I Thought You'd Care
Chapter 17: Bye, Blondie
Chapter 17: Bye, Blondie
Nell’s POV
We were all tired from paintball, so we decided to go to lunch at a nearby pizza place. Niall and I had been keeping a safe distance from each other, so as not to start any rumors about us, although the way we smiled at each other, I think we were making it a little too obvious. The boys got stopped every other minute for pictures or autographs. One girl kissed Niall on the cheek, and I had to restrain myself from punching her. He’s not even your boyfriend, I reminded myself.
While were spending this time together, it occurred to me that I hadn’t taken the pills that I’d been prescribed for my depression in the entire time that I’d known the boys, and I’d never felt happier. I stopped thinking horrible things about myself. I smiled a lot, even when I was alone. I had a lot of confidence. It was amazing.
When we got inside and were seated in the back, and promised that no one would come disturb us after Harry slipped the manager four hundred pound (maybe a bit overkill, but I wasn’t complaining), Niall sat down next to me. I was on the end, so I had the wall to my right, him to my left, and Harry across from me. When he had made sure that there was no way that there could be paparazzi—we were cornered off, and there were no windows in the room—Niall reached over and took my hand, smiling at me. It gave me chills. I’d never felt this way with any of my exes, especially not Jake, the one I’d supposedly loved, and who had supposedly loved me back. I shuddered at the thought of him. You didn’t do what he’d done to me to someone you loved.
Niall looked at me, concerned. “Are you okay?” He whispered, pulling his hand away. “Should I have not done that?”
I reached for his hand again and shook my head. I smiled up at him. “No, just thinking about something else. Something long gone.” I squeezed his hand and started looking at the menu.
Harry’s POV
I had decided to stop pretending that I didn’t care. I had decided to stop kidding myself about her. I knew that I was normally really good with girls, but I finally accepted that Nell was just something different, and I couldn’t just win her like I normally did. It was hard to admit to myself. But after feeling jealous, and angry, and lustful, and almost like my heart would break whenever I saw her and Niall getting all lovey, I had to suck it up and just accept the fact that I really liked her, and I really cared, and it was killing me seeing her with Niall.
Niall and I fought over girls a lot. Well, maybe not a lot, but at least three times we had both been into a girl and we had both tried to get her. I had won all three times, but then found out that the girls weren’t really worth the fight. Which was always a shame. This time, though, I actually hated when Niall would do better than me. And I was worried that they would start dating, if they weren’t already, and I would let the first girl that I really liked slip through my fingers because she saw right through me.
She was wearing a fitted blue t-shirt with a slight v-neck, a pair of black leggings (presumably the ones that she had ‘lost’ last night) and some green high top Converse that she had brought with her yesterday, with her hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked really nice. Not in-your-face-bang-me-now nice, but make-Harry-Styles-drool-because-you-look-both-sexy-and-pleasant nice. It was a good combo. And the fact that she was also a really nice person was making me fall apart. I stuttered whenever I talked to her. My hand had brushed against hers and I practically yelped. I didn’t know what was going on: I was never like this. I don’t remember the last time that I was nervous around a girl.
And, surprisingly, I loved it.
I loved the way she made me feel. I loved the feeling of actually, truly falling for someone. That’s not to say that I didn’t really want to bang her, but Niall obviously did, too, so it was okay.
I finally knew how Niall felt when I would be with a girl that he liked. The day after we met her, when they were cuddled up, I had been angrier than I had in a while. When I found out they had kissed, I had wanted to punch him in the face. When I woke up last night, and I saw them on the couch, facing each other, I had wanted to tear my hair out. And now, seeing him grip her hand and watch their whispered conversation, the way they just looked so happy, I was more jealous than I’d ever been.
Nell’s POV
After lunch, Niall and I lingered in the closed off area for a moment. All the others had gone outside, and we were going with them, but at the last second I grabbed his hand and pulled him back in. “So, I’m going shopping with the girls,” I said.
He grinned. “Yeah, I know. I think we’ll just watch a movie and then meet you a few blocks away from the party.”
I smiled at him. “I just wanted a proper goodbye,” I said cheekily.
He stepped closer to me and put an arm around my waist. “Did you have anything in mind?” He asked, a sly smile on his face.
“I had an idea…” I trailed off as his lips met mine. It was a quick kiss, no tongue, but still nice. We pulled away, and I gave him one last peck on the cheek before we walked outside. No one seemed to notice our absence, not even Harry, which I was glad for. They had a habit of making it embarrassing. Just before we parted ways I went over to Niall and smiled up to him. “I’ll see you later, okay?” It was all I could do to not give him a kiss goodbye.
“You have no clue how hard it is to not kiss you right now,” he whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
“Trust me, I have a clue.” I winked slightly at him. “Bye, blondie.”
“Bye, Nell.”
I turned on my heel and met up with the girls, who had been watching our exchange. “Let’s go!” Eleanor said, grabbing my wrist. “We need dresses!”
-3 hours later-
Shopping with these girls was exhausting. For one thing, they all had plenty of money to spend on their outfits. I had a three hundred dollars that I had made off of tips yesterday, and that was it for the whole outfit. I needed a dress, shoes, and whatever other accessories I could get, seeing as I was going to be at a party with the most famous people in London. It crossed my mind that I should probably get some underwear, too. Just in case. Things could happen.
For another thing, they were all gorgeous. Anything and everything they wore looked amazing. They could probably show up in a cardboard box and still be the most attractive people I’d ever seen. I sighed. I finally found a dress that I liked, and as I tried it on, I actually felt pretty. After we’d all picked out everything that we needed, we headed back to Eleanor’s flat to do our hair and get ready.
