The Story of us

Chapter Ten: Aftermath

"You KISSED?"

I pulled the phone away from my ear as Danielle shrieked on the other end.

"Layla, this is - ENORMOUS! Whatever happened to your prince charming Niall Horan? This party was made for you two, not Zayn Malik - "

She stopped talking before I interrupted, which struck me as highly odd. "Danielle?" I ventured uncertainly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm changing my loyalties," she announced.

"Huh?"

"Zayn. I'm rooting for Zayn now."

"What? Why?" I exclaimed.

"Because face it, Layla, it's your fate. You kissed the guy you despise in front of the guy you like! What kind of coincidental situation is that? It isn't one and therefore you must accept your destiny, however twisted it may be."

"Danielle, you're really smart, but these days you don't make much sense."

"Say what you want, LaylaBelle, but I know the signs when I see them - almost like precognition." I rolled my eyes as she laughed, "Besides... I think there's more to Zayn than he lets on. I think there's more to all of 1D than what we see. And he's probably really grateful to you now after you saved his life - that vase would have been pretty painful."

Danielle and I talked for ten more minutes before hanging up.

Images from last night flashed in my mind and I groaned aloud, scrunching up my face and falling back on my bed. I glumly wondered what Niall thought about the disastrous episode that was caused by my clumsiness. True, I'd been trying to protect him and Zayn (what kind of strange outcome had that turned out to be?) - but anyone else could have done that without winding up in such a compromising position.

But then again...

Niall was standing above and behind me, leaning over in concern. Both his hands were deep inside his pockets.

"You seem kinda cold," he commented casually as if he was talking about the weather, "Where's your jacket?"

"Oh, I don't think Layla can afford a jacket," Taylor giggled, but she fell silent when Niall shrugged off his own and placed it around my shoulders without a word.

And also...

He'd stood up casually and walked over to the bottom of the staircase, a full smile blooming on his face. My heart skipped a beat when Ariana, giving me a squeeze, left my side. I looked up and met his gaze tentatively.

"You look beautiful," Niall said sincerely, his brown eyes warm.

I smiled discreetly at the memory, looking over to where his jacket now hung on my closet door. And despite how calamitous the party had turned out to be, I felt a small burgeon of hope and warmth shoot in my chest.

No matter what happened, I would always be grateful for Niall Horan.

----------------------------

With his jacket neatly folded in my bag, I went looking for Niall first thing on Monday morning before class. I scoured the stadium, running to the top of the stands to look down all the seats, but he wasn't sleeping there today. Then I went over to the lawns and to the willow tree, but he was still nowhere to be seen. I conceded defeat after half an hour and trekked back to the main campus, a certain droop in my step.

Students were milling around the hallways before the bell rung as I approached my locker, suddenly cautious.

I pulled the door open quickly. A giant snake sprung out.