It had been a couple weeks since Sydney and I had first skyped with the boys, and we had kept in contact. Zayn and I were always texting, and we would skype whenever we got the chance, and most of the time the boys were there when we would skype and Sydney too, so I got to know everyone pretty well.
It was Monday June 11th 2012, and it was the last week of exams for my school. I still had three more exams, one today, one on Tuesday, and one on Friday, but I wasn’t complaining. It was almost summer break. After this week, although school wasn’t officially over, it would really feel like summer.
I looked back to the biology textbook that sat there open on my bed and sighed. I hated science, hated it. I only understood it when my teacher talked about it in class, but once it came to tests and such, I had no clue what was being asked. Unfortunately, my parents wanted me to be a well rounded student, and keep all doors open, so they made me take it.
I hadn’t told my parents yet about Zayn and the rest of One Direction, because that would clearly go on my dad’s list about no shenanigans, especially since I had first talked to them when they were away in Greece, so he’d probably think Sydney got me to do some bad things just for the sake of male attention.
Almost on q, Sydney walked through my bedroom door, and plopped herself down on my bed and smiled. Her smile was mischievous though, and I knew she had just done something that she shouldn’t have. Suddenly, my parents came up the stairs, and looked enraged.
“Nike Vivian Connolly, I cannot believe you!” My mother yelled, and I had no idea what was going on.
“We trusted you, and you talk to this boy, over the internet?!” My father spoke, and I looked to Sydney. She had told them about Zayn, why, I have no idea, but I never wanted to see her face ever again.
I didn’t say anything, I just started to cry, and Sydney got up off my bed, and left my room. I heard the front door close, and I knew she was gone. Good, even thinking about her was making me angry.
“You’re grounded. No phone, laptop, tv, anything until we say so. The only fun you’re going to be having is studying.” My father spoke, and then they both left my room, shutting the door, my laptop and blackberry. That was when I really started to bawl as I laid there face down on my bed, and cried myself to sleep.
The next day, I made my way to school down the sidewalk. Usually, Sydney would drive me, but luckily she hadn’t shown up this morning. We both had taken Biology though, so that would mean I would see her during the exam.
I still couldn’t believe she had told my parents about Zayn. She was spontaneous, and you never really knew what to expect from her, but I never thought she would do that to me. I definitely felt betrayed. It was almost worse than the feeling I got when I had found out Josh was cheating on me.
Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I made my way into school, and to my locker. I looked into the small mirror that was hung by a magnet, I looked terrible. My eyes were red and puffy, and I hadn’t bothered to take a shower this morning, I just pulled my hair up into a messy bun. I then sat down in front of my locker, and pulled out my biology textbook. To top everything off, all I did was cry myself to sleep, so I was not prepared for this exam at all. Hello summer school.
As I was flipping through a few pages of my biology textbook, I saw a shadow block some of my light, and I looked up and sighed. Of course Josh would pick today to make my life even more miserable.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Someone hug you and you thought they were raping you?” He spoke and grinned. I glared at him and stood up, and started to walk away. Of course he followed me.
“Oh, let me guess, let me guess, Jacob? Did he hug you, then someone else, and you got jealous? It was wasn’t it?” Josh continued, running a hand through his hair and slinging an arm over my shoulder. I shrugged it off and kept walking. Where was my exam room again? I needed to get away from him.
“You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’m willing to forgive you for pulling that bitch move at the drive in, and I think we should date again.” Josh added, and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my body close to him, and grabbing my ass. That really did it, but he was so strong I couldn’t pull myself away from him.
Then, I felt someone pull me away from him, and I looked up in awe as I saw Sydney slap him hard across the face, and then knee him in his groin.
“Get your filthy fucking paws off of Niki! You’re an asshole and I’m glad she dumped you. Leave her alone or I’ll really wreck your face!” Sydney yelled, kicked him one more time, and then grabbed my hand, and lead me to the girls bathroom.
I started to cry again, out of relief that Sydney had saved me from Josh, but also out of anger that she had told my parents about Zayn. She hugged me, but I pulled away from her, shooting daggers from my red eyes.
“I can’t believe you told my parents! I don’t even see the logic behind it!” I yelled, and Sydney sighed, nodding.
