dissolve. nh

Chapter 7

"I'm trying to be nice. C'mon, you want to?" She asked, hopeful. I sighed, nodding and laughing when she squealed.

Forty-five minutes later, I was showered and dressed, ready to go out on a brunch date with Nicole. We climbed into her little car, singing loudly to songs played far too much on the radio. We pulled up to a little café in a busy town, getting out and sitting at a table for two outside. Nicole was telling me about a cute waiter that worked here.

"He's got these eyes though, and his muscles are so big. He's just cute, and when I saq him I think I've died." She gushed, and I smirked, because there was a quite handsome boy walking toward us now.

"Well, I think he's coming over here..." I said, and she sat bolt upright.

"Hi, my name's Liam, can I-Nicole!" He said, sounding pleasantly surprised. She looked up at him, and beamed when she saw him smiling down at her.

"H-hi Liam. How are you?" She asked shyly, which shocked me because Nicole was never shy.

"I'm just fine, thanks, how are you?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I'm great. Just out with my friend for brunch." She said, nodding to me. He smiled at me, and I reached out my hand to shake his.

"Hi, I'm Bleu."

"Bleu? Like the color?" He asked, and it didn't surprise me because I got that reaction all the time.

"Yeah, sounds like it, but it's spelled different." I said, and he nodded. Liam leaned over and rested his hand on the back of Nicole's chair as I told him this, and she shot me a look full of fourteen-year-old girl emotion, and I couldn't help but grin.

In the middle of our meal, Liam came over to check up on us. He was looking a bit nervous to me, but Nicole was having to problem talking his ear off. I smiled when he interrupted her in one of her breaks of talking.

"So, how long are you guys staying?" Liam asked Nicole, and she shrugged.

"I dunno, we'll probably walk around town. Why?"

"Well, I-I was wondering if you wanted to, I dunno, do something tonight?" He asked, nervously shifting the book in his hands. Nicole's face lit up like Christmas tree.

"Yeah, that would be great. Um, Bleu and I are going out to a club tonight. Bleu would you mind if he came?" She asked, and they both turned their big eyes on me. I shook my head rapidly, smiling at them.

"No, not at all. That would be great." I said, knowing this would make Nicole's year.

"Would you like to go, Liam?" She asked, and he grinned down at her.

"Of course! Um, here's my number. Text me the details. And I get off at two, if you're still around then, tell me and we can meet up or something." He said, and Nicole nodded, taking the piece of paper he'd scribbled his number on. He shot her a dazzling smile before trotting off back to a group of waiters who slapped him on the back and jeered jokes at him. Nicole's face blushed a crimson red, and I couldn't help but laugh at her.

Needless to say, after we'd walked around town a little, going into some odd shops so that Nicole could look for a new dress for tonight, it was fifteen after two and Liam was walking our way. Nicole was smiling at him, waving slightly as she clutched her smoothie in her hand.

"He's here!" She squealed at me, then took off toward him, hugging him 'round the waist when she's reached him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered them over to me as I sipped my iced coffee quite awkwardly.

"Hi, Bleu." He said, and I smiled at him.

"Hi, Liam. Glad you could join us." I said, and Nicole linked arms with both of us, beginning to walk us down the street.

"Me too." He said, looking down at Nicole with a sparkle in his eye no other boy had ever had when looking at her.

We walked around for the rest of the day, doing absolutely nothing but laughing and talking. It was nice to get away from the thoughts of Niall, and only once had I thought of him. That was only because Nicole had brought him up.

"Are you having a good time?" Nicole asked me, eating the ice cream she'd gotten with Liam.

"Yeah, I am, thanks. I needed this." I said, and she smiled.

"Good. Glad you forgot Niall." She said, and Liam perked up from his spot on the bench beside her.

"Wait, Niall Horan?" He asked, and I nodded at him, expecting him to hate him. But his eyes just widened, and he cleared his throat.

"So you're that Bleu." He said, and I raised my brow.

"What Bleu?" I asked, and he smirked. A smirk that reminded me of the stupid little one that seemed to be glued to Niall's own lips.

"I'll just tell you; I've known Niall for a very long time, and needless to say, all the boys at the gym were surprised when he mentioned you." Liam said, amusement touching his features. If he wasn't so nice, I might have hit him.

"What did he say?" It was Nicole who'd asked, not me, which was probably better because Liam seemed to talk to her more easily. He sighed openly, looking down at his shoes before his eyes met hers.

"He just...he was surprised at you, Bleu. We know what he did, and he told us you were unhappy. That's all we got, because, well, you don't push him." He said, and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"Sure. Whatever." I said, and Liam sat straight up.

"See! That's what we're all saying. Bleu, I-I think you should give Niall a chance." He said, and as sweet as he was, he was making my blood boil.

"And just why is that? Because he doesn't think of me as some slut that he can just toss around on his bed?" I was nearly shouting, and Nicole jumped at the choice of words.

"Liam, this isn't anything against you or what you've told me, but tell Niall that when he gains some respect for me, I might not be so angry with him." I said, crossing my arms. The corner's of Liam's mouth twitched, and he didn't seem at all phased.

"Don't you know, Bleu?" He paused, and I raised my eyebrows. "That was Niall showing respect."