Liam's POV
"Who the hell schedules rehearsals on New Year's Eve day?" Zayn groaned as he collapsed onto the stage. We were in the Century Link Center which was where we were scheduled to perform on the second.
"Mmm," Harry hummed. "It's suckish. We could be out partying."
Just then our American tour manager, Hannah, walked through the door. "I scheduled it," she tisked. "First off; we don't need you off getting wasted at ten in the morning, and second, you're all gonna be hung-over tomorrow so there is no point in practicing then."
"Ahahaha!" Niall's laugh echoed through the empty studio.
Hannah waved her hand dismissively, "Laugh all you want, Horan but you know it's true."
Niall continued with his bellowing laugh, "I never said it wasn't true. But still..."
"No but's bud," the tall, lengthy blonde haired girl walked over and hit Niall playfully on the back. "The sooner you start, the sooner you end and the sooner you can go party. But god bless us all if you start partying before five."
"We are not that bad," Harry's face pinched together.
Hannah let out a cold laugh, "I just want to remind you that you aren't legal here...."
"I am!" Louis' hand shot up in the air.
"Which is an ever bigger problem," Hannah muttered. "But telling the other four of you not to drink would be like telling a child to stop crying. It doesn't work. So let me just say this; you have a long leg of tour left ahead of you. If you do something stupid now you are going to get sent home. So don't screw up."
Just then Mrs. Sorin walked into the room carrying a large garment bag. Clearly we had new outfits to try on.
"And let me just add," her motherly voice overpowered the stage, "that you better behave as gentlemen towards your ladies. I'm mostly saying that because two of your girlfriends happen to be my daughters...." Her eyes narrowed in on Louis and Niall who both let out a weak smile. "But you need to treat them with the upmost respect and remember that not one of you is ready to be a father...."
"Woah Mama S," Zayn let out an uneven laugh. "We've got better judgment than that."
She nodded slowly, yet disbelieving as she walked over to the semi-circle the five of us had formed.
"Right now, in this moment you do because you are five smart boys, but if you are living in the moment your brain might not be thinking the right way. Just promise me you aren't going to do anything stupid."
She took a few seconds to make eye contact with each of us, waiting for us to nod. We all did.
"Okay then," she smiled. "Start your singing so we can try on your new outfits and then we can all get out of here."
"Right," Harry pumped his mic in the air. "Let's go!"
I followed Niall backstage to the place where we got on the lift.
"You okay buddy?" Niall turned to me as we were waiting for the instrumental part of the song to begin.
I nodded, "Fine, yeah."
Niall's shimmering blue eyes glossed over as his mouth turned down into a frown. "What went down last night? I thought it was good."
I shrugged, "It was but it's waiting to see what her parents tell her this morning that I'm worried about."
His arm moved around my shoulder pulling me into a hug. "Relax man. Just don't think about it too much."
"So says you," I snapped. "Mrs. Sorin loves you. The mother of the girl you love has already accepted you into her family." I let out a huffy breath. "And Mr. Sorin liked you too. Hell he gave you his blessing before he passed. Now here I am with the girl I love and her parents potentially hate me."
Niall pressed his lips together, "Hate might be too strong of a world, Li. Maybe not approve is a better choice... but come on man. Did you tell them that? Did you tell them you love her?"
I let out a heavy sigh as I leaned against the railing of the lift.
"How can I tell them I love her when I haven't even told her?"
A gasp flooded from Niall's mouth, "You haven't.... not... really?"
I shook my head as my eyes dropped to the floor. "The time has never been right. I was scared then we weren't exactly on speaking terms and then I was gone."
Niall tisked his tongue, "Do you love her?"
A smile crept across my face, "Course I do."
He nodded, "Then you gotta tell her that. Because maybe that's what she needs to hear. Maybe she needs to be able to call her mom and squeal in delight because you told her that. She's a girl, Liam. That's what they want. They want to be told they are beautiful. They want to be told they are loved. They want to be held and they want to be protected. They want what they think they don't deserve, but clearly you believe Char deserves that."
I nibbled on the inside of my cheek as Niall's eyes tore me apart.
"So you gotta tell her. You have to treat her like your princess because if you love her, then that's what she is."
I let out a little laugh as I pulled Niall into a hug. Niall Horan,the best advice giver ever.
Charlotte's POV
"What color is the dress again?" Talia turned around to face me.
I held up the pink dress that I had decided on. I had chosen my outfit carefully. I had chosen a pink dress with a little belt around the waist. I paired it with a simple black blazer and tall, sleek back heels. The outfit was flawless, at least in my opinion.
"Then use this one," Talia grabbed a bottle of nail polish and made her way to my bed. She held out the tiny bottle of turquoise pant to me. "It will give your outfit color."
I grabbed the bottle from her and tossed it into my overnight bag. "Thanks sis," I patted her head. "You've been a big help."
"You betcha," she smiled proudly.
There was a knock on my door followed by the appearance of my dad's face. "Tall, you need to go help clean up the toy room," my dad instructed as he entered the room.
