Cambridge

Misguided

achel's P.O.V.

I knocked on the door quickly, just as my phone buzzed.

Why was I always late everywhere?

It only took a few seconds before the flung open to reveal Ashton grinning widely.

"Hey Rachel!" he exclaimed cheerily.

I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey Ash" I replied, stepping through the door.

He gave me a funny look before talking again.

"Your hair is straight. It looks good" he commented, before turning around to lead me over to where the other boys and Skylar were.

I followed him, a little confused. Guys don't normally notice what way my hair is. That was weird, right?

Once in the kitchen, we were met by Skylar, Michael and Calum.

"Rachel! Yay, you're here! We can get going so!" Skylar gave me a smile.

I smiled back.

"Sounds great!" I agreed happily.

I hadn't been rock climbing since I was a child, but I remember loving it. I had never really been one who was afraid of heights, and climbing was always interesting.

And so we took off. We had to take two separate taxi's since there was six of us. Skylar went in a cab with Luke and Calum whilst I was with Ashton and Michael. We chatted excitedly the whole way. It was a huge indoor place we were going to.

Once we got there, I realised that though it was inside, it was very high. We met up with the others once we were inside and that's when Calum told up to pair up.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Pair up?" I asked confused.

Michael shrugged.

"There's like four different sections so it's easier if we just pair up" he explained, slinging an arm over Calum's shoulder as he did. I assumed that that meant they were a pair.

I glanced over at Skylar quickly but Luke's arms were already wrapped around her waist from behind.

I turned to Ashton quickly.

"Guess your stuck me" I told him.

He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Just my luck" he muttered sarcastically.

I punched him playfully and he just grinned in response.

"Well come on then Styles" he chuckled, flinging an arm over my shoulder.

And so, twenty minutes later, I ended up halfway up the climbing wall, just behind Ashton.

"Oh c'mon Rachel. You can do better then that!" He yelled down to me.

We were having a competition to see who got to the top first and the whole time he had been just a tad ahead of me.

"Shut up! You have longer legs than me!" I yelled back.

He chuckled.

"Oh please! You can't use that as an excuse!" he called.

I just rolled my eyes, quickening my pace slightly so that I could catch up with him. My feet kept slipping slightly. I really was such a clutz. If it wasn't for the fact that I had a harness on me, I most definitely would have fallen by now. However that didn't stop me from eventually passing him out near the top.

I couldn't help but yell out in delight as I rang the bell at the top of the wall.

"Hey look at that! I have shorter legs than you and I still won!" I grinned at Ashton as we were getting down.

Once we were on the ground taking our harnesses off, I started again.

"So how does it feel to be beaten by a girl?" I asked.

He just rolled his eyes, but grinned ever so slightly.

"What was it that you said before we started?" I continued.

He raised an eyebrow.

" 'No one can beat me' 'I'm the greatest at rock-climbing' 'Please Styles, don't even embarrass yourself' -" I began mocking him but cut off quickly when he grabbed both of my wrists with his hands.

The look on his face was so intensely serious that I swallowed.

He began leaning closer. At this stage my whole body had frozen, so I didn't know what to do. He was still leaning closer, very slowly. When his face was so close to mine that our noses brushed, he glanced at my lips quickly. He tilted his head to my ear and whispered "I let you win."

I was in such shock at what had happened that it took me a second to respond.

"You did not!" I yelled, pulling away from him quickly.

My cheeks were red at this point. How could I be so stupid? He wasn't going to kiss me. Hadn't he just kissed me yesterday and I'd basically rejected him. But he knew I was with Louis. So he wouldn't try anything, right?

He smirked a little.

"Of course I did" he replied, grinning.

I rolled my eyes.

"You just can't take it that you were beaten!" I argued before breaking out into the chorus of 'We Are The Champions'.

He laughed, ruffling my hair slightly.

"You're such a dork you know" he told me with a grin.

I couldn't help but grin at that.

"So where are the others?" I asked him.

He shrugged, slipping his phone out of his pocket.

"I'll ring Luke" he told me, before quickly dialling the number.

He put it on speaker.

After ringing a few time the phone answered.

"Hello?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Skylar?" I asked.

"Yeah! Hey guys, it's Rachel" she answered, obviously telling the three boys who it was.

"Where are you guys?" Ashton asked.

Skylar giggled a little before answering.

"Well Ashton we finished up and we saw you two were having so much fun that we thought it best not to disturb ye" she started.

Luke took the phone then.

"We went to get something to eat. We're heading home soon. But you should stay out, you must be starving by now. You don't mind eating just the two of you, do you?" he asked, his voice casual, though I seriously sensed he was smirking.

Ashton blushed a little at that, looking at me questioningly.

"You guys kinda suck, you know. We'll go get food and see you twats later" I replied.

Skylar laughed.

"Love you too. Later" she added before hanging up.

Ashton sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"So - em- where to?"