Chapter 5 ― Guitar Hero
“You okay, Alex?” my friend Belle asked looking at me from the front seat whilst Phebs was driving.
I just nodded but I didn’t try my best to convince her that I was telling the truth. My eyes were fixed on my hands and my mind could only think of one blond Irish boy. I didn’t feel like myself at all, on the contrary, when I was with him I felt like a total different person, a shyer one, more delicate, someone that needed the other person. When I dated other boys, I never felt like that, I always felt like me: strong, independent, confident; but Niall woke up things inside of me, things that I didn’t know I could feel.
“And I’m the queen. Girl, you don’t fool anyone,” the black-haired girl spoke again, her tone was one of pure concern. I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about it yet, it was so confusing and I wasn’t prepared. I needed time to calm down and figure out what was happening with me and what I was going to do.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I said softly, almost a whisper and I felt my friend’s hand on my shoulder.
In that moment I felt like everything was on top of me: what happened with Marcus, what I was feeling about Niall, all my past relationships, every single time I thought I had something good but ended up with my broken heart. When I said I was done with boys I really meant it. I didn’t want to suffer again; I didn’t want to make a bad decision again. Maybe Niall was a good boy, maybe he wasn’t going to break my heart –hypothetically speaking, of course– and maybe he was going to love me back, but maybe I was going to be the responsible for ruining everything, maybe I wouldn’t be enough and at the end my heart was going to be broken again. I didn’t want to hate Niall for what might happen. The best thing I could do was to stop and contain whatever I was feeling for him. I had to see him just like a friend and bury all my thoughts about a relationship as deep as I could.
“I’m okay,” I said, this time smiling and looking at my friend. I made a decision, one that didn’t make me feel a hundred per cent happy, but I knew it was the best and that left me at ease. Belle didn’t seem like she believed me so I took her hand and squeezed gently, smiling wider. “I’m okay, I swear. Don’t worry,” I promised and she looked at me like that, with worry in her eyes, for a few more seconds until she finally smiled and squeezed back.
“I don’t fully believe you, but you know you have us. If you want to talk, if you need to talk, we’re here for you. Don’t shut us out,” she asked and I felt a lump in my throat. I smiled weakly but I held her gaze, nodding.
I had great friends, always worrying about me. Sometimes I felt bad about because I wasn’t able to tell them everything all the time as they did with me, but there were things I couldn’t say out loud without breaking and I rather keep them to myself that let the people see how weak they made me.
“I know. Thanks,” I whispered and she smiled. I saw Phebs looking at me through the mirror, smiling as well.
We got home and I went directly to the kitchen for something to drink and eat before heading to my room. Phebs and Belle hugged me and kissed my cheeks before going to their rooms as well. I stayed in there, thinking for a little while. I wondered why Niall made me feel like this, so confused and awkward, so different and anxious when I just met him. I knew I said many times that he wasn’t my type, but that was only physically talking. Despites his look, he and I were very similar in those things that really matter and when we disagreed in something, he didn’t look at me like I was stupid, or weird or naïve. He seemed like he understood why I thought like that even if he didn’t share my point of view.
Whatever the reason was, I decided that we were going to be just friends so I didn’t have to think about him and how he made me feel.
* * *
We knocked the door and a smiley Louis greeted us. He immediately hugged us and kissed our cheeks before turning around and shouting: “The girls are here!”
We walked next to him towards the living room where the rest of the boys were chilling out. All of them smiled at us and jumped to their feet to greet us. I was smiling too, hugging them back and receiving kisses on my cheeks. Niall’s lips were on my skin for a little bit longer than the other lads’ and even if I tried not to, I noticed it and shivered slightly.
“So, what are you doing, lads?” Phebs asked taking a sit next to Liam.
“Trying to decide what to do next: movie or a game,” Zayn replied and we all nodded.
“What did you decide, then?” I inquired sitting next to Niall. Probably I should’ve kept some distance between us, but I couldn’t find the strength to do it. I liked his company too much.
“Nothing,” the blond replied with his sweet accent and I nodded.
“Then here we are to save you. Let’s play something, I will beat all of you, of course,” I said offhandedly even when it was more than evident that I was just kidding. “Then we can eat something and finally watch a movie,” I offered and I knew I won them when I said ‘eat something’.
We decided to play Guitar Hero and whilst we were plugging in the instruments I made sure to let them know that I was too good and I was going to beat them all. Of course, even if I was a decent player, I couldn’t compare to professional and famous popstars, but it was nice to see the way they rolled their eyes or looked at me defiantly.
We made teams of four, Harry, Louis, Belle and Zayn; Niall, Phebs, Liam and I the other one. Harry’s team went first and I booed before the song started, just to make things more exciting. Harry and Lou were the vocals, Zayn the drums and Belle the guitar. They finished the song with a great score and for a moment I thought it was going to be impossible to beat them, but smiling cockily I took the drumsticks, Niall the guitar and Phebs and Liam were the vocals. The boys didn’t know, but Phebs could sing, and really well. Whilst we were in high school she always got the lead role in all the musicals, and I knew how to play the drums because once I had a boyfriend who taught me. The only good thing I got from that relationship.
We hit the song and won by a few points, but that didn’t matter, we won! Niall hugged me and we jumped up and down making fun of the other group. I was acting like a child and that was so funny because the lads acted just like me. Lou faked crying in Harry’s shoulder who just looked at me reproachfully for making his Boo Bear cry.