Without talking back, Talia waved to me before heading downstairs. Both mine and my dad's eyes watched her as she went. Once she was out of sight I turned my attention back to my bag, but I could still feel my dad's presence in the room.
"You know we gotta talk," he hummed quietly.
I nodded without turning towards him. I held my breath as I waited for him to say something. Instead he made his way to the foot of my bed after he closed the door. He sat down causing the mattress to sag.
"Do you know what worries me?" my dad asked. That was not the way I was hoping he'd start the conversation. "What worries me is that I've never seen you like this."
I folded my pajama pants and placed them in the bag before turning towards him.
"Like what?"
His forehead creased as he studied me. "The way you are with Liam.... You were never anything close to this with when you were with Chance."
I closed my eyes and told myself to breathe. Of course he was comparing him to Chance. It was just a way for him to get points across—whatever point that was.
"How am I different?"
He let out a defeated sigh, "You know that I want to hate him."
I laughed coldly, "Really? Never would have guessed."
He held up his hand signaling me to keep quiet.
"Charlotte, I don't want you to get hurt. I know that your heart is already on the line so if anything happened, even the smallest thing like me not approving would break it. But sweetheart, do you not see where I'm coming from? Please tell me that you do. 'Cause he is this famous singer who is in a boy band. There are probably millions of girls across the world he could choose..."
"But he chose me."
He nodded, "As much as it doesn't make sense to me.... How my little girl goes off and gets herself a famous boyfriend.... When I saw you with him yesterday... I ...."
"You what?" I pressed.
"I knew you were different and the thing is, is that I think it's because you are actually happy."
I chuckled, "I am happy, Dad."
He groaned, "I know. And then seeing the way he treats you, and his manners, and then how he treated Talia and Anastasia—especially Grant. I can't even find it in me to hate him. I can't even say I don't like him."
I giggled, "See? I told you so."
He pursed his lips in annoyance.
I shrugged, "I did though."
His head shook as he stood up. "I give you my approval young lady, but you need to be smart with your decisions and you have to remain level-headed."
"Thanks Daddy," I grinned as I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "I'm a grownup and I still rely on my dad." I chuckled.
He kissed the top of my head and my hair muffled his response. "You always will."
He gave me one last squeeze before pulling away.
"Have fun tonight," he said sternly. "But be careful. Are you going to go to Chance's party?"
I shrugged, "Yeah I think we will for an hour or so but then we're just staying at the hotel. Zayn and Harry's rooms are connected so that's where the party is."
He bowed his head, "And you are staying there, right? As opposed as I am to that I don't want you driving all the way home with all those drunken people on the road."
"Yes I am."
"Who's room?"
I chuckled, "I don't know Dad. It just depends."
"Okay," he sighed.
"Don't be such a parent," I joked.
"I am your parent!" he exclaimed with a laugh. "These are the things I am responsible for." He picked up his arm to look at his watch. "Now, don't you need to get going because you are getting ready with the other girls?"
"Oh Dad," I grabbed my bag off the table and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Always keeping tabs on me aren't you?"
"Always," he chuckled as he followed me into the hall.
Lauren's POV
"NOOO!" I cried.
Louis had wrapped one arm around my waist and the other around my thigh, lifting me over his shoulder.
"PUT ME DOWN LOUIS!" My voice echoed through the empty stadium.
"Haha no," he giggled as he started moving towards the catwalk. "Why would I do such a thing?"
"BECAUSE!" I screamed again.
"Shhh," his hand that was holding my thigh moved to his face as a single finger pressed against his lips. "Why are you yelling? You don't need to do that."
"You cheeky little..."
"Mmm," he cut me off. "No cussing."
I groaned. "Put me down."
He did, but instead of setting me on the floor, he sat down, swinging his legs over the edge of the stage and pulled me onto his lap.
I pulled back to give him a nasty, pouty frown before sulkily cuddling into his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around me as his chin rested against my head. His fingers traced my stomach, causing me to shiver even though I was covered by my shirt.
I turned around and pushed him back on the stage, turning so I was straddling his waist.
He smirked at me as he grabbed my hands, pulling me above him.
"Oh gross. Stop it," Harry called from the other end of the stage. "Save it for later!"
I leaned forward and kissed Louis softly only to hear Harry making gagging noises.
Louis rolled me over so that I was on bottom, passionately kissing down my neck.
"Woah," I heard Josh's voice.
There were muffled voices followed by Josh's response, "No, no. Lauren and Louis are just making out on the stage and Harry is sulking in the corner. You should see him, guys." Josh giggled and it was anything but manly. "He's practically depressed."
Louis lips paused at the base of my collar bone.
"Who are you talking to, Josh?" His voice sent crackling vibrations across my skin.
"Real romantic," I pushed him off me, sitting up.
We both turned to Josh waiting for his reply. Harry waited too.
He waved his black iPhone out in the air, "Facetime with Christina and Araya."
"What?" Harry's voice was low growl.
"Mmhm," he hummed. "Araya, Harry says hi. And that he misses you. And that he can't wait to kiss your pretty little face again."
