-- Georgia --
Niall and I talk for another hour before we decide it's time to go. We keep becoming obnoxiously loud as we laugh out loud together. I can't say I've ever been as happy as I am right now. He invites me to go back to his condo so that we don't bother anyone that's using the coffee shop to study. I agree to go with him, something that seems out of my character to me. I don't normally just jump at opportunities to make new friends, but I feel completely overwhelmed with a sense of purpose today. Somewhere inside me, I know that I need someone I can rely on, someone who will tell me everything, and someone who will inevitably know me as well as I know them.
As much as I have always hoped for that person to be Charlie, I know that day will never come as long as I'm waiting for it. I decide I must find this person, but I don't have to look any further than to the person sitting to my immediate right.
Niall is sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep Cherokee, tapping his hands on his legs with the beat of the music as he gazes out of the window at the busy sidewalks of New Orleans. I steal a few quick looks at him, wondering why fate chose now to present me with him. I've spent the past two years of my college life practically alone, left with no one to rely on but Charlie. I'm not sure why I've suddenly been given opportunities for new people to come into my life.
A strange sensation sweeps over me, one that feels quite similar to fear. Somehow, I'm afraid now more than ever that they'll leave me sooner than I think. I guess I've never really been aware of this feeling inside me before because I've never had people around me as friends that meant more to me than a high school acquaintance.
"This is it right here," he says to me, signaling me to pull in front of a periwinkle blue condo with white trimming and classic decorative French shutters.
"The blue one?" I question with a smile on my face.
He turns to smile at me. "Yeah."
"I love it."
"Well, I'm just glad it's actually clean on the inside, so I don't have to worry about having food left out or underwear somewhere. No embarrassments." He pauses. "Aside from photos."
"Photos, huh?" I say as I get out of my car to walk around to the sidewalk.
"Oh, yeah. Harry and I are keen on baby pictures. They make all the ladies swoon," he says in mock confidence with a wink.
"Oh, I'm sure they do. I can't wait to faint from the overwhelming cuteness."
"It's coming. Be prepared."
I laugh as he unlocks the door to a homey little set up. The living room is more open than I expected it. A red couch sits against the wall on the right and a leather armchair to its right, facing the front door. Along with the coffee table in the center lies a large decorative rug that consists of blues and small details in red and yellow.
"Wow," I say as I see the left wall is entirely made up of a white built-in entertainment shelves. Books line a few of the shelves along with over a hundred CDs and a couple of records. The record player sits on the opposite side of the tv, and underneath the tv is all of the "boy toys."
"Xbox, Wii, and Playstation? You guys didn't think you had enough?"
"Oh, you can never have enough."
I smile at him as I kneel down to look at all of the games.
"So...are we gonna play?" I ask him as I wiggle the Bioshock Infinite game case in my hand.
He takes it from me and gives me a questioning look.
"You play Bioshock?" he asks as he stares at me in disbelief.
YOU ARE READING
Burned {h.s. / n.h.}
Fanfiction"I didn't stop the flames from taking me. I didn't stop him from taking me. Instead, I let him lead me straight into the fire to burn." The city of New Orleans has much to offer in regards to laissez le bon temps roulez, but when Georgia and Charlie...