“I know, I know, but its better they found out now. What if One Direction comes to Toronto, and Zayn wants to see you, but when you ask your parents to go see him, they don’t let you? Wouldn’t it be better the ease them into it now?” Sydney spoke, her eyes pleading.
“Well how the fuck am I supposed to even know if they’re coming to Toronto now because my phone and laptop were both taken away from me!” I spoke, and started to cry even harder. I felt exhausted, and all I wanted to do was curl up and go to bed.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.” Sydney spoke, and she hugged me again. I didn’t pull away this time, and I hugged her back. I couldn’t stay mad at her, ever.
After Sydney held me for a while, she handed me some toilet paper and I wiped my eyes, and then we went to our exam. I managed to focus on it, and I actually knew more than I thought I would know which made this day not so bad. It was still the worst day ever though.
---
Unfortunately, Sydney had been grounded because Josh had told the principal about her beating him up, so neither of us had access to a phone or laptop, so we didn’t have any contact with the boys. Luckily, we had finished all our exams though, and it was Friday. Sydney had slept over the night before.
“So, let’s do something. Let’s go down to the lake and go swimming, and calls dibs, or get ice cream, or something. I’m bored and we need to celebrate, we just finished exams. We deserve to do something.” Sydney spoke, and I smiled.
“Fine, but let’s go shopping or just wonder around. I don’t feel like swimming.” I spoke, and Sydney smiled and nodded.
Soon enough, we were in her Honda civic, and driving down Lakeshore Boulevard, heading downtown. Sydney hooked up her ipod, and One Direction started to play. I sighed and looked out the window.
“Oh c’mon Niki, you’ll talk to him again. Gosh, I haven’t see you this upset since..” Sydney trailed off, I knew she was going to say Josh though.
“Yah, okay, but can we just listen to something else?” I asked, and Sydney nodded, flipping through her ipod while she was driving, and pressing a button. Nickelback started to play, and I started to giggle uncontrollably. Sydney grinned and started to laugh.
“First thing that popped into my head.” She spoke, and I laughed even harder. She always knew how to cheer me up.
Soon enough, we were right downtown, and we parked in one of the parking lots, and we got out of the car. I was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt, a pair of denim short shorts, and black flip-flops. My sunglasses shielded my eyes, and my cross body leather purse from roots was slung over my body. I looked to Sydney and she smiled, and we headed down the street.
Sydney knew all the back alleys and short cuts around her, god knows why, but I always let her lead the way. After walking for about twenty minutes, we appeared in front of steal door, in which she knocked three times, and the door opened, where I security guard appeared. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t let Sydney lead me around downtown Toronto.
The security guard looked around, and beckoned us inside. Sydney had to pull me inside, and she lead me through the eerie hall and into a room with a couch in it, and sat me down.
“Close your eyes.” Sydney spoke, watching me.
“Why?” I asked. This was crazy. What was going on? Was Sydney involved with some underground club operation or something?
“Just do it.” Sydney said, and then started to laugh, and I rolled my eyes. I closed my eyes though, and I felt something clasp over both my wrists. Oh my god. She handcuffed me.
I opened my eyes, and she put earphones in my ears, blasting a mix of Nickleback, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, One Direction, and everything else on the radio,
“SYDNEY, WHAT IS GOING ON?!” I yelled, and she laughed, blindfolding me, and putting a piece of duck tape over my mouth. I was so close to wetting myself, and I couldn’t hear anything, nor could I see anything again. Never, ever is Sydney taking me anywhere anymore.
About twenty minutes later, after I was pretty sure I was going to die and had given up on trying to free myself from the handcuffs, I felt to people grab a hold of me, and I guess lead me out of the room, and into another room. The tape was taken off my mouth, which hurt like hell, and then the earphones were removed, but replaced by screaming. Where was I, fight club? Then the handcuffs were removed, and finally the blindfold.
The light was a shock to my eyes at first, and then all the screaming girls were a shock, and then I glanced around the room, and the last shock was the biggest.
I was at New.Music.Live in Toronto, and One Direction was only a few metres way from me. Zayn was looking at me with the same awestruck expression I had on my face, and the rest of the boys were laughing along with Sydney.
---
“What?” I spoke, and she laughed even harder. I felt a little dizzy, and I could believe what was happening. Sydney walked over to me with the boys, well, the boys were pulling Zayn along because he seemed to be frozen with shock too.
