all friends - a one direction story

22

*Lana's POV*

I slouched in the back of Ruby's car the lunchtime following the gathering at Harry's, with an irritating headache.
Marley sat in the passenger seat as we drove to McDonald's.

"I'm feeling rough," Ruby groaned, straining to concentrate as she drove.
"Same," Marley had her window wound all the way down with the fresh air blasting on her.

"Me too," I added, "last night was..."
"Weird," Marley finished. "Aria made it weird."

"She grew on me by the end," Ruby shrugged, "I think she was fun."

"Well then, you'll be disappointed to know that Harry told Louis that he won't be seeing her again... not after she did that thing with the cucumber." I cringed at the drunken memory.
"Don't remind me," Marley gagged.

Ruby bellowed with laughter, "that was a good one."

***

After driving through the drive-through of McDonald's, Ruby had drove us to a nearby lake where we parked, onlooking the autumn sun beaming off the water.

"So, Marl, were you fine about seeing Saffron and Niall together?" Word was spreading through the group that she'd admitted that she had feelings for him faster than she'd like.

"Honestly, it was... a bit shit," she sighed, "but I don't think I like him. I think - I think I might've been put out that he didn't choose me. I think I was just being a dickhead. I don't like him. I'm really happy for Saffron."
Ruby gave Marley an unsubtle unconvinced look.

"You sure?" I checked, feeling doubtful.
"Definitely, yeah," Marley nodded, devouring the burger that she'd ordered.

"And Rubes," I turned my attention while biting into my chicken, "how are you after your clash with Zayn? Me and Louis were really uncomfortable," I laughed.

"I haven't spoke to him," Ruby told me.
"Are you going to?" I quizzed.
"Depends on if he keeps being a dick," she answered casually, drinking her milkshake.

"You're really going to call someone a dick just for liking you?" I challenged her. Sometimes I found Ruby so difficult to understand.

"Yes," she bluntly responded.
I took the hint. "Okay, I'm letting it go," I held up my hands.

"But what about you, hey?" Ruby immediately asked, catching me off guard with an entire mouthful of chicken.
"Me?" I spoke with my mouth full, feeling confused.

"Yeah, you," she smirked, "you and Louis have been close since the day we met them."

I laughed. "We're just friends. That's all," I told her, and I meant it. He had became one of my closest friends in the past month of knowing them.

"I'll take your word for it," Ruby smirked, with the same transparently unconvinced look as she'd given Marley. Not only was Ruby difficult to understand, but she also knew how to get on people's nerves.

"What are you guys up to this afternoon?" Marley asked, after we'd all silently eaten with only the radio as background noise for a couple of minutes.

"I'm meeting Louis," I told them, earning a look of intrigue from both of them. "Oh, don't make it weird!" I scolded.

"Fine," Ruby chuckled, turning back to her chips.

"What are you doing?" Marley asked Ruby.
"Going to see Saffy," Ruby answered.

The three of us ate in silence again for a couple of minutes.
Once I'd just about finished my chicken strips, chips and mozzarella sticks, I smiled.

"I'm having fun hanging out with these boys," I spoke my musings aloud. "It's fun, right?"

"It is," Ruby nodded.

I smiled again, appreciating the circumstances that we'd got since starting college. "We're like one big friend group now."