Drama
Chapter 22: Girl-To-Girl
Leila's P.O.V.
His friend comes and drives us to my apartment, reaching it in no time. Niall climbs out and helps me out like the gentleman he is, walking me upstairs to the door. Before I have time to slide my key in, Niall grabs me, spins me around, and kisses me full on, not letting anything hold him back.
A few seconds later, he pulls out, leaving me speechless.
“What was that for?” I ask, finding my voice and smiling at him.
“I had a great time this weekend,” he shrugs. “I hope when I get back, we’ll have more like that.”
“I’d like that,” I say, and unlock the door, swinging it open.
“Well, I’ve got to get back, he’s my only ride,” Niall explains, causing me to turn around.
“Aw, damn, I thought I could have you for the rest of the night,” I whine.
“Sorry, babe, I promise when I’ll get back, I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” he compromises.
I walk over and throw my arms around him, closing my eyes and hugging him close. His strong arms wrap around me too, squeezing me tight. I open my eyes and pull out, looking straight into those deep blue orbs.
“Promise?” I ask.
“Promise,” he agrees, and kisses me lightly again.
“See you tomorrow?” I question, hoping he’ll come by the studio.
“Yup. I want to have a special lunch with you before I leave,” he replies, smiling.
“Yay!” I exclaim, grinning back at him.
“Well, I gotta go. Bye, Leila,” Niall says, waving and walking down the hallway.
“Bye, Niall,” I respond, waving back at him. He disappears from my view and I head back into my apartment, closing the door.
“Have fun?” a familiar voice asks from behind me. I jump and turn around to see Madison looking at me from the couch.
“Oh, my God, Madison, I didn’t know you were here!” I shriek.
“Um, yeah, I live here,” she sarcastically remarks, giggling a bit.
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you,” I apologize.
“It’s okay. You and Niall seem pretty cute,” Madison compliments.
“Thanks,” I reply, blushing.
Grabbing my bags from the counter, I head in my bedroom to put everything away. I shower and get all comfy in pajamas, ready to relax even though it’s still the middle of the afternoon. Madison prepares another fabulous dinner and we have a girly-girl night complete with painting our nails. You could consider us girly-girls, but we’re pretty tough compared to the snobby, popular, “I broke a nail!” girly-girls.
The night passes by quickly and soon, tomorrow is today. I wake up realizing that this is the last day I get to be with Niall until he leaves tomorrow for Ireland. He has a special lunch planned for me and that’s when I literally jump out of bed and get ready.
My morning routine is becoming easier for me and a bit quicker too, I might add. Before I know it, I’m out the door and into the cool air outside. The walk is nice and refreshing and I reach the studio in plenty of time.
I enter in the meeting room and spot Alexa in her usual seat. She smiles when she notices me heading over by her and I pull out the chair and settle myself down.
“How was your weekend?” Alexa asks me first.
“Amazing! Niall was so cute and romantic the entire time,” I beam, trying not to brag. Her expression is completely the opposite.
“So you haven’t heard that you’re in the news again?” she questions.
“What?!” I exclaim.
“Leila, you’ve got to get used to this, though. You’re dating a celebrity, you’re going to be in the media, and sometimes the media lies,” she explains.
“What are they saying? Alexa, tell me!” I demand, staying on the quiet side so most of the people in the room don’t hear me.
“First of all, stay calm. And second, there’s a rumor going on that you two are only dating for the press. People are saying management pushed Niall into going out with you,” Alexa reveals.
“Are you kidding me?” I reply, sighing.
“Sorry, girl,” Alexa apologizes.
At that moment, Mr. Conners walks in with his usual stack of freshly printed scripts. He slides them across the table to each of us and we start off the morning like usual, reading the new episode and saying each line as we go through.
I keep feeling like there is a pair of eyes watching me and I catch Spencer looking away right as I look up not once, but twice. Her face is twisted up into disgust when she quickly glances down at her script again, so something’s up with her.
After running through the script twice, it’s around 11:30 and my stomach is growling. I exit the meeting room and look for Niall, who apparently isn’t here yet. My phone buzzes from inside my bag and I reach in and grab it, unlocking the screen. Niall texted me telling me to meet him at the corner down the block. I smile as I slip my phone back in my bag and walk out of the doors into the warm sun.
The busy city greets me as I stroll down the sidewalk, careful not to get hit by any cars or bikers. I reach the corner where Niall told me to meet him, but I don’t see him anywhere. I pull out my phone and reread the message, making sure I’m at the right place.
Suddenly, someone comes up behind me and tickles my side, almost causing me to lose my grip on my phone. I whip around to see Niall with his usual disguise (sunglasses and hoodie) laughing histerically.
