Night Changes

16

By the time Harry and I had gotten to Louis and Nialls apartment, they, along with Zayn and Liam had already begun a little pre drinking. Needless to say, they were feeling pretty good. Lily was there, perched upon Zayns lap as he whispered in her ear. By the look on her  face I knew immediately he was not talking about the weather.

I followed Harry into the apartment, my hand secured in his as he walked up to where Niall stood in the kitchen.  Beer in hand, cheeks slightly pink, in a white tshirt and black jeans, he looked like he was already having a great time and we hadnt even left yet.

“’bout time you got here, prick.” Niall said, smirking at Harry. “Been waiting for ya so we could go to the bloody bar.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t look like my absence kept you from the beer, Nialler.”

“Mate, fucking prohibition couldn’t keep me from the beer.  Just saying.”  Turning to me, Niall smiled widely as he stepped around Harry to take my free hand.  “Jesus,” he breathed. Setting his beer on the counter, he pushed Harry away from us, pulling me towards him. “Fuck off, Styles, this girl is way too fit to be seen with you.”

I laughed, my hands having nowhere to go but Nialls chest as he grinned at me. I glanced at Harry from over his shoulder, noticing his annoyance and scowl. I patted Niall on the chest, before stepping back, figuring it was best to detach myself from him before he got more handsy and Harry blew a gasket.

We all made our exit not long after, piling into two taxis and heading for some bar Niall said he wanted to check out.  He was determined to see as many bars as he could in New York, for ‘research’, he said. Of course, we all knew this to be a bold face lie. Sure, he probably was doing a little research for improvements on his own bar, but bottom line, the boy liked to drink. And flirt.

We made it to the bar of choice shortly after nine thirty. It was already crowded, and it didn’t take long for us to be separated into little groups around the establishment.  Niall, Zayn, Liam and Louis had taken to the room adjacent to the bar itself, checking out the games tables and challenging each other to loud, and profane rounds of foosball. That left Harry and I in our own little world, sitting at a table in the corner as we watched them.

The laughter around me rang out yet again, the noise increasing along with the blood alcohol of everyone in the bar. The chatter blended together all around, making almost a dull white noise of conversation. You could occasionally zoned in on someone, picking out a few words or general topic, but quickly blank out again and refocus to a different conversation.

It was crowded. Much more so than I remember of bars in New York, but then again I was never one to frequent them with any form of regularity. People stood all around, some on chairs, others on bar stools. All of them with drinks in their hands and smiles on their faces.

Something else I didn’t remember of New York bars were just how slutty the girls tended to dress. Not all of them, mind you, but some…damn. Why not just stamp “Open for business’ on your forehead.

Of course, Niall didn’t seem to mind this feature of New York life. More than once he had been in the throws of a game against Liam, only to be distracted as a girl walked by in what I could only assume was a dress. His eyes would follow her, blatantly at that, and Liam would score.