“So, you were never actually grounded. Neither was I. You’re parents are in on this if you can believe it. I just needed a reason for this whole thing to be a surprise, so by taking your phone and laptop away, you’d have no contact with the outside world.” Sydney spoke, and grinned. I stared at her, amazed. I would have never thought of that.
I rubbed my neck, trying to work out how I hadn’t seen this coming. Was I really that unobservant? Unless I had actually been killed, and this was heaven.
“So you don’t run an underground fight club?” I asked her, and she burst out laughing, along with One Direction.
“Did you seriously think that was happening while you were tied up?” Sydney spoke, and I shrugged. I couldn’t think of any other logical situation.
“Anyway, Niki, I’d like to formally introduce you to One Direction. Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam and baby dadd- I mean Zayn.” Sydney spoke, and then all hugged me, except Zayn. The two of us were still in shock and staring at eachother.
“There’s so much sexual tension they can’t even move.” Louis spoke, and everyone burst out laughing, except Zayn and I who came back to reality and blushed.
Then, the boys were needed for their interview on live tv, so they were lead to the couch where that sat with Liz, one of the VJ’s, and Sydney and I stood where we could see and listen to them.
The interview started, and they were live. Zayn kept looking at me and smiling, and I guess this was noticed by not just me, because Liz picked up on it about halfway through the interview. I guess she must have been in on this whole surprise Nike thing too.
“Zayn, is someone distracting you?” Liz spoke, and the boys were all trying to smother their laughter as Zayn was put on the spot.
Zayn didn’t say anything, and smiled shyly, looking to the floor, then back to Liz. Liz smiled and looked to me, then to Zayn, and back to me. Motioning for me to come towards them, on live tv. I started to walk towards them, and they made space for me on the couch, beside Zayn. I sat down, and Liz grinned.
The boys were all watching Zayn and I with smirks on their faces, I knew there were going to try to make this as awkward as possible. How? I wasn’t sure.
“So, I hear you and Zayn missed your chance for a hug ealier.” Liz spoke and smiled, and the boys grinned.
“Something like that.” Louis spoke and grinned, and Zayn glared at him. Niall was laughing.
“No time like the present eh?” Liz continued, and I heard all the girl’s scream. I looked over to Sydney who was watching and laughing, and I then I looked to Zayn who looked at me the same moment, and we both smiled a bit, and quickly hugged me. His biceps felt even more amazing then they looked.
“Aww. Now, how did this all happen if someone wants to explain?” Liz asked, and Louis started to speak, explaining how we had caught their eye on twitter, and had then skyped with them and such, including the whole Nike only wearing a towel incident.
“And that’s how it all happened. They couldn’t even hug earlier there was so much sexual tension.” Louis spoke, and my jaw dropped. Had he just said that on national television?
“Yah, you know how in the Titanic, when the guy’s drawing her, and she’s naked? Yah Zayn wants to do that.” Harry spoke, and now everyone was killing themselves laughing. I was covering my face and so was Zayn. This was crazy.
“Yah, Zayn likes her almost as much as mirrors.” Louis added, and I looked to Sydney, who was making her way towards the stage because Liz had motioned her towards us.
“I knew the second she laid her eyes on him, she wanted him as her baby-daddy, and I was on the phone with her.” Sydney spoke, and I sat there staring at the television screen. National TV.
“And this week, when she had no contact with him, she was a mess.” Sydney added, and that got an aww from everyone, including Louis who over exaggerated it.
“Well, if the feeling’s mutual then, I think we should do a little match making on here. You guys have to kiss.” Liz spoke, and I just about ran out of there, except I was frozen and couldn’t move. They must have planned this whole thing.
I looked to Zayn, who looked to me, and we both had the deer in the headlights look on our face. I wasn’t much for public displays of affection, especially on National TV, and all I could think of was if I kissed Zayn, I might not be able to stop.
All the girls were screaming, the boys were laughing their heads off, Liz was grinning from ear to ear, Sydney was of course being herself, and was holding out a tube of lip-gloss for me, and I still couldn’t believe what was happening.
After about three minutes of Zayn and I just sitting there, trying to avoid each other as much as possible, Harry spoke.
“Mate if you don’t kiss her I will.” Harry said, then leaned towards me, and I believed for a second he was actually going to kiss me. Zayn must of too, because he leaned toward me and turned my head so we were facing each other, and his lips met mine.