Copyright © zylgnagnaba 2013
We all went down at the restaurant for the dinner buffet rendered to us by the hotel. We; Louis, Harry, Me, Liam, Sophia, Niall, Perrie, and Zayn, all consecutively line up by the sideboard full of different delicacies, and grab our plates.
We start to scoop food to our respective plates as our stomachs start to grumble for hunger, especially me and Niall. Might I say that we have twin appetites? We all agreed about that.
As Harry starts to reach over on a trey of oysters, I immediately swat his hand to prevent him from getting one.
“Why?” He asks, peering at me while he wriggles his hand in slight aching.
“You don’t want to eat that. It’s aphrodisiac.” I reprimand him. He then complies and grabs another dish that’s beside the trey of oyster, meatloaf.
“Well, in that case, I am gonna have more of this.” Louis babbles and starts to grab more oysters to his plate.
“Eleanor’s not here, you moron!” I chide him but he just licks his finger tauntingly.
Liam and Niall start snickering behind me, seeming to understand what I am murmuring about. So I nudge Liam’s shoulder agitatedly and he gets pushed against Sophia’s side. I am not apologetic about that.
“Ugh!” I grunt and sigh, “Boys are so annoying!” I mutter and roll my eyes. The line moves as we grab different dishes from the table, and as I attempt to reach for a piece of doughnut, Sophia, the girl who I despise, interrupts.
“Valerie…” She calls with a sheepish smile.
I pause, smiling conceitedly at her knowing that Liam is just between the two of us. What is it this time? I thought to myself and mentally rolling my eyes at her. She’s annoying as heck!
“Doughnuts have a lot of calories, right?” She peers at me with one timid smile. I understand, she’s still intimidated by me. And I can sense that she can sense that I still don’t like her. That’s good.
Liam chuckles uncertainly at her when I start to raise my brows in exasperation.
“Honey, Valerie doesn’t want to be impeded on her cravings. She goes nuts when we try to stop her from eating something she craves for.” He states softly at her, and I hate it how Liam could still be sweet with her despite all the things she made him went through high school. Can she not?
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She giggles, obviously at Liam and not me. “I wasn’t briefed.” She states bashfully and clears her throat. Baby, you don’t need to be briefed just so you can stop intruding someone’s choice of nourishment.
“It’s okay.” I wave my hand in front of her dismissively, “There’s always a first.” I state, grinning at her but utterly annoyed deep inside. We’re not yet close for her to intrude in my choices. Only my closest friends are allowed to do that. And I don’t need her opinion.
I resume taking the doughnut, two doughnuts, and another one, four doughnuts all in all. And as I put them all on my plate, I take an inconspicuous glare at Sophia who glimpses at me and gulps, worried by the amount of calories that she thinks is going to ruin my figure.
I sinisterly smirk at her stupidity.
“Sophia, don’t worry.” Niall elbows her weakly. She turns her head to face him, “Val is not glutting. She just really has a huge appetite.” He says in a laughing fit while being busy putting mass of food on his plate as well.
Sophia smiles at him and I become more and more exasperated.
“Yeah, Sophia.” I agreed with Niall, only to humiliate him too, “Didn’t Liam tell you? Niall and I were sanitary landfills in our past life.” I state harshly and everyone, but Niall who flustered at my statement, burst out laughing. He needs to be reminded that I am not the only one who has an appetite of an elephant.
All eight of us settle in a round table inside the restaurant, just across the table of other crew members including Paul, Lou and Lux, some band members, etcetera. The restaurant is also filled with other hotel guests, couples, family, cliques, you name it; everyone’s taking advantage of the summer.
BURP! Niall belches out all of a sudden amidst the still atmosphere. He’s really good in breaking the silence.
“Niall?!” Zayn chides him disgustedly, waving his hand in front of his nose.
Everyone in our table looks at him in utter dismay and confusion. Even others near our table heard him belched out.
