A/N:
ok this is gonna be shorter-ish only because i've got finals this week and I SHOULD be studying but I wanted to do a quick little update so here you go- please vote/comment and thanks for reading :)
***
"Flight 3868, Chicago to LAX is now boarding, please make your way to the terminal"
I froze, my muffin in the air. I was sitting on a horribly uncomfortable stool at the counter of a little cafe in the airport. When I get nervous, I eat. And since I was graduating way early and leaving school, packing up my one teeny little suitcase, and flying across the country for an internship (and partially for a boy, don't tell my mother), I think it's safe to say I was just a bit nervous. Baked goods are calming.
"Once again, Flight 3868 is now boarding."
I glanced down at my ticket that was in my bag on the stool next to me. Of course. Of course that was MY flight they were announcing, and of course my flight would be departing from the terminal on the opposite side of the airport.
I threw my half eaten muffin in my bag, instantly regretting that because, well, now there was a muffin bouncing around in my purse and- yeah, I think that speaks for itself. At least I'll have a snack for later. A snack that'll probably be covered in bobby pins, coins, and whatever else was at the bottom of my purse.
Slinging my bag across my shoulder, I reached down for my suitcase and yanked on the handle. It was one of those rolling ones, but I walked way too fast and never in a straight line, kinda all over the place, so the stupid thing was always nipping at my heels. I was probably going to have scabs on the backs of my feet by the time I left the airport in L.A.
Alrighty, let's hope going to cross country practice for like, two weeks freshmen year will pay off now.
***
"Miss, are you okay?"
I blinked a couple times and... I was surrounded by a small group of people. There was some old dude standing over me, a concerned look on his face. Actually, they all looked a bit concerened. Suddenly aware of a throbbing in my head, I reached up to my forehead and- yep, there was a bump the size of an egg up there. "Um," I croaked, "what happened?"
"I think- well, I'm pretty sure you tripped over your suitcase. You were sprinting and your foot kinda just-" he shrugged, a sheepish look on his face, "Your foot caught the back of your suitcase and you went flying."
"Literally," a lady with yellow- yellow, not blonde, it looked like the color of a dandelion- hair and REALLY red lipstick behind him piped up, "You went, like five feet into the air and BAM!" she threw up her hands, my pain clearly a source of entertainment, "JUST LIKE THAT- you were out cold."
WAIT WHAT
"HOW LONG WAS I OUT!?" I jumped up, yanking my suitcase that kept trying to murder me up with me.
"I dunno, thirty seconds, a minute?"
I'VE STILL GOT TIME, JESUS IS REAL
"Thanks for making sure no one stole my stuff or ravaged my innocence, I gotta go!" I called over my shoulder as I took of running, once again. I finally saw the sign for my terminal and- there was a line. I probably have a concussion now from trying to make it to my flight that hadn't even fully boarded yet.
"What the hell did you do to your face?"
"The same thing that's going to happen to yours if you don't get your ass in line. Literally and figuratively." I turned to Rachel, who was leaning against the wall, flipping through a magazine.
She sighed, stuffing the magazine in her carry-on and stepping behind me.
Uh-huh. That was my mom's condition. I was flying 2000 miles away from the woman but that didn't stop me from constantly hearing her in my head.
***
"Elise, if you're going to do this and if you're so serious about being an 'adult', well, I've got one thing to say about that- you're not an adult."
I had some how convinced Mom to let me go to L.A., but she had one condition... I sighed, "What's the conditioin, Mom, let's get to it."
"Rachel's going with you."
I choked on- well, on air. "Beg your pardon?"
I love Rachel. I really do. And it would be crazy, wonderfully, supercalifradgilistically wonderful if Rachel came out to L.A. with me. But not right now. I mean, give me a few weeks or something to just... adjust. Be with Luke, start the internship, be a little independent or whatever.
"You heard me. You take the same classes, she can graduate early too. But she's going with you. I would feel so much better if you had someone with you, other than the boy-"
"Luke."
"It doesn't matter- you need to have support out there, and who's better than Rachel? You out there, in the world on your own, is already... frightening, to me at least. Having Rachel out there with you, while you'll probably end up just causing more trouble, well, you won't be getting into trouble alone."
***
So here we were, me and Rachel. Rachel and me.
I was a little annoyed at first, but now, actually being at the airport ready to leave, it was really hitting me. I've always been independent, but I've been independent with Rachel, if that makes sense. I don't think anyone else would be better to have here than her. I'd probably be a mess if she wasn't.
We were finally seated on the plane and the flight attendants were walking up and down the aisles telling everyone to turn off their phones. Me, well, I'm a rebel. Actually, I was frantically trying to send one last text, and rebels aren't exactly "frantic", but the flight attendant was starting to give me the stink eye so... I was frantically rebelling.
"Elise," Rachel hissed, jabbing her finger into my side, "C'mon, we're moving, you gotta turn it off."
"I know, I know," I hit send and switched on airplane mode.
"Who were you texting?"
"Just making sure someone's waiting for us when we land, that's all."
"Oh. Well, are you ready
I turned to my sister. We're both pretty brave in our own ways, but I could tell she was... scared. Or nervous. Maybe both. "Are you?" I asked, her nervousness worrying me.
