I Thought You'd Care
Chapter 37: Puppets
Chapter 37: Puppets
July 3, 28 days before the tour
Nell’s POV
“Ugh.” I sighed as I slumped down onto the couch across from Zayn, who gave me a slight smirk before turning off his phone and slipping it into his pocket, turning his attention to me.
“Alright, then. What are you upset about?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “I’m not upset.”
He rolled his eyes. “Nell, let’s not get into this. You’re upset. Tell me why.”
I huffed. “Boys.”
“Specifically which boys?” He hummed slightly and peered over at me.
“Niall and Harry.” I rubbed my eyes and cursed quietly when I realized that I had smeared my mascara.
Zayn let out a deep sigh and fiddled with his fingers. “Well, it’s always those two wankers, isn’t it? What’s the deal with them, then?”
“I don’t know. Is it possible to like two people at once?”
He thought for a moment before answering. “Well…yeah, I suppose, but you can’t really like both of them.”
“But what if you do.”
“I don’t think you do. I think you think that you do, but you really don’t and you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
I grabbed a pillow and covered my face. “I’m not stubborn, and I do so like both of them.”
He laughed a bit. “You sound like you’re in grade school.”
I lifted the pillow and poked my tongue out at him. “Maybe I am. But, seriously, what do I do?”
“Take the pillow off first.” I grudgingly removed the cushion from my face and threw it back down on the couch. “You need to leave both of them alone until you figure out what the hell is going on.” I frowned, and he sighed. “Look, Nell, I hate to say it, but it’s true. Both of them like you, and you’re stringing them along like they’re fucking puppets. Don’t hurt them.”
“I don’t try to…”
He cut me off. “I know you don’t try to, but you’re doing it, aren’t you? So just let them both alone until you know who you’re going for. I guarantee that whoever you choose, they’ll still like you, and the other one will understand. Okay?” He looked at me with his eyebrows raised, and after a moment I broke and nodded.
“What do you think? Like, which of them…” I trailed off, trying to think of a way to end the sentence.
“Honestly, I think you’re absolutely mad for Niall and you only like Harry because he’s mysterious and he’s Harry Styles and you feel like you have to like him. But, hey, that’s just me, and you won’t listen, anyways, so just wait a bit and then decide.” He stood up and smoothed his pants slightly before giving me a slight salute and walking back to his room, mumbling something about calling Perrie, leaving me lying on the couch, trying to process what he’d told me.
***
“I’m going to sit on you if you don’t get up. That’s my spot.” I heard a familiar Irish accent speak from above me, and I opened my eyes to see Niall leaning over me, smirking slightly—apparently, I had fallen asleep on the couch. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking around to see that we were the only ones in the room. That was dangerous.
I laughed slightly, thinking about what Zayn had said earlier. “Hey, Niall. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good. Except for the fact that I was just about to watch some footy, but you’re sitting in my seat.”
I drew my legs up to my chest and slid over, making room for him on the couch. He sat down, a little too close, and I scooted away as nonchalantly as I could. He looked at me with raised eyebrows, apparently having noticed my movement. Thankfully, he just grimaced and turned to the telly, flicking it on and sorting through the channels until he came to one that he liked. “Niall?” I asked, about five minutes into the program.
He turned to look at me. “Yeah?”
“Why are we watching ‘Extreme Waterparks’?” I giggled, unable to contain my laughter at the ridiculous show that was playing onscreen, which documented several different waterparks with ‘extreme’ rides.
He flushed a deep scarlet and mumbled. “I just find it entertaining.”
I laughed again. “No, it’s fine. Just wondering. Carry on.”
He nodded and turned back to the program, the blush never leaving his cheeks.
July 3, 28 days before the tour
Nell’s POV
“Ugh.” I sighed as I slumped down onto the couch across from Zayn, who gave me a slight smirk before turning off his phone and slipping it into his pocket, turning his attention to me.
“Alright, then. What are you upset about?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “I’m not upset.”
He rolled his eyes. “Nell, let’s not get into this. You’re upset. Tell me why.”
I huffed. “Boys.”
“Specifically which boys?” He hummed slightly and peered over at me.
“Niall and Harry.” I rubbed my eyes and cursed quietly when I realized that I had smeared my mascara.
Zayn let out a deep sigh and fiddled with his fingers. “Well, it’s always those two wankers, isn’t it? What’s the deal with them, then?”
“I don’t know. Is it possible to like two people at once?”
He thought for a moment before answering. “Well…yeah, I suppose, but you can’t really like both of them.”
“But what if you do.”
“I don’t think you do. I think you think that you do, but you really don’t and you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
I grabbed a pillow and covered my face. “I’m not stubborn, and I do so like both of them.”
He laughed a bit. “You sound like you’re in grade school.”
I lifted the pillow and poked my tongue out at him. “Maybe I am. But, seriously, what do I do?”
“Take the pillow off first.” I grudgingly removed the cushion from my face and threw it back down on the couch. “You need to leave both of them alone until you figure out what the hell is going on.” I frowned, and he sighed. “Look, Nell, I hate to say it, but it’s true. Both of them like you, and you’re stringing them along like they’re fucking puppets. Don’t hurt them.”
“I don’t try to…”
He cut me off. “I know you don’t try to, but you’re doing it, aren’t you? So just let them both alone until you know who you’re going for. I guarantee that whoever you choose, they’ll still like you, and the other one will understand. Okay?” He looked at me with his eyebrows raised, and after a moment I broke and nodded.
“What do you think? Like, which of them…” I trailed off, trying to think of a way to end the sentence.
“Honestly, I think you’re absolutely mad for Niall and you only like Harry because he’s mysterious and he’s Harry Styles and you feel like you have to like him. But, hey, that’s just me, and you won’t listen, anyways, so just wait a bit and then decide.” He stood up and smoothed his pants slightly before giving me a slight salute and walking back to his room, mumbling something about calling Perrie, leaving me lying on the couch, trying to process what he’d told me.
***
“I’m going to sit on you if you don’t get up. That’s my spot.” I heard a familiar Irish accent speak from above me, and I opened my eyes to see Niall leaning over me, smirking slightly—apparently, I had fallen asleep on the couch. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking around to see that we were the only ones in the room. That was dangerous.
I laughed slightly, thinking about what Zayn had said earlier. “Hey, Niall. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good. Except for the fact that I was just about to watch some footy, but you’re sitting in my seat.”
I drew my legs up to my chest and slid over, making room for him on the couch. He sat down, a little too close, and I scooted away as nonchalantly as I could. He looked at me with raised eyebrows, apparently having noticed my movement. Thankfully, he just grimaced and turned to the telly, flicking it on and sorting through the channels until he came to one that he liked. “Niall?” I asked, about five minutes into the program.
He turned to look at me. “Yeah?”
“Why are we watching ‘Extreme Waterparks’?” I giggled, unable to contain my laughter at the ridiculous show that was playing onscreen, which documented several different waterparks with ‘extreme’ rides.
He flushed a deep scarlet and mumbled. “I just find it entertaining.”
I laughed again. “No, it’s fine. Just wondering. Carry on.”
He nodded and turned back to the program, the blush never leaving his cheeks.
8/19/13