Foreign Affair ›› n.h. mature

Forty-Six

Olivia Allen

"How would you like to spend the Fourth of July with my family?"

"I'd love that!" Niall's face lit up.

"I just got off the phone with my mom and she said you and anyone else who wants to come are all welcome."

We are at our last stop on the European leg of the tour before we go to America. There is a bit of a break over the holiday that's not long enough for everyone to go home, but long enough that we need something to do for a few days.

"That will be awesome. Like the boys can come?"

"Yes, definitely! If they want to. If they don't want to, I understand, but they're welcome. Mark, Lou, Sophia, whoever."

"Wow thanks, Liv!"

"I have to warn you though, the Allen's go all out for the Fourth of July."

"Like blowing shit up?"

I laughed. "Some. But a little more than that too."

"Oh really?"

"We have a tennis tournament with all of us. Extended family and everything."

"For real?"

"Yeah, it's not taken that seriously. We start drinking in the morning when it starts, but it's fun. We have a brunch after and maybe golf too. Then at night, yeah, we can drive out of the city limits and blow stuff up."

"Sick!" He clenched his fist in an appreciative air punch. "Day drinking. Your family is cool. They're my kind of people."

Niall left to go write and record before soundcheck and the last show before we fly to America tomorrow. I was hanging out with Gemma and Lottie.

"We should all go out tonight," I suggested. "One last fun night before this leg ends."

"I'm in for sure!" Gemma agreed. "But Paul and the other guards might not be because it's such a hassle for them to take all the guys out to the same place."

Lottie shrugged. "I don't see why that matters. It's their job."

Lou shouted from another room backstage, "Gemma, would you mind helping me with Lux? She's bouncing off the walls." Gemma rushed to Lou's aid and I was left with Lottie, the one person in this whole crew who I haven't connected with.

I kept talking about going out tonight. "I understand if it's kind of an unnecessary trouble for the guards though. They have a tough job."

"I guess."

There was an uncomfortable silence and then on impulse I just blurted out what I was thinking. "Lottie, I feel like you don't really like me..."

"Oh." She gave an uncomfortable laugh that wasn't confirming or denying what I said.

"Did I do something to upset you? Because if I did, I really didn't mean to."

"Oh my god, no. Chill out," she rudely brushed it off.

"Well? Why aren't you nice to me?"

"You're not used to not having everyone love you, are you?"

"I mean, I don't know. I just try to be nice to everyone so I don't understand when people—"

"Well I'm very used to it and I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who aren't. Sorry I'm not obsessed with you like everyone else." That last part was definitely sarcastic.

"I just..." I trailed off. I was at a loss for words. "I don't understand."

"It's all I heard about the beginning of the tour before you got here. "Liv is the best," "Liv is great," Liv, Liv, Liv."