Just A Moment
Chapter Eight
“Hello, love!” I trilled as my friend Mackenzie hopped into my van.
“Hiya!” she leaned over to give me a quick hug before we continued down the road. “Ok so my mom thought that you were one of those creepers that park outside people’s houses and then kidnap kids and-”
“Mackenzie!” I stopped her rant.
“What? You’re the one with the creeper van!” She shrugged.
“It’s true…” Allie chuckled from the back.
I sighed. My van wasn’t a mini-van, but one of those big vans that seats, like, nine or ten people. Thank you Uncle George for the heap of metal that used to haul around your plumbing supplies…
“Okay, I don’t think you understand how pumped I am for this!” Mackenzie squealed, changing the subject.
“Me too! And you look great, by the way!” I looked her up and down quickly, taking in her individual look. She wore dark wash skinny jeans, cute brown flats, and a fitted floral top. Her incredibly long dark brown hair was down and gorgeous, and her green eyes were shining under minimal mascara. It was simple but super cute.
“Even I have to admit that I’m pretty psyched!” Allie piped from the back. I looked at her shining eyes in the mirror, feeling a momentary pang of jealousy at her perfect look.
Allie was gorgeous. She had beautiful clear skin with freckles everywhere, sparkling brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair that curled to perfection. Everything about her look screamed fashionable, from the way she had done her makeup in a subtle but flared smoky eye to her studded leather jacket over floral faded british flag tank, dark short-shorts & studded combat boots.
“Although having the boys around for the past two days has been rather trying, I must say that they’ve grown on me!” she continued.
I cringed inwardly because-
“Wait, having the boys around for the past two days?” Mackenzie gawked. “Wait what is she talking about? Do you have some like foreign swimming team stashed in your guest house or something?”
“Mackenzie.” I squinted at her.
“Well, they’re foreign, but I’m pretty sure they don’t swim professionally or anything!” Allie laughed, interrupting me. She wouldn’t. Shut. Up.
“Wait you have foreign boys staying in your guest house? Hannah Michelle Clarke!” Mackenzie hit me. “Are they attractive?”
“Ow!” was all I said.
“They are so much hotter in person, Mackenzie, oh my god!” Allie continued.
“Hey, Allie, shut up!” I smiled into the mirror.
“Wait, in person, what does she mean?” Mackenzie cocked her head slightly.
“Nothing!” I smiled.
“One Direction!” Allie blurted as if it was obvious.
“You’re so cute Allie!” Mackenzie laughed.
“Yeah, so cute, Allie!” I said through clenched teeth.
“What, you didn’t tell her?” Allie squinted in confusion.
“Are you stupid or are you just a bitch?” I lost it.
“Oh my god.” We had just stopped at a red light so I turned my head to look at Mackenzie who was gawking at her phone. “Hannah.” She said.
“What? Is everything ok?” I said, concerned.
“Hannah please tell me this is not you please tell me right now.” She held her phone out. Displayed on the screen was a picture of Niall and I laughing at Louis, who had fallen on top of the sandcastle Harry & Liam had just finished. I cringed, vaguely remembering seeing some sort of cameras in the distance and putting it off as tourists.
“Hannah!” Allie smiled. “That is actually such a good picture of you! You usually look so awkward when you smile-“
“HANNAH.” Mackenzie’s eyes were wide and her breathing had become harder.
“Mackenzie please just calm dow-“
“I will most certainly NOT calm down! ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS YOU?” She practically yelled it at me.
“Hannah, the light’s green.” Allie droned. I stepped lightly on the gas, sending us forward.
“HANNAH ANSWER ME!”
“Ok!” I winced. “Yes, it’s me!”
“HOW?” was all she could say.
“Well,” I sighed, “it kind of all started on Friday night with the crash-“
“HOLY SHIT HANNAH ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GOT THEM OUT OF THE BUS HANNAH CLARKE I AM NOT BREATHING RIGHT NOW DOES ANYBODY KNOW THIS DID YOU TELL KYLIE OR ALYSSA HANNAH WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!” Mackenzie didn’t even acknowledge that we had stopped in front of Alyssa’s house.