(For those who are interested; this is Nell’s outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=76606270#fans)
Nell’s POV
We were all tired from paintball, so we decided to go to lunch at a nearby pizza place. Niall and I had been keeping a safe distance from each other, so as not to start any rumors about us, although the way we smiled at each other, I think we were making it a little too obvious. The boys got stopped every other minute for pictures or autographs. One girl kissed Niall on the cheek, and I had to restrain myself from punching her. He’s not even your boyfriend, I reminded myself.
While were spending this time together, it occurred to me that I hadn’t taken the pills that I’d been prescribed for my depression in the entire time that I’d known the boys, and I’d never felt happier. I stopped thinking horrible things about myself. I smiled a lot, even when I was alone. I had a lot of confidence. It was amazing.
When we got inside and were seated in the back, and promised that no one would come disturb us after Harry slipped the manager four hundred pound (maybe a bit overkill, but I wasn’t complaining), Niall sat down next to me. I was on the end, so I had the wall to my right, him to my left, and Harry across from me. When he had made sure that there was no way that there could be paparazzi—we were cornered off, and there were no windows in the room—Niall reached over and took my hand, smiling at me. It gave me chills. I’d never felt this way with any of my exes, especially not Jake, the one I’d supposedly loved, and who had supposedly loved me back. I shuddered at the thought of him. You didn’t do what he’d done to me to someone you loved.
Niall looked at me, concerned. “Are you okay?” He whispered, pulling his hand away. “Should I have not done that?”
I reached for his hand again and shook my head. I smiled up at him. “No, just thinking about something else. Something long gone.” I squeezed his hand and started looking at the menu.
Harry’s POV
I had decided to stop pretending that I didn’t care. I had decided to stop kidding myself about her. I knew that I was normally really good with girls, but I finally accepted that Nell was just something different, and I couldn’t just win her like I normally did. It was hard to admit to myself. But after feeling jealous, and angry, and lustful, and almost like my heart would break whenever I saw her and Niall getting all lovey, I had to suck it up and just accept the fact that I really liked her, and I really cared, and it was killing me seeing her with Niall.
Niall and I fought over girls a lot. Well, maybe not a lot, but at least three times we had both been into a girl and we had both tried to get her. I had won all three times, but then found out that the girls weren’t really worth the fight. Which was always a shame. This time, though, I actually hated when Niall would do better than me. And I was worried that they would start dating, if they weren’t already, and I would let the first girl that I really liked slip through my fingers because she saw right through me.
She was wearing a fitted blue t-shirt with a slight v-neck, a pair of black leggings (presumably the ones that she had ‘lost’ last night) and some green high top Converse that she had brought with her yesterday, with her hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked really nice. Not in-your-face-bang-me-now nice, but make-Harry-Styles-drool-because-you-look-both-sexy-and-pleasant nice. It was a good combo. And the fact that she was also a really nice person was making me fall apart. I stuttered whenever I talked to her. My hand had brushed against hers and I practically yelped. I didn’t know what was going on: I was never like this. I don’t remember the last time that I was nervous around a girl.
And, surprisingly, I loved it.
I loved the way she made me feel. I loved the feeling of actually, truly falling for someone. That’s not to say that I didn’t really want to bang her, but Niall obviously did, too, so it was okay.
I finally knew how Niall felt when I would be with a girl that he liked. The day after we met her, when they were cuddled up, I had been angrier than I had in a while. When I found out they had kissed, I had wanted to punch him in the face. When I woke up last night, and I saw them on the couch, facing each other, I had wanted to tear my hair out. And now, seeing him grip her hand and watch their whispered conversation, the way they just looked so happy, I was more jealous than I’d ever been.
Nell’s POV
After lunch, Niall and I lingered in the closed off area for a moment. All the others had gone outside, and we were going with them, but at the last second I grabbed his hand and pulled him back in. “So, I’m going shopping with the girls,” I said.
He grinned. “Yeah, I know. I think we’ll just watch a movie and then meet you a few blocks away from the party.”
I smiled at him. “I just wanted a proper goodbye,” I said cheekily.
He stepped closer to me and put an arm around my waist. “Did you have anything in mind?” He asked, a sly smile on his face.
“I had an idea…” I trailed off as his lips met mine. It was a quick kiss, no tongue, but still nice. We pulled away, and I gave him one last peck on the cheek before we walked outside. No one seemed to notice our absence, not even Harry, which I was glad for. They had a habit of making it embarrassing. Just before we parted ways I went over to Niall and smiled up to him. “I’ll see you later, okay?” It was all I could do to not give him a kiss goodbye.
“You have no clue how hard it is to not kiss you right now,” he whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
“Trust me, I have a clue.” I winked slightly at him. “Bye, blondie.”
“Bye, Nell.”
I turned on my heel and met up with the girls, who had been watching our exchange. “Let’s go!” Eleanor said, grabbing my wrist. “We need dresses!”
-3 hours later-
Shopping with these girls was exhausting. For one thing, they all had plenty of money to spend on their outfits. I had a three hundred dollars that I had made off of tips yesterday, and that was it for the whole outfit. I needed a dress, shoes, and whatever other accessories I could get, seeing as I was going to be at a party with the most famous people in London. It crossed my mind that I should probably get some underwear, too. Just in case. Things could happen.
For another thing, they were all gorgeous. Anything and everything they wore looked amazing. They could probably show up in a cardboard box and still be the most attractive people I’d ever seen. I sighed. I finally found a dress that I liked, and as I tried it on, I actually felt pretty. After we’d all picked out everything that we needed, we headed back to Eleanor’s flat to do our hair and get ready.
(For those who are interested; this is Nell’s outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=76606270#fans)
8/19/13