Just Pretend
Chapter One
“Gray! Get up!” A voice spoke quickly and quietly out of nowhere, breaking Brooklyn out of her peaceful rest.
Brooklyn burst up, immediately being greeted by her pounding headache. She laid her head lightly onto her arms. She turned her head softly to stare at her friend.
When she peeked her eyes open again, Niall’s blonde head swam into view, a halo of light from her kitchen window echoing around it.
“Niall…please explain why you are waking me up this early in the morning?” Brooklyn asked her friend in a quiet and groggy voice.
A flick was abruptly greeted towards Brooklyn’s head as she lifted it up, noticing she was in the kitchen. The sun was high outside and light was beaming in. “It’s two in the afternoon, and you promised the boys that you would come to lunch with us.” Niall reminded her.
Brooklyn’s head pounded as she remembered this. She had stayed up until four the previous night, studying for her upcoming theatre exam at her local college. She had to remember to do that earlier.
Then again, there was a slim chance of that happening.
“Oh, right, lunch.” Brooklyn remembered, dropping her head into her cold hands, greeting her aching head with relaxation.
“Go get ready, you look like a bum.” Niall stated with a smile, as Brooklyn waved him off.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She stated, cracking a small smile, as she shuffled across the large open apartment. When she got to her room, Niall followed in like a small dog, plopping down on her bed.
“I haven’t seen the boys in a while, how are they all?” Brooklyn asked, talking over her shoulder, as she flipped through her closet, picking out her clothes for the day.
“Same old, same old, I suppose.” Niall stated, as Brooklyn nodded, her long brown hair cascading down her back. She picked out a shirt from her old dance studio and a pair of jeans, walking into the bathroom.
“I’ve missed you all. Cornell University’s work has been a bitch, and you guys have been off with shows, it’s been so lonely.” She stated with a smile, as she slipped into her clothes, and brushed through her hair and teeth.
She applied her signature amount of eyeliner before walking out of the bathroom, slipping on her converse. “Once again, Brooklyn Gray finishes getting ready in record time!” She announced, making a sound that resembled a crowd cheering.
Niall chuckled, as he tossed a casual arm around her, leading her towards the car. “Come on champion, they’re going to order for us if we don’t hurry.” He stated, recalling how last time Harry ordered Brooklyn and Niall the hottest thing on the Thai menu.
Brooklyn chuckled, grabbing her keys, and heading out the door.
~
By the time they got to the restaurant, everyone was already there. They made it just in time to order too, keeping them safe from whatever concoction Harry was going to order.
“Brooklyn! Great to see you again, we’ve missed our little actress.” Louis announced, pulling her down into the booth next to him. Niall squeezed in next to Brooklyn, finishing the third person to fit in that seat.
“Yeah, Brooklyn, where have ya been?” Zayn asked with a smile, taking a sip of his cola, draining the remaining from the ice.
“I’ve been around, you know, stuck in town. Unlike you guys, who have been casually touring the world.” She reminded him with raised eyebrows, a small smile on her lips as she lifted up the menu.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out by their booth.
“Oh my god, Niall! I missed you so so much! You haven’t been texting me as often!” A shrill and annoying girl ran over, her blonde extensions slightly crooked. Brooklyn rolled her eyes, as half the boys groaned.
“Oh, Marley, I thought you were at your aunts.” Niall stated, his voice less than enthusiastic for running into the preppy girl.
“No no, I got home a week ago, silly! When can we catch up?” She stated, trying to look seductive, twirling her hair, sitting on Niall’s lap. Brooklyn thought she looked more of a lost monkey of some sort.
“You two broke up, Marley, you understand that, right?” Harry clarified, causing Brooklyn to giggle slightly, before hiding the fact she did with a cough.
“Oh, we never put a label on it.” Marley stated, waving her hand as if she was waving away the words.
“Yes, Niall did. Does ‘we’re breaking up,’ ring a bell to you?” Louis asked, causing Harry to chuckle.
Marley made a face at Louis before standing up. “Call me, boo.” Marley stated, smiling at Niall before childishly sticking her tongue out at the rest of them. She practically skipped away out of the restaurant.
“She’s crazy.” Brooklyn stated, with a small laugh as Niall stared at her, his eyes working.
“What are you staring at?” Brooklyn asked, almost cautiously, as she peered up at him. Niall’s lip stretched into a smile. “Brooklyn, after this, I’ll need to talk with you on the ride home. Perhaps, we can stop for ice cream.” He stated, strangely. Brooklyn stared at him cautiously before nodding softly, just as the waitress came to take their order.
