Tomlinson was the best thing to happen to me (Watty's '13)

Having the mickey taken out of you

Niall looked happy. Louis spent a lot of time staring between Niall, Harry and myself. This is completely normal.

"Niall, why are you so happy?"

"It's nice weather today. You don't see much of that back home or England."

"Annie, you look happier than usual today."

"I have my sleep, I have my food, of course I'm happy. It doesn't take much to keep me happy. Food, a roof over my head, my friends which I'm pretty much stuck with. All ticked off, entirely happy. That's how I roll. Even better if the bed's warm."

"Oh. Cos I was thinking…" he began to point his finger at me, then at Niall, flicking back and forth, looking at Harry.

"What are you thinking about, Louis?"

"Them." That one deadly word, emphasised. I'll just have to bear it.

"How well do you know Lou?"

"No less than you, Zayn," I retort as we get out of the car.

"Tell me everything you can off the top of your head." I didn't get to answer this question until we arrived inside.

"Louis. He went to Hayfield before failing his A-levels and coming to Hall Cross with me because he said they wouldn't take him for another year. He was pretty upset that he failed, because all his friends passed and there he was, too busy having fun. When he came to Hall Cross, he was older than everyone else in his grade, and the only one able to drive, so he had some fun taking everyone else around in his nan's car which she never really used anyway. His first girlfriend lasted him a few weeks and that was the end of that. He worked at a number of places: Vue cinemas, the grounds of the Doncaster Rovers, Toys R Us. He decided to call in sick a few times at Rovers, so his probation time went from 3 months to 7 and a half. You want to know why? Because he wanted to go to parties. Speaking of which, he missed his ride home and walked to the airport to sleep. I seriously don't know how he managed to walk there before day break. Then, he had the auditions and told that friend of his to cover for him, but he forgot. Should have called me instead, though really, I had homework piling up on my behind and I couldn't even finish that. But yeah, he got in trouble that time, it was his responsibility. Then it really finished because of XFactor. His family isn't that rich at all, but when he does have spare money, he'll get the girls presents and stuff. He's a good kid, Louis. Not very easy to make angry, a family guy. He'll always look out for his sisters, you can trust him to do that. Can't see myself doing that for my brothers any time very soon. He's seen his dad and Georgia about 2 or 3 times, I've seen them as well. I don't really know what goes on inside that head of his when they pop around, but I don't think they're very good thoughts. His dad left when he was two, I think that even if he hasn't done an action towards him explicitly, and by that, I mean be nasty to him, Louis still doesn't like him. I know I wouldn't. But even then, he bothered to phone Troy to tell him about auditioning, so I'm confused on that point