“Oh, come on, Lou,” I said poking him in the cheek. He jumped on the sofa and poked me in my belly. That was the first mistake. I was very ticklish, too much for it to be healthy, and I screamed every time someone tickled me, and when Lou poked me wasn’t the exception. I practically jumped to the ceiling and they all looked at me weirdly. “Do not tickle me again! Ever!” I said and that was my second mistake. All the boys looked at each other mischievously before glancing at me. Oh no, oh no, I thought and ran away, but the boys went after me. I screamed, begged for help from my friends but they were laughing too hard at me from the sofa.
The boys got me and started tickling me like there was no tomorrow. I was on the floor, screaming and crying, trying to get them off of me, but it was useless. They outnumbered me.
“Please,” I begged and the lads finally stopped the torture. I was breathing heavily on the floor and I remained there whilst they walked away, all of them except Niall who helped me stand up. “All of you will pay for this,” I promised looking murderously at them. They stuck their tongues at me.
Niall poked my belly again and I screamed jumping up one more time. He laughed and I punched him in the arm. “Don’t do that!” I said but he laughed again and tried to poke me again. I wasn’t going to let him. I caught his hands to keep them as far away from me as possible. He smiled at me and entwined his fingers with mine. My heart skipped a beat as his smile disappeared and our eyes met. In that moment I forgot about the lads watching us, I forgot about my friends, I forgot about everything. Looking at him I felt like the rest of the world had just melted and there were only Niall and I.
Someone coughed and I woke up. Shaking my head I looked at Phebs and Belle who seemed really worried but didn’t say anything as Niall and I walked towards them. He kept our fingers tangled and I knew I should break the contact, but I just couldn’t.
“I claim for revenge!” Lou stated solemnly and I relaxed, but I was still holding Niall’s hand. I told myself that it wasn’t a big deal, we were holding hands like friends did all the time. There wasn’t anything going on between us, but I could feel a part of me rolling its eyes at my words.
We played a few more times. Sometimes we won, sometimes they did. It was fun and I must say, I had a great time playing Guitar Hero with those lads. Since I let got Niall’s hand, I tried to avoid him and concentrate onn other things. I talked to Zayn a lot, I laughed at Lou like a hyena, I danced with Liam and messed with Harry and his curly hair.
“I’m hungry!” Niall protested pouting.
“Me, too,” Lou joined and finally the other lads did as well. I realised I was hungry, too, so we all went to the kitchen and the lads started to fight, trying to grab something to eat.
“Stop!” I yelled looking at them seriously. “If you keep messing around, we won’t eat anything. So get out of the kitchen, now!”
“But I’m hungry!” Niall moaned.
“I want my carrots!” Lou added.
“Here. Take your carrots and go!” I said pulling three carrots against Lou’s chest. “If you don’t go, you won’t eat at all. Which one do you prefer?” All the lads disappeared in two seconds. I looked at my friends who were laughing. “Close the door,” I asked Phebs. “Come on, let’s feed these lads.”
Whilst the boys were in the living room, Belle, Phebs and I started cooking. We made tacos, and as I learned that day Louis liked to mess with carrots –all because of a joke he made a long time ago–, I made a special sauce just for him. We took a while, but soon we heard murmurs from the other side of the door. They probably smelled he food and were waiting to know what we were doing in here.
The kitchen was big, so we put the plates and everything that was needed on the isle in the middle. Just when we had everything ready, I called out the boys. “Food is rea–!” I couldn’t finish the sentence when the boys stormed inside, their eyes sparkling as they saw the display on the table. Then they looked at us and I’d say they were about to cry of sheer happiness. I laughed as they ran towards us and hugged us tightly.
Louis was still holding his carrots and that reminded me something: “Oh, Lou, I made this especially for you,” I said getting closer to him. “It’s my super mega special carrot sauce just for Louis Tomlinson!” I looked at my friends with a big grin. “Did I say it right?” I asked them and they nodded thumbs up. “Yay!” I cheered and looked at Louis who was staring at me with sparkly eyes.
“Special for me?” he asked like a little kid and I nodded putting my hand on his shoulder.
“Not fair!” Harry protested. “Why only Lou gets something special?”
“Oh, don’t be jealous. I’ll make something special for you someday,” I promised and that was a mistake, because all the lads started to ask for something special for themselves. “Okay, that’s it. You’re taking advantage of my generosity! Now eat ‘cuz we still have a movie to watch,” I ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” they obeyed and I smiled. Soon we sat and started eating too. I heard them whispering and murmuring about how good it was.
“This is amazing!” Lou almost yelled at me, then kissed me soundly. “I think I love you. You’re the best.”
“We definitely have to keep them,” Liam stated groaning in pleasure and looking at us. Belle arched her left eyebrow and I crossed my arms whilst Phebs was laughing.
“We’re not something that you can keep, Liam,” I said.
“Marry me, then!” Louis said out of the blue and we all looked at him with our eyes wide open. “That way you will stay with us and cook for us and we’ll love you forever!” he promised and I burst out laughing.
“Shut up and eat, Lou. What would you do if I had said yes? Uh?”
“For your food, I’d have married you,” he said still chewing. I blushed and looked away. My eyes met Niall’s and I felt my stomach twisting. He didn’t look amused for our conversation, nothing at all. I wondered if he was jealous about my conversation with Louis, even if it was just a joke. I knew it wouldn’t be good if he was, indeed, jealous, but that annoying part of me still wanted him to be.