Chapter 2: Jenn
Was that who I thought it was? Am I daydreaming? Why am I so stupid? Oh my god. I can’t breathe. That was Niall Horan. Literally Niall Horan. Niall Horan bumped me. Niall Horan said sorry. Niall Horan just asked me for dinner! I said no. And ran off. I’m such a damn idiot.
I turned back around after I quickly ran off from him and he was gone. Wow. I’m so pathetic. I just got so nervous I didn’t know what to say. Boys like that, don’t talk to girls like me. He was making fun of me. Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick. I started to walk faster. It seemed my feet weighed at least a thousand pounds each and I was dragging my feet across the cold concrete. I turned the corner and collided straight into someone.
“What the fu” I started to say until I looked up and saw the person who gave me this pounding headache. Holy shit. It’s Niall.
“We keep meeting like this.” I quietly said.
“Haha, it must be becoming a habit.” he said. At least he laughed. Was it a good laugh? Or did I just make a fool of myself?
“You okay? I’m really sorry. I just had to find you. I feel so bad about the coffee and now this. Please let me take you to dinner. No really isn’t an option.” Niall insisted.
“Um it’s really, I mean, you don’t, okay. Sure. What time?”
“I’ll meet you at Starbucks at 8?”
“Perfect.”
“Don’t forget a dry change of clothes, you know, just in case.”
And just like that he was gone. My mind was racing. I don’t think the fact that I am going to dinner with Niall Horan hit me til just now, and it hit me hard. My arms turned purple and my hands started to shake. I was planning on walking home, but I had to get ready. I ran toward the main road and held my off colored hand out for a yellow taxi. My taxi driver was a creep, but I didn’t care. I paid the man and he took me to my house. Actually to my neighbors, I didn’t really want him to know my address. Better safe than sorry.
I threw open my bedroom door and looked through all my clothes. All my hideous clothes. I have nothing to wear!
I ran over to my dresser and picked up my lime green iPhone. I dialed my Maya’s number, my best friend, as fast as I could.
“Hey whore” Maya picked up after the 3rd ring.
“Oh my god My, I’m going on a date. Not just any date. I’m going with freaking Niall Horan!!! You know from One Direction? That boy band I’m crazy in love with? The boy band I’m always harassing you about. Yeah well I’m going on a d-d-d-ATE WITH NIALL! I know he has that beautiful girlfriend, Camila, but he asked me on a date! We’re going to dinner. We’re meeting at Star Bucks at 8. I can’t breathe. My hands are shaking. My legs are blue. I have nothing to wear. I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!! SHIT. HELP MAYA, HELP!”
“What.” Maya replied to my rant, I could tell she was in shock. Who wouldn’t be??
“Yeah…” I got out with the little breathe I had left from that rant.
“You’re lying. There is no way you are not bullshitting me right now… You have to be kidding.. There’s no way.. YOU’RE GOING ON A DATE WITH NIALL HORAN OH MY GOD!”
In less that 10 minutes I was at Maya’s house. Her older sister was so gorgeous and had the hottest boyfriend ever. She knew how to dress. We were rummaging through all her clothes trying to find an outfit. After about 15 minutes of looking Maya stops and look at me. She holds up the a tight fitted, sky blue dress with a light brown belt to go around my waist. Then she eyes some 4 inch heels to her right and looks back at me.
“I’m not skinny enough for that dress..” I explained.
“Shut the fuck up. You’re tiny and this is the perfect dress.” So that was that. I was wearing the scandalous blue dress with the heels. My nerves just shot through the ceiling.
Maya straightened the top of my long, blonde hair and left the ends curled. I’ve never really done my makeup and hair like this. She wanted to put dark gray eye shadow on me, but I convinced her to just let me wear a soft light brown. Make up really wasn’t my thing. I just wore a tiny bit of eye shadow and some Cover Girl mascara I bought at the drug store twenty minutes ago. Maya’s parents had just bought her a car, so she drove me to Starbucks. I was so nervous.
“You look hot.” Maya confidently said.
