August 2010
Ariana's POV
Having a two week break off from the show has been amazing. My voice has had time to relax and I've gotten to know the rest of the boys better. Tonight the boys have decided that we should have a slumber party together. We all decided to go to Liam's house due to it being closest to the arena. Making my way downstairs, I notice a van waiting for me. Jumping in, I sit down by Niall. Our drive could've been shorter if we didn't need to stop multiple times for Niall to get a snack or for Louis to go to the bathroom. Arriving at Liam's house, we are greeted by his family with welcoming arms.
We all head to Liam's backyard where there are more family members and grills cooking various foods. Liam goes to mingle with his family and friends, as the rest of us sit at a picnic table. "So, lads and lady, what do we do now?" Louis asks across from me. Thinking for a response, Niall speaks up. "How about finding out more about ourselves till Liam gets back?" We all seem to hum in agreement and proceed to talk about our pasts. I tried to take mental notes of everything coming out of their mouths, but I was busy thinking about what I was going to say. Do I over share or stay reserved? "What about you Ariana?" Zay turns towards me. Sighing, I realize that I can't step around certain topics. "Well, before the X Factor, I guess I was pretty shy," they all nodded wanting more information. Fiddling with my fingers, I started to share again. "I didn't really have too many friends at school either, so I mean singing is all I've got." They all seemed to understand, but shared slight worrying faces. Deciding to hurry up, I mentioned how close I was to my family, more to my nonna. I stated that she was the reason I continue to sing. She's the voice pushing me further. The tone of the conversation changes and the boys mention their families and siblings. I always wondered what it would be like to have a younger sister, but Louis mentioned that having one isn't all that great, especially times four. Liam sits down beside us and announces that we will be eating soon.
Saying goodbye to the last family member, Liam's mom asks us where we want to sleep. Harry turns around sharply, and asks how safe would it would be if we slept on the large trampoline in the backyard. She laughs and mentioned that the yard was fenced in, so the biggest problem we might have is insects. We all nod in agreement, deciding to sleep in the backyard. His parents leave to retrieve us blankets and sleeping bags for the night. "I've never done this before." I spoke to the group. Niall shifted his attention to me. "What? Slept on a trampoline?" He asked me. Shaking my head, I stated. "No, sleeping over with friends." A hand placed itself on my shoulder. "Well love, at least you have five gentlemen to share the experience with." Laughing at the statement that came from the mouth of Louis, we make our way to grab the blankets provided for us. Jumping onto the trampoline, we spread a few moments jumping around. But that quickly ended after Louis pushed Harry off the side. Deciding on sleeping arrangements, I somehow ended up between Niall and Liam. We continued to have small conversations as the night grew darker.
Everyone was pretty quiet on the trampoline before Niall spoke up. "Wait, we forgot one important thing." He announced to the six of us. Waiting for him to continue, I turn in my sleeping bag to face him. "We haven't decided on a band name. We need one when we return from break." The six of us sat and pondered on a band name, then a voice spoke. "What about One Direction?" Harry asked. "Mate, where did you get that from?" Louis targeted the boy. "Well, there's only one way from here. Up. So we're going in One Direction." He explains. "All in favor of the name 'One Direction' raise your hand." Liam speaks into the air. Soon six hands raise in the air. Liam continues. "That settles it. We are One Direction." And with that, we move closer together for warmth. Sleep overtakes my eyes and I softly drift into sleep.