Picked [Narry]

c.one

[ an: Harry is a solo artist. Zayn and Louis are a duet but are rivals of Harry. Liam is a fanboy. And Niall... well, you'll find out what he is in this chapter! Enjoy xx ]

chapter one

-x-

Every girl sat up straight, some racing to their TV and plopping their nose against the screen, eager to watch the Picking ceremony. The girls that were at their homes could possibly be randomly selected by some of the richest men in the world.

Each female, even if they were underage and were unable to be Picked, were applying finishing touches to their makeup, spraying product in their hair, and making sure there were no wrinkles in their dresses just in case they were to be escorted out of their house to meet their new lifetime mate.

It was a televised program, of course, and everybody who was alive was watching it at the moment. This was the most suspenseful and incredible time of the year. 

"Welcome to the 15th annual Picking ceremony! And no, not picking as in 'picking your nose.'" The line was repeated every single year and no one bothered to chuckle anymore. The host of the ceremony flashed a white smile before continuing with his microphone close to his mouth. "This special time of year was started around the time of protesting. Everyone around the world began protesting for marriage equality, so the bans for everything was lifted. There was now gay marriage allowed."

Applause sounded and the host, Gary Mouthin, gave a big smile that made his top lip disappear. He signaled for the audience to settle down. "However, this also angered many people around the world. More protests broke out because of this worldwide law. You can never please the human race, can you?" Murmurs of agreement came from the audience and even from the people at home.

"So the government organized this. Now they had no control over who you married and it was no longer their fault. A pretty neat way to fix all the problems, huh? So I'd like to welcome you to day one of the Picking!"

The live audience rose to their feet clapping and all the girls at home shrieked loudly. Gary gave a grin that made everyone question if he no longer feels anything in his cheeks. "Settle down now, you animals!" Laughter sounded as the audience fell back into their seats.

"For day one, we have the biggest and richest men in the world coming to do their Picking. Unless they paid extra to make their own choice, they will randomly draw names of girls all around the world. Whoever they pick will be their partner forever. So are you ready?"

High pitched shouts and screams could be heard in any house all around the world. To help with the Picking, each family was ordered to have a daughter and a son to balance out things.

"Now these people you'll absolutely recognize. First up, we have Louis Tomlinson, a rich pop singer!"

A freshly shaved Louis Tomlinson stood up from his seat in the crowd, cheers erupting everywhere. He gave a small grin, showing off the well-loved crinkles by his eyes. He adjusted his suit a bit before making his way to Gary, who was waiting for him up on stage.

"How are ya, Lou?" Gary asked after a firm handshake.

Louis gave a shrug and a small chuckle. "Bit nervous," he answered, making a few people coo in the audience.

"There's no need to be, Tomlinson! We have plenty of pretty girls for you to choose! I'm sure you'll find a lovely girl."

"Well, I think all girls are really beautiful, but I can't wait to pick." Louis knew he was turning on the charm and was glad that even though he was about to be tied down, he could still do a bit more flirting.