Count the stars - 1D HS LT

The Arrival

I sit back down next to Louis he still has his hand on mine. Everyone is silent sitting around our kitchen island eating their late breakfast which was actually lunch as it was now getting closer to 1pm. Niall is the first to speak.
"Have you seen Lana, Louis?" I wonder where this is going.
"Nah lad. Paige won't reveal me to her like" Louis answers and he elbows me under the table. I start to smile but try not to catch Niall's eye.
I'm still slowly chewing, the now cold, bacon roll trying to balance it with one hand as Louis still won't let me go.
"I need to get dressed. She's an absolute ride." Niall suddenly said and headed out the door to his bedroom.
Louis shakes his head. I look at him. He tries to grin with his mouth full of bacon roll.
I hear a small ring echo through the apartment. The doorbell. My stomach flips. Am I ready for this?
Louis squeezes my hand knowing that I'm nervous to introduce Lana to the boys and vice versa to be honest.

I shrug my hand out of Louis' finally and head towards the door. Louis is closely following me and I hear Niall's footsteps on the wooden floor somewhere behind Louis too.
My stomach has suddenly got butterflies flapping around in it.
I approach the door, take a breath, pull down the latch and pull the door open.
I hear a bang of something hitting the floor and I'm suddenly engulfed in blonde hair. Lana has pulled me into a massive hug.
"It's so good to see you it's been so long!" Lana says into my ear.
"Awright luv i'll get your bags then." I feel Louis push past us. Lana releases her grip.
"Fuck me you're Louis Tomlinson!" I hold my breath. She looks at me then Louis who is now stood directly next to us and suddenly she turns into Joey from friends. "How you doing?" She approaches him and slowly strokes down his arm. Louis grins.
"I'm awright love," he replies. I roll my eyes and yet get a slight twang of jealously. Louis bends down and picks up Lana's bags from the floor. Lana looks at me what the hell?! She mouths at me.
I will explain later... long story! I mouth back. I try to look apologetic.
"Shall we?" Louis heads back inside the apartment. I follow him and Lana isn't too far behind me.
Niall is on the sofa as we walk in. Another button up shirt with a few left open at the top. A silver chain kisses his skin in the gap. His brown hair roughly styled. His right leg up and leaning on the knee of his left and his arm rested gently on the side of the sofa. He looks like he's posing for a photo shoot. I stifle a laugh.
"Niall... Horan..." I hear Lana gasp next to me. She grabs my arm and pinches. She starts to forget how to breathe and sounds like she's hyperventilating.
"I need to call my mum she won't ever believe this" she manages to blurt out while struggling to catch a breath. She pats down the sides of her jeans looking for her phone.
"Nope. No you don't!" I grab her by the shoulders and guide her towards my bedroom. I push her onto the bed and shut the door behind us. I hear Louis laughing from the living room.

I kneel down in front of her.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"Niall fucking Horan. Sat there like some sort of fucking god. How... how..." she takes a breath and steadies herself. She moves her hand in front of her face finding her zen. "I am shooketh. How the hell do you know them?!"
"Shut up. I know you know who I am and how I know them. Don't think I didn't hear you sneaking in those one direction songs on your playlist when we get ready to go out." She blinks up at me acting like she hasn't got a clue what I'm talking about. Then laughs.
"Okay before you think it I'm not a bitch trying to get close to you cause of them I never brought it up because I am genuinely your friend regardless but I didn't expect them to be here today!" I roll my eyes I knew she knew.
"Oh. Well this is kind of Niall's apartment so..." I start.
She flops back on the bed "Eughhh! For fuck sakkkkkeeeeee. I didn't bring my sexy pjs!" She laughs and so do I.
"Sorry for the inconvenience." I say in between laughter.
"Shit did I totally just blow it in there?" She asks.
"You were so cool with Louis I was actually shocked but with Niall..." She face palms.
"That's cause Louis was never my fave." She shrugs.
"Savage." I respond. She laughs. An evil grin spreads across her face.
"I've got a plan! Follow my lead." She jumps off the bed and heads out the door. I follow behind and she heads straight to Niall. Louis is sat on the floor with a beer in front of him. He raises his eyebrows at me. I shake my head. No idea.
"Hi. I'm Lana." She extends her hand to Niall.
"Niall," he responds. He shakes hers. She dramatically falls to the floor in a fainting motion. Niall looks horrified and is suddenly next to her.
"Shite. Lana, Lana are you okay?" She laughs, I laugh, Louis laughs and Niall looks furious.
"Oh hahahaha funny." He says which makes us all laugh more.
"Drinks!" Louis suddenly jumps up and heads towards the kitchen. I follow him and Lana stays in the living room with Niall. I can hear them chatting.
Louis grabs a couple of beers for him and Niall from the fridge while I mix together some vodka and cranberry juice for Lana and I.
"She's proper nice ain't she?" Louis says to me.
"Yeah. She seems to have taken it well. Although I just found out she already knew who I was." I sigh.
"Darhling, she's your mate. I can tell that. Not everyone is two faced do you know what I mean." I knew who he meant. I nod.
"Does she know about...?" He trailed off. I shook my head then frowned.
"She knows why I left LA I just didn't mention names. She's probably put two and two together though." He purses his lips and nods.
I grab the drinks and start to walk towards the living room once more.

Lana and Niall are chatting away to each other. They are laughing and flirting I could hear it as I am walking. I suddenly stop.
"Paige. If you made me drop my beer you'd be dead." Louis says.
"Stay another night. Please." I plead him.
"Sure luv." He smiles.
"Vodka cranberry." I place it down in front of Lana. She smiles in gratitude. Flicks her long blonde hair back over her shoulder and continues to talk to Niall. He now has his guitar in his lap. The pit in my stomach has returned as I watch them talk on the sofa. Louis is joining in as much as he can too. My mind drifts back.

"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Don't pretend like you don't know love. I saw you flirting with him. He's a nice guy." He smiles at me. We are in the back of a cab. I look over at him. His Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned pretty much down to his belly button. His cross necklace being neatly framed by his swallow tattoos on each collarbone. He had long brown curly hair which was blowing slightly in the breeze from an open window. The only thing keeping it out of his face were a pair of sunglasses on the top of his head. His light green eyes piercing into mine. My god he was intimidating sometimes. He had his hand at his mouth now and his index finger was tapping lightly at his perfectly shaped lips.
We were returning home from a house party of a close friend - Mitch. I had spent most of the evening talking to a guy called Ryan. He was American and charming. He had the most amazing blue and green eyes, tall and well built - you could see the outline of muscles through the tight jumper he was wearing.
Harry starts to hum. Then he starts to sing.
I'm selfish I knowww... I don't ever want to see you with him.
I lay back against the head rest. Listening to his song take shape.

A bum note hit on a guitar brings me back from my thoughts. I blink and realise the shapes in front of me are Niall and Lana.
"Oops sorry!" Niall laughs. Lana lets out a small laugh which is followed by a yawn. I look down at my phone. 10.03pm. How did it get so late?
"I think we should probably head to bed." I say. Louis frowns at me. "It's late. I'm still hungover and the hair of the dog thing ain't working this time buddy. Sorry!" Louis rolls his eyes.
"Ya just not doing it right." He winks.
"To be fair I think she's right. Way too much excitement for one day." Lana jumps up and stretches. "Night boys."
"Night. Sleep tight", Niall says.
We head back to my bedroom and when the door is closed I tell her all about LA and Harry.