The Misfits

A whole week has passed since I had arrived at my father's home in Ireland and I will admit, I was sad we would be leaving tomorrow. Clodagh and the kids had welcomed me with open arms and had somehow managed to worm their way into my heart.

"Do I have to go?" I whispered to my dad. Today Clodagh was taking me for a girl’s day and I was terrified. I had never had the time or money for this "therapy" and had no idea what to expect. Clodagh, it seems, was determined to have us be friends and she has hardly let me out of her sight since I arrived.

"You'll be fine Lia," my dad chuckled. We were in the kitchen eating breakfast and watching the kids while Clodagh got ready upstairs. "Jus' let her have her fun, an' don't try te talk her outta buying anythin'. Trust me, yer gonna loose."

"We'll see about that," I smirked.

"Ya ready Thalia dear?" Clodagh sung as she entered the kitchen, giving her husband and kids each a kiss on the cheek.

"Let's do this!" I quickly sent a text to Harry and Maeve telling them to pray for my survival before jumping up and following her to the car.
Clodagh kept us busy all day. First it was getting our nails and hair done in the morning, then after lunch we hit every store in town. We talked nonstop about anything and everything. She told me about how she and my dad had met, her kids, and her job. Though it wasn't until we began at the boutiques did she really begin questioning me.

"Alright Thalia, tell me about your boy."

"Boy?" I sputtered, avoiding her eye contact and pretending to admire the clothing rack I was standing next to. "I don't have a boy."

"Oh honey of course you do," she waved. "You've been glued to your phone since you got here! Who is he?"

"He is my best friend Maeve," I laughed.

But she wasn't buying it. She bumped my hip playfully and whispered, "Oh come on! I won't tell Paul, I promise..."

"Uh, I'm going to go try these on," I said, turning and practically running to the clothes room. But she didn't give up that easily.

"It wasn't the one who broke your phone was it?" She asked. I froze and turned to her with a frown. How did this woman know so much?

"No I ended things with him a while ago," I laughed. "How did you...?"

"Know? Honey, you lied to Paul when he asked how it broke. There's no reason to lie about breaking your phone."

"If I told him he would have gone down there and killed the kid," I laughed. She frowned and I decided it was safe to tell her. "He threw my phone across the room because he saw I had been texting a friend and got jealous. He had been aiming for me."

Her frown deepened. "Well good riddance then. And thank goodness he has poor aim. Any man with anger issues isn't worth it. I hope you're not still friends with him?"

"No. No, I pretty much just hang out with One Direction now. All my other friends haven’t returned for University yet."

"Sounds lonely. The boys’ schedule can be a bit ridiculous."

I shrugged, "I work during the day so usually it's not so bad. They’re who I've been texting nonstop by the way. But it's nothing like that, the boys are practically my brothers."

"Oh?" She giggled, with a knowing smile. "Well they're lovely lads."

"They're crazy," I laughed. She let out a hearty laugh and agreed.

We continued shopping until just before supper. Dad had been right; Clodagh couldn't be talked out of anything once she made up her mind. She had bought me a new dress, two new tops, and a pair of shoes. Oh, and did I mention my dad had already bought me a new phone earlier that week? I was forever indebted to this family.

"Thalia! Thalia! Guess what!" Cried Claudia as soon as we stepped through the door.

"What is it love?" I asked, setting the bags down before they broke my arms.

"Guess whose here!" She said, jumping up and down as MJ ran into the room. I frowned on confusion.

"Yer favorite Irishman!"

"Niall!" I laughed in disbelief as Niall appeared from the living room. He ran over and gave me a hug. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"This happens te be my native country Lils," he sassed. "Naw, I was visitin the family, it was me dad's birthday."

"Gotcha, oh and for the record...you're not my favorite Irishman. MJ is." I said, ruffling MJ's hair as Niall let out a gasp and the kids giggled hysterically. I saw Clodagh shoot me a sly smile and groaned inwardly. "Okay but seriously why are you here, here?"

"I'm takin ya back te London tomorrow!" He beamed.

"NO!" Cried Claudia, stomping her foot.

"She's mine!" Laughed Niall. Suddenly I was being lifted off the ground as Niall picked me up and began running. I let out a scream as the kids let out shrieks and began to chase us.

"Niall!" My dad bellowed a moment later. "Put Lia down."

"Who's hungry?" Clodagh asked as Niall set me down.

"I am! I'm hungry for little leprechauns!" I said, grabbing Claudia and tickling her. She let out another shriek and ran over to the table.
Supper with Niall turned out to be very entertaining and I was curious if this was the first time he had visited my dad while home. Afterwards Niall and I kept the kids busy with games and coloring while the adults cleaned up the kitchen.

"Thalia, how did ya get te color so good?" Claudia asked, leaning over to watch me color in the fish I had drawn.

"I practiced. When you do something for so long you get better at it. I color for fun, you know the first time I ever had a TV was when I moved in with your dad?"

"What!" Both children yelled. And even Niall looked up as MJ continued, "But...like everyone has a television!"

"Not me."

"No wonder yer so good at coloring," he said more to himself.

"Alright ya farts, whose fish is better?" Niall asked, holding up his scribbled page.

"THALIA!" They giggled.

"What!" Gasped Niall, putting his had over his heart while they laughed.

"Alright munchkins!" My dad cried, barreling into the room and tossing Claudia gently over his shoulder. "Time for bed! Say goodbye to miss Lia!"

"No!" Cried MJ, wrapping his arms around me.

"Stay! Stay! Stay!" Cried Claudia as dad put her down.

"Aw I'm gonna miss you two goombas!" I said, pulling them into a bone-crushing hug. "And little Paulie too! But I have to go back, school is starting soon."

"So?" Cried Claudia.

