Since Summers

twenty nine : nerves

Frazier gave her a solid nod and took out his phone.

I eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"Writing those down, just in case," answered him as he started to type on his phone.

Jess peered over his shoulder to see what he was typing then winked at me. "Oh, Autumn, I like this guy." I rolled my eyes at her. To Frazier, she pointed on his screen and asked, "is that her nickname?"

"Yeah. What do you think?" asked Frazier. Geez, they started having a discussion about me as if I wasn't standing in front of them and listening to every word. The only reason I didn't hold my hand up or blurt out my protest was that they both looked so cozy and I would feel really bad if I ruined their fun.

Jess gave me a once over. "Cute. She does purr sometimes and she really has nine lives. Did she tell you that there was this one bitch at our school who tried to kill her twice?"

Frazier put his phone down and looked up at Jess. "What? Who?"

"This crazy bitch called Rosie Park." Jess waved a dismissive hand in the air. "She tried to poison Autumn once but Tyler saved her."

Frazier slid his gaze to me and murmured to himself, "so much to beat." He probably didn't intend for me to hear that but I did. "So what happened to that girl? Did she get arrested? I feel like I heard this story before."

He turned his gaze to me and I nodded. "Maybe you have. Liam could've told you."

Jess frowned. "Who's Liam?"

"One of the CROWN boys," I replied then pointed at Frazier. "He and Liam are cousins."

"Holy Horan!" Jess gasped and closed her hands in front of her chests. "So you're not only British but you're royal too?" Her eyes twinkled and I knew what would come next. "Are you related to Prince Harry? Have you met him?"

I could no longer suppress my groan. Besides Harry Styles and Niall Horan, my best friend was also obsessed with Prince Harry. She watched the royal wedding countless time and even recorded it.

"No," Frazier shook his head. "I don't think we're related.

"I think she was sent to an asylum or something. Tyler's dad, I mean our high school principal, informed Rosie's parents and they sorted it out." Jess shook her head as if trying to shake the images in her mind. "Anyway, you haven't told me how you became a Directioner," Jess quickly changed the subject.

Frazier cleared his throat and swallowed. "I'm not exactly a Directioner but my brother is." He straightened his back and blinked. "I think you should meet him. Many people say that he looks like Niall."

Jess gasped. People would think something magical had just happened by judging her reaction. "Do you have a photo of him? Can I see?"

"Sure, let me find one." He went through his phone gallery and found a picture.

"Oh my god, he does look like Niall!" Jess tilted her head to one side as she examined the photo. "Except maybe his eyes. If only they were blue."

Frazier let out a chuckle. "We, Ronan, don't get the blue eyes. All of us have grey eyes, rather boring color, don't you think."

Boring would definitely not the word I would use to describe his eyes. "They're warm," I accidentally blurted out what was in my head. Jess and Frazier turned to me and I had the urge to kick myself or put my foot in my mouth.

"Grey is a warm color, you know, like the mouse," I continued.

His lips quirked up into an amused half-smile. "Did you just compare me with rodents?"