Daytona Baby [N.H]

25

Olivia Campbell

Niall is abnormally quiet.

Ever since we left the park, Niall and Louis have been hanging behind, conversing in hushed voices, leaving Nova and I to chat up ahead and lead the way back to the hotel.

Nova didn't seem to notice or concern herself much with what the boys were being so odd about. I couldn't help but wonder if Niall's sudden change in behaviour had anything to do with me. Perhaps he's just had enough of me for one day.

With my insecurities running wild, Nova and Louis retreating to his room, I found myself stopping in front of mine and Liam's room. Niall only walked another two strides before he realized I had stopped, and turned to face me.

"Oh, you're not coming back?" Niall asked, speaking the most he has to me since we left the park.

"You're not sick of me yet?" I answered his question with another question. Even with people I've known for years, I'm never sure if I've overstayed my welcome.

"Never." Niall said firmly, and I caught the corners of his lips tug upwards slightly.

I dropped my hand from the doorknob and followed Niall back to his room. It probably would've worked this way anyways, considering Liam might still be busy with his new friends.

After locking the door behind us, Niall disappeared to the bathroom right away and I made myself comfortable on the end of his bed, crossing my legs underneath me. I felt my phone buzz so I shifted to the side to retrieve it from my back pocket. Upon opening the notification, guilt immediately washed over me at seeing Mackenzie's name.

Hey how's the tour going?? You haven't answered any of our texts, is everything okay?

I'm officially the shittiest friend ever. I remember getting messages from Mackenzie and Kayla on multiple occasions over the last few days but I seem to always get distracted, resulting in leaving them unanswered.

The sudden realization had me typing out an apology for unintentionally ignoring them, pounding my thumbs against the screen quicker than usual. Then, faster than I could even blink, a call popped up from my mother and in the midst of my aggressive typing I accidentally answered.

Fuck.

I hesitated a moment, hearing my mother call out my name a few times into the silence. If I had the option, I would've ignored the call, but it's too late now.

"Sorry, hi," I finally stammered in response as I lifted the phone to my ear.

"What the hell are you doing all the way in Nashville?"

Her question left me speechless. I could feel my stomach flip and my cheeks get hot as the anxiety started to settle in.

"Um, how did you know that?" I asked nervously.

"Well, clearly you never updated your contact information when I told you to, so the bank called the house about suspicious activity on your card this morning." I internally cursed myself at how something so minor just exposed me. "So, I'll ask you again, Olivia. What are you doing in Nashville?"

I could practically see the way her jaw clenches when she scolds me. It still makes me uneasy, even from nearly five-hundred miles away.

"I got a job working with Liam's band," I lied. It would've been ideal to leave Liam out of this, but I didn't have much time to come up with anything better.

"You know, I don't like how that boy has become such a bad influence on you." Here we fucking go. "He's changed for the worst and it must be rubbing off on you because look how you've turned out," my mother observed as if it was obvious to her that Liam was the root of my problems, which he's not. Well, he was the root of the cocaine, I guess, but it's not fair to blame him for the consequences that followed.