Something New

Maxine came walking across the backyard, a football slung under her left arm, her eyes set on the five guys warming up for their impending game of three-on-three.
“You’re all taking this quite serious, yeah?” Max quips watching as Louis – the only one of them with any real football experience – bends completely over, touching his toes for a moment before he stands back up smirking at Max.
“Football is quite serious,” he says. Max snorts and tosses the football at Louis. He easily juggles the ball with his knees and feet as Max begins to twist and stretch her upper body, knowing it isn’t a bad idea to loosen herself up.
“So skins and shirts then?” Harry asks about the teams, standing with his hands on his bare hips.
“Whatever team Max is on is the skins!” Louis calls out. Max’s head snaps toward Louis, sending him a glare.
“Louis,” Harry sighs – neither truly upset nor truly surprised by his boyfriend’s comment.
“What? I can still appreciate a nice pair a tits,” Louis says, holding his hands out in front of him, mimicking two large breasts.
“Foul,” Max laughs, shaking her head.
“Max and Harry, call your teams,” Zayn says, breaking up the conversation.
“How did we become the captains?” Max asks.
“Because you’re both the worst,” Niall snickers.
“Fuck all of you,” Max laughs.
“Louis,” Harry calls first, which isn’t surprising in the least.
“Next game we’re making a rule that you can’t pick the person you’re sleeping with,” Niall says as he rolls his eyes.
“I won’t allow it,” Louis says, leaning up to kiss Harry’s lips quickly.
“Max? You’re next,” Zayn says. Max knows exactly who she wants to pick, her eyes falling on Liam, who is still idly stretching.
“Uh, Niall,” Max says instead, feeling her cheeks heat up as her eyes finally dart away from Liam’s athletic frame.
“Liam,” Harry calls out next and she can noticeable feel her heart sink.
“Zayn. And I promise you would have been my next pick even if you weren’t the last person left,” Max says, smiling at Zayn.
“Yeah, yeah,” Zayn says, sounding bored, but smirks at her anyway.
“You’re going down!” Niall says to the other three guys on the opposing team.
“Not bloody likely,” Louis laughs as he pulls his t-shirt off and tosses it onto the ground. Max can’t help it when her eyes drag across Liam’s abs when he too takes off his shirt. She takes a deep breath moments later and rolls her neck, closing her eyes to try to center herself.
“Max, what’s our strategy going to be?” Niall asks her. Max’s eyes shoot open, looking straight at Niall.
“To win,” she says evenly and watches as Niall’s lips turn up into a wide smile.
“You’re a bloody genius, Max,” Zayn says sarcastically, sending her a mischievous smile.
“Cause I’m really the person to ask about bloody strategy in a football game. You literally just told me I’m the worst at this game like two minutes ago,” Max says, letting out a laugh.
“You are the worst. Well, maybe not the worst,” Niall says looking up at Harry.
“I heard that!” Harry calls out to Niall. Max can’t help but laugh out loud.
“Let’s just play,” Liam says, tossing the ball between them.
Max smiles to herself as she readies herself to, most likely, lose the game. But winning doesn’t matter to her. She just loves spending time with her friends. She really does love every last one of them. Even with all their odd quirks and habits. She wouldn’t trade any of them.