Louis choked on his salvia as he died in laughter.
Harry however; didn't think it was so funny. He shot across the stage lunging for Josh's phone.
"Oh I think he wants to talk to you, Araya. Probably wants to tell you how much he loves you." Josh made kissy faces into the speaker before darting backstage with a franticly frustrated Harry on his tail.
"Well that was something," I chuckled.
"Sure was," Louis pulled me back to his side giving me a gentle kiss.
"So Harry actually likes Araya then?"
Louis pulled back in thought, "He talks about her a lot and I guess they've been texting. Honestly she seems lovely. I'd put her as more of Niall's type because she is so perky but I think that's what Harry likes about her."
I nodded, "She's hilarious, too."
Louis shook his head, "Time will tell, I guess."
I smirked as I wrapped my arms around his waist, "It always does."
Charlotte's POV
"Whoo," I gasped as I shut the door to Amalia and Lauren's hotel room. "I've never encountered fans that tried so hard to get my attention."
I pressed my back to the door and inhaled deeply.
"Famous little Omahan," Marisa smiled. "Of course they love you."
"Meh," I chuckled. "Whatever...." I looked around the pale tan room. "Where's Lauren?"
Amalia rolled her eyes, "Probably off making out with Louis while they should be rehearsing. I swear: if we are late to start the party it's their fault."
Marisa choked back a laugh, "Yeah because you and Niall have never made us late."
I gagged and Marisa followed my notion.
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Come on Char, let's see your outfit."
I threw my bag down on the white comforter pulling out my outfit. Each girl nodded their approval.
"Alrighty ladies," Amalia grinned. "Let's get this show on the road."
The next hour consisted of painting nails, showering, hair doing, and makeup-completing. Lauren was about twenty minutes late, which wasn't like her but we didn't give her a hard time—we were too busy getting ready.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Marisa waved her hands in the air. "Go and get dressed. Let me finish her hair!" Riss shot us a dirty look before continuing with Amalia's hair.
Liam's POV
"Come on man," Louis scolded. "Pull yourself together." He slapped my cheek tenderly before he went to fix my buttoned shirt.
"My bad," I sulked.
"Indeed it is," he tisked as he re-buttoned the blue plaid.
His hands fastened the top button before patting me on the shoulders. "All set, hot stuff."
"Oh for crying out loud, Louis," Harry groaned. "Why don't you just hand him a cane and some glasses?"
We turned towards the curly haired boy who was sprawled out on his bed. He was wearing black trousers and a light blue button up, which was unbuttoned so that the shirt appeared as a v-neck.
"What?" I pinched my nose together.
"You look like an old man," he scoffed. Harry rolled over off the bed so he was standing in front of me. "Just... do... this..." He unbuttoned the top four buttons of my shirt and then patted my chest. "Much better."
"Yeah buddy," Niall tore his eyes from the TV. Of course he was all ready and had been for a while now. He was wearing a tight red polo and khaki pants with a brown belt and red Supras. "Get it." He wiggled his eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes at him before collapsing on the sofa. My dark pair of jeans fell down on my waist as I fell next to him.
"So says Niall. I gotta tell you man, the Sorin girls are really making a name for themselves."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Niall immediately got all defensive.
"Yeah what's that supposed to mean?" Louis snapped as he stuck his face inches from mine.
I turned my head to the side, "Personal space, Tomlinson. Come on now!"
A growled formed in the back of Louis' throat, "Not until you tell me what you are accusing my girlfriend of."
"Man chill," Zayn pulled Louis's collar. He had just emerged from the bathroom to see the fairly odd sight; however the door had been open so he had heard the whole conversation.
"He's just saying that both of your girlfriends like to make out, however that reflects back on the two of you as well. So...." Zayn wiggled his eyebrows.
"Do not," Harry warned as he pushed Louis back onto the opposite sofa, seating himself on the boy's lap. "Leave it alone, leave it alone. Just leave it alone." Harry's voice was stern as he watched the older boy intently.
"Oh lighten up, I was joking!" I chuckled.
"Kinda," Zayn snickered.
"Let's just go get our dates, shall we?"
It was a quarter to seven as we made our way down one flight of stairs to the girls' room. Charlotte and I were going to quickly take off to Chance's party before heading back to the hotel to spend midnight with the rest of the crew.
"Yeah buddy," Niall hummed as we approached the door. "Let's get this party started!"
Zayn took the liberty of knocking on the door, only to have it open a few seconds later. Behind it was a stunning looking Marisa.
Zayn's eyes popped out of his head a little when he saw his beautiful girlfriend standing before him. A small smile overtook her face as their eyes met. She was wearing a short red dress with a sweetheart neckline. Over the strapless top was a black leather jacket. Her legs appeared even longer in the tan heels she was wearing on her tiny feet. The color of the shoes matched the darkness of her skin.
"Hey," she giggled before stepping to the side and letting us through. Zayn moved aside too, letting us pass before him.
"Hey," I heard him say once we had walked farther into the room.
I heard Marisa chuckle but then all was silent. Awe, young little love.
