Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

16. Fight me

All the winners from today gather in the canteen to celebrate. There's no alcohol, but it doesn't matter. The energy in the room is electric—everyone is riding high on their accomplishments, and the mood is infectious.

"Woah! We did it!" Niall Horan shouts as he leaps onto a table, high-fiving the guys around him.

He's basking in the attention, and it's clear he's a natural at this. He's already the life of the party, and I know better than to disrupt that by pulling him into our little group. Niall's right where he's supposed to be on his journey to One Direction. Messing with that would be reckless.

"Cheers, guys." I lift my Coca-Cola and take a long sip.

"Cheers!" they echo back in unison.

"I'm so glad there's finally music playing that isn't 'If I Were a Boy' or 'Man in the Mirror,'" Jade laughs, leaning back in her chair.

"Never listening to that again!" Harry yells over the chatter, drawing laughter from the table.

Louis and Laelynn are deep in conversation at the far end of the table, seemingly in their own world. I can't help but notice how easily they connect—it's refreshing to see.

I glance at the clock on the wall and decide I could use some fresh air. "I'm having a smoke. Anyone coming?" I ask casually, knowing full well Jade and Harry don't smoke, and Louis seems preoccupied.

"I'll come," Liam says, surprising me when no one else responds.

"Great. Grab your coat—it's freezing out there." I point at his jacket slung over the back of a chair as I pull on my own.

With my drink in one hand and my pack of cigarettes in the other, I head toward the glass door that leads to the terrace. Liam follows close behind.

"There you go, teacup." Liam pulls the door open for me with a small smile.

"Thank you." I step outside and settle into one of the chairs by the table. There's no one here, just me and him. The night air is crisp, and the chatter and music from inside feel muffled, like a distant hum. Liam sits beside me as I light a cigarette, savoring the calm.

He doesn't say anything at first, but I catch him staring at the cigarette in my hand.

"Do you want one?" I ask, holding out the pack I swiped from my mom.

"I'll have one," he says with a shrug, reaching for it.

"Uh-uh." I pull the pack back before he can grab one. "Not if it's your first time. This isn't your first time, right?"

"Oh no, I've smoked before," Liam says, but his tone betrays him.

That feels like a lie. But what the hell, you'll end up a smoker in the future anyway.

"Good, because for a second there, it seemed like you hadn't." I take a drag and hand him the cigarette from my mouth before lighting a new one for myself.

Liam takes a cautious puff and holds the smoke in his mouth. His face is unreadable, but it's clear he's trying to play it cool.

Is he trying to prove that he's smoked before? Or is this an accidental staring contest?

"You do know you have to breathe, right?" I tease, blowing out a puff of smoke.

He holds the smoke a moment longer before he starts coughing violently. I can't help it—I burst out laughing.

"What are you doing?" I laugh so hard, tears spring to my eyes.

"I—I don't know!" Liam's voice is hoarse as he coughs, and now he's laughing too.

"Here." I hand him my Coke and rub his back as he takes a sip.

"Shit, how do you even do this?" He grins between coughs, his cheeks flushed.

"I told you not to try it if you've never done it before." I shrug, taking a drag from my own cigarette.

"I swear I've tried it before," Liam insists, though his second attempt isn't much better.

"Liar," I say, laughing again.

"Who's a liar?" Louis's voice interrupts us as he steps out onto the terrace, a cigarette already in his mouth.

"Liam," I say, turning toward him.

"I'm not a liar!" Liam protests. "See? I've got it now." He blows out the smoke—this time without coughing—but it's painfully obvious he's trying too hard.

Louis raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but decides to let it slide. "So, you two just decided to sneak out for a smoke without me, huh?" He sits down and lights his cigarette.

"I asked, but you were busy," I say with a shrug.

Louis chuckles, nodding toward Liam. "You actually finishing the whole thing?"

"Yes," Liam says firmly, holding the cigarette in the most awkward way imaginable.

"Then you'd better start holding it right," Louis says, smirking. "You're holding it like a girl, mate."

"There's nothing wrong with holding it like a girl, Louis," I chime in, slightly offended by the comment.

"You know what? You're right," Louis says, leaning back in his chair. "Nothing wrong with holding it like a girl—since Liam, is indeed, a girl." He grins, clearly joking.

"Are you trying to have a laugh?" Liam kicks him under the table playfully.

"Oh, you wanna go?" Louis challenges, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray and rolling up his sleeves dramatically. "Show me what you've got, then."

Liam stands, leaning over the table with a mock-serious expression. "Okay, let's do this."

Louis mirrors his stance, leaning in until their faces are only inches apart.

"Is this a fucking staring contest, or are you two actually going to fight?" I tease, watching with amusement as they square off.

Before I can blink, they're both swinging playful punches. Liam jabs at Louis's chest, while Louis defends himself, laughing all the while.

"See? You hit like a girl too," Louis teases, dodging a punch and trying to tackle him.

"How about now?" Liam counters, jumping on top of Louis and knocking them both to the ground.

I can't stop laughing as they roll around in the grass, throwing fake punches and insults. "Don't hurt yourselves, guys!" I call out, shaking my head.

"Oh, we're good," Louis says, chuckling as he pushes himself up and brushes off his pants. He grabs his cigarette from the ashtray and takes a drag like nothing happened.

"Yeah, just the best of friends," Liam says, wiping grass off his jeans and joining him at the table.

Watching them, I can't help but feel a sense of pride. These moments—these silly, ridiculous moments—are what make everything worth it. They don't realize it yet, but they're building something that will last forever. Someday, they'll look back on nights like this and laugh.

And I'll smile, knowing I was here to witness it.