“Niall!” I scream, playfully punching his arm.
“What?” he asks, still giggling.
“You know how much that freaks me out!” I shriek. He clears his throat and stops chuckling.
“Sorry,” he apologizes, but that smirk is still there.
“Anyways, where are we going? I’m starving,” I question.
“Follow me,” Niall says, and takes my hand in his, leading me away from the intersection.
Niall directs me to a small park I’ve never even seen here yet. As we near it, I can see a blanket with a nice woven picnic basket set neatly on it. I smile as I sit down on the blanket, Niall following after me.
He opens the basket and pulls out dishes of what looks like Italian food. He hands me a bowl of pasta and some silverware, bringing out more food for himself. I lift up the cover and dig in.
“This is amazing, thank you, Niall,” I speak after a few bites.
“You’re welcome, love,” he responds.
“Why Italian?” I ask.
“I know you love Italian, and, why not?” he answers.
“I’m really going to miss you, Niall,” I say, changing the subject.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he replies.
We exchange smiles and finish our food, soaking up the sun and enjoying the park. After a little while, we pack up and head back to the studio, making small talk as we do so.
Niall leads me inside the studio and we enter the meeting room again, laughing at his horrible jokes. I’m able to sit down before 2 other girls step into the room, giggling loudly. Our heads turn at the same time and my stomach jostles as my eyes recognize the 2 girls as Spencer and Sierra.
I pull on Niall’s shirt and he leans down as I whisper in his ear, “I thought you said they weren’t friends anymore!”
He shrugs and I look at the girls again, their stare now focused on Niall and I.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Are there any cameras around to catch this little sight?” Spencer jeers, posing a few times for some invisible cameras.
“Fuck off, Spencer,” Niall tells her.
“Sorry, I work here,” she smirks.
“Then leave us alone,” he tries.
“But it’s so much fun! What, you don’t like us?” Sierra pouts.
“Obviously not!” I interject.
“I wasn’t talking to you, bitch. And anyways, you should like us. We’ll get you more famous than Johnny Depp,” Sierra replies.
“Okay, no one calls my girlfriend a bitch,” Niall demands, standing up and facing the girls.
“Oh, so she is your girlfriend? The press keeps calling her a publicity stunt, but we call her a bitch. That’s right, she’s a B-I-T-C-H. What are you going to do about it?” Sierra scoffs.
My heart sinks as the words pierce my soul, but I know these girls are just doing this because it’s them and they’re jealous that I’ve got what they want. I can’t let this get to me.
On the other hand, Niall’s getting really pissed off and I can tell he wants to punch one of them, but he can’t. It’s a gentleman rule: men aren’t supposed to hit women otherwise they can go to jail if the woman reports it.
“Nothing, just like we thought,” Spencer scorns.
“You should really think about who you love, because I’m pretty sure loving a bitch won’t do you any good,” Sierra adds.
“Shut up!” I yell. I step out from behind Niall and find my voice.
“If you guys really want him, then fine. Take him. I’m done here, you’ve won,” I cry, pushing past them and running down the hallway.
“Leila!” I hear Niall shout, but I’m too upset to even look back. I know he’s chasing after me, but my legs just don’t want to stop.
He eventually catches me and wraps his arms around me, knowing I won’t be able to get out of his strong grip no matter how much I squirm.
“Leila! Leila!” he repeats. “Calm down!”
I sigh and give up, becoming limp in his arms. The tears rain down my face and I can’t stop them.
“Sssshhh, it’s okay, love,” he whispers in my ear, and it’s just the words I needed to hear as I instantly relax.
“Are you alright now?” he asks, loosening up a bit. I nod.
“I know I probably shouldn’t ask this right now, but why did you say that back there? Are you leaving me?” he questions.
“No,” I choke out. “I don’t know what made me say that. I was just fed up with them, I guess.”
“So I’m still yours?”
“You will always be mine,” I answer, half-smiling. He kisses my cheek and lets me go.
“Sierra and Spencer now think they own me, thanks to you,” Niall points out.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t, but we’ve got to fix this before they go too crazy thinking I’m theirs,” he says.
“But you’re leaving tomorrow! How can we possibly fix this?!” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I’ll think of a way,” Niall responds. “You’d better get back in there, they’re waiting for you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” he finishes, and kisses me quickly.
I run down the hallway and back into the meeting room, tons of pairs of eyes watching me as I enter. I take my seat and we begin rereading the script again. My stomach is still uneasy as I know Spencer’s here in the room with me, but luckily Sierra’s not here to ruin it completely.
