The Other Styles

Chapter One

*EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER*

          I flicked through the channels and sighed. There was nothing good on the telly. Outside, the cold rain pounded against the window like rocks, and ran down it in streams like tiny rivers.The front door squealed as someone opened it, and I heard the screen door slam seconds later.

          "What's up?" a voice asked.         

         "Hey Bails, um... nothing actually. I'm completely bored to death to be honest."

         He chuckled. "Looks like you need a little Styles magic!"

          I rolled my eyes. Bailey Styles had the biggest ego, I swear it's bigger than an ocean! He jumped over the back of the sofa and plopped down beside me. Reaching over my legs, he grabbed my drink off the coffee table and chugged it down.

          "Hey! That was my Pepsi!"

          "Not anymore." Bailey grinned.

          I cuffed him on the shoulder and pouted. I knew he hated it when I pouted. I crossed my arms, tilted my head so that my long, straight hair fell in my face and looked at the cotton candy blue rug. It worked.

          "Aw, c'mon Courts, don't do this to me...!" he groaned.

          I tried not to smile.

          Bailey whined. "I'll buy you ice-cream..."

          My head popped up and I grinned.

          Bailey smiled, revealing his adorable dimples. He knows I can't resist ice-cream.

          "By the way, I added, " and funny business and you'd better prepare to be terminated." I smiled and winked at him.

----

          "Okay so that's one triple chocolate fudge sundae and one quadruple scoop Pepsi float in a cup?" the ice-cream man asked Bailey.

          "Yep." Bailey replied, popping the "p".

          The rain had stopped and the skies were a dull grey. It was pretty convenient to have an ice-cream parlour down the street from our houses. We didn't have to walk far. Now there was soft music playing and the scent of sweet frozen goodness was in the air.

 BAILEY'S POV

          Courtney looked up at me, she had a ring of Pepsi and vanilla ice-cream around her mouth. I chucked to myself.

          "What?" she asked. Giving me  a confused look.

          "You've got a little...." I mumbled between bursts of laughter. I wiped the stuff off her face and ate it.

          "Mmmmmmm..." I said to annoy her.

          A middle aged man walked by us. "Wow, you two are a cute couple!" the man said and he left the store.

          We both looked at each other.  Courtney turned around and watched the man walk away down the street. I was stunned by what he had said. A couple. I'd had a crush on my best friend since fourth grade, but I'd never pictured us as... a couple.

          Courtney turned to face me again. "Well that was weird." she giggled.

          "I know! You're like a little sister to me... Not a girlfriend." She frowned a little when I said that, but quickly smiled again to cover it up.

          Secretly I knew that what I had said was only half of the truth. Yeah, she was like a sister to me... But I'd much rather her be called my girlfriend.

----

COURTNEY'S POV

           It surprised me when that man said that Bailey and I were a cute couple. I mean... Yeah I do kind of have a little crush on him (not so little)... But that caught me off guard. I guess we would be good together. We've known each other our whole lives, literally he was born next to me. We grew up together, walked together, spoke together, played together. He knows me better than anyone ever has or will. I wish I could tell him that...

BAILEY'S POV

          When we got back to Courtney's house the clouds were beginning to separate. That wasn't common in England.

          "Let's do something outside!" Courtney suggested.

          "Okay,' I agreed with a smirk, "I'm in net. I'll pay you if you score five out of twenty shots on me!" I laughed.

          She groaned. "Bailey Harrison Styles, you know how horrible I am at football...!"

          "I know!" I laughed.

          We walked around the side of her house and I ran ahead to open the tall wooden gate. The Chisholm's were a wealthy family (like mine) and they had an enormous back yard. It was about nine square acres. They had it divided into four sections. There was a field for football, an Olympic swimming pool and hot tun, a golf course, and a patio area. We walked over to the lush, green football field. I jogged ahead  to one end and did a cartwheel into the net.

          'Oh so now you're a cheerleader too?" she giggled.

          'guess so!" I replied.

          We took turns making shots on each other and being in net. She ended up with four out of twenty and me with eighteen out of twenty. I knew I'd never have to pay her. After we both just lay in the damp grass and looked up at the puffy clouds.

          "That one looks like a whale!" Courtney exclaimed.

          "And those two  look like dragons battling! I pointed up at the sky.

          "I see them..." came her reply.

COURTNEY'S POV

          Bailey and I looked up and the clouds and I laughed at how he thought random circles looked like two dragons battling each other. he could be so ridiculous. It felt good just to lie beside him and laugh together. Suddenly a memory popped into my mind.

          "Are you going to melissa's party?" I asked him.

          "I guess..." he mumbled, "I'm not really, erm...on good terms with Melissa anymore."

          I remembered when they had their huge breakup. Bailey was in a horrid state for weeks because the girl had cheated on him.

          "Oh. I remember alright." I sighed.

          He gave in. "So...uh, when is it?"

          I sat up excitedly and smiled at him.

BAILEY'S POV

          I knew already that I was going to regret what i had just decided....

          Courtney smiled. "Tonight."