I turned my attention towards the others in the room. Everyone was chatting and gossiping about the night's festivities. Across the room, in the corner was Niall talking to Charlotte.
She looked stunning.
Her dress was pink—bright pink—a color that she hardly ever wore, but it suited her. It made her skin glow in a warm natural way. Her rosy eyelids fluttered shut as her pink cheeks turned into a smile. Her glossy lips opened as she let out a silent laugh. Whatever Niall was saying was amusing her.
Over her dress was a tiny belt that hugged her waist, giving emphasis to the curves I loved. The small blazer eventuated the rolls of her body even more, and just as Marisa's heels had; the black shoes brought out the best of her toned legs. She wore a gold cuff around her wrist and simple gold earrings. Resting on her neck was a little gold pendant with the letter "C" on it. It was my Christmas present to her.
In the middle of laughing, her eyes drifted over to me. When she caught me watching, the smile tugged a little higher. Niall noticed her smile grow so he turned to see what she was looking at. He shook his head with a chuckle when he saw me. Niall turned and gave Char a peck on the cheek as he whispered something in her ear. Then, he turned and left her, joining Amalia and Louis' conversation.
Charlotte remained where she was with her hands folded at her waist. She smiled at me shyly as I made my way to her.
"Hi," my voice was low and husky. I had her trapped—she wasn't pushed up against the wall but she didn't have anywhere to go.
"Hey," she smiled sweetly. "Are you ready to go?"
"Mmm," my voice vibrated the air. "You look beautiful."
I took her arms and secured them around my neck. She looked away bashfully, her cheeks becoming even rosier.
"Thanks."
"Mmm," I repeated as I pulled her against me, my arms wrapping around her waist.
I pressed my lips to hers gently, almost teasingly.
"Ready to go?" I asked into the kiss.
"Mmhm," she hummed as she continued the kiss. She pulled away and nestled her face into my neck. "Let's get this party started."
I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her waist and led her to the door.
Chance's house was shaking. You could hear the party from halfway down the block and that wasn't something I was expecting —especially because I knew that parents were there.
"Well someone knows how to party," Liam chuckled as he found a place to park.
"This should be interesting," I scoffed as we parked behind Meghan's new car that she had gotten for Christmas.
"Shhh," Liam whispered; his breath suddenly hitting my face causing me to shrink under him. His lips sponged gently against my cheek. "Play nice."
I groan, titling my head back in frustration. The thought of playing nice wasn't too appealing.
"Promise me," he demanded. Each word was emphasized against my skin.
"Fine," I gritted through my teeth. "If you promise me we're only staying for an hour.
Liam shook his head with a mysterious smile as he exited the car. He skipped to my side of the car, helping me out. He took my hand and pulled me close to his side, supporting me, as we began our walk towards the house. His grip was tight, making sure that I didn't slip on the ice.
The closer we got to the house the louder the music got. Amusingly enough, it was One Direction that was playing.
"At least he has a good taste in music," Liam joked as he opened the front glass door for me.
Thank goodness the song was ending and Viva La Vida was playing.
As we walked into the large family room, whispers immediately broke out. "Come on," I pulled Liam toward the kitchen. "Let's grab a drink."
"Okay," he muttered, smiling a group of gaping girls when he passed by.
"Whaddya want?" I asked him once we pushed our way through the massive crowd.
"Diet Coke," he answered.
I nodded as I pulled two from the cooler next to the table. I cracked them opened and handed one to him.
"Tanks," he replied as he pushed his mouth against the cold tin, taking a gulp.
"Yep," I popped the p as I jumped onto the counter. I grabbed a chocolate dipped pretzel from the counter and bit off the tip. "Want one?" I waved the pretzel in the air.
Liam shook his head as he walked over to me. His hands settled on my knees forcing my legs apart so he could stand between them.
"I want that one," he winked as he bit off a chunk of my pretzel.
"Flirt," I snorted as I pushed him away. "Don't forget that my parents are in the basement." His lips pursed into a pout just as the kitchen door swung open.
"Rumor has it that the celeb couple was seen walking into the kitchen," Chance set his glass on the counter before making his way over to me. "Get off the counter CMac."
Chance grabbed the side of my thighs and yanked me down, pulling me into a hug. "How are you?" he asked as we tittered back and forth.
"Good," I pulled away from him. The last thing I wanted was for Liam to be jealous. I turned to glance at him. He was awkwardly staring at the pictures on the fridge.
"So the rumor's true," a high voice echoed as I made my way to Liam. He turned and slipped his arm over my shoulders.
"Depends on what the rumor is, Zoe," Chance walked over to his girlfriend who was wearing a simple blue dress.
She tisked, "Rumor has it there is a sexy member of a very famous boy band in my boyfriend's kitchen."
Chance's face turned up in disgust. "Please remember that my boyfriend part."
"Uh, and please remember that that sexy member of a very famous boy band is my boyfriend," I narrowed my eyes with a laugh.
"Yeah yeah," she shook her head. "I'm Zoe." She extended her arm to Liam. "It's nice to meet you."
