Time of Our Lives

*Dakota’s POV*

Man was I having the best dream. It actually took place with one of the fan-fictions Kariann and I both wrote together. Of course, it involved my first One Direction crush, Liam Payne. In our fan-fict, my ‘boyfriend’ cheated on me and I ran away, followed by Liam, who liked me during the time, finding me and comforting me. There was a moment later where he confesses and I randomly kiss him.

Yeah, yeah, well, on to the dream… Somehow it skipped the boyfriend cheating deal and I’m sitting alone on a porch swing, staring out at some trees in my old home before I moved in with my father (yes, I was with my mother during the time). I was crying, for obvious reasons, and I felt the swing move and an arm slip over my shoulder.

“Dakota…”

I felt a small groan escape my lips.

“Hey… wake up…”

Okay, now that wasn’t me dreaming. I actually groaned in real life. I groggily opened my eyes, staring at whoever ruined my perfectly good-escalating dream. My hazel eyes stared right in with a pair of dark brown ones.

It was Liam.

I shoved my face into my pillow, hiding my blush and also making it seem like I didn’t want to wake up. “What?” I mumbled.

“Everyone left to get some food.”

“Okay…” I murmured, ready to go back to sleep.

“You were right, Kariann, she really isn’t a morning person…” I heard Liam speak through his phone.

I could hear her voice through his phone from where I was sitting, “Just ask what she wants.”

“Dakota…”

I turned my head, spitting out hair that went in my mouth, “Tell her big mouth that I don’t care as long as it involves bacon.”

I saw a playful smile spread across his face, “You heard that, right?”

“Yeah, I did, and tell her that I do not have a big mouth.”

“Nah, nah, nah…” I whined, sticking my tongue out at Liam’s phone. “Whatever, Momma Drama.”

Laughter was followed on the other end and I rolled my eyes, sticking my head back into the pillow. Liam hung up his phone. He didn’t move from where he was, which was sitting on the floor next to where I was. I stared at his shaved head as he stared down at his phone, looking at some tweets. I reached over, poking his head.

He reached up, touching where I poked at, looking over at me. “What?” He asked, curious.

I shrugged, letting out a huff, pulling the cover up to my chin. I felt Liam reach across my stomach, grabbing both of my sides. “What-“ I started.

I screamed as he pulled on me, making me turn on my side and almost falling off the couch. “It’s time to get up!” He chimed, on his knees and getting ready to pick me up.

“No!” I laughed as I felt myself being picked up and put on the floor. Liam was quick to put himself on top of me, pinning me down. “Damn it, was yesterday not torture enough?”

I pouted up at Liam, who was grinning from ear to ear. He bent down, smacking his lips against my cheek, making the loudest smacking sound my ears have ever heard, “Now that you’re awake, go take a shower. You’re the one who’s supposed to keep our schedules straight, you know?”

I rolled my eyes, “You’re asking the impossible out of a seventeen year old.”

He got up, picking up my cover. I sat up, rubbing my crazy bedhead out of my face. He started to fold it for me. “You’ll be fine. The others will be back soon, so I suggest you hurry.”

“Oka-y.” I droned, getting up from the floor. He turned around and I poked the center of his chest, “No peeking.”

He raised one hand up in surrender, “You have my word. I won’t look.”

I smiled, running upstairs to grab some clothes. I ran back down and jumped into the shower. It didn’t take but about twenty minutes before I was done. I put on my clothes, working from the bottom up when I realized that I just happened to forget my shirt. “Shit…” I muttered.

Nobody was back yet, so no yelling for Kariann. I huffed. Liam was upstairs, where my shirt was. You know what? Fuck it. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around me. Thank God I had at least shorts on. I ran up and Liam happens to look over, eyes widening at the scene. I grabbed my shirt, clutching my towel and pointed at him, “You saw nothing.”

I ran back down to the bathroom, jumping in and throwing on my shirt. I looked into the mirror. Great, now I was blushing. Was I doing that before? I shook my head before running a brush through my hair. I seriously needed to get my act together. I was now pretty much living with five grown men in a tour bus. I had to make sure to be more careful. I was a girl after all. Oh, and Kariann too. Hopefully she won’t pull anything like I did today.

“We’re back!” I heard a yell, followed by the movement of the bus as five people crowded in the living area.

I sat my brush down, shaking out my hair to make it loose. I stepped out of the bathroom, Liam at the bottom step next to me. “What’d you get?” I heard him ask.

“Well, Harry’s GPS screwed up on his phone so we settled on the first familiar restaurant we saw.” Zayn said, holding up four bags of McDonalds in his hands.

Niall had two more bags in his own. “We got a lot of random food, so first come, first serve!”

I saw Kariann, who was blandly staring at her phone before shutting it off. I made a mental note to myself that I needed to have a little talk to her oblivious boyfriend later. I helped myself to some food, sitting down next to Kariann on the couch by the arm while eating. Harry took the other end and they erupted into a conversation about what they saw earlier.

