Zayn
She was captivating.
Something emitted from her, as if it was the feeling of sympathy mixed with understanding. She didn't flat out start saying 'you are a celebrity therefore you have nothing to complain about'. Instead of judging the second we started talking, she listened. Not that phony type of listening where they're only processing about a third of what someone is saying to them, but the full intensity of caring about the words that came out of their mouth. It truly was a one-eighty from what I had become accustomed to.
Joelle couldn't exactly be described as a 'flawless' human being, yet that brought so much more attention to her. She didn't have the society's version of beauty, instead it was a soft, subtle gorgeousness that could hardly be described. She had this type of curly brown hair that was streaked with dark red highlights. They didn't look unnatural, yet I could tell she wasn't born with it. There was makeup evident, but instead of hiding her flaws it highlighted her lighter tone. Her eyes were as green as the grass on a beautiful day. Little freckles accented her cheeks, nose and her forehead. Her little black dress complemented her athletic figure, the black lace hovering just below her collarbone. Her shoulders and arms were well-defined, not stick thin. She could probably win an arm wrestle with certain people I knew. She had her flaws, but they joined to create up a perfect girl.
I've never been a believer in love at first sight, but I definitely believed in intrigue at first sight. She had this vibe about her, that she wasn't going to be your typical girl. We sat in a settled silence, my leg bouncing up and down as I watched the club pulsing with action. The clock by the couches read ten pm, but it felt so much earlier than that.
"You know," I broke the silence. "It's really weird to be sitting next to someone and have them not trying to talk your ear off."
She laughed, short and sweet. Our heads turned simultaneously and she smiled at me. It was crooked, yet perfect. "Same."
My mind searched for something else we could talk about, but I came up empty. I didn't want to be the stereotypical person that came to vent about his life to her. I wanted to stand out. What it was that drew me towards this seemingly normal girl was unknown. I wish I could say 'it's because of her eyes' or 'I fell in love with her smile' but I couldn't - instead her quietness perked my interest. It wasn't an infatuation, instead it was more of an intrigue. I didn't want to kiss her senseless or propose to her on the spot, I wanted to talk and find out her story. Why was she here? Why was she friends with Grimmy? Why did she keep all the gossip she found out to herself when she could easily make money off of it?
"Please stop staring at me." Her voice burst through my thoughts and that's when I realized I had yet to tear my eyes off of her. She seemed amused, yet uncomfortable.
Clearing my throat, I issued a "Sorry" before focusing my eyes on the ground. Soft, black, fluffy carpet lined the area with the sofas that were slowly starting to fill up. I guessed that after a few hours had been spent on the dance floor, people found the sofas as their rest area. They surrounded the main area as well, little groups of four-five chairs or sofas in clumps. Time passed and I tried to think of subjects to be bring up to get Joelle talking, although it looked as though she was trying to do the same with me. It was obvious that she didn't talk much - instead she usually was on the listening side. We got a few drinks as the time went on, and I tried my best to keep from staring at her. Despite the constant movement around us, we stayed in our spots, hardly moving an inch.
The feeling of being complete unsure is quite frightening. Would I be overstepping the line if I kept trying to pursue a conversation about her? What if I said something so stupid that she categorized me into the 'weirdo' section of people in her life? This shouldn't even be considered hard for me, I've dealt with quite a few women in the past few years. Although I wasn't as sure of myself when it came to the ladies as some people I know.
As the hands on the clock continued to tick away time, I found myself commenting on little things just to hear her voice. She'd look at me and reply with as few words as possible before her eyes started to calculate the other people in the club again. When midnight came, a yawn escaped her lips. I could tell she was arguing with herself, probably wondering if she should stay and wait for Nick or leave him in the care of a totally drunk Harry. On a random impulse, I spoke up. "If you wanna head home, I can make sure Nick gets to his own home safely."
"It's fine." Her words came out quickly, not hesitating for a second.
"Seriously, Joelle, I've already been appointed Harry's babysitter. I can handle Nick as well. You're tired, go home." I tried to say it nicely, not trying to force her into leaving. I wanted her to stay - I wanted to have a deep conversation with her - but she definitely looked like she needed sleep. "I promise you can trust me with him."
"It's not that I don't trust you," Joelle deflected. She looked at me again and I bit my lip to keep from smiling at the eye contact. "He's my friend and I can't just leave him."
My lips won the battle and I smiled at her loyalty. It was hard to find a girl who wouldn't ditch their friends: even if the exact same friend had ditched her. After a few seconds passed, I located Nick and Harry in the crowd. Just by watching them dance and interact with those around them (the club hadn't lacked in people from the second I stepped in) I could say with confidence that it'd be at least another few hours before they were ready to crash. "How about you tell him? That way he knows and you can still get home at a somewhat reasonable time."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Joelle's voice was light, no sign of actual annoyance from my suggestion. She never actually gave me a chance to reply, though, instead her eyes met mine in an electrifying stare. "I think I will, actually. Thank you, Zayn. I'll go tell him now."
Immediately I offered to go with her and, after only a second of thought, she shrugged. Together we fought our way through the crowd and I found myself trying to protect her from everyone around us. Had I known her longer than a few hours, I'd have guided her with my hand on her back. But I knew that after only one night, she'd probably be uncomfortable. Instead I kept my distance but still only a few steps behind her.
"Nick!" She called out, trying to catch the attention of the radio personality.
He immediately turned to her with a grin that took up the entire bottom half of his face. "Jo! Are you going to dance with me?"
She laughed and shook her head. "I think I'm gonna head out. See you!"
"Oh," his face fell momentarily until a yell of excitement started to echo behind him. His face lit up once again and leaned forward to leave an awkward, sloppy kiss on Joelle's cheek before starting to cheer as well. He probably had no idea what he was yelling about, but he was having fun. Harry was doing the exact same thing a few feet away from me. He hadn't even noticed me yet.
"Thank you. Nice to meet you." Joelle had to lean in close for me to hear her words, her breath hit my cheek so lightly it was barely there, and I nodded.
"Take care."
The night went on after she left, the club not even noticing her absence. I, however, felt the change of atmosphere after she left. The silence that took place when she was gone plagued my mind, the only thing I could was think about her. The couches where we had been sitting had filled up, so instead of taking refuge there, I found a chair at the very end of the bar. I waved off the bartender when he offered me more drinks, instead I watched the room from where I sat.
For the first time in a while, I was glad that I listened to Harry.