…

The story of how the six of them came to live together is actually quite simple to explain. First there was Maxine, who inherited the house they co-inhabited. Not wanting to live alone in her grandparent’s old home, Maxine asked her best friend Harry to move in with her. Harry’s boyfriend of two years, Louis, moved in during the first week of Uni, having forgotten to get his housing slips in time to get a room in the dormitories.
The three of them lived in the big old house for an entire semester, finding a perfect rhythm with each other throughout that time. Harry and Louis took the largest room upstairs, being that there were two of them. Maxine took the room next to theirs mainly because it held significant meaning to her. It was the room her mother grew up in, and it was also her Gran’s room for the last few years of her life before she died.
Zayn came next, taking the last of the rooms upstairs. Louis and Zayn knew each other from primary school, and ran into each other one day on campus, not knowing they went to the same University. After getting to know Zayn, and after hearing about his horrendous roommate, the three of them decided to invite him to live with them.
Niall came after Zayn, having answered an advert Harry placed as a joke for a “roommate wanted”. The four of them decided to interview the Irish lad since he went through all the trouble to reply to the poster and whatnot. Niall fit right in immediately and took the attic, which was converted into a bedroom just for him.
The five of them lived together for nearly a year. But when Zayn mentioned his best mate Liam – whom they’d all met on several occasions – needed a place to room, they welcomed Liam in like he was meant to be there all along. Liam took over Zayn’s old bedroom on the upper level while Zayn moved down to the basement because there was more room to do his art.
With six roommates; six entirely different personalities, the house sometimes seemed like it might burst at the seams, but they all loved and respected each other. It wasn’t long until they became a family. Though, it wasn’t exactly easy for Maxine to live with so much testosterone all the time. Sometimes she felt like she was going to lose it, but she did what she could to make the best of the situation. And it was a little bit easier for her once Liam moved in…
Sure, she found the other four boys to be quite attractive, but Harry was her gay best friend, Louis was his boyfriend, Zayn had a girlfriend, and Niall – well, yes. Niall was attractive. But things changed for Maxine once Liam moved in. The way she looked at him, the way she thought about him was different than any other person. She tried to bury the nagging feeling. She tried her best to stave off the blush that crept up her cheek in his presence. But Liam was just so sweet, and extremely good looking. She had a rough go at it. And it only got more difficult as the days went on.

…

Max is caught completely off guard by the football soaring straight at her head. She doesn’t even have time to flinch before it hits her smack in the temple, her body toppling to the ground from the sheer force of it.
“Max!” Harry calls out.
“Holy fuck!” Max groans, holding her hand against the side of her head as she lay on her back on the grass.
She hears all the guys rush to her side, but she can only see Liam, standing above her with the sunlight framing him perfectly, looking like some sort of an angel.
“You okay, Maxine?” Liam asks as he bends down to look at her. Somehow she loves the way he says her full name.
“The fucking football… it… it…” Max stammers, feeling her temple throbbing.
“It spiked off your head!” Niall laughs a bit too loudly.
“Shut it, Horan,” Liam snaps at him and Max can’t help but feel honored that Liam is standing up for her.
“How many fingers am I holding up?” Louis butts in and suddenly two of his fingers are thrust into Max’s face.
“Two. I haven’t gone mental. I’m fine,” Max says, finally trying to sit up. Liam immediately grabs her arm to help her.
“Who kicked it?” Max asks, looking up at the five of them one by one. And somehow she knows when her eyes land on Harry standing there looking guilty.
“I didn’t mean to, Maxine. Honest,” Harry says, throwing in a quick ‘I’m sorry’ at the end.
“Told yah he was the worst,” Niall chimes in.
“Not helping, Niall,” Zayn scolds him, but still laughs anyway.
“Here. I’ll help you up,” Liam says, holding out his hand. Max grabs it hesitantly and Liam practically does all the work, hoisting her up on her feet. Her head feels a bit wonky and her feet aren’t sure what to do, causing her to stagger a bit.
“Whoa. Are you sure you’re okay?” Liam asks, steadying Max with his arm slung around her back.
“I think we should win by default since your team was aiming to sabotage our team,” Niall suggests.
“Not bleeding likely!” Louis calls out.
“I didn’t mean to, Max. I’m sorry,” Harry says again, looking truly pained that he kicked a football at his best friends head.
“I know you didn’t mean to, Harry. It’s okay,” Max tells him.
“Not okay. We win,” Niall says simply.
“Pssh. It’s about the only way you were going to win,” Louis says under his breath.
“Tommo with the jokes,” Niall says to Zayn.
“So, like, are we done playing then?” Zayn asks as he juggles the ball back and forth between his knees and his feet.
“Might as well if Max is concussed,” Louis says, causing Harry to look even more pained than he already is.
“I’m not concussed,” Max snaps, giving Louis a light shove.
“Sorry. Bloody sorry,” Louis snickers.
“You gonna be okay, Max?” Zayn asks, showing mild concern.
“Guys, I’m just fine,” Max says, looking between the lot of them.
“Glad to hear it. I call shower!” Zayn calls out with a mischievous smirk on his face.
“Not if I get there first!” Niall challenges him, and they both make a run for it.
“Are you really okay, Max?” Liam asks, looking straight into Max’s eyes. She’s certain if she wasn’t focusing so hard on standing, her knees might have weakened right then and there with him looking at her like she is the most important thing to him.
“I’m fine. I promise,” Max tries to assure him.
“Are you certain?” He asks.
“I am certain. I’m just tired and… and sweaty…” She says, and cringes immediately at her words.
“I think we’re all tired and sweaty.” Liam smiles at her.
“Max, I heard you shouldn’t go to sleep right after you get hit in the head. You might think you don’t have a concussion, but you could and not even know it. So uh, don’t go take a nap or anything,” Harry says, sounding genuinely worried.
“I promise I won’t take a nap. I just need a shower,” Max says as Liam finally draws his arm back and allows her to stand on her own.
“What if you faint in the shower?” Harry asks her.
“I’ll be fine,” she tells him.
“But what if you’re not?” He asks, stepping up in front of her, his eyes roaming over every inch of her face.
“I’m fine, Styles. I’m not going to die from a football to the head. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily,” she says, making a joke out of it.
“But you could fall in the shower…” Harry continues.
“Harry. Seriously?” Louis laughs.
“I am not about to allow any one of you to babysit me while I’m in the shower. I draw the line, okay?” Max says as she turns toward the house and makes her way across the yard.
“I really am sorry, Maxine,” Harry says from behind her.
“I accept your apology, okay. Now can we drop it?” She asks him as pleasantly as she can as she opens the back door and enters the house.
“I just feel really badly,” Harry continues.
“I love you, Harry. But please just drop it. I promise you, I am fine,” Max says, stopping right in front of him to look in his eyes.
“Okay,” Harry says.
“Thank you for your concern,” she says. He nods and watches as she turns toward the stairs.
“I’ll start dinner in a little bit,” Harry tells the group.
“Good. I’m starving,” Louis says as he tosses the football on the floor and slumps down on the couch, kicking off his shoes.
Max takes the stairs up toward her bedroom when she hears Louis say, “don’t die on us, Max.” She turns her head to look at him before she holds up her middle finger in response. Louis lets out a howl of a laugh and Max can’t help but laugh too.

