Niall's P.O.V
I couldn't help it. The sight of her bewildered eyes was enough to almost make me fall on top of the chocolate fountain. My chest felt like it would burst from trying not to laugh, like it would explode from all the pressure. She was like a gazelle caught in headlights just looking at the rows of food. If she loved this, how would she look when she first performed?
I carefully balanced my plate in my hands, then rushed towards our table. And, of course, I ran straight into Rose.
She gasped and tried to stop her momentum, the same time I did, but she rubbed against my fried chicken. A wet grease mark now stained her hoodie, along with dust, blood, and stains that I couldn't even tell what they were.
"Oh! Sorry, Niall!" Rose smiled sheepishly, but continued on towards the beginning of the line, snatching up a plate and looking at the selections carnivorously.
I chuckled in her wake, and went to the table. She reminded me of myself when I had first seen the cafe, too. Rushing in and basically eating everything in sight. Ah, newbies. The same thing happened to almost everyone who came in, except they only ate a small amount. "Small amount" never applied to me. Ever.
Louis sat across from me with a plate full of baby carrots. I smirked. "Living up to the X Factor diaries, huh?"
"I swear, I have actually liked carrots more since then. It's almost obsessive now." He munched on one, spacing off in the direction of Rose, who was on her second plate, now piling it with cake, biscuits, and pudding. "Dear God, she's like your twin."
"Not really. What would you do if you never had a proper meal in forever?"
"But look at what she has on her plate. Almost everything you have on yours, but more. If that's even possible," he said with a glance at my plate. "Seriously, how many kilometers is that?"
I ignored him and got up to walk over to her. She didn't even notice, her hungry eyes trying to choose what would take her last, crucial place on the plate. "So, how many times do you plan on coming back?"
She jumped, dropping the tongs she had in her hands. "Oh," she sighed. "It's you. I honestly have no idea."
I laughed. "Come on, you're making the cooks go on fire-mode." Which was true. People in aprons rushed in and out, replacing empty plates and refilling them moments later. They were now in absolute chaos, hurrying in and out, leaving business men fuming. "The boys already have theirs, and they were all behind you."
"I guess I can always come back," she shrugged, and reluctantly followed me back to my seat, where she took the unoccupied space beside me.
The boys looked at her, then to her plate, then back to her. "How much food do you need?!" Liam exclaimed.
Harry was full of shock. "I think we have enough Nialls right now, we don't need another!" He turned to me. "That's the fastest you've ever brainwashed someone!"
"I think that's the only time he's ever brainwashed someone," Zayn scoffed. "But still, she's like a mini-Niall."
Rose rolled her eyes. "You try not eating for three days straight. At all." She grabbed a fork and dug straight in, not caring about manners, just eating away like a starved wolf with fresh prey. We all stared.
She stiffened. "What, do you guys say 'grace' or something?"
"No," Louis said. "But...you can eat faster than Niall. That's...amazing, if not disturbing."
I huffed. "She does not eat faster than me!" No one could eat faster, or more, than I could.
"Sadly, yes, she does," Harry agreed.
"Fine then. You don't believe me," I turned towards Rose, "Then let's race."
"What?" she giggled. "That's ridiculous, why would anyone race about eating food the fastest?"
"I think you're scared."
"Oh, really? Okay. Get ready... one... two... three!"
We both shoved food in our mouths at the same time, not bothering to chew or taste. I crammed more in my mouth with the fork, but eventually gave up and used my hands for the chicken. She followed suit, glancing at me, and obviously trying not to burst out laughing. I did the same. Her mouth was smeared with grease, crumbs all in the corners of her lips. Her eyes were bright and full of amusement, not really even caring about winning or not, just wanting to see how weird I could be. I also glanced at the boys. They looked absolutely horrified.
I choked, and started coughing. Abruptly, she stopped, and stared at me, concerned. "You okay?"
A few more coughs escaped me, but I then grinned mischievously, coming up with a brilliant idea. I reached down and threw a piece of bread off my plate, onto her hoodie, and continued devouring the delicious, but filling, food. She gasped. "Hey! Cheater!" She threw a piece at me also, but it landed a few feet away from my lap, right on top of Harry.