It didn’t take long for the bags to perish. Five hungry guys and two girls could really eat the crap out of Micky Dee’s. I volunteered myself and Kariann to clean it up. She gave me a small glare and I whispered in her ear, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

We were throwing the huge bags of food outside near trash bins before I told her. She gaped, looking back at the tour bus down the block before looking at me, “Seriously? Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I should’ve been the one to stay behind…”

I shrugged some. “It’s okay. I’ll just have to be more careful next time. Plus, it wasn’t like I showed him anything that shouldn’t have been seen.”

Kariann shook her head, “But still…”

“How about this,” I said, “Let’s vow that if one should ever take a shower, the other must be within the bus in case of emergencies.”

Kariann nodded, agreeing. “I’m fine with that. Let’s just hope neither of us will walk in on one of the guys…”

That got me laughing. It reminded me of one of our fan-fictions where my character accidently walked in on Niall… well… wanking. Funny, but quite scary at the same time. Oh well, my stomach was full and the air felt quite fresh. Not hot like it usually was at home. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Kariann brought her phone out, feeling the same sensation.

It was a text from an unknown number, but the message was enough to know that it was from the boy’s manager. “Wow, so I guess work starts now, huh?” I asked, looking up from my phone.

It was a long schedule about what the boys were to do for rest of the week.

“They have an interview in an hour at KISS FM radio station…” Kariann noted, “We better go tell the guys to get ready.”

I nodded in agreement before we left the trash bin to go to the tour bus. “Alright, guys, listen up.” Kariann announced as we stepped on the bus. The guys were crowded on the couches, Louis laying across the laps of Harry and Niall for God knows why. “We just got the week’s schedule sent to us. You got fifteen minutes to get ready for an interview that happens in an hour.”

The boys didn’t move a muscle. I clapped my hands at them. “Hurry, now before I bring out some whoop-ass on you.”

That comment received some rolling eyes, but they all got up. They messed with each other as they all disappeared upstairs for clothes. My and Kariann’s phones vibrated again. “It says if we go, go in a separate car as them and go into the building from the back.” I read, scratching my head.

“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s going to be loads of fans outside.”

I sat down on the couch, “How do you think everyone will react, knowing that two girls are touring in the same bus as the guys?”

Kariann shrugged, sitting down on the couch with me. “I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t want anyone to know. Not even Alex.”

Ah, her boyfriend. I knew how she felt. My father may have agreed on letting me go, but I highly doubt my mother ever will. I swallowed, leaning my head back against the couch. The last thing I needed to think about was her. “So…” I started, “Are we going?”

“Do you want to?” She asked.

“It’s better than being stuck here all day.”

“Good point. Let’s get dressed… after they’re done.” Kariann added after a brief second, looking upstairs.

It didn’t take five minutes for the boys to get ready and we booted them on the main floor. We went upstairs, going through our bags until we came up with something. “I’m loving it.” Kariann said, checking me out.

“You’re pretty hot yourself.” I replied, following with laughter at her expression.

“Are you two ready yet!?” Niall yelled up the stairs, “The cars are here!”

Kariann and I flashed each other reassuring looks before running down the steps and quickly following the guys out of the bus into our designated cars. We had our personal black car while the guys got into a van. We drove along silently until the man up front started speaking. “Hey, girls.”

Kariann and I smiled at the man. He continued, “I’m Chris. I’ll be your body guard. I’m to stick by your side during the time of your stay with the boys.”

Kariann and I raised an eye at each other. “Well… Nice to meet you Chris. Don’t go too hard on us, okay?”

Chris gave out a belly laugh, “I’m not that bad. I was told to protect you girls like precious gems.”

“Aw,” I cooed, “Who said that?”

“Two of the boys. I was specifically told not to say by who.” He was grinning. I could tell he was dying to tell us.

Kariann and I both had the same idea in mind. We crept toward the center of the seat. Kariann pouted, “Aw, come on, Chris… tell us.”

“Yeah, Chrissy, we promise we won’t tell anyone anything.” I smiled, batting my eyes some.

“Aren’t you girls cute? Don’t try to flatter yourselves too much. I’m actually gay.”

I gaped, I was not expecting that. “What!? No way! Seriously?”

Chris nodded. I could tell his face was guarded some as if he was expecting some criticism. “Oh, my Gosh! I have never met a gay man in my life! This is so cool!” I squeaked, clapping my hands in excitement.

Kariann gave me that look like I was crazy. I just raised an eye. “Well, Chris, don’t worry about us.” Kariann said to our new friend, “We respect you either way. Just be sure to keep all the evil men away from us, no matter how sexy they may look.”

Chris started laughing, all tension gone from his body. I noticed then that we weren’t following the boy’s van anymore. We must’ve been close to the studio now. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Ah, we’re here.”

He stopped behind a building. He got out, opening our door for us. We stepped out and after Chris shut the door he went to the back door and ushered us in. “You girls will be safe in here.” He handed us a clip-on name tag, “Put these on. You won’t get kicked out this way.”

I read the nametag. It said my name saying I was a ‘Stylist’. I put it on and Chris let us in. “What about you?” Kariann asked.

Chris smiled, “I’ll be out front with the other security guards to keep fans from getting inside. Oh, speaking of which, try not to make yourself obvious that you’re with the guys where fans can see you. We’ll meet back here when their interview is over.”

