't, but if I did, I'd say maybe, but I don't, and I can't tell you, even if I did know I wouldn't be able to tell you-"

"Harry, you're rambling again."

"Sorry! Sorry, I just, it's really not my story to tell, Ash. It's hers." He sighed. "Maybe ask her another time."

Ashton sighed, lying on his back again and closing his eyes. "If she'll talk to me."

"Oh, don't worry. She will."

He couldn't see Harry's smile.

But he could hear it in his voice.

[A/N Because everyone seems confused: Harry's schizophrenic best friend was Louis. Harry's real best friend is Liam x.]