C12 Chapter 12

“Do you mind if I drop something off at home?” the driver, Katherine, asks while we’re at a stop sign, waiting for it to turn green. “My daughter left her project in the car, and I won’t be home until tomorrow.”

I gulp, and then nod, but then remember that it’s dark in the car, so I confirm verbally.

“I will end the trip once we get to my house and then drop you off at home okay? So it won’t charge you double the trip.”

“Uh, it’s fine. It’s fine. I don’t mind.” I tell her and lean back against the seat, and then close my eyes until we stop again.

When I open them again, we’re in front of a white brick building that was apparently an apartment building. It looked like it hadn’t been renewed for decades, with the paint coming off and the crooked fence.

Katherine stops the car in front of it and gets out, telling me that she’ll be back in a minute.

I take that time to closely look at the building, and find myself not even judging Niall for living here, as I’d normally do.

Katherine comes back one minute later, and apologizes. I wave it off and she starts the car once again, before she drives off.

I get home fifteen minutes later, and I thank her for the ride before I exit the car. My house is silent, probably because my parents are out, apparently.

As I remove my makeup ten minutes later and slip into my pyjamas, the “kiss” with Niall comes back to me. I wonder whether it counts as cheating, and it probably doesn’t, because our lips barely touch.

But then I remember the shiver that ran down my spine, and maybe, just maybe, that could be considered cheating.

I fall asleep feeling guilty that night, wondering how I’d tell Jasper about it.

***

I get up the next day feeling a bit hungover. The house is still silent as it was when I came home last night, but I don’t question it. My parents have a habit of not telling us when they go out or coming back, so I just get out of bed and walk over to the bathroom.

When I come out, my phone beeps, signaling that I have a new message. I’m surprised to see that it’s from Niall.

Niall Harrison: so what time today?

Then it downs on me: we talked about getting Chris and Louis together by “accidentally” meeting at the mall.

Nicki: I have to text Chris, but around 5-6

Niall Harrison: okay

Niall Harrison: I already talked to Louis so we’ll see you there

I send a text to Chris, after contemplating whether it will be awkward seeing Niall after last night. But he didn’t seem awkward in the texts, so I guess it’s okay.

Nicki: hey, want to go to the mall today?

If I’d texted him a few weeks ago it would’ve been weird, but we’ve gotten along quite well since we started laughing together at parties and he even suggested going out sometime, in a friendly way.

Chris: sure :) what time?

I sigh, relieved that he doesn’t find it weird, probably remembering that he’d propositioned it at one point.

Nicki: I’ll pick you up at 5?

Chris: sure :D

I smile, and then my face turns more serious when Jasper texts me.

Jasper: hi baby

Nicki: hi?

Jasper: sorry for not coming yesterday, but my parents had to take me to Liverpool

Jasper: grandma’s ill

Nicki: I’m sorry :(

Nicki: is she okay?

Jasper: yea, took her to the hospital

Jasper: I’ll be back on Monday okay? We’ll celebrate then

He sends me a heart emoji and I send it back, before I tell him that I’m going to the mall with Chris, and he tells me to have fun.

I spend the rest of the day reading the last chapter of the book for English Lit, before my alarm goes off, telling me it’s half past four.

I start applying my makeup, before I put on a pair of jeans, a white blouse, and my green Zanotti sneakers. To be honest, I’m a little nervous but I have no idea why, so I swallow my nerves and check myself out in the mirror one more time.

I grab my keys from the desk and walk down the stairs, wondering where Jason is. He’s probably in his room doing nothing as per usual, so I don’t bother checking on him before I leave the house.

I pick up Chris from the address he sent me on WhatsApp, and he’s all smiley and happy to hang out with me at the mall. Little does he know, I plan on getting him together with Louis.

Once we get at the mall, I suggest we go check out some shops, and fifteen minutes later, I find myself venting about the fact that Jasper left yesterday and we couldn’t see each other on our one-year anniversary, but that I understand him because his grandmother was ill.

I get a text from Niall, who says they’re at Vans, so I tell Chris that I want to check out some sneakers. We head over to Vans, where we find Louis trying on some shoes.

“Oh, hi.” I say when I see them, and Chris turns red instantly.

“What a coincidence.” Niall says, and if Chris and Louis weren’t completely busy eye-fucking each other, they would’ve caught on to his bad acting.

I shake my head and Niall smirks, before he goes away to another part of the store. I feel as if I’m extra, so I let the two of them talk.

“Try to be less oblivious.” I whisper to Niall when I walk up to him and pretend that I’m looking at a pair of black studded Vans.

“Oh, come on. This is exciting.” He laughs and looks back at the two of them. “See? They’re already talking.”