I texted Alyssa, telling her we were there.
“Oh, my god!” was all Mackenzie could say. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone!” I huffed. “And I-“
“HANNAH CLARKE!” The side door flew open and a pair of flustered girls jumped into the van. “I WAS JUST ON TWITTER AND I’M NOT SURE WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BECAUSE THIS LOOKS A HELL OF A LOT LIKE YOU AND-“
“HANNAH IF THIS IS YOU I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO COMMIT I AM LITERALLY GOING TO FLING MYSELF FROM A WINDOW OK DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME-“
“GUYS IT’S HER!” Mackenzie shouted over Alyssa & Kylie.
“THIS IS NOT OK!” Alyssa yelled.
“WHEN DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?” Kylie yelled over her.
That was when I got a text.
I looked down, not recognizing the number and opened the text. I smiled before the loudness distracted me.
“Ok, well, once you all calm the fuck down-” I yelled over their continuous chatter, silencing them, “-we’ll get going!”
“Are we good on time?” Alyssa asked, looking down at her phone.
“Oh, we are plenty good on time!” I smiled, starting the car up. “But, um, we might have a little problem…” I bit my lip as we moved down the street.
“Oh my god what happened please tell me you printed all of our tickets.” Mackenzie said urgently.
“Well…” I trailed off, so ready to milk this. “We kind of lost our seats.”
“WHAT?”
“HANNAH WHAT DID YOU DO!”
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?”
“Calm the fuck down!” I yelled. “Dear god I’m going to lose my hearing before we even get there!”
“Well what happened?” Kylie leaned forward.
I shrugged. “Well first of all, and you have to promise not to freak out too badly-” I was dying from all of their faces, they looked so scared, “-but we got moved up to the front. As in the VIP front!” All of the girls broke into shouts, making me wince and swerve just a tiny bit.
“OH MY GOD SO ARE WE GETTING THERE EARLY DO WE GET TO SEE SOUNDCHECK OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO VOMIT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN” they were all talking so fast and so loud I couldn’t tell who was who.
“Guys!” I hushed them. “You’ll just have to bear with me though because we can’t go right to our seats when we get there, ok?”
“Well why not?” Kylie asked.
“Because I just got this text.” I handed the phone to Mackenzie and she proceeded to read it out loud.
“Ok, it says: Ello lovey! So I need you to do me a little favor and get here now. Management isn’t letting us meet fans and we’re just sitting here doing nothing. BRING PEOPLE!!! Please and thank you! Xx- HOLY SHIT IT SAYS X X LOUIS IS THIS FROM LOUIS AS IN LOUIS AS IN LOUIS TOMLINSON AND BRING PEOPLE THAT MEANS US WE’RE GOING TO MEET ONE DIRECTION I CANNOT BREATHE RIGHT NOW”
At that point, Kylie & Alyssa had joined in the freaking out. None of us could stop smiling.
~~*~~
“Hannah!” Harry beamed before turning completely serious. “You look the same.” We had just gotten backstage to the boys’ dressing rooms at Madison Square Garden and Harry was the first one we saw.
“It’s nice to see you too, Harry!” I rolled my eyes.
“I think she looks lovely!” I heard a deep voice from behind me. “How are you, love?” Liam enfolded me into a warm hug.
“Quite well, thank you!” I smiled into his shoulder.
“And I don’t believe we’ve met?” Liam smiled, stretching out a hand towards Mackenzie.
“I- I’m Mackenzie! I’m such a big fan oh my gosh and I’m Hannah’s friend which is why I’m here and oh my gosh-“
“Aw, c’mere!” Liam took her into a hug.
“Ah you’re friends with Hannah? Odd girl, yeah?” Louis trotted into the room, sweeping Mackenzie out of Liam’s arms and holding her tight against his chest. Her face went white as he said, “I’m Louis!” He pulled back and looked at her, cocking his head momentarily. “You smell lovely!”