"I asked you first."
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I'm ready."
"But are you READY ready?"
I sighed, "I'm scared. I'm scared because we're going somewhere we've never been to. I'm worried about being there, with all the boys. But I'm still excited. I'm more than excited, I'm happy to be..." I paused, searching for the right words, "I'm nervous, but I'm happy to be starting this... whatever, chapter, part of life- WHATEVER" I rolled my eyes at Rachel, who was mock-vomiting over my mushiness. "I'm nervous and happy. There."
"Ditto."
I sighed again, "Rachel?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
*Niall's POV* (ooooh niall whatchu doin here)
One New Message From Luke's Lass
We'll be landing at 5 pm, DON'T BE LATE
Ugh. Luke entered Elise's number into all of the boys' phones and apparently, Elise was his "lass". I hope that's what she was listed as in everyone else's phones too and Luke wasn't just making more Irish jokes.
I sighed. Who am I kidding, no one ever tires of Niall jokes. Wait just a second- I checked the message again and... fuck. It was time stamped hours ago.
Elise had texted me earlier that day, telling me she wanted me to be the one to pick her up so she could surprise Luke. He already knew she was coming, so I don't quite get how her arrival will be a surprise, but who am I to interfer with love... I had taken a nap after lunch- three roast beef sandwiches will do that to you, and it ended up being a four hour nap. I got up from the sofa and stretched. I'll probably have to leave in- I checked my watch- now. It's 4:45 and L.A.X. was about half an hour from the house. We were in one big house and the lads of 5 Seconds of Summer were in the house across the street. After the Take Me Home Tour, we-, and by we I mean both bands, we're like sausages and potatoes. Management was in charge of finding us places in L.A. to live whenever we were on break and we specifically asked to live close to each other. Management came through and we were neighbors. Now, the only thing on my mind was which house Elise will be staying in. I've got to imagine she'll be staying over there, but at the same time, would that be considered "moving too fast"? Or would she just skip the whole moving in thing and go straight for an apartment of her own?
Good lord, my mind was spinning. Relationships were complicated.
Well, I wouldn't much know, to be honest. It's not like I've had loads of girlfriends, but based on my few experiences and what I can tell, Luke and Elise's realationship was going to be an... interesting one.
I grabbed my car keys off the counter, exited the house and was on the highway within minutes. When I finally pulled into L.A.X., it was 5:15 and I had no idea as to what entrance I was supposed to go to. Oh well, I'll try walking around. Hopefully she'll text me again. I parked and hopped out, heading towards the first entrance I saw.
"NIALL!"
"NIALL, OVER HERE!"
"C'MON NOW, JUST A LITTLE SMILE!"
Paparazzi was always hanging about the airport, there were celebrities flying in and out everyday, so I should've expected that. I gave a little wave but kept my head down and picked up the pace.
"C'MON MAN, DO ME FAVOR WHY DONTCHA AND LOOK UP!" One screamed, rudely I might add, from behind me and I stopped.
Don't do it, Niall, don't do it, just keep going and- DID HE JUST PULL ON MY JUMPER?!
"GIT ON OUT OF HERE YOU BLOODY PARASITES!" I yelled in disgust, trying to push my way through the swarm of paps that had surrounded me.
I heard someone yell "Niall!" a bit more nicely and softer than any of the paps and I stopped for a second and glanced around.Oh, sweet, sweet relief- Elise standing just a few meters away, waving at me like a batty old lady, trying to catch my attention. I broke out into a sprint and gathered her up into a bone-crushing hug. "Glad to see you, love. Have a nice flight?"
"Yeah, it was fine. But uh, what's going on with the-" she leaned around me, motioning to the paparazzi who were moving like a pack of lions towards us.
"WHO'S THIS NIALL?"
"GIVE US A NAME!!"
"GIVE US A SMILE, HONEY!"
They started directing their commands at her rather than me, and poor, innocent, little Elise, who had probably never dealt with a single pap in her life, did exactly as they asked and flashed a smile. "Oh c'mon Niall, just one smile," Elise whispered, still smiling politley for the paps.
I turned to the clicking cameras, a pained grin on my face for about half a second then turned back to Elise. "We should probably go- they're right vultures, they are, and God only knows what story they'll have come up with in a few hours." Next thing you'll know, Elise will be my secret girlfriend or ex-lover or something. Whatever sells magazines.
"Yeah, that's a beautiful 'I've got really bad gas' smile you've got there," Elise commented sarcastically as I grabbed her suitcase and one of her hands trying to pull her towards the car. She wouldn't budge. "What're you waitin' for?" I exclaimed, tugging her hand.
"Didn't you get my message?"
"Yeah," I reached for my phone, a bit confused, "You said to pick you up at 5 and to-"
"Pick US up."
"Sorry?"
"US-" she glanced behind her and... oh. OH.
A girl at the vending machine on the curb behind Elise turned around and smiled.
It was Rachel.
This should be... fun.
"TWINS, NIALL?"
"ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH BOTH OF THEM?"
I really hate paparazzi. And with that, I spun around, gave them the one finger salute, and yanked the girls towards the car.
***
LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL READING, THANK YOU AND PLEASE COMMENT OR VOTE