Making It Count

Holly's POV

5 days........

It only took five days for Niall to forget to lock my side of the Jack and Jill bathroom, which meant on a Thursday morning the first sight I was greeted to was his bare bum. He let out a loud pitch girly scream as I fixed my gaze firmly on the cream stucco above the opposite door. The flowers on the shower curtains, the broken hook that had once held a picture, they were all fair game as I tried to keep my gaze from the naked boy that was fumbling around trying to make himself decent. I suppose that I could have closed the door but at 6:15 in the morning it didn't actually flash through my mind.

"I'm decent." The words came out as a mumble from around the blue handle that stuck out of Niall's mouth.

"Jesus don't you wear anything to bed."

"Just a smile." Came the tight lipped response.

"Well I need a shower you can leave now, and next time lock the door."

He surprisingly didn't put up much of a fight as the old firetruck towel got hung up and the male toiletries and shaving tools disappeared into his pre-designated drawer. Why my parents decided to put him up in Alex's room I had no idea. There was a perfectly good guest room downstairs and I actually wanted Alex to come back from college. As I hung my shower caddy on the nozzle the sound of someone clearing their throat echoed from the doorway.

"You didn't see anything did you?" His words were stammering as a blush crept up the side of Niall's neck.

"Nothing I haven't seen before." I stated with a coy smile that didn't seem to reassure him before making sure to lock his side of the bathroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The email was sitting in my inbox when I pulled into the parking lot at school. I was a lot later than I had wanted to be but that was the pain of living with six brothers, they usually messed at least something up. Today it had been milk spilled all over the kitchen, pancakes on the ceiling and Bailey deciding that Sparky needed the whole box of dog biscuits. Grabbing my purse and the larger stack of textbooks I practically ran through the hallways to history class.

"Did you see them yet?" Heather poked me in the back of my head obviously talking about the Interim week assignments.

I shook my head as my cell phone burned a large hole in my pocket. This year I had applied to go to London to study theatre. It was a trip of a lifetime, a chance to learn from the best. But I still wasn't sure if I was going to get it despite everyone's assurances that I had it in the bag. Ms. Schweiss obviously didn't like the whispering as a well aimed 'shush' was sent in our direction.

Class couldn't be over quick enough and as soon as the bell went off my phone was out and in my hand. It was an unassuming email 'Interim Week assignments' the simple tagline along the top. But the usual hesitance that comes with a rush of excitement had my finger hanging over the email. This could make or break my dreams of theatre, in the past the students had been able to make connections to get them jobs which I needed especially in this business.

Hello Seniors,

This year we are starting a new initiative. Many of you have future jobs and plans and careers planned out for your futures. And while it is a good idea to know what you would like to do, it has made it so that many of you have specialized into what you think colleges will like. Upon discussing it with the college admissions team we have come up with a whole new itinerary for Senior trips.

Every trip will be international to provide a cultural experience and will have a service aspect so you all can get your community service hours. They will also be in subjects that many of you haven't actually considered. Your trip and academic details will be below.

Queensland, Australia

Your group will be travelling to the Great Coral Reef to participate in an intensive on Marine Biology, Conservation efforts will be the basis of the service section.

Look for more details coming soon and remember to have that Raider pride,

Vice Principal Brown

What the hell, that was the first thought through my mind. It's this year that they finally decide to change the senior trips. Goodbye London, hello hell. Attached to the email was a basic schedule and the list of who else was in my group but frankly I didn't care. It took three more periods to stop snapping at everyone.

"What the hell is Interim Week?" The whispered question came from Ivy as she snuck up behind me.

"It's an intensive in a subject over spring break, we usually get to choose though."

"Why are they sent out so early it's only September?"

"Because as of now our free fourth period is now dedicated to planning preparing and events leading to the trip." I scoffed.

I had planned on spending fourth period ever Monday, Wednesday, Friday working on monologues and watching critically acclaimed movies. But now I was stuck poking dead things and learning about 'conservation.'

"Oh, what group did you get?"

"Australia."

"Me too," A breath of relief escaped from her lips, "Thank God I thought I wasn't going to know anyone."

"What about Harry?"

"What about Harry?" The question was repeated her tone sharp.

"Nothing you two just seem close."

It seemed that my charge didn't actually need me anymore. Harry had appeared to take her under his wing, she sat with them at lunch and I'd seen him get a little more than familiar. But with the scoff and eye roll Ivy sent me it might just be one sided.

"I'm not falling for that," Came the scoffed response, "Well tata dearie."

Grabbing a plate of salad since the meatloaf looked less than appealing I slid into the usual table glad that I had it to myself for the moment.

"So we need to talk about this morning." The thick Irish accent came from my left as Niall perched his butt on the corner of the table.

"Do we have to?"

"Point taken I just needed an excuse to sit."

Letting out an annoyed puff of air Niall slid into the spot next to me. I peered round wondering where the hell his student guide had gone off to. I already had to live in the same house as Niall, I didn't have to deal with his social life too. But the back of my mind told me I just didn't like the way he put my stomach into a twist.

"Haven't you made your own friends?"

Niall just gave me a shrug. I probably knew the answer to that, he'd moved into my house on Sunday after getting kicked out of his last host home. Apparently he didn't know the words 'reasonable volume' when it came to playing music. But in the chaos of my house it didn't make much of a difference.

"So......."He let the word hang between us making it even more obvious that I was ignoring him. The silence was thick enough that you could cut it with a butter knife. I searched quickly for conversation topics before I realized that I knew nothing about him.

"So music?" I asked lamely before realizing that my friends had decided to sit a different table to give Niall and I 'space.'

The sound of Niall's infectious laughter was what was ringing in my ears for the rest of the lunch period.

Notes

Hope you like it :)
-Daphne