Liam nodded, "Nice to meet you, too."
Just then Chance cleared his throat, "Aren't One Direction known for their partying skills?"
I leaned over to Liam and told him in a stage whisper, "Chance won't admit it but he is a diehard 1D fan."
Liam giggled. "Seriously, partying in the kitchen is the only way to ruin your rep. Let's go dance or something."
I squealed, "Let's go!"
___
We had spent the past two hours awkwardly dancing to music while attempting to keep up conversations with everyone who wanted to talk to us. We were staying much longer than we had planned on but there hadn't been a time to escape.
"Well, I better go," a short girl tossed a strand of black hair over her shoulder. "But it was nice talking to you."
"You too," Liam smiled.
The girl did a flirty half wave before getting lost in the constantly growing crowd of people.
I turned to Liam and stood on my toes so I could whisper in his ear, "If we make a run for it now we can escape."
Liam chuckled. His large hand gripped my waist tightly as he pulled me to the room where the speakers were.
"Not yet," he grumbled. "I picked the next song."
My eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Just wait," the tips of his mouth brushed with a smile.
Some Katy Perry song was on but it was drawing to a close.
When the new song began to start up, Liam grabbed my hand and led me out into the middle of the room. He instantly pulled me against him and we started to move to the music.
As We Found Love took over the room, memories of our first date flashed over me. Just like our first time dancing together, our bodies moved in sync and swayed to the music as Liam's hands never left my body. They were firm on my waist as we kept to the beat.
When the instrumental part of the song took over, we turned to face towards each other, just as we had on our first date. Instantly both of us were laughing with giant smiles on our faces. Limbs flew in the air as we jumped along with the rest of the people.
When the song finally ended, Liam's arms swung around my waist. Both of us were panting from laughter and the smiles were irreplaceable.
"Thank you," I kissed his cheek still laughing. "That's what I needed."
There was a proud, possessive gleam in his eyes as he kissed me gently. "Ready to go then?" It was nearly ten.
I nodded. We headed towards the front closet to grab out coats. We quickly thanked Chance who was standing in the front hall before heading out to the car.
"Oh shoot," I muttered when we were halfway to the SUV. "I left my purse in there."
I spun on my heels skillfully and darted back towards the house. I pushed through the crowd of people towards the kitchen.
"CHARLOTTE!" an all too familiar voice called out to me. I looked over to the counter to see Meghan, Sophia, and two guys I kind of recognized from Facebook pictures.
Meghan stumbled off the counter over towards me. She placed a hand on my arm, "Come sit with us." There was a tinge of alcohol on her breath which caught me by surprise. Meghan had always been the girl who had promised herself she was never going to do anything stupid. From her reeking smell and bloodshot eyes, she had broken that promise.
"Oh hey Meggy," I whispered barely audible.
"Come on sit with us," she tried to pull me over to the others. Instead of following her I twisted out of her grasp.
"No no. I just came to get my purse. We were just leaving. Going back to the hotel."
I walked backwards slowly towards my purse. I grabbed the little black clutch in my hand.
"Ohh," Sophia's head rolled towards me. "Is Liam here? Can I see him? He's really hot..." the 'o' dragged itself on as her words slurred together. "Wait..." she paused. "Why are you leaving if you just got here?"
"We didn't," I shook my head. "We've been here for about two hours."
"Oh," Sophia giggled. "We've been upstairs."
"And we haven't...." I tisked. "Now I have to go. I'll see you guys around."
I took a step towards the door only to immediately stop when I felt fingernails digging into my arm.
"Waiiit," Meghan shrieked. "Can we come with? I wouldn't mind meeting Harry. If you know what I mean."
The sexual hint towards Harry made me snap. I turned around pressing my face so close to hers I could smell the alcohol stronger than before.
"No, you can't." My voice was firm and cold.
"Why?" she whined. "We've haven't spent any time together since you got home."
"Yeah, well," I stammered. "I can't figure out who you are anymore Meg. You too, Soph. You've both changed."
Sophia snarled as she hopped off the counter. The two boys moved out of her way as she walked towards me. They were just standing there watching everything unfold.
"You're the one who's changed, Mac!" she snarled. "Famous boyfriend. Hot-shot best friends. Going to school in a foreign country."
I nodded, "Maybe we've all changed... but at least I've changed for the better."
Both of their eyes filled with fire. "How dare you say that!" Meghan's arm twitched as if she was going to smack me.
"Don't even think about it," Liam's voice came from behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist pulling me back into him.
Both of their eyes grew in shock at the celebrity standing before them.
"I... We..." Suddenly they were both lost for words.
"Don't," Liam's voice was harsh—I'd never heard it this way. "You two don't deserve a friend like Charlotte anymore. Maybe you were all best friends at one point in time, but let me tell you how many times she has told me that you don't even care about her anymore. You care about her fame. Her publicity. Her famous friends. Now you are here completely drunk and being absolutely rude to her. So until you figure your stuff out you leave her alone." His teeth grinded against each other.
"Come on baby," he kissed the top of my head. "Let's go."
