No Strings Attached

Chapter 13

My mum’s a pleasant lady who never cusses. She’s almost like those ladies off catalogs. Perfect. But no one is really perfect. “These paps are annoying the shi- Oh hi Mrs. Price!” Niall was so busy fuming he never noticed my mum, who has no tolerance whatsoever for foul language in her home.

Her lips were pulled into a small grimace before she cackled. Are ladies from catalogs allowed to cackle? I think to myself as she approaches us, “Still got the mouth of a sailor I see?”

Niall chuckled nervously as his cheeks flushed, “Mrs. Price I’m sorry it’s just I get so flustered sometimes.”

My mum accepted his apology and she quickly steered us into the vast living room which is decorated with pale blue walls and dark leather upholstery and golden little trinkets mum’s been collecting over the years. We carefully place our bums on the couches and she sits on the lover seat adjacent to us. “Would anyone like cookies? Milk?”

I scoffed. Oh my God, my mum has one of the world’s biggest band members in her living room and she is acting so motherly? Niall quickly stood on his feet, “Oh my God yes! Cookies would be splendid Mrs. Price!” he wrapped his arm around my mum and they stalked off into the kitchen, laughing.

I turned to Dan who was obviously fussing with her already perfectly made hair.

“He’s so cute!” She gushed as she fished inside her purse and pulled out her tan hand, a tube of red lipstick plucked between her lean fingers. She also happen to take out a small compact mirror and was now applying it on. “Yeah. He’s also my boyfriend.” I put a little emphasis on the word. In those precise six seconds she managed to drop the lipstick and the mirror and fling her head back and let out a wail, as if her life is over.

Then just as quickly as she became morbid she perked up again. She smirked then spoke, “But its pretend right?”

I reluctantly nodded. “Yes but you can’t be seen with him because that’ll make him seem like a cheater and all that other drama.”

“But-”

Then the pattering of feet against dark wood floor and shrill laugh from my mother and Niall erupt from the kitchen. Mum sets down a metallic plate full of cookies and Niall is trying hard not to spill the three tall glasses of milk he has.

“You look like a waiter!” I remark as I swiped a cookie from the platter. He sticks his tongue out. I almost, instinctively, flipped him the bird.

After fifteen minutes of pure nibbling and gulping my mother breaks the silence. “So you and Jaime huh?” her voice was soft and airy like a cloud, almost. Niall was scarfing some cookies and he chugged half of the milk down before replying, “Uh yes. It’s official.”

We both let out a nervous chuckle. I know we aren’t related but it seems rather icky to think of him as my boyfriend. We kissed maybe once or twice but I felt no spark, like the way I felt when I kissed Louis that drunken night in the bathroom stall. His lips were so soft and moist and despite his lack of coordination he knew what he was doing.

My mother’s gleaming smiled interrupted my inner thoughts as she gathered us in her arms, “I knew some day you two would wound up together!” She sounded giddy and young and her tone made both Niall and I blush, of embarrassment. “Thank you Mrs. Price.”

We made small talk about anything and since Niall has a motor mouth that goes hundred miles per hour I didn’t have to interject much. All I really did was drown in my own thoughts. Why did I do this? I feel horrible making my mum believe that Niall and I are in a relationship because I know how much she loves the goof!

“So how long have you kids been dating?”

“A month--”

“Three weeks.” We both answered simultaneously and my mother cast her dark questioning eyes our way. Her eyebrow cocked slightly and I almost shat my pants, “A month and three weeks is what we meant to say.” Niall saved quickly before linking his arm around my shoulder and I could feel the hot beaming eyes of Danielle boring into my neck. It made me cringe but I still put up a faint dreamy smile that my mother bought up quickly.