Ninas London (One Direction fanfic)

Chapter 30

"I still think it's so cool that we'll be classmates this year!" Eleanor tells me twenty minutes later. We've finally finished our extra large shake, and now the four of us are just hanging around, chatting and trying to get off the Phoebe topic.

"Me too!" I squeal, totally excited to go to Manchester Uni with Eleanor in the fall. I'm not interested in politics and sociology, which is what she studies, so we probably won't share any classes. I want to study psychology. But hopefully we can hang out every once in a while. "I've been on the school website and it looks awesome!"

"But wait," Eleanor says, stopping me. "If you've only been here for a few days, that means you haven't seen the campus yet?"

I shake my head. "I'm gonna try to stop by sometime later this week, but I haven't been there yet. I want to see it really badly, though!"

"Well, I have lunch plans for tomorrow already," Eleanor tells me, pulling out her phone and checking the calendar. "But if you're free in the morning, I'll be happy to show you around for a while!"

It takes everything I have not to drop my jaw. A tour of my college campus with Eleanor? Yes freaking please! "Yeah, sure!" I tell her, smiling widely. "That sounds like so much fun!"

"Great!" Eleanor beams, smiling back. "I'm so excited. You're gonna love the campus, I know it!"

I turn to Caitlin and tap her on the shoulder, listening to a small part of Danielle's conversation about a new dance gig in America. "Hey, Caitlin," I say. "Is it ok if I spend the morning with Eleanor at Manchester tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Caitlin replies easily. "I was hoping to do some shopping for the relatives, so I'll just get it done then. You kids have fun!"

I laugh and turn back to Eleanor, remembering something. "Is it ok if I invite Lauren?" I ask. "She's also going to Manchester this year, so I think she'd love to come. Don't worry, she's nothing like Phoebe!"

"That's fine!" Eleanor assures me, spreading her arms out. "The more the merrier!"

"Cool! I'll invite her tonight." The thought that Phoebe will undoubtedly find out enters my mind, but I push it away. After the way she treated me yesterday, I'm so over caring about what she thinks. She can stay locked up in her hotel room and rot, for all I care.

"He did not!" I suddenly hear Caitlin gush, ripping her phone from her purse.

"He did, I swear!" Danielle says to her, cracking up. "He posted it earlier today!"

I lean close to Caitlin and watch her pull up Twitter. She quickly scrolls through her timeline, stopping every once in a while to read. Then she stops again and rapidly tilts the screen away from me. "Uh oh," I hear her mumble.

"Uh oh?!" I ask panicked, with a gut feeling that the tweet is about me. "Caitlin. Show it to me."

She shakes her head and pulls the phone farther away, but I snatch it from her grasp. Opened up on the tiny screen is a tweet from @PhoebeStylinson, sent just minutes ago.

"@EleanorJCalder better lock up your man, this one's really going for it!"

Seeing an attached photo link, I quickly tap it and gulp while it loads. When the picture finally opens on the phone, I can't help but gasp out loud.

It's a picture from Tuesday, when the boys and us contest winners were having lunch in Jubilee Gardens. Some paparazzi had somehow snapped some shots of us nine while we were taking the walk after eating. This picture, though, is focused entirely on Louis and I. He's laughing and looking forward, and I'm smiling too, leaning into him with my side pressed against his. At the moment, I was quickly ramming into him during a fun group game of bumper cars. I had pulled away instantly. But from the timing of the photograph, I look like I'm leaning on him, and it's worse than I could have ever imagined. Much worse.