He shut the door and we were left alone in the back. “Well, since we’re here, let’s check the place out.” Kariann said, making her way down the hall. We were quite intrigued by everything. There was one point where we found ourselves hearing music. Before we could even get near, the two of our arms were grabbed. “There you are. You two were supposed to be in the dressing room ten minutes ago!”

Some lady with spiked pink hair dragged us across the hallways and practically threw us into a room. She slammed the door and I just stood and stared at the door blankly. What the heck just happened?

“Oh, so you’re our stylist?” A familiar British accent asked.

Kariann and I turned around and saw five boys standing around, clothes spread about. Their hair and make-up has obviously been done. The next thing on the agenda was clothes. “Kariann, I think this is where we come in.” I said, grinning from ear to ear.

She was already building a plan in her head just as I was. “We’re not nannies for nothing. Okay, first up… Niall!” I said, pointing at the blonde boy.

Kariann and I dragged him over to a rack and the rest of the boys watched as we both decided on what clothes to wear. It barely took five minutes and as we sent him to go change, we moved on to the next boy. We knew their interview was soon, so we had to be quick. Zayn was next.

Dressing the guys seemed so easy, so natural, especially with Kariann and I working as a team. What we chose for them fit their style and attitude. Not only that, they looked pretty casual and comfortable in their clothes. All this and it only took fifteen minutes. Very, very good.

“Alright!” Someone yelled as they walked into the room. “Whoa.”

She stared at the boys, checking them out from head to toe. “You girls… are you professionals?”

The two of us shook our heads. The lady smiled. “Well, I’ll be damned. You boys really know how to pick ‘em.”

Whatever the hell that meant, I had no clue. She led the boys out. We followed them, seeming how the lady wanted to talk to us some more. “I was supposed to be in there with you girls to help you pick out some clothes, but you saw how useless I was.”

“I’m not sure how to respond to that.” Kariann laughed.

“We’ll take what you said as a compliment though.” I smiled at the lady.

She led the boys into a room and Kariann and I watched them from behind a window. The radio hosts paid us no mind. We could hear every word spoken. The boys each took a chair and sat down, putting on headsets. They lounge around, looking at each other and stealing glances every so often at us. They knew they had to keep their relationship with us as much as a secret as possible.

“Alright! It’s Billy the Kidd from your iHeartRadio’s 99.3 KISS FM music station. What I have sitting not five feet from me is the five biggest stars known across the world. Why don’t you boys introduce yourself?”

From left to right, they did. “I’m Harry.”

“I’m Liam.”

“Louis here.”

You could hear Niall chuckle some, “I’m Niall.”

“I’m Zayn.”

“And we’re One Direction.” They finished in harmony. I could actually hear the fans outside screaming. It reminded me of the night at the concert in Ohio.

“Wow, can you hear that? Hundreds of fans flood the streets right outside our studio, hoping to sneak a peek at you boys. Isn’t it crazy?”

The guys looked at each other, seeming overwhelmed. “I don’t know.” Harry answered, “I don’t think we’ll ever get use to the fans.”

The boys were quick to agree. The host laughed. “Okay, then how about we skip to the most obvious question: Who’s single?”

Harry, Niall, and Liam all raised their hands. “Okay, so Louis and Zayn are the only two taken?”

“In our group, yep.” Niall answered.

“Okay, ladies, you all heard that, right?” The host said, wiggling his eyebrows at the boys, “Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles are up to the plate! Okay, maybe I should ask if you boys are interested in anyone before giving the fans too much spirit.”

Niall answered, “Haha, actually, not at the moment. But if I had to pick a girl I’d date it would be between two people I’ve met recently, but they’re too much like a sisters to me.”

“So who are this girls?” Billy asked, curious.

“Sorry, but I’m not allowed to say. They say they don’t want their identities out open to the public.”

“That’s understandable.” Billy said, understanding. “Okay, Liam. What about you? You interested in anyone?”

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but drew his lips down, “Well…”

“Is that a no?” Billy asked.

“I think it’s pretty obvious who he likes…” Louis spoke up, which received a glare from Liam.

“Does it involve one of the girls Niall mentioned?” Billy asked, catching on.

Liam seemed to be in a tight spot, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie. “Actually, yes, but I won’t say any more than that.”

“Wow, you boys are sure secretive now, aren’t you?” Billy laughed. The rest of the guys looked slightly awkward.

“Okay, moving on. Harry, what about you?”

“Not in the least.” Harry said, pulling a smile.

I was shocked. I looked at Kariann, who was pulling a straight face, but I’ve known her long enough to know that she was just a tad shocked too. “Really? No one?”

Harry shook his head, “No. To me, I feel that all my fans are my girlfriends and that’s all I need. Why bother dating when you have so many girls who have your back anyways?”

A lie. I could smell it. But the crowd outside didn’t catch on. I looked at Kariann again, who just stared into the room. I shook my head. “Alrighty then,” Billy spoke through the microphone, “We’ll take a short break. Stay tuned until we come back. You are listening to iHeartRadio’s 99.3 KISS FM.”

Notes