Falling Love

Not So Happy Campers.

Chapter 42

Noel's POV

"Niall! You'll smash all my shit if you throw your crap in like that! Fuck!"

I cringe as I hear Harry snap for the tenth time since we've drove up to Liam's house after school. I watch from my place on the porch as Niall just laughs and rolls his eyes, knowing that Harry's rude words to him were nothing personal, and earns a snarl from his mate. Harry has been cranky and on edge like this all afternoon. The reason behind his sour mood is past me; I just hope he lightens up before Louis and El get here and we head off.

"What's his problem?" Elizabeth startles me as she takes a seat beside me on the front steps.

"What?" I ask and pull my eyes away from Harry.

She chuckles and shakes more pistachios out of the small packet into her palm before motioning with her head, "Harry. What's gotten him all fussy?"

"Oh," I look back at the snarly, pouty boy, "I wish I knew. I thought getting away with his--our..." I correct myself, "Our friends would be good for him, for us. But he's not in the best of moods, as you can tell." I laugh lightly.

It's true. With all this crap going on with Baylor and Gemma, I figured us going camping with everyone would help get our minds off the situation. Plus, I've never been camping and the boys mentioned that they used to go often. I want Harry to be able to enjoy his time with the guys and the two of us to experience this together. I just pray that whatever is bugging him doesn't ruin our weekend.

I accept Lizzy's offer of her snack, and she shakes some into my hand. I struggle to crack one open, but finally pop in the salty treat. Right when I'm about to swallow, Liz snorts, "Just go blow him off once we get in the woods. Then he'll lighten up!"

My eyes go wide in result of her crude remark, utterly thrown off by it. In an attempt to gasp, I choke on the damn pistachio and fall into a coughing fit, causing Elizabeth to burst into laughter and pat my back. Harry and Niall look our way and I try to recover myself. I cannot believe she just suggested that!

"You girls alright over there?" Niall laughs as he finishes loading up the trunk with our baggage and I hold up a tumbs-up sign, regaining my breath and smacking Elizabeth on the arm.

"What the hell is your problem?" I hiss at her and she continues to laugh at my expense.

"You know," she chuckles, "I would say I was only joking, but actually...I'm not. Look at the poor bloke." I look over and see Harry with his arms crossed, leaning against the side of Niall's Jeep, a huge frown plastered upon his features. Even grumpy, he's still attractive as ever. Clad in his usual black jeans, Converse, and plain white tee shirt, he looks ready for the runway. I find it extremely unfair that anyone could possibly be so effortlessly beautiful.

"Snap out of it, Noel!" Elizabeth dramatically snaps her fingers in my face to draw my attention back towards her. I mutter an apology, but she can't seem to look past the humor of this. "Don't think I haven't taken notice of you two. Things have gotten pretty steamy! So don't try and convince me that a little mouth action in the woods doesn't make you wanna hop in the Jeep now and find a tree!" she tries to stiffle her laughs and I groan.

"We haven't...we don't..." I stammer, slightly embarrased as to where the conversation has been taken.

"Yeah, yeah," she waves me off with a smirk, and I decide it's not worth arguing over.

Liam exits his house carrying the last of his bags before loading them into his mum's black Traverse. Sophia joins Elizabeth and I and the two of them begin discussing the British Literature assignment that they both failed to do. I listen in on their converation in the beginning, but my mind ends up drifting off to other things. I'm thinking of my mother when I hear the sound of tires approaching and the screech of old brakes. I look up to see that Louis and Eleanor finally arrived. The back doors of El's car open up and Zayn exits along with a pretty blonde. I don't recognize her, but notice the way Zayn automatically slinks his arm around her slim waist.