love & hate | wroetoshaw

f o u r

a loud noise wakes me from my slumber, scaring the shit out of me. i wait under the duvet of my bed, waiting for another noise to appear, but nothing comes. i realise that it was most probably the wind, causing me to relax back into the soft bedding, ready to go back to sleep. just as i feel myself slipping back into my dreams, another loud bang comes from somewhere in the apartment, instantly causing me to grab a shoe from the suitcase closest to me. however, i'm not particularly sure how much damage a shoe would do.

i slowly walk towards my bedroom door, opening it as quietly as i can. as i step out of the room and onto the cold laminate flooring in the hallway, the sound of a cupboard closing startles me. i freeze in place, thinking about horror movies and how this is usually how people die; by walking towards the scary noises. i look towards cals room, the door being slightly ajar and mentally facepalm myself. i slowly walk towards the door of cals room and peek my head in, hoping that he would be the person in the kitchen, but instead, i see him sound asleep in the cocoon he's made himself out of his duvet.

my heart stops as i realise there is someone else in the apartment, causing me to raise the shoe above my head again. i begin to tip-toe towards the living room, hearing a small sigh coming from the stranger. my heart begins pounding in my chest and my breathing becomes heavy, accepting that this is where i die. as i get to the kitchen door, a silhouette can be seen in the corner. i make the impulsive decision that throwing the shoe at the stranger was my best option, and proceed to do so, it hitting the man in the back.

"ow! what the fuck!?" the stranger grunts. he turns around and looks at me angrily, running his hands through his hair. i turn on the light and see the man's face, him seeming familiar.

"who are you?" he questions, glaring at me and picking up his phone, making me wish i just stayed in my room.

"who are you?" i say back, hiding half behind the sliding door, suddenly feeling bad for throwing a shoe at the attractive man.

"i asked you first, this is my apartment," he says, "i'll call the police."

realising that this must be cals roommate, i put my hands up towards him, "you're cals roommate, right?"

"yeah? how do you know that?"

"but, i live here too, i just moved in!" i say defensively, surely cal would have told him about me staying, but come to realise that cal forgets everything, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he forgot to tell his roommate that another person would be living with them.

"uh, i think the fuck not," he says, "i swear to god, i will phone the police."

"cal!" i shout, hoping to wake the sleeping man if he hadn't woken up already. i hear him groan loudly and his bedroom door open, thankfully coming to my rescue.

"are you a fan? how did you find our apartment." he panics, scratching at his chest.

"i'm not a—" i'm cut off by a husky voice coming from behind me, causing me to jump out of my skin.

"what's going on?" cal says, sleepily, "why are you shouting?"

i look at the tired man, feeling bad that i woke him up. i look over to his roommate, urging for him to explain to cal so that he would laugh in his face at his ridiculous conspiracy.

"cal, there's an intruder," the man says, waving his hands towards me, trying to make cal understand. cal just looks at me and then to harry, a confused look coming across his features.

"harry, mate," he smiles, "when did you get back?" he says walking over to him and patting him on the shoulder, yawning.

"about ten minutes ago, i was just trying to make a sandwich, and i get a shoe thrown at me," harry grumbles, shooting daggers towards me. i hold my hands up in defence, looking between harry and cal.

"i thought he was a robber, or something," i say sheepishly, mentally face palming myself again for not thinking that it would be harry.

"oh, shit," cal says, looking at me, then looking back at harry, "i forgot to tell you, mate. this is bella, she's gonna be staying with us for a little while until she finds a place of her own, she's just moved to london from manchester. she's sound, don't worry."

"thanks for telling me, you prick. i practically shit myself, i thought she was a mad fan." he complains, still glaring at me.

"i'm sorry, i forgot," cal says sheepishly, putting his long arm around my shoulder.

"i told you so," i say to harry, smirking at my triumph, "anyway, im going to go back to bed. nice to meet you, harry."

he mumbles in response, rolling his eyes as cal gives me a hug and a kiss on the head. i walk back to my room, thankful that it was just harry, who i now realise is one of the sidemen. once i reach the spare room, i instantly close the wooden door and flop down onto my bed. that was definitely not the way that i wanted my first impression to the other boys to be, but at least i've met another one of their friends. i slowly drift off to sleep, feeling guilty for practically assaulting someone in their own home.