Nialls POV
She looked up at me with an almost smug smile. It was tiny one, but it was nice. Her face was just as pretty as my imagination had thought she would be.
“Hi, I’m Niall. And I broke my arm.” I said, thickening my accent. People loved the accent, especially the ladies. Winky winky. The last line was to break the ice and start the sympathy attack. She comically widened her eyes and said, “Aw! You poor thing! You want me to kiss it and make all better?”
Funny. She’s funny. I nodded my head and stuck out my arm in front of her face. She gave me the Are you freaking serious? Look. I grinned and nodded, “You offered and I accepted; the deal’s done.”
She blew out a world weary sigh and looked heavenward, and then she gingerly pressed her lips to my arm. Her lips were on me for only a second, and I couldn’t even feel it. Stupid jacket, getting in the way of my arm kiss! I wish I took it off.
“Happy now, your Highness?” She asked raising a delicate eyebrow. Wow, she could do that? I could do it too, but I kept forgetting how. I always liked it when girls raised their eyebrows. Kinda sexy, in a Nancy Drew kinda way. Getting back to the girl. She had an American accent. Ah, a girl from The States.
“I see you’re from Scotland.” She said, offhandedly. Now, you see, you have to excuse me if I forgot about romancing and flirting and charming and the cuddly gooey stuff here.
“No! I’m from Ireland! Like the leprechauns! And the pots of gold at the end of the rainbow! Why is it that Americans always confuse us Irish folk with the Scots? Hint, their men were bloody skirts!” I love Scotland, trust me, I do. It’s just that it really rubs me the wrong way when people confuse me with a Scotsmen.
“Oh. Sorry.” She said sheepishly. Now, I started to feel bad about getting so worked up about it.
“Eh, it’s all right! I mean, people think wrongly of you American people too, eh? You know, like saying ‘Oh my God’ and all the lads being called Josh, Kevin or Nick or somethin’ like that. And the girls being called Sam, Tiffany and Ashley! I doubt your name’s anyone of those.” I ranted proudly. There, I’m a good guy again in her books.
“My name is Ashley.”
That was the one line in my entire existence to have drained all the mirth and blood from my face. This one and the time my father told he wanted to talk about ‘The Birds and The Bees.” That was just plain embarrassing. I couldn’t look my old man in the eye for a month, maybe more.
“Oh well…Um, I’m sorry that I implied that Ashley is a generic name and all, but there’s a reason why it’s generic. It’s such a beautiful name. And it suits you, you’re so pretty! Maybe that’s why your mother chose it! Because you’re pretty and so is the name Ashley! I’m not saying that you’re a normal kind of pretty; actually, your face is really unique! I don’t mean to say that you aren’t normal or that your face isn’t, in fact I like your face. But not in stalkerish way! Just, you know an observation. Not that I was checking you out or something. I mean, I was. Checking you out, yeah. But, you know, not in a pervy way. That would be weird. I would find it weird if you checked me out like that. Not that I would tell you that if you did. Actually, if you checked me out like that, I think I’d like it.”
Real smooth, Niall. Real smooth, you little idiot. Why did I just blurt everything going through my head on her face? I really am a moron.
She looked at me for a while, processing the shit load of information I had just vomited out. I could hear the whizzing. Any moment, she’ll get up, grab the juice the kid beside her was drinking and dump it on my creepy little head.
“I was sending out telepathic signal to you to make you come over and talk to Me.” or maybe not. She said this quietly, just enough for me to hear. I let a laugh, and soon, she was laughing right along with me. I liked this girl. Not like-like, (though, that can be made possible) but, I could see myself being friends with her. She was cool, nice and funny.
We talked for some more time, joking and all. Then, I decided I should take the plunge before she dumped me in The Friendzone. I wouldn’t mind being her friend, but I would like it if I could date her first.
“Hey, Ashley? Are you free this Friday? Maybe we get a bit to eat and hangout.” I asked shyly. I’m not usually I shy guy, I’m pretty confident, but I could not muster up my confidence now for some reason.
“You mean like a date.” It wasn’t a question. It was statement, a very blunt one too. She sure can make a guy feel secure. NOT.
“Yes. But, um, yes.” That’s the best I could come up with. I should never become an ambassador of anything. I’d make everything tank.
“Sure.”
And the bird started singing and the sun shined a little brighter, and I floated up into the air and fist bumped Barney Stinson.
I try to keep my cool and just grin at her. She grinned right back at me. We exchanged numbers and talked for a bit more time.
“Niall Horan, the doctor will be seeing you now.” The nurse announced. I got up from my seat and smiled at Ashley.
“That’s my cue.” I said and bowed a little. Don’t ask why, it felt like the right thing to do, especially when she let out a little giggle.
I had almost reached the door when I turned back and asked her, “Who have you come to visit?” She wasn’t sick, that’s for sure. I assumed she came here to attend to a friend or relative.
With a laugh that tossed her glossy dark red ringlets back and a shake of her pretty head she said, “I’ve got a rock the size of my fist inside my head.” She knocked her cranium with her fist to emphasize her point.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the line that totally shattered my world and rearranged upside down and topsy tervy.
