The Little Shop

The Filler Chapter

The Filler Chapter, in which we go to dinner, win Sienna over (sort of), and arrive in Spain.

CURLY

"What about this one?" AJ wonders, holding up a little blue sundress. "With the white shoes?"

"Nah," Louis says, shaking his head. We're all dressed up in AJ's clothes. Niall's wearing a pair of her shades, lying back on her bed, and trying to pretend he doesn't need another dose of pain medicine. He's got the worst poker face. Zayn adjusts her floppy hat on his head, because it became dislodged when he shook his head in reply to her question.

"I don't like it," Liam says. "I still vote for the black trousers and the green shirt."

"Yeah, the green shirt goes with your eyes!" Niall comments. 

"If you say so," AJ says with a giggle. She walks over and takes the outfit from where it sits on my lap. "Now if you'll kindly excuse me," she says, shooing us to the door.

"Gotcha," Zayn says. He stands up and tugs Louis along with him. Liam crouches in front of me, so I hop onto his back, and we piggy back out of there. Niall covers his eyes with his hands, which satisfies AJ, because she shuts the door behind us. 

"How come Niall gets to stay?" Louis moans. "I was comfy too!"

"Niall was in the hospital," Zayn says, flicking Louis in the ear. 

"Which colour shoes?" AJ hollers through the door. 

"Black!" I call back. I always thought that girls took forever to change their clothes, but almost as fast as we'd left, AJ pulled the door open again and stepped out to show us. 

"What do you think?" The "what do you" part came out more as one word, which reminded me that she was so young. I often found myself forgetting. Really, if you've never seen her, you could mistake her for a teenager, at least. Maybe even twenteen, like Zayn.

"Gorgeous, Princess," Liam says, walking over and scooping her up into his arms. "I was thinking we'd take your mum somewhere extra nice. Do you know her favourite restaurant?"

"Bangalore," AJ says. 

"The Indian restaurant, in Waterloo?" I clarify. AJ nods, to tell me I'm right, and I watch Louis whip out his phone. Bangalore is his go-to date spot, I think, because the chef knows him pretty well.

"Speaking of your mum, she should be home soon," Niall adds, glancing at his watch. He sits on the arm of the couch and lets his body fall backwards. Zayn catches him before his head can hit the couch, muttering about pain pills and injuries. 

"I'm getting your medicine," Zayn announces, grumbling as he goes. He's left Niall sitting with his feet up on the couch. 

"No, Zayn, I'm fine, I promise!" Niall calls after him. When he's sure Zayn's out of earshot, he sends me a cheeky wink, and I burst into laughter. Louis is helping AJ with her hair when Zayn returns, and he hands Niall a glass of water and the bottle of pills. "Thanks, mate."

"Sure thing," Zayn says with a smirk. "I just didn't want you to break into tears in the middle of the restaurant. How embarrassing would that have been?"

"Gee," Niall mutters. "You're so selfless."

"I know," Zayn chuckles, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. Liam tosses me a button-down shirt, probably to put on over my greatly oversized Unorthodox Jukebox t-shirt.

We met Sienna at Bangalore. When she arrived, we'd already settled in, meaning Louis and Niall were rapping about water while Liam beatboxed. Zayn and I were trying to keep poker faces while playing an intense round of dominoes with the fancy white-on-black dominoes we poured out of a shiny little tin that once sat next to the salt and pepper, but now was cast carelessly aside my left. AJ was on Zayn's team, which I found completely unfair, but she wasn't much help to him anyway, because she was more interested in the Water Rap than she was in the game.