…

It wasn’t long after the six of them started living together that Wednesday night dinners sort of became a tradition. It was the only night out of the week when all of them were home at the same time. So they’d all switch off making dinner. Sometimes it would end up just being pizza or Chinese food – especially during finals. But they all made the effort to make it to Wednesday night dinners.
“Smells fantastic,” Zayn says as he takes his seat next to Niall at the table.
As Louis walks into the room to take a seat he looks around the table at the three of them, “is dinner ready? Where’s Haz?”
“You know Harry. He’s in the kitchen, probably making a proper big production out of the meal,” Max snickers, causing Louis to laugh blithely.
“Every time,” he replies.
“Where’s Li?” Zayn asks curiously.
“I heard the shower running a bit ago. Not sure if he heard dinner was ready.” Louis shrugs, watching Zayn nod before making a move to stand up.
“I’ve got it, Zayn. I’ll let him know,” Maxine says as she stands on her feet. She actually really feels the need to thank Liam for the way he helped her today. He was the only one to show true concern for her after she got hit with the football – well, maybe Harry too, but she feels like maybe it was mainly the guilt that fueled him.
Maxine feels her heart begin to race at just the thought of seeing Liam. It’s actually quite ridiculous since they live together and see each other nearly every day. But it’s something she can’t control, really. She doesn’t think she wants to. She enjoys the blissful fleeting feelings she gets when she’s in his presence. She likes the butterflies in her stomach, and the way her body reacts to him. She knows nothing will ever come of it since she’d decided long ago she would never date one of the roommates. She doesn’t want to be the one to bring drama into their peaceful existence in the house.
She takes a deep breath as she rounds the corner toward Liam’s room. And with a soft knock, she pushes open the already cracked door.
“Liam? Dinner’s read—” Maxine says before the air drains from her lungs and the words stop short on her tongue.
Liam’s standing in front of her completely nude, his body still glistening with water droplets from the shower. They both freeze in their tracks like deer in headlights. And in those few moments, Max gets quite an eyeful.
“Max—”
“Shit. Wow, shit. I’m sorry, Liam. I’m sorry. Shit,” Max stammers, her brain finally linking up with her body. She quickly turns, shielding her eyes with her hand, “dinner’s ready. That’s uh, that’s why I came up here. I should’ve knocked. I’m sorry. Shit.”
Without another glance back, Maxine flees in the same direction she came.

Notes