“Louis! Be nice!” Harry frowned with a small smile.
“What? Telling a girl she smells lovely isn’t nice?” Louis put his hands up, arguing good naturedly.
“I don’t think Louis knows how to be nice!” I felt two arms snake around my waist and a warm chin rest on my shoulder. I took in the spicy scent before turning my head and, while trying not to hyperventilate, gave Zayn a small smile.
“I think he could learn, though!” I chuckled slightly as Louis made a face at us before turning back to Mackenzie.
“Eh maybe…” Zayn trailed off, keeping his arms gently nestled around my waist. It felt natural and warm, like we had done this a thousand times before. “Hello Hannah’s friends! You doing alright?”
“Yeah, thanks!” came the various responses of the three girls.
“And you?” He said into my ear.
“I’m doing okay.” I nodded, resting my head against his. “How’s your arm?”
“I’ve forgotten all about it!” He held up the bright green cast and marveled at it for a moment.
“Well I haven’t! Do you know how difficult it is to eat ribs with this thing?” I didn’t even have to turn to recognize the Irishman’s entrance into the room. Before I knew it he was by my side, looking at me with those bright eyes. “Hello!” he smiled.
“Hi!” I left Zayn’s arms to walk into Niall’s. Where Zayn’s arms had felt welcoming and warm, Niall’s felt strong, passionate and like I never EVER wanted to leave. It wasn’t that I didn’t love Zayn’s hugs… It was just that Niall’s made me die inside.
“And how are YOUR ribs doing?” He murmured into my hair.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “They’re feeling better. I’m sorry your eating habits are being disturbed by your current affliction!” I smiled up at him apologetically. He let out a beautiful laugh.
“Hey everyone! I’m Niall!” He went around the room, hugging each girl & keeping a huge smile on his face all the while. Meanwhile, introductions were being conducted. “Kylie!” Zayn gave her a big hug and a light kiss on the cheek. “Lovely to meet you! How are you?”
“Um, I’m good I think?” She stammered. “I’m just kind of in shock because we didn’t even think that we’d be able to come tonight and we didn’t think we’d be meeting you until July and you all are so amazing and so much more beautiful in real life and I should stop talking right now!” she blurted out, blushing at her own words.
Zayn let out a laugh and turned to me. “She’s your friend?”
I nodded with a big smile as Niall helped me to sit on a couch.
Zayn said with a small chuckle, “I could tell!
Liam had already introduced himself to all three girls and was currently guiding Harry towards Alyssa. “This is the curly haired one, Harry!”
“Good to meet you, darling!” Harry kissed Alyssa lightly on the cheek before hugging her. When he pulled away, he let his hands rest on her arms, staring her in the eye and saying “You really have beautiful eyes!”
“Th- tha- thank you!” she stammered, her smile stretching impossibly wider.
“Well we have sound check in about thirty minutes. You’re all going to watch, yeah?” Liam plopped next to me, slinging his arm around my shoulder.
“Oh, my gosh, is that even a question?” Alyssa smiled.
“Yeah, I believe that’s why he phrased it that way, you know, as a question…” Mackenzie answered her with her typical amount of sass.
“Shut up Mac!” Alyssa’s eyes widened.
”Yeah, shut up, Mac!” Louis smacked Mackenzie lightly with a playful smile. “I like that nickname, by the way.” His smile widened, making her blush.
“Ooo, who made Mackenzie blush!” Allie returned from the bathroom with an expectant giggle.
“Allie! How’re you?” Liam stood, offering a welcoming hug.
“You know I still can’t see the resemblance between you two…” Zayn shook his head, taking Liam’s place beside me.
“What d’ya mean? They look incredibly alike! It’s in the eyes and the chins, see it?” Niall looked from me to my younger sister confidently.
“What, are you two cousins or something?” Harry looked up from his conversation with Alyssa and squinted at the two of us. We all looked at him, dumbfounded.