"So I don't think I can stay and go to your school! Imagine me trying to fit in one of your little desks!" They both giggled and hugged me again before reluctantly following their father upstairs, leaving Niall and I alone. I turned to him and asked, "want to Skype the girls with me?"

"Yeah!" He said, his face lighting up. We jumped up and headed upstairs to the guest room to fire up my computer. I sat down cross-legged on the bed while he plopped down next to me.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked him curiously.

"Pauley. He knew I was in da country fer me dad's birthday," he shrugged. "Asked if I would fly with ya back te London."

"Wait is he not coming?" I frowned, suddenly feeling slightly abandoned. Why didn't he tell me?

"We leave fer tour in three weeks Thal, I don't blame the guy fer wantin' re spend time with his family."

"Ugh tour," I groaned. "Don't remind me. I've gotten so used to you idiots! What am I gonna do without you?"

"We'll visit! And you can come visit us! The girls too!"

"That's allowed?"

"Yer dad's our tour manager an' yer one o' our best friends. I'm sure they'll let ya visit us on tour," he chuckled. I nodded, knowing he was right. I also couldn’t help but notice he said “the girls too” and I briefly wondered if he was thinking of someone in particular. I hit the call button on the computer and a second later Elaine, Maeve and Mackenzie popped up on the screen.

"THALIA!" They all screamed.

"What's up?" I cried, giving them a wave. I noticed Niall wasn't in the picture and turned to see him hold a finger to his lips, a devilish grin on his face.

"How's your dads place?” Asked Maeve, bringing me back into the conversation. “Is it super weird?”

"Definitely."

"Are they nice though?" Chimed in Mackenzie.

"They’re amazing. The kids are adorable and his wife practically adopted me as a second daughter."

"Hmm. That's weird." Maeve frowned, always so suspicious. "How do you mean?"

"She took me out for a girls day today. We got our nails done and she bought me clothes and a new phone."

"Holy shit." They all laughed in disbelief.

"Is she trying to buy your friendship?" Maeve asked?

"Oi! That's not very nice!" Cried Niall sitting up and coming into the picture.

"NIALL!" They all screamed.

"How long have you been hiding there?" Gigged Mackenzie.

He shrugged, "I live under Thalia's bed now. It's me new home."

“Looks like you’ve graduated from leprechaun to troll.” I couldn't help but noticed the way Mackenzie looked at him, even if it was trough a glitchy monitor. She was smitten, and so was he. I only hoped that his fame wouldn't stop them from becoming anything.

"This strapping little blonde is taking me home tomorrow!" I said, patting his head. He stuck his tongue out at me and a thought occurred. "Wait are we flying!"

"No Thalia, we're taking a steam boat...Duh we're flying!"

"Okay sassy," I grumbled.

"Is it scary?" Mackenzie asked, her eyes growing wide. I nodded my head while Niall shook his and let out a laugh.

"Come on tour with us fer o' month an' ya won't be scare o' flyin no more," he giggled.

We continued to talk with them for another two hours before my dad came in and reminded us we had an early morning flight to catch. It made me feel like I was a little girl again sneaking around and staying up past my bedtime.

"You'll be alright by yerself fer a few days yeah?" My dad asked, as I powered down the computer. "I know ya won't have yer girlfriends there with ya this time."

"I'll be alright dad," I giggled.

"Yeah don't worry Pauly, we'll look after her," Niall smirked.

"That's what I'm afraid of." My dad rolled his eyes and gave both of us a hug before turning to leave. "Oi! An' yer on the couch tonight Horan."

"O'course," he laughed, shooting my dad a wink. After he left Niall turned to me. "Don't suppose we should tell'm bout ya sharin a bed with Harry an' I?"

"Are you trying to get murdered tonight Nialler?" I asked. He let out a laugh then looked at me curiously. "What...?"

"Nuthin'," he shrugged. "Night Lil's, see ya in the mornin'."

-

I was sitting in the plane for the second time in less than a week with the familiar sense of butterflies growing in my stomach. My leg couldn’t seem to sit still, and I was wringing my hands. Why did they have to make you wait so long? Waiting to take off was the worst part. Scratch that, the whole thing was terrifying.

"Stop freakin' out!" Niall laughed. "It'll be fine."

"There's a reason humans don't have wings Ni," I replied. Shooting Harry and Maeve the usual text. Harry responded within seconds.

"Even Harry says not te worry," Niall said, pointing at my screen.

"Butt out!" I laughed, pushing him away so he couldn't read over my shoulder. "Don't read my texts Niall, ya snoop!"

"Why? Is there somethin I'm not supposed te see?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Don't be stupid Ni."

"Don't think I don't know what's goin' on between ya two."

"There’s noth-"

"Harry an' Thalia sittin in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"Quiet you!" I said, slapping my hand over his mouth before anyone heard. "There's nothing going on! Just good friends."

"No Thal. You and I are good friends you and Harry are-"

"Best friends!" I cut him off, and shot him a stern look. He continued to giggle next to me for the entire plane ride, successfully distracting me from the fact that we were hovering above the earth in a metal death trap.

If Niall suspected something that meant the other boys would too. Other than Harry, Niall was usually the most unobservant when it came to people. So him noticing was a big deal, and it wouldn’t be long before my father or the press noticed there was something going on. But was there really?

In all honesty I wasn't even sure how I felt about Harry. Yes he was hot and I defiantly wouldn't mind having sex with him again, but…did I dare want more? I don't think I could ever be that girl for him. Not that his schedule or his personality would allow it. He was someone who was always on the go, never in one place for more than a few days and quick to move on to whatever next grabbed his attention.

No. Tour was starting soon and he was sure to find some hot model overseas, forgetting all about me within days. As much as I like him, my guard was up.

Notes