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d be the type of person who would go to such lengths to set two of your friends up.” I tell him and move further along the aisle to another pair of shoes.

“What do you mean?” he asks, frowning.

“I mean, you are actually willing to spend an afternoon with me just to get them together. Which, knowing you, is a huge sacrifice.” I sarcastically say and he rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

“You’re not that bad to be honest. And besides, you were kind of kissing me yesterday.”

My chin hits the floor and I turn around to face him properly, this time not even pretending to be doing something else or being afraid of not being too obvious.

“Excuse you? Our lips barely touched, and I have a boyfriend.” I remind him, as if my boyfriend would be any indication to the fact that I did not want our lips to be touching last night.

“A boyfriend who ditched you on your one-year anniversary, I know.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” I hiss, pointing my finger at him. “He went to Liverpool with his parents because his grandmother was ill.”

Niall catches my finger and puts it down, before he nods at something behind me. I turn around and see Jasper’s mother walking by while she looks at something on her phone.

“You mean to say that he was at the Manchester United and Liverpool game with his dad last night, right?”

I open my mouth to say something, but then I close it again. “Wha-but-what? He fuckin’ lied to me about his ill grandmother? What the fuck?”

For some reason, it doesn’t bother me as much as it should’ve, but I’m still mad at him for lying to me and saying that his grandmother is ill. You don’t lie about something like that.

“How do you know this?” I ask Niall, squinting my eyes at him, and a little part of me wishes that he were wrong. The last thing I want is for Niall to see the way my boyfriend lies to me, and to judge me again.

“Because he sent me a snap from the game? I don’t know Nicki, I just thought you should know. And I thought you did, that’s why I didn’t say anything.”

“It doesn’t bother me that he went to the game…it bothers me that he lied about it.” I mumble, checking my phone to see if he texted me. He didn’t.

We’re interrupted by Louis and Chris, who come up to us with a smile on their faces.

“Sorry for interrupting, but we’re kind of hungry so we’ll head up to the food court.”

“We’ll be right there.” Niall assures them, before the two of them leave us alone.

“See?” he tells me once the two of them are out of our sight. “One good thing came out of this whole thing is that we got them together.”

I nod. “You’re right. If one relationship is going down the drain, then one should be built.”

“Wait what? You’re going to break up with Jasper?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t like the fact that he lied to me like that. Right to my face.”

“And you didn’t believe me when I told you that he takes you for granted.”

I make a face at him. “First of all, you didn’t say it like that. Second of all, shut up. I’ll confront him when I see him at school, until then, I’ll just ignore him. Maybe even block him on WhatsApp.”

Niall laughs and shakes his head, before he turns his head towards the exit. “We should go.”

We join Chris and Louis at KFC ten minutes later, just to find them chatting and laughing about something. After all the drama with Jasper and I, the fact that we managed to get Chris and Louis to talk to each other is the only thing that keeps a smile on my face.

“What are you two laughing about?” Niall asks as we sit down with our KFC orders.

“I was just telling him about Doris and Ernie.” Louis says, and I vaguely remember him mentioning the two twins his mother had last year.

“Oh, Chris just loves babies.” Niall laughs and Chris' eyes light up when Louis laughs as well.

It kind of saddens me to see two people so infatuated with each other, because it reminds me of the way Jasper and I used to be in the first several months of our relationship. I wonder when it all went wrong, and I honestly can’t pinpoint a certain day, or month.

I eat in silence and let the three of them talk, hoping no one will mention it.

“So how come you two aren’t at each others throats?” Louis curiously asks once we’ve all finished eating. Niall and I look at each other, because neither of us knows what to say.

“Well…we’re in public now.” I say, shrugging. It’s the best answer I can come up with that won’t give away our plan.

“Oh, so you like to argue in private?” Louis pushes, with a slight undertone that suggests something sexual.

Niall smirks and tilts his head at me, smiling.

“No no, that’s not what I meant.” I try to argue, but the deed is done anyway, so I don’t bother.

Half an hour later, we say goodbye to each other, so Louis and Niall go to catch the bus, while Chris and I get into my car.

“What a coincidence, right?” Chris smiles.

I nod, not looking at him as I drive. “Right. You and Louis seemed to be getting along pretty well though.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him shrugging. “Yeah, he’s nice.”

“Nice? That’s all you have to say? You seem to fancy him a bit. And he does too.”

Chris turns red and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh, but I do. And I’m a really good people reader.”

If Chris does anything, I don’t see it, because I stop in front of his house, and thank him for accompanying me. He kisses my cheek before he gets out of the car, and I stay for a bit, to check my messages. Jasper hasn’t said anything else, but he read my message half an hour ago.