“I’m sorry.” He says, covering his mouth with his hand in embarrassment. “I couldn’t control it.” He mumbles.
“Oh my God, Niall. Wear your table manners.” Louis scolds him sarcastically, suppressing his laughter. He usually is the one who belches out the loudest.
Liam and Harry laugh at Niall instead, and the rest of us laugh with them.
“Well, let me tell you something…” Niall states proudly; wiping the side of his lip with a table napkin. I know what’s coming next, here goes another lame punchline that he’s going to throw at us.
“My uncle was big in etiquette.” He continues, smirking and scanning all our faces, all eyes and ears on him. “Never belch out loud, he always said.”
Well I think this one’s going to be good, unlike lots of them that only him and he alone laughs at his own jokes.
“Then one day, he blew out an eyeball.” He finishes off and as expected, he’s the only one laughing and we just stare at him in disappointment. I thought that one’s going to be funny.
“Wasn’t that funny? He blew out an eyeball.” He says in fits of laughter, tapping his hand on the table and stomping his feet under the table, throwing his head back and forth. His laugh travels through the corners of the restaurant that he catches everyone’s attention.
He stops just as he realizes that most of the people around are staring at him quizzically, and that no one’s laughing with him.
"Uh-oh!” I stress. “Another joke has died. Let’s take a moment of silence and pray for the lost soul of Niall Horan’s sense of humour.” I state dramatically with a soft and low voice, putting my hand together as if praying and my head bows down.
Then again, everyone cracks up laughing at my remark and I never felt more than guilty for victimizing Niall again with my wit.
*********
“I told you not to eat that oyster!” I harshly mutter to Harry so that only we in the table can hear. I just caught him devouring on that slimy and disgusting oyster that was on Louis’ plate. Shit. They never listen.
He just stares at me mischievously and smirks, fidgeting his finger with a fork.
“I am not going to do something with your arousal, Harry.” I state boldly, crossing my fingers upon my chest. He immediately snaps his head at me and widens his eyes. We never actually do that, but we’re pretending. I tell you, we’re really effective.
He quickly shifts his position to the side to face me, his knees touching the side of my leg, “But…” He starts, pouting. The rest of them in our table start snickering at us.
“No buts! I’m going to move to another room.” I say decisively, not meeting his green beautiful eyes. He then reaches for my arm, but I swat him quickly.
“Baby, no please…” He begs like a baby, reaching for my arms again.
“I told you not to eat that freaking oyster but you never listen. Now I’m moving later.” I tell him, more determined this time. He’s actually cute when he bats his eyelashes and pouts his lips. They complement his beautiful emerald eyes. Days before, I admitted to myself that I am beginning to like him, and nothing changes. I still do like him, despite his stupidity, immaturity and stubbornness. As I get to know him better, I realize that we are just the same. That was why at the beginning, we despised each other. I could actually wish that somehow, we’re not just pretending. I wish these were all true, that we are really together and we’re happy, along with our friends.
He begs again and wriggles my arm, pulling me out of my trance. It took me seconds before I realize that I got lost in his eyes.
“No, Harry.” I say again, shaking my head.
He lets go of my arms finally and returns to his original position, completely upset. But then he leans on Louis’ shoulder, defeated and sighs, “Boo bear…” He murmurs playfully.
I watch as Louis traces his hand on Harry’s back and rubs his shoulder, comforting him theatrically. “Aww, Hazza bear… It’s okay, I’m here.” He says softly, suppressing his laughter at their little play.
I don’t know why but I felt a little pinch in my chest as I see them both being sweet with each other. I know this whole Larry Stylinson is nothing but make-believe, that’s why I don’t understand why I feel this way. There’s something in my gut twisting and forming a knot, a lump in my throat as I stare at them a little longer. The pain is even tripled than what I feel when other girls try to flirt with him in front of me. Am I jealous? No, why would I be jealous? They just treat each other as brothers. I blame this paranoia on his fans who screamed their shipname over and over in the mall, knowing they will get into my head. I refuse to let them shake me. No. But the pain is still there.