Brooklyn burst up, immediately being greeted by her pounding headache. She laid her head lightly onto her arms. She turned her head softly to stare at her friend.
When she peeked her eyes open again, Niall’s blonde head swam into view, a halo of light from her kitchen window echoing around it.
“Niall…please explain why you are waking me up this early in the morning?” Brooklyn asked her friend in a quiet and groggy voice.
A flick was abruptly greeted towards Brooklyn’s head as she lifted it up, noticing she was in the kitchen. The sun was high outside and light was beaming in. “It’s two in the afternoon, and you promised the boys that you would come to lunch with us.” Niall reminded her.
Brooklyn’s head pounded as she remembered this. She had stayed up until four the previous night, studying for her upcoming theatre exam at her local college. She had to remember to do that earlier.
Then again, there was a slim chance of that happening.
“Oh, right, lunch.” Brooklyn remembered, dropping her head into her cold hands, greeting her aching head with relaxation.
“Go get ready, you look like a bum.” Niall stated with a smile, as Brooklyn waved him off.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She stated, cracking a small smile, as she shuffled across the large open apartment. When she got to her room, Niall followed in like a small dog, plopping down on her bed.
“I haven’t seen the boys in a while, how are they all?” Brooklyn asked, talking over her shoulder, as she flipped through her closet, picking out her clothes for the day.
“Same old, same old, I suppose.” Niall stated, as Brooklyn nodded, her long brown hair cascading down her back. She picked out a shirt from her old dance studio and a pair of jeans, walking into the bathroom.
“I’ve missed you all. Cornell University’s work has been a bitch, and you guys have been off with shows, it’s been so lonely.” She stated with a smile, as she slipped into her clothes, and brushed through her hair and teeth.
She applied her signature amount of eyeliner before walking out of the bathroom, slipping on her converse. “Once again, Brooklyn Gray finishes getting ready in record time!” She announced, making a sound that resembled a crowd cheering.
Niall chuckled, as he tossed a casual arm around her, leading her towards the car. “Come on champion, they’re going to order for us if we don’t hurry.” He stated, recalling how last time Harry ordered Brooklyn and Niall the hottest thing on the Thai menu.
Brooklyn chuckled, grabbing her keys, and heading out the door.
~
By the time they got to the restaurant, everyone was already there. They made it just in time to order too, keeping them safe from whatever concoction Harry was going to order.
“Brooklyn! Great to see you again, we’ve missed our little actress.” Louis announced, pulling her down into the booth next to him. Niall squeezed in next to Brooklyn, finishing the third person to fit in that seat.
“Yeah, Brooklyn, where have ya been?” Zayn asked with a smile, taking a sip of his cola, draining the remaining from the ice.
“I’ve been around, you know, stuck in town. Unlike you guys, who have been casually touring the world.” She reminded him with raised eyebrows, a small smile on her lips as she lifted up the menu.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out by their booth.
“Oh my god, Niall! I missed you so so much! You haven’t been texting me as often!” A shrill and annoying girl ran over, her blonde extensions slightly crooked. Brooklyn rolled her eyes, as half the boys groaned.
“Oh, Marley, I thought you were at your aunts.” Niall stated, his voice less than enthusiastic for running into the preppy girl.
“No no, I got home a week ago, silly! When can we catch up?” She stated, trying to look seductive, twirling her hair, sitting on Niall’s lap. Brooklyn thought she looked more of a lost monkey of some sort.
“You two broke up, Marley, you understand that, right?” Harry clarified, causing Brooklyn to giggle slightly, before hiding the fact she did with a cough.
“Oh, we never put a label on it.” Marley stated, waving her hand as if she was waving away the words.
“Yes, Niall did. Does ‘we’re breaking up,’ ring a bell to you?” Louis asked, causing Harry to chuckle.
Marley made a face at Louis before standing up. “Call me, boo.” Marley stated, smiling at Niall before childishly sticking her tongue out at the rest of them. She practically skipped away out of the restaurant.
“She’s crazy.” Brooklyn stated, with a small laugh as Niall stared at her, his eyes working.
“What are you staring at?” Brooklyn asked, almost cautiously, as she peered up at him. Niall’s lip stretched into a smile. “Brooklyn, after this, I’ll need to talk with you on the ride home. Perhaps, we can stop for ice cream.” He stated, strangely. Brooklyn stared at him cautiously before nodding softly, just as the waitress came to take their order.
8/11/13