Joelle
"STRIKE!" Harry screamed it out as though he had just won the lottery, and I cracked a smile at his excitement. Capris, the girl Harry had introduced as one of their new songwriters, was giving him a run for his money and it seemed to bring the extremely competitive side of him. My hand was tightly held in Zayn's, and he hadn't stopped glowing since I said that close friends and family could know about us. Not that I was completely okay with it, but it seemed to make him happy.
"So Joelle, how's it been going with Zayn?" Autumn asked as she watched Zayn go up to start his turn.
I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could, because I knew that someone like her wouldn't understand the hesitancy to dating someone like Zayn. Maybe not necessarily because of his popstar status, but the guy was the fantasized version of what every girl wants. Sweet, caring, understanding, spoiling. No one could truly understand my need to not fall in love. "He's spectacular."
"I don't think she wants to talk about it, Autumn." Moni pulled on the girl's arm, forcing her back into her seat. The twenty-two year old then turned to me with a bright smile. "She's really nosy. Zayn's not one to have a lot of relationships, especially when he hasn't known the girl for a while. He learned to be careful because of Taryn. We're still all a little surprised by the two of you."
That's right. I'm not the first girl to be introduced to the group as Zayn's girlfriend; he'd gone through heartbreak before and this wasn't the first time he was doing this. Unlike me, where this was a new experience for me and trusting people wasn't one of my prominent characteristics.
"If you manage to beat Harry, we'll have to keep you around." The girl who had just been talking to me seemed to be more focused on the game, as she cheered on Capris who had just managed to match Harry's strike. The conversation drifted into a discussion on whether or not Louis beat Harry back on their last tour, each person taking a definite stand on their opinion.
"He won by like four points!" Autumn declared, arms crossed. I managed to sneak away from Zayn, who was also taking a personal interest in this story since he had been present and watched it take place. Noticing Capris' suddenly uncomfortable demeanor, I slid into the seat next to her.
"If it helps, I don't understand either." I kept my voice on the quieter side, since I didn't want to attract the others.
"I just don't feel I belong," she looked longingly at the group in front of us. I got the feeling from her that she wished she could understand and participate. "They're a family and I'm an awkward fourth cousin removed who they've never met before."
I couldn't help but smile at her description, too many times had I felt the same. "I know that feeling."
"How'd you get away?" Capris asked after a few moments of silence. Again, the smile was etched across my lips. She was a good watcher, since she had obviously caught on to Zayn's insistence in being around me.
"Quietly," I shrugged. We talked on, she asked questions on how long Zayn and I had been dating and I quickly diverted the attention to her. In all honesty, she was a beautiful girl. She was one of those girls that when I was eighteen, I would have done anything to be like her. A blonde beauty that had a well structured face and naturally pouty lips, with makeup bringing out her best features in a more smokey look.
To myself, I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before someone in the One Direction entourage would ask her out. Whether it was one of the boys, or one of the younger crew members, she was bound to catch a few winks.
"Joelle," Harry spoke and it almost made me jump in surprise. "It's your turn!"
~
"Jeez, it's cold." The shivers that rippled through my shoulders were totally involuntary. I wasn't one to get cold easily, but if I was cold, my entire body would be like a freezer. It was rather horrid, since I was already wearing a sweater, jeans, and boots. There wasn't much I could do about it.
Though Zayn apparently could. Seconds after I uttered the small complaint, his jacket was placed around my shoulders and he was pulling me closer into him. "We can't have that, can we?"
"Spoiling me is only going to make me get a big head, Zayn." I teased. The butterflies in my stomach wouldn't go away, and the feeling was scary.
"Let's get coffee, that'll warm you up too." He said, completely ignoring me last statement. Instead he steered us towards a Starbucks that was on our way back to my flat. Part of me just wanted to get back home as soon as possible, while another part of my didn't want the night to end just yet.
Bowling had been fun, but it was hard to feel comfortable around people who had known each other for years. Autumn and Moni had both exclaimed their excitement for the quickly upcoming tour, and how so many things were going to happen. Capris and I had stayed silent at that time, both shooting glances at each other. It was like I was watching a movie and I couldn't possibly participate. Zayn had tensed up next to me, the grip he had on my hand had also tightened.
"One grande peppermint mocha and one grande hazel macchiato, please." Zayn told the barista, not even turning to ask me what I wanted.
That feeling of complete uncertainty had found it's way into my brain once again, as I struggled with the smile that came to my face as he remembered the type of coffee I liked. Sure, it wasn't the biggest thing in the world and we had been dating for three weeks… But it mattered that someone cared about something so little.
"Go sit," he demanded and I happily obliged. I found that the comfy seats in the corner were empty, and no one seemed to be in that general vicinity so I decided that would be the safest bet. I fiddled with my phone, not bothering to check it since I knew that the only person I really texted was currently in the same place I was. My family was all busy doing things, so I knew they wouldn't be contacting me tonight either.
When my eyes glanced towards the counter, I saw Zayn holding the barista's phone and taking a photo with her. It was moments like this that I remembered who he was, because to me? He was a normal human being, he didn't 'deserve' any special treatment or girls fawning over him. But that's the way the world worked. They found people to idolize, so that when their own lives started to go downhill, they could envy someone else.
"Sorry," Zayn apologized as he placed my coffee on the table in front of us.
"No need for that," I replied. I felt strangely happy, considering I knew he was leaving and I knew that I was only ever going to be a small segment of his life. Then I did something that even surprised myself, I leaned my head against his shoulder.
I could practically feel his smile, as he took ahold of my hand. The coffees sat on the table, momentarily forgotten, because right now we were content with our lives. It might only be for a moment, but at least it was our moment in the story of our lives.
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I'm currently in California, and my wifi isn't letting me use Wattpad :( But I promised an update today, so here it is thanks to my lovely friend xSingLoveLaughx. She writes some awesome stuff, go check her out :)
Since I can't use my Wattpad, I can't find a person to dedicate this too :( I'M SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME I PROMISE I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU GUYS.
Next update: Next Tuesday (or Wednesday.) Since it's Thanksgiving week, I'll be enjoying spending time with my sister (she lives in Cali so I don't get to see her often) and getting to know her fiancé's family. Lots of wine tours that I can't participate in… Woo! ;)
That all said, I hope you ll have a great Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey ;)
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MyHeartsMistake
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HEY HI HELLO this is xSingLoveLaughx aka Jeneva.
Okay so you can follow me on twitter @xSingLoveLaughx too and if you're one of the fans that reads all the way to the author's note, you should do something fun with me. tweet me (and mention katie) with the word 'jellybabies'
BUT ONLY THAT. i want to see if we can confuse Katie, in case she doesn't read this note ;)
<333 love you guys byeee
-jeneva-