"So do we get to play with the ducks on the ride?" Niall asks, while we stand in the long line of people to get on the boats.
"No, Niall. You just look at them," I tell him, for what seems like the millionth time I answer a question about the ducks.
"Can I feed them?" he asks again.
"With what?" I ask, frustrated at all of his pointless questions.
"Duck food."
I roll my eyes. "And where do you think you are going to get duck food, right now."
He looks away from me and turns his attention to the pond, and of course, the ducks swimming in it. And he forgot the question completely. Hopefully that was the last of them.
It's a Sunday morning, so families are just coming in to see the common, some just heading out of church. So in theory, the line to the Duck Tours is long, but it usual is anyways. There are young families, groups with a few teens, young couples, and even a few elders. No one can come to Boston without experiencing the Duck Pond boats.
It's a short ride around the pond, underneath the bridge and back in a small boat that is basically a raft with chairs cemented onto it. And there is a swan that rests at the back of it, where the driver sits.
It's just a classic business that has been running, for as long as I can remember. Way before my times.
"Mommy I wanna duck!" a little girl squeals from the group in front of us.
"Jane, please," her mother begs.
"But mommy I want one," she whines, tugging on the front of her mother's shirt. Niall seemed amused.
"Greg please tell your daughter she can't have a duck," the mother says, to whom I assume to be the father.
A young boy of around what I guess to be fifteen is sitting on the railing next to the group, probably an older brother. He has both earbuds in, and I can faintly hear the buzz of the music he is blaring, blowing out his ear drums. With the distraction of his phone and the music it's playing, he is oblivious to the situation. Or maybe this is a regular ordeal with his sister.
I am such a nosey person.
"Jane you can't have a duck, sweetie," the father says kindly.
"DADDY I WANT A DUCK!" the girl screams, her face reddening from anger and the rest of this scene is already foreshadowing its self.
"You know, Jane, my friend here won't let me get a duck either," Niall speaks up and I quickly snap my head towards him.
The little girl's face starts to pale again, going back to its original state.
"Why not?" she perks up.
"Well, I don't think it's a great reason, because I still want one as a pet. But," he says and pauses, getting on one knee to kneel in front of her, so they are eye to eye.
"If you think about it, this is where the ducks live. The pond is their home. And you wouldn't want to take them away from their home and their families, right? Would you wanna be taken away from your home and your family?"
She shakes her head quickly, her tight red curls bouncing.
"Me either. So for now, we can just look at the ducks from the boat over there," he pointed to the rafts, "and admire them from a far. Does that sound good?" he says and she nods her head.
Niall stands up, wiping off the dirt from his knees.
The little girl runs forward and hugs Niall, and he laughs, rubbing her back.
I glance up at the mother who mouthes a 'thank you' to Niall who smiles in response.
Wow, who knew a famous boy band member could be so good with little kids? Especially girls.
The line starts to move quickly and before we know it, we are boarding the raft, with Jane's family sitting behind us.
"Uh, Allyson?" Niall says shakily, staring at the bottom of the pond.
"Yes?"
"Do you uh-wanna switch seats?" he asks, still fixated at the water, since he is sitting on the end.
"Aw does poor baby Niall have a fear of water?" I joke, but he doesn't seem to be entertained. "Of course, now move over."
Niall stands up from the chair and I scoot over to his seat.
"Thanks," he mumbles, clearly embarassed of his fear.
"Don't worry about it. For me, it's the dark."
He looks over at me, and I can see the blush on his nose and cheekbones. It makes me smile, knowing I caused it.
"Welcome to the Duck Pond of the wonderful Boston! Enjoy the ride!" the driver calls out, and we start off.
The raft moves slowly, but it is calming. And it isn't too slow where you get bored, it is nice. And very romantic. Growing up here, I came often. Not neccesarily riding on the boats everytime, but just looking at the pond and being in the common. It was no secret that many local boys brought girls to swoon them with the perfect setting.
As we head towards a large willow tree by the side of the pond, the boat starts to turn and make it's way around the pond. Two swans are intertwined with their necks right in front of the tree, in the water. The sun glistens through the leaves and it was a picturesque moment.
Niall shuffles in his seat, looking for his pocket. In a few seconds, he had his phone whipped out and snapping a few pictures. After taking them, he scrolls through and asked me for my favorite, and for my favorite instagram filter, but I tell him not to ruin the photo with one.
"Do you have one?" he asks, looking up at me.
"Have a what?" I ask.
"An Instagram," he says.
"Oh, yeah." I say, and there was a pause.
"Are ya gonna tell me your username so I can tag you?" he asks and I am taken back.
"Oh sorry I didn't think you would want to do that, just because people would know you were friends with a nobody or something," I blush, embarassed by my thought that he wouldn't want people to know about us. Whatever we were.
"Who said we were friends?" he says and my mind fuzzes.
"I'm only kidding!" he says, laughing. My head went back to normal, but I was still completely embarassed. "Hey, sorry. That wasn't funny. Sorry, I mean it. Harry says stupid jokes all the time and I guess it's starting to rub off on me, with a little bit of Lou's sass."
He laughs again, but I couldn't bring myself to it. I know he didn't mean the comment, but I can't help the fact that it still hurt.
And that he might be lying when he said he was joking.