As I feel the little sting in my eyes, I walk out of the table and leave to the lobby of the hotel before they could see the tears fall from them. I don’t want to look stupid, being jealous with another guy, a guy who is a dear friend to me as well as his girlfriend, Eleanor. I’m so stupid!
I plop down on the long couch alone and allow the tears fall from my eyes finally, but I immediately wipe them away. Why are these ideas invading my thoughts? Seriously, it’s stupid. If only they, including Eleanor, hear my thoughts, they would actually laugh at me hilariously; like what they always do when I crack some jokes. I am really that stupid.
“Hey...” A thick male voice speaks up to my side. I reluctantly look up at him, but when I do, I see his worried brown eyes looking down at me. He sits down comfortably beside me and he speaks up once again, “What’s wrong, Val?”
I manage to chuckle at my idiotic thoughts, “Nothing, Liam.” I say, looking down to my lap.
“Oh?” He coos, not convinced with my response. “Seriously, what’s wrong?” He asks again. He came after me just to see what’s going on with me, this is really sweet. After all, we made an agreement, we’re like siblings. So we’re looking after each other. I wish I had this kind of relationship with my real brother.
“I was just getting paranoid. You know?” I stare at him, upset not with what I witnessed inside the restaurant, I’m upset with myself.
“About what?” He leans his elbows to his knees and rubs his hands together, tilting his head to the side to face me.
“This is really stupid, Liam. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s kind of embarrassing. And I’m okay now, don’t worry.” I say hesitantly, pursing my lips in a tight line. I’m really humiliated by my sudden actions earlier. What would the rest think of that? I wish I have just never walked out. That’s how stupid I am.
“Okay, I won’t pry at you anymore. But if there’s anything that bothers you, you know I’m always here, right?” I hear him say but yet again, I’m lost, staring blankly in space.
“Val?” He calls me, “Hey, Valerie…” He says and shakes my arm a bit, causing him to gain my attention once again. I blink a couple of times before I could acknowledge again that he’s just right beside me.
“Yeah, yeah… I get it. Thanks Liam.” I state, and pull out a smile that does not meet my eyes, but fades away quickly.
“Are you sure, you’re okay now?”
I nod and smile again to reassure him. I don’t really want him to know how idiotic my thoughts were earlier. He knows there’s nothing going on with Harry and Louis, it’s just pure bromance.
“Valerie?” A third person came in, Harry. His eyes met mine immediately, brows furrows as his forehead creases in utter worry. “Hey baby, what’s wrong?” He asks as soon as he makes his way to me. Liam shortly gets up from his seat to allow Harry to sit with me, replacing him.
I quickly nuzzle my head to the crook of his neck and he rubs my shoulder in a very comforting way. I trail Liam’s shoes exiting the lounge, going back to the restaurant’s direction to give us some privacy.
“I’m okay.” I say softly, closing my eyes in an easy way, feeling the warmth of his body against me. The sweet scent of his shirt are captured by my nostrils, it’s the very scent that I will always look for comfort.
“You sure?” He leans in to me and jails my body with both his arms. He kisses the top of my head, reassuring me that he’s beside me and will never let go.
“Hmm,” I hum as I nod in his chest. “Can we go back to the table now? I’m still hungry.” I persuade, looking up at his eyes.
“Sure, Valerie…” He chuckles at my statement. He leads me up, holding my hands, our fingers interlock. We walk together to the hallway and back to the restaurant. We return to our table where the rest are still chatting while eating. I will never walk out from dinner anymore. If I had to, I will not forget to bring a plate of food with me. I’m still hungry.
******
So, I was planning to update two chapters today but then my family and I have to go to church today so I'll try tomorrow, okay?
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Love,
Glyz <3