We laced our fingers together and left the house again.
"Are you okay?" he asked once we were out in the chilly night air.
I let out a tremorous huff. "Yeah. Just mad."
He took my face in between his hands, pushing my hair away from my face. He kissed the tip of my nose. "Let's just go back and watch a movie." He smiled sweetly. "We don't have to go to the party. We can go to my room, change into pajamas and watch a film."
I smile peaked from my lips, "That sounds even better than watching Harry and Louis do stupid things because they are completely wasted."
Liam giggled. His kissed my forehead again and then we started walking towards the car. Leave it to him to make everything better.
Louis' POV
"You aren't seriously gonna do this?" Zayn looked at the boys sternly. "You know Liam wouldn't approve of this."
Harry giggled, "Daddy Direction never approves of anything.
"Cheers to that!" Josh tossed the bottle in the air.
They were actually doing to do it—the ketchup challenge.
Someone the boys had gotten onto the topic of some English youtuber who attempted to eat a bottle of ketchup. Harry and Josh had gone straight to calling him a wus because they believed they could do it. Now, here they were, getting ready to attempt the masochistic deed themselves.
"Ready?" Josh wiggled his eyebrows.
The tops were popped off the bottles as the two boys raised it over their mouths.
"Chug, chug, chug, chug!" The chant echoed through the room.
"Oh my god that is so gross," Lauren squealed as she turned her face into my neck.
I squinted my eyes and glanced at Harry who had the bottle of ketchup over his mouth. I turned slightly to see Josh doing the same. It made me sick, too.
I could claim that they were drunk and that they didn't know what they were doing. It was true, they were drunk. Very drunk; but they knew exactly what they were doing.
"Why?" Lauren cried out again. I tightened my arm around her slender waist and kissed the top of her head.
"Oh, I'm gonna be sick," Josh set the bottle of ketchup on the ground and bent over. His forehead pressed to the ground as he clenched his stomach.
"Let's get out of here," I pulled her into the connecting room.
The beautiful girl stuck her nose up in the air, "Smells like Zayn and too much alcohol.
"Mmm," I agreed with her as I pulled her towards the sofa. She took off her heels before she climbed onto my lap and snuggled closer to me. I rubbed my hand along her arm that was covered with her white leather jacket. There were shouts and screams from the other room but neither of us bothered to get up to look. Instead I just pulled Lauren closer.
Zayn's POV
Irresistible. That's how she looked standing over in the corner of the room. She and Amalia had fled the scene when Harry and Josh thought they were going to get sick.
"Man, why did you do that?" my words slurred together slightly. Harry was jumbled over on the sofa. Now his stomach hurt.
"Zayn can you just get me some food?" he whined.
I chuckled at him. He was such an idiot when he was drunk. It was all too amusing.
"Yeah Hassie," I ruffled his head. "What do you want?"
"Anything," he moaned as he buried his head into a pillow.
I patted the top of his head before heading into the kitchenette area. I entered the little bar area, and as I moved I felt Marisa's eyes on me.
I turned around to face her. Her tanned torso was leaning over and resting on the counter top. Her black leather jacket revealed the nape of her neck but nothing else.
"Riss," I pleaded with my best begging stare. "What do you give a guy to eat when he is completely wasted and has a stomachache from eating too much ketchup?'
She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a box of Triscuits off the counter. "These. And probably a glass of water."
I nodded as I grabbed a plastic cup from under the sink. I filled it with room temperature water before rounding the counter to the barstools.
Marisa's long legs were crossed over each other as she stood on the stool. She moved the box of crackers behind her head teasingly. I put the cup down on the counter next to us before leaning over her. I placed one hand just above her knee as I closed in, placing my face only centimeters from hers.
"Thank you," I said as my other arm snaked behind her head. My breath was warm on her face, causing her breath to hitch. She lost concentration momentarily, allowing me to snatch the box from her hand.
Her lips formed a pout as I winked at her. Marisa folded her arms over her chest. I kissed her cheek before leaving her there. I walked over to the bemoaning Harry and handed him his crackers and water.
"Thanks, Z," he took them graciously.
"Yep," I nodded before making my way back to Marisa. Her attention was now captured from her phone. She was scrolling through twitter.
"Thank you," I took the phone from her hands skillfully before turned and collapsing onto Harry's other bed.
"Hey!" she shrieked. "Give that back."
I didn't reply to her because that would have taken time away from my real task.
Instantly, I hit New Tweet and pulled up the new tab. I slid my fingers along the tiny keys of her Blackberry updating her latest status for her.
Lovely night with my beautiful boyfriend. I love @zaynmalik more than anything! Xx
I hit send without thinking twice and right in time because then Marisa jumped on top of me and snatched it out of my hands.
"You little..." she shook her head with a disgusted grin as she saw what I'd done.
"Are you saying you don't love me?" I sniffled pretending to fight back tears.
She shook her head, "Of course I love you."
"Oh... okay," I smiled.
She giggled as she placed my face in her hands and kissed me gingerly.