He groaned. "Please, keep this feud to yourself, some people are trying to eat humanely!" He nibbled on his sweetcorn, watching them with mild horror and interest.
I shoved my last piece of steak in my mouth, shouting "Done!" the same time Rose did as she swallowed a bit of biscuit, holding the part she couldn't in the only room left in her mouth.
Liam gaped at us. "See?! You are twins!" He turned an accusing glare at Rose. "Are you sure you've never seen him before? You could be related."
She swallowed, and laughed while shaking her head. "Nope." She stood up, her knees popping as she did so. "I'll be right back," she said, as she walked off toward the table, grabbing a bowl and heading to the last section of the buffet.
"She's getting more?" Zayn asked. "Dear Lord."
"I could too, i just don't wanna be full if we're going out to eat tonight." I rubbed my stomach gently. On the inside, I was crying with agony as it groaned and cramped, protesting the food race I did, which I almost regretted now.
"I'm back," she announced, and sat down, setting a bowl full of of ice cream covered in toppings in front of her. "Did I miss anything?"
"In the whole five seconds you were gone? Yes, you missed the whole world coming to a devastating crash and burn," Louis said sarcastically.
She ignored him. "Do you have a spoon?" I shook my head, but Liam jumped back and hid behind his chair, using it as a shield.
"Sp-sp-sp-spoon?" he stuttered, quivering behind his make-shift fort. "W-w-where?"
Zayn smoothed his face into a sympathetic, calming face. "Hey, it's okay, there's no spoon you're good."
As he tried to coax Liam in his seat, I decided it would be best to tell the confused-looking Rose about his fear. I leaned over into her ear, and restrained myself from wrapping her into a hug. "He has a wee fear of spoons, and had one since he was a kid. Just try not to mention it." I pressed a spoon in her hand under the table surface, shivering as my cool skin brushed upon her burning hot hand.
She smiled at my touch, then hid the bowl under the table onto her lap and muttered a thanks. I nodded.
Secretively, she glanced up at Liam, and tried to suppress a laugh. Rose turned towards me. "And you yelled at me about staring!"
I blinked. "What?"
"You're staring at me."
"No."
"Whatever makes you feel better." I pretended to sniffle, and she grinned. What a beautiful sight, like watching the sun rise over waving hills.
Liam's heavy breathing and Zayn's struggled efforts were loud, interrupting my daydreaming. Zayn's brow was covered in sweat, his arm wrapped around Liam, basically trying to haul him in his seat. Liam cowered, continually looking at me, frightened by the prospect of me having a spoon, his eyes recalling the event with the silverware this morning. I couldn't help it; I silently giggled along with Rose.
We exchanged an amused glance, and she stood up with an empty bowl, hiding her spoon in the palm of her hand. She trod off, placing the bowl on a table reserved for dirty dishes, but it was inadequate, the cooks usually just got the dishes off empty tables. My jaw dropped.
How had she eaten it so fast?
Harry stood when she returned. "Are you comfortable with meeting the crew?"
She shrugged. "I guess."
"No, not yet," Louis said. "We need to take you to the stylists. You can't just saunter in looking like...that." He gestured to her entire body. The black hoody was covered in stains, no longer really black, more of a dark rainbow. Her jeans were torn and ripped, threads hanging off it all. And the shoes...she had already managed to get them covered in dust.
"I think I'm good."
"Maybe he's right," I butted in. "They might not except you if you look grungy."
Her face twisted into a scowl. "That would work in my case, but fine, do what you wanna do."
Satisfied, Louis nodded, and motioned for the band to come along. "We really don't look any better," said he at the sight of the grudging faces. "Might as well."
They filed off, out of the cafeteria. I inhaled her smell once more. It might be the last time she smelled like that. "Don't worry, stylist sessions aren't that bad."
Rose turned and gave me a look that read, Really?
I recalled all the times I had ever been there. All the hairspray floating every where, the smell of new clothes and the strong, powdery scent of make-up following you every where you went. The stylists were good at everything they did, but they went over-the-top a lot. The band had eventually learned that they had to argue with them occasionally, just to keep their reputation safe when they went in public. They honestly weren't that bad, unless you misbehaved, or suggested an idea that wasn't theirs.
I sighed. "Well...most of the time."