“They’re sisters, you idiot!” Louis chuckled, throwing a pillow at him. Harry batted the pillow away before looking back to Allie and I in disbelief.
“You are not!” he smiled.
“Yes, we are!” I laughed.
“Unfortunately…” Allie put her hand on her hip and sighed with a sassy smile.
“C’mon, you’re all joking with me…” Harry shook his head.
“No, really, they’re sisters. How do you not see that?” Niall gestured to the two of us.
I shrugged. “Hey, I mean, I don’t see it and I know we’re sisters!”
“Nah, I see what Niall’s saying…” Liam shook his head, studying us.
“I’m with Harry on this one.” Zayn smirked. “You honestly look nothing alike. And Allie looks older, too!” He nodded towards my taller sister.
“Ugh, are you serious!” I groaned. “I hate when people say that. It’s the braces, isn’t it?” I frowned, chewing at my lip in irritation.
“Plus Allie could be a supermodel-” Harry began.
“Harry!” Niall shot.
“What?” The curly haired boy shrugged.
“ ‘What?’ You basically just told Hannah that she’s ugly!” Zayn picked up on Niall’s offence.
“No! No, no, no, no, that is not at all what I was getting at!” Harry protested urgently.
“Good luck getting yourself out of this one…!” Louis chuckled.
“No, I was just saying that Allie has that kind of supermodel beauty with long limbs and airbrushed features while Hannah has a girl-next-door natural beauty! It’s not that one’s prettier than the other! They both just have different kinds of beauty!” Harry explained.
“I’m cool with supermodel!” Allie quipped happily, helping herself to a can of Coke from the mini fridge in the corner.
“And I’m glad you think I have natural beauty!” I smiled at Harry. I knew what he had been getting at. Allie has the kind of looks that you would see inside Vogue or on a fashion website, while I’m more the Seventeen magazine or Soho chic kind of girl.
“Alright, boys, sound check!” Came a voice from the door.
“Already?” Liam looked at his watch.
“I guess we’re doing it a bit earlier?” Niall stood, offering me a hand up.
“Doesn’t matter, let’s just go!” Zayn jogged to the door. “You comin’, lads?”
“Yup!” Niall followed Kylie and Zayn out. Harry was close behind with Alyssa in tow and Allie bringing up the rear.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be down in a minute!” Louis waved to us as we headed out the door.
“Let’s just leave those two to some alone time, then…” Liam winked at me, holding the door as we exited.
“They’re so funny together!” I laughed.
“I actually haven’t seen him so happy with a girl in a-” Liam stopped himself as we were walking down the hallway.
“What? What do you mean?” I wrinkled my brow.
“Well, ok, you have to promise not to say anything? Like, to anyone?” Liam said seriously.
“Of course not!”
“Right, well, Louis has never seemed…” Liam struggled to find the right word, “…I guess he never seemed quite happy with Eleanor. She’s a lovely girl, don’t get me wrong! But… Well, you know how weird the fandom can get. Like, people are always talking about how she is a cover up for Larry Stylinson and stuff and it gets, I don’t know, just weird? So I think that Louis thinks that if he broke up with Eleanor at this point, people would jump on that and say that it was confirmation that the whole stupid Larry Stylinson thing is real and he doesn’t want that… Do you see what I’m saying?”
“Oh, my gosh, Liam, of course! I mean, in my opinion, y’all are people, and I don’t feel like the fandom should be making assumptions or accusations or whatever. Respect is all, you know?” I said simply.
“How is it that you say ‘y’all’ when you’re all the way up here in New England?” Liam queried as if he hadn’t heard my little rant.
“I dunno, I guess it’s just one of those quirks I have?” I laughed.
“Well, I like it!” He smiled down at me. As he grabbed his mike from a black-clad grip, he looked down at me and said, “I’m really glad we met you, Hannah.”
It was all I could do to keep from bursting of happiness as he gathered me into a big bear hug and I mustered out, “I’m really glad I met you too, Liam!”
7/25/13