“Says you.” I quickly said back. I never look “hot”. I guess sometimes I can be sorta cute, but I’m not very pretty. My thighs are too big and my arms jiggle. I don’t really know why Niall asked me out. I guess he felt bad. I don’t even compare to his girlfriend or his friend’s girlfriends. Yes, Niall has a girlfriend. I sort of forgot. But this is just a dinner date, nothing real. Nothing serious.
“Okay go, but three rules. Have a good time, don’t burp, and wear protection, you slut.” Maya said while hilariously laughing. I gave her a mean look, hugged her, and got out of the car. It was only 7:45. I meant to get here early. I needed some coffee to calm my nerves.
I was sipping on my mocha, when I heard a huge roar of a crowd outside. Of course, I looked, and it was Niall. He was waving to me. My face was flushed and I’m sure my cheeks were red. I waved back. He signaled for me to go to the back. A girl that was a worker looked at me and said. “You with Niall?” I just nodded. The pretty girl gestured for me to follow her, so like a normal person, I did.
I walked back behind her and I went into the kitchen. Since when did Starbucks have a kitchen? Oh well. I looked around and I see Niall to my right. I turn my body to him, yet I’m trying to hide myself. It’s not too useful, considering this dress is so tight it’s cutting off my circulation.
Niall’s eyes were directly on me and it made me feel nervous. I wasn’t used to guys staring at me. I felt like he was rating me or something, I don’t know. I was being so paranoid. Girls like me don’t go out with guys like him.
“You look so damn beautiful.” Niall said. He just called me beautiful.. Was he just saying that to be nice? Did he mean it? Was I just being paranoid?
I smiled at him and walk over and hugged him. Why did I just do that? I don’t usually just hug guys. That’s not me. I let them come onto me first, which doesn’t happen often. But I guess he liked it, cause he squeezed back.
“I never caught your name, babe.”
“Jeanne.”
“Jen?”
“No, no. Jeanne. Je-Anne.”
“I’m going to call you Jen.” Niall said with flirt in his eyes. I smiled back. I liked that. Jen. It was cute, and special. I wanted my name to be Jen now. Not sure if it’s cause it’s what Niall likes or if it’s just cause I like that better.
I was expecting some really nice restaurant, but to my pleasant surprise, when Niall opened the door to the restaurant it was just a casual diner filled with laughter. I think Niall recognized my relief and he smiled at me. We were led to our table and seated. I couldn’t stop staring at Niall. He was right in front of me. How could I not? He may have a girlfriend.. But I’m allowed to look at him. His blue eyes made you melt, and I just wanted to run my thin fingers through that sexy blonde hair.
“I’m really sorry about the coffee thing, but I’m kinda glad it happened, or we wouldn’t be hanging out. Thanks for coming.” Oh no, he just called it “hanging out” when I’ve been calling it a date. Shit.
“How could I not? You chased me!” I just flirted with him right after he said we were hanging out. Why!
“Hey! I am not a creep.”
“I’m glad you chased me.” It keeps coming. I’m not meaning to flirt with him. But how could I not..
“So how old are you?” Oh god here comes the questions, and small talk.
“I’m seventeen, and I’ll be eighteen in two weeks.”
“Oh younger, I like that.” He winked.
“What about you?” I knew his age. Hell, I knew his birthday, but I didn’t want him to know that.
“I’m nineteen. My birthday was just a few weeks ago, September 13.” I know. I knew all of this.
“Oh cool!” I lied.
We continued with the small talk, discussed our families, our hobbies, you know all that boring stuff. Niall reached his hand across the table next to my hand. I looked up at him and he smiled back, and put his hand on top of mine. I looked down at his hand and back up at him. He quickly removed his hand. Oh fuck, I wanted his soft hands there forever.
“Whoops.” Niall smirked.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” I unconsciously said. Well I blew that. Goodbye Niall.
“Oh. Yeah. I do. We haven’t really been clicking lately. She isn’t the same. She’s so into the media and herself. She’s always wanting to be in magazines and she calls the paparazzi before we do anything. I’m not really into that. I want to wear a disguise, but I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Cause if I wear a disguise, it means I’m a celebrity. And I’m not. I’m just a normal guy that’s living his dream. And right now I’m just hanging out with an amazing girl that I spilled coffee all over.”
“I like you, Niall.”
“I like you more, Jen, I like you more.”