His friend comes and drives us to my apartment, reaching it in no time. Niall climbs out and helps me out like the gentleman he is, walking me upstairs to the door. Before I have time to slide my key in, Niall grabs me, spins me around, and kisses me full on, not letting anything hold him back.
A few seconds later, he pulls out, leaving me speechless.
“What was that for?” I ask, finding my voice and smiling at him.
“I had a great time this weekend,” he shrugs. “I hope when I get back, we’ll have more like that.”
“I’d like that,” I say, and unlock the door, swinging it open.
“Well, I’ve got to get back, he’s my only ride,” Niall explains, causing me to turn around.
“Aw, damn, I thought I could have you for the rest of the night,” I whine.
“Sorry, babe, I promise when I’ll get back, I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” he compromises.
I walk over and throw my arms around him, closing my eyes and hugging him close. His strong arms wrap around me too, squeezing me tight. I open my eyes and pull out, looking straight into those deep blue orbs.
“Promise?” I ask.
“Promise,” he agrees, and kisses me lightly again.
“See you tomorrow?” I question, hoping he’ll come by the studio.
“Yup. I want to have a special lunch with you before I leave,” he replies, smiling.
“Yay!” I exclaim, grinning back at him.
“Well, I gotta go. Bye, Leila,” Niall says, waving and walking down the hallway.
“Bye, Niall,” I respond, waving back at him. He disappears from my view and I head back into my apartment, closing the door.
“Have fun?” a familiar voice asks from behind me. I jump and turn around to see Madison looking at me from the couch.
“Oh, my God, Madison, I didn’t know you were here!” I shriek.
“Um, yeah, I live here,” she sarcastically remarks, giggling a bit.
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you,” I apologize.
“It’s okay. You and Niall seem pretty cute,” Madison compliments.
“Thanks,” I reply, blushing.
Grabbing my bags from the counter, I head in my bedroom to put everything away. I shower and get all comfy in pajamas, ready to relax even though it’s still the middle of the afternoon. Madison prepares another fabulous dinner and we have a girly-girl night complete with painting our nails. You could consider us girly-girls, but we’re pretty tough compared to the snobby, popular, “I broke a nail!” girly-girls.
The night passes by quickly and soon, tomorrow is today. I wake up realizing that this is the last day I get to be with Niall until he leaves tomorrow for Ireland. He has a special lunch planned for me and that’s when I literally jump out of bed and get ready.
My morning routine is becoming easier for me and a bit quicker too, I might add. Before I know it, I’m out the door and into the cool air outside. The walk is nice and refreshing and I reach the studio in plenty of time.
I enter in the meeting room and spot Alexa in her usual seat. She smiles when she notices me heading over by her and I pull out the chair and settle myself down.
“How was your weekend?” Alexa asks me first.
“Amazing! Niall was so cute and romantic the entire time,” I beam, trying not to brag. Her expression is completely the opposite.
“So you haven’t heard that you’re in the news again?” she questions.
“What?!” I exclaim.
“Leila, you’ve got to get used to this, though. You’re dating a celebrity, you’re going to be in the media, and sometimes the media lies,” she explains.
“What are they saying? Alexa, tell me!” I demand, staying on the quiet side so most of the people in the room don’t hear me.
“First of all, stay calm. And second, there’s a rumor going on that you two are only dating for the press. People are saying management pushed Niall into going out with you,” Alexa reveals.
“Are you kidding me?” I reply, sighing.
“Sorry, girl,” Alexa apologizes.
At that moment, Mr. Conners walks in with his usual stack of freshly printed scripts. He slides them across the table to each of us and we start off the morning like usual, reading the new episode and saying each line as we go through.
I keep feeling like there is a pair of eyes watching me and I catch Spencer looking away right as I look up not once, but twice. Her face is twisted up into disgust when she quickly glances down at her script again, so something’s up with her.
After running through the script twice, it’s around 11:30 and my stomach is growling. I exit the meeting room and look for Niall, who apparently isn’t here yet. My phone buzzes from inside my bag and I reach in and grab it, unlocking the screen. Niall texted me telling me to meet him at the corner down the block. I smile as I slip my phone back in my bag and walk out of the doors into the warm sun.
The busy city greets me as I stroll down the sidewalk, careful not to get hit by any cars or bikers. I reach the corner where Niall told me to meet him, but I don’t see him anywhere. I pull out my phone and reread the message, making sure I’m at the right place.
Suddenly, someone comes up behind me and tickles my side, almost causing me to lose my grip on my phone. I whip around to see Niall with his usual disguise (sunglasses and hoodie) laughing histerically.
“Niall!” I scream, playfully punching his arm.
“What?” he asks, still giggling.
“You know how much that freaks me out!” I shriek. He clears his throat and stops chuckling.