Charlotte's POV
For the first time since they arrived there were no fans in front of the hotel. Even Directioners had better things to do on New Year's Eve.
"I just have to get my stuff from the girl's room," I told Liam as we entered the hotel.
He nodded, letting go of my hand and making the way to his room as I went to find one of the girls so I could open the door. I climbed the stairs to the floor where Zayn and Harry were staying. I was greatly surprised when there was no party to be heard.
When I entered Zayn's room I saw Lauren and Louis cuddling on the couch.
"Well well, look who's finally back." Louis turned his attention towards me.
"Hey guys. Some party you are throwing here," I snickered. "Chance's house was pumping. Maybe we should go back there."
"Fine," Louis mocked me. "We don't want you here anyway."
"Louis," Lauren smacked him. "Be nice."
I chuckled, "It's fine, Lo. I can tell he's wasted."
"I am not wasted!" Louis defended himself. "You should see Harry and Josh. They are smashed."
"Oh lovely," I rolled my eyes. "Actually I just came to get a room key. Do you have one?"
Lauren nodded, "I think so. Why?"
"We are gonna watch a movie in Liam's room but I don't really wanna watch in this dress."
Lauren shook her head understandingly and moved to her bag which was on the desk. She rummaged around in it until she found the little blue and white card.
"Thanks," I said.
"Keep it," she instructed as she pushed it into my hand. "Amalia has one. Are you staying there or..." Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.
Louis wolf-whistled.
I shrugged, "I don't know. Just depends."
"I get it," Lauren winked.
"No I mean..."
"Go," she didn't let me finish. "Have fun. Be safe. Don't do anything..."
"LAUREN!"
"Yeah alright," she chuckled. "See you later Char."
I shook my head at her as she pushed me away. Friends.
I made my way down to the girls' room, making sure I knocked before I slid the key in the slot. I was soon glad I did.
"Hey," Amalia opened the door. She was wearing a simple black dress. It was one shoulder with a beaded middle. The top was tight, hugging the contours of her body while the bottom was a little less fitted. Her blonde-haired boyfriend was right behind her.
"Sorry to interrupt," I smirked. "I just need my stuff."
"Ohhhh," Niall cooed.
"Put a cork in it, Horan," I sneered at him sticking my tongue out. "Let's not forget where I found you."
Amalia groaned, "And nothing has happened because Michael Buble is on some New Year's show and just guess who has to watch it?"
"That's my boy," I patted Niall on the shoulder as I made my way to my stuff. "Gotta love Buble. He's great."
"Yeah buddy!" he snickered.
I grabbed my stuff and wished the two of them a happy new year before heading up to Liam's room. The door was kept open by the latch at the top, so I pushed my way into the room, securing the door behind me.
I turned to see Liam on his bed. He was wearing gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He was cuddling with his pillow while watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.
"Hey," he rolled over and smiled.
"I'm just gonna change," I pointed to the bathroom. I slipped off my heels as I headed towards the door.
"Okay," his eyes followed me as I moved. "What movie do you want to watch?"
I shrugged as I slipped into the bathroom. Before I closed the door I met his eyes. "You pick."
Liam's POV
I heard her sniffle. She was so adorable. A Walk to Remember was drawing to a close. It was a classic chick flick that was known for making girls cry. It was actually a decent movie and most guys could learn a thing or two from Landon, but for me it was the way I was spending New Years Eve–cuddling with my beautiful girlfriend while she got all sappy over the love story.
I pulled her delicate figure closer to me. She was wearing blue and white stripped pajama pants and a white tank top. She had washed the makeup off her face, revealing her natural stunning beauty. I pressed my lips to her forehead firmly. In response she wrapped her arm around my stomach and moved her head up onto my chest. Our legs tangled together as we became one body, watching the rest of the movie tangled together.
When the movie ended I asked Char if she wanted to watch the countdown.
She yawned, "No. Can we just watch another movie and set a timer?"
I laughed at her as I pulled out my phone and set my alarm for 11:59. Then I slipped out from underneath her and popped the Titanic into the DVD player.
"I wanna know why you have so many chick flicks," Charlotte yawned as she cuddled back up to my side.
I nuzzled my nose against her cheek, emitting a giggle from her throat as she squirmed. "A really good boyfriend always comes prepared."
"I guess so," she chuckled sleepily.
Her eyes lazily focused in on the movie as they slowly started to close.
"Hmmm," she hummed. "I guess I'm more tired than I think."
"Then sleep, love," I whispered in her ear. She shivered. "The alarm is set. I'll wake you up."
I pulled her a little closer so the warmth of my body radiated off her skin. I pulled the comforter over us and wrapped my arms around her protectively. By the time I was settled, she was asleep.
Louis's POV
"Mountain Dew has the same effect on you that alcohol has on the rest of the world." I shook my head.
Lauren was sitting on the floor laughing. Her purple dress was extended around her as her leather jacket was falling off her shoulders.
"I know," she giggled.
I shook my head again with a laugh. "How many minutes till midnight?" I asked.
"Two," she snickered as she held up two fingers.
