One Direction: Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction by One Direction Read Free Book Online Page A

still like that now. I’m just as happy to go somewhere and have a think, or go to the gym and work out, as be around people in a bar. Working out is really important to me, because it also takes out any stress.
     
    I’ve already been described as the dad of the group, because I’m the one who doesn’t drink. With only one working kidney I have to be careful with things like salt, protein and alcohol, so I guess that’s led to me being seen as the sensible one. I think even when I am old enough to drink I won’t. My plan is to learn to drive, so I can ferry the other guys around and act as security when we go out.
    THE FANTASTIC FUTURE
    We were all writing songs while we were on the tour, but it was quite hard because I didn’t have a guitar at that time. I got it signed by loads of the X Factor contestants and then I gave it away to a friend, and I hadn’t had a chance to get another one. We were constantly coming up with ideas for songs, because we all wanted to be involved in the process every step of the way. So there will be a massive sense of achievement and it will really be ours. We don’t want to be one of those bands who just sing other people’s words.
     
    We were all really chuffed when we were told we could tell our story in a book, and we had such a good time working on it. It seemed no time at all before we got the call saying that Forever Young had gone to number one in the UKhardback book charts, which was unbelievable. It was only when we went to the signings and saw how many people were there and how many people had bought the book that it all began to seem real. So many fans came along wearing really cool t-shirts and it was a great experience getting to meet so many of them.

    I am clearly the clumsiest member of One Direction, though, and I kept doing things wrong. At one signing I drank a bottle of Coke too fast before putting it down on the table and it bubbled over and went all over my clothes. At another one I tripped up as I walked onto the stage in front of everyone. I’m a bit of a hazard.
     
    During the tour I had a persistent problem with my trousers! When we perform “Forever Young” we have to jump around quite a bit, and my trousers kept ripping. One time they ripped really badly—from the belt line all the way down my leg. Another time we were waiting to come on for “My Life Would Suck” and Louis pushed me as a joke, and my trousers ripped all the way down again. I had to sing two songs with them gaping open because the rip was massive. There was no point in trying to disguise it, so I made a joke of it to the audience and everyone had a good giggle.
     
    The wrap party was great—we felt both happy and relieved. Much as we loved the tour, we did around 60 shows, so we were all pleased to be having a bit of a break afterwards. The party took place in a nightclub below a hotel, and I only stayed for a little bit because I wanted to go and chill out. I think Harry and Louis stayed up latest out of all of us. Louis is definitely the biggest partier, but if you get us all in a room together we have a party every day.
     
    I think me and the boys enjoyed the tour more than anyone else who was on it, and later this year we’re going to be doing our own tour, which is probably what we’re looking forward to more than anything. It’s going to be more full-on than the X Factor tour, and we’ll be able to come up with loads of ideas and have a lot of input. We’ll also get to see all of the fans and do what we do best.
     
    After the tour finished I took my mom and dad away on holiday to Florida, and they had a great time visiting Universal Studios. Whenever we’d been in the past we didn’t have a lot of money, so we’d have to line up for ages for the rides. This time I decided to spoil us, and I bought VIP passes so we didn’t have to wait longer than five minutes to get on anything. We went out for nice meals and it was great to spend time together. For me it was