“Sorry,” he apologizes, but that smirk is still there.
“Anyways, where are we going? I’m starving,” I question.
“Follow me,” Niall says, and takes my hand in his, leading me away from the intersection.
Niall directs me to a small park I’ve never even seen here yet. As we near it, I can see a blanket with a nice woven picnic basket set neatly on it. I smile as I sit down on the blanket, Niall following after me.
He opens the basket and pulls out dishes of what looks like Italian food. He hands me a bowl of pasta and some silverware, bringing out more food for himself. I lift up the cover and dig in.
“This is amazing, thank you, Niall,” I speak after a few bites.
“You’re welcome, love,” he responds.
“Why Italian?” I ask.
“I know you love Italian, and, why not?” he answers.
“I’m really going to miss you, Niall,” I say, changing the subject.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he replies.
We exchange smiles and finish our food, soaking up the sun and enjoying the park. After a little while, we pack up and head back to the studio, making small talk as we do so.
Niall leads me inside the studio and we enter the meeting room again, laughing at his horrible jokes. I’m able to sit down before 2 other girls step into the room, giggling loudly. Our heads turn at the same time and my stomach jostles as my eyes recognize the 2 girls as Spencer and Sierra.
I pull on Niall’s shirt and he leans down as I whisper in his ear, “I thought you said they weren’t friends anymore!”
He shrugs and I look at the girls again, their stare now focused on Niall and I.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Are there any cameras around to catch this little sight?” Spencer jeers, posing a few times for some invisible cameras.
“Fuck off, Spencer,” Niall tells her.
“Sorry, I work here,” she smirks.
“Then leave us alone,” he tries.
“But it’s so much fun! What, you don’t like us?” Sierra pouts.
“Obviously not!” I interject.
“I wasn’t talking to you, bitch. And anyways, you should like us. We’ll get you more famous than Johnny Depp,” Sierra replies.
“Okay, no one calls my girlfriend a bitch,” Niall demands, standing up and facing the girls.
“Oh, so she is your girlfriend? The press keeps calling her a publicity stunt, but we call her a bitch. That’s right, she’s a B-I-T-C-H. What are you going to do about it?” Sierra scoffs.
My heart sinks as the words pierce my soul, but I know these girls are just doing this because it’s them and they’re jealous that I’ve got what they want. I can’t let this get to me.
On the other hand, Niall’s getting really pissed off and I can tell he wants to punch one of them, but he can’t. It’s a gentleman rule: men aren’t supposed to hit women otherwise they can go to jail if the woman reports it.
“Nothing, just like we thought,” Spencer scorns.
“You should really think about who you love, because I’m pretty sure loving a bitch won’t do you any good,” Sierra adds.
“Shut up!” I yell. I step out from behind Niall and find my voice.
“If you guys really want him, then fine. Take him. I’m done here, you’ve won,” I cry, pushing past them and running down the hallway.
“Leila!” I hear Niall shout, but I’m too upset to even look back. I know he’s chasing after me, but my legs just don’t want to stop.
He eventually catches me and wraps his arms around me, knowing I won’t be able to get out of his strong grip no matter how much I squirm.
“Leila! Leila!” he repeats. “Calm down!”
I sigh and give up, becoming limp in his arms. The tears rain down my face and I can’t stop them.
“Sssshhh, it’s okay, love,” he whispers in my ear, and it’s just the words I needed to hear as I instantly relax.
“Are you alright now?” he asks, loosening up a bit. I nod.
“I know I probably shouldn’t ask this right now, but why did you say that back there? Are you leaving me?” he questions.
“No,” I choke out. “I don’t know what made me say that. I was just fed up with them, I guess.”
“So I’m still yours?”
“You will always be mine,” I answer, half-smiling. He kisses my cheek and lets me go.
“Sierra and Spencer now think they own me, thanks to you,” Niall points out.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t, but we’ve got to fix this before they go too crazy thinking I’m theirs,” he says.
“But you’re leaving tomorrow! How can we possibly fix this?!” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I’ll think of a way,” Niall responds. “You’d better get back in there, they’re waiting for you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” he finishes, and kisses me quickly.
I run down the hallway and back into the meeting room, tons of pairs of eyes watching me as I enter. I take my seat and we begin rereading the script again. My stomach is still uneasy as I know Spencer’s here in the room with me, but luckily Sierra’s not here to ruin it completely.
Notes
Sorry for the late update, musical was taking up a lot of my time and honestly, I'm so glad it's over but it was my last high school spring musical so I am slightly sad.Spring break is coming up soon so hopefully I'll get back to prewriting! Crossing my fingers my mom won't have stuff for me to do.
Rachel :)
Make a Sequel please.
9/13/14