This time I couldn't help but laugh, "You are so wacked!" I said as I moved off of the sofa. I pulled her up off the ground before leading her back to the couch.
"Sit," I said as I pushed her down.
She giggled.
"Oh my god," I laughed. "You..."
She giggled again.
"Turn on the show," she handed me the remote. "Let's watch the countdown."
I sank down next to her and clicked on the TV.
"It is now one minute till midnight," Ryan Secreast's voice filled the room.
"Just in time," Lauren scooted closer to me.
We counted down with the timer.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.
I pulled Lauren over and around so that each of her legs was on either side of my waist.
Five. Four. Three. Two.
I brushed the back of my hand against her face.
One.
"Happy new year, baby," I whispered against her lips.
"Happy new year Lou-"
She leaned forward connecting our lips momentarily.
"Here's to 2013," she mumbled against my lips before returning to the kiss.
Niall's POV
"Trapped," I chuckled as I rolled on top of Amalia. I had her pressed against the bed.
"I can't see the count down," she pouted.
I shook my head, staring deeply into her eyes. "Instead you can see your beautiful sexy boyfriend."
She scoffed. "Such a lovely sight."
I shrugged my shoulders as an evil grin took my face.
The announcers had started the countdown. There were forty-five seconds until midnight.
"I guess you don't get a midnight kiss. Did you know that's supposedly bad luck for a relationship?"
Her mouth turned down towards the ground.
"But I want a kiss at midnight."
Thirty-nine. Thirty-eight. Thirty-seven.
"Then you have thirty-seven seconds to convince me you deserve it," I winked.
She whimpered. "Niall..."
I shook my head, "Twenty-seven seconds."
She didn't say anything. The time drew closer and closer to midnight.
With seven seconds left, her hand wandered up to my face, tracing patterns across the invisible blonde scruff that had formed after the long day.
"I love you Niall," she whispered right as the clock struck midnight.
And with that, she had one, with four simple words.
I let my body fall on top of hers, keeping my weight on my elbows that were planted on either side of her head.
Our lips pressed together in a love-filled embrace as her hands entangled themselves around my neck.
"Happy New Year, baby," she whispered when she pulled away. Both of our breathing was heavy and we rolled up together and watched the midnight fireworks through the bedroom window.
Zayn's POV
"I think Lauren's lost it," I heard a giggling voice behind me.
I turned around in my chair to see Marisa standing at the door. She had a big blanket in her arms. Riss closed the glass door behind her and made her way to me.
"Too much Mountain Dew?" I questioned.
She nodded, "And Louis had one too many drinks. It's an amusing sight in there."
I chuckled, "I'm sure it is."
I removed the blanket from her hands so that she could lie down on the patio sofa. We were on the balcony getting ready to watch the Downtown fireworks.
Marisa rested her head in my lap as we positioned the blanket over us.
"I can't believe it's almost 2013," Marisa mumbled. "Where has the year gone?"
I shook my head as I watched the night sky, "I know. It's so weird. Another year gone. Closer and closer to dying."
Marisa squirmed, "Don't say that!" She giggled. "Don't be so morbid!"
"Sorry babe," I laughed.
"Do you have the time?" she asked.
I pulled out her phone and handed it to her so we could watch the time.
Five seconds until midnight.
"Five," I whispered.
Marisa sat up and looked at me as we whispered to each other.
"Four, three, two..." We mouthed in sync.
"Happy New Year, Riss." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her plump red ones.
She kissed me back hungrily and I could feel her smiling.
It was gonna be a good year.
Liam's POV
"Char," I shook her bare shoulders gently.
"Hmm," she hummed as her eyelids fluttered open. Her brilliant blues eyes visible in the dark room.
"One minute till midnight," I showed the dimmed clock to her.
She yawned as she stretched her arms.
"Thanks for waking me."
She rolled off my stomach and fell into the pillow next to me. A smile crossed her lips as our faces remained close.
"Don't forget to make a wish at midnight," she informed me.
"Why would I do that?" I asked confused.
She yawned again rubbing her eyes.
"When I was little my mom told me that the best time to make a wish is on New Year's Eve. So you have to wish for the one thing that you want with all your heart. Then you have a better chance of it coming true."
"Awe," I smiled. "That's adorable."
Just then the clock started to tick.
Ten seconds till midnight.
"Do you know what you are gonna whish for?" her eyes were starting to droop. The poor princess was exhausted.
I nodded as I bit my lip.
"Me too," she whispered.
Five. Four. Three. Two.
"Happy New Year Liam," she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. "Make a wish," she whispered.
She leaned back and curled into my side as I closed my eyes and made my wish. I could hear the fireworks erupting outside.
"I made my wish," I whispered when I opened my eyes.
"Me too," she mumbled. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was deep. I brushed her hair away from her face as I placed a light, soft kiss on her pink lips.
"Happy New Year, baby," I whispered. "I love you."
In response, she curled up to my side even closer. I wrapped my arm around her, moving so we were cuddling ever close.
My heart sunk a little as I did this.
She hadn't heard me because she was already fast asleep.