Little Things

Chapter 83

"Someone meeting us there?" I ask her, the building sign already coming in view from farther down the street.

"Jordan," she answers and I nod my head in response.

Lately, Jordan's always been a tag along. When we are ordering out, Jordan is invited. When we are going out, Jordan is invited. When we are watching Mulan, Jordan is informed and rushes over before the movie starts, with his own share of candy and popcorn.

"We should tell him to bring that girl who's into him," I smile at Morgan.

"He would never," she laughs.

"She's so sweet, I don't understand why he won't take her out. It's like he doesn't even like her, but she's totally into him," I sigh. I want him to be in a relationship because he needs it. He needs the comfort and sweetness of having a girlfriend by his side.

Morgan only shrugs, and that's when I realize that Morgan hasn't had a boyfriend in probably just as long as Jordan. 

She had potential with Harry, but it kind of just died. I really hope it wasn't because of Niall and I, because I would never think twice about being fine with her with Harry. I would support them, a lot actually.

"When was the last time you talked to Harry?" I ask her.

"I don't know, why do you ask?" she says, almost caught off guard. Her uneasiness in her words doesn't slip by me.

"Have you been talking to him still? Like recently?" my smile is beaming now, because I bet she has been keeping this from me. Probably because she thought I wouldn't be alright with it. 

"Just a few times," she mutters, her cheeks burning.

"You little flirt!" I point at her, and then clap my hands together.

"You're not mad?" she asks.

"Why would I be mad?" I snort, the idea ridiculous.

"Well you know...Niall and stuff and....I don't know I just didn't tell you because I didn't know how you would react," Morgan says, and we are just about at Panera Bread at this point.

"Allyson, how's Niall?" a male voice asks from behind me and I physically freeze in my shoes as the sound of a clicking follows.

Morgan is quick to turn and face the speaker, and I slowly do so too but she is already screaming her head off.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you taking pictures of us?" Morgan snaps.

"Allyson, why isn't Niall in Boston?" the same male asks, but now I can see he isn't alone. 

Morgan pulls my hand and drags me down the sidewalk, but I can hear that we are still being follower by the same small group that was taking pictures before.

"Duck your head down," Morgan orders me, and puts my hood over my head for me.

Yet, this doesn't seem to help as a few girls in front of us grow wide eyed and run over to us.

"Are you Niall Horan from One Direction's girlfriend?" a small, red haired girl asks. 

"I'm sorry, I think you've mistaken me for someone else," I half smile at the girl, and continue walking to the soup bistro. 

Less than half of a football field until we reach the doors that open up to Panera Bread. That's my ultimate goal in the moment.

"Allyson though, right?" a taller girl, with darker hair and freckles asks.

"Yes, but-"

"Can we just take a picture with you? Please?" the red head asks, and even though Morgan physically forces me to keep moving, my heart aches for the girls who only asked for a picture. No harm done, and at least they had the integrity to ask instead of just snapping at me.

The small amount of attention I started off with has a trickle affect and before I know it, the camera men who I assume to be paparazzi comes closer and the girls still stay near as other random people walking on the streets come up to me.

Different comments are yelled from everywhere, and the attention and crowd of people suddenly surrounding me makes my head dizzy.

People are either yelling my name as an exclamatory or interrogative statement, yet either way both statements are quite bizarre. 

I don't know why I'm being recognized all of a sudden. It obviously has to be linked to Niall and our prior and current relationship, but I don't understand. We never confirmed anything. My name was never put out there, nor was my profile confirmed.

"Let's go," Morgan says into my ear, and yanks me through the people.

We find Jordan in his car, staring at the crowd of people with shocked features as we force our way towards him.

I barely make it to the vehicle, with people at my heels, and someone even attempts to grab my jacket as I open the door to backseat Jordan's car and pile myself in.

Once Morgan and I are in the car, he speeds away leaving the mob in the dust. 

"Well that sucks because I really wanted a broccoli cheddar soup and a baguette," Jordan says, breaking the silence.

"Shut the fuck up," Jordan snaps at him; punching him the shoulder but he only laughs it off.

"So can I start calling you Little Miss Famous or is it too soon?" Jordan calls back to me, and Morgan looks like she could kill him right now.

I don't reply to him, but instead whip out my phone and dial up Niall's phone number, which he picks up on the second ring.

"What the fuck?" I yell at him before he has a chance to speak.

It's silent for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" Niall asks, confusion laced through his words.

"Why the hell was I just crowded by people outside of fucking Panera Bread?" 

I hear Morgan snicker from the front seat.

"What-what do you mean?" he stutters on his words.

"Somehow a ton of people know who I am and just took a million pictures of me and I know it has to do with you because they mentioned your name," I sneer, my anger boiling over.

"I didn't do anything, I didn't. I mean, I was on Ellen and somehow she had a few pictures of you but I didn't think that would do any harm..." he trails off.

"She had pictures of me? Aired on her show?" I guffaw in disbelief.

"Y-yes," he chokes out and I resist the want to throw my phone out the window of this junky car.

Neither of us speak, including Jordan and Morgan.

"Am I going to have to deal with this wherever I go?" 

"I-I don't know," he mumbles.

"What do you mean you don't know?" 

"You shouldn't have too, but I don't know for sure," he clarifies.

I sigh, and rub my forehead with my thumbs as a massage to try and ease my frustration.

I end the phone call without another word.

The rest of the car ride is silent and a few minutes later we park across from our same old apartment.

As if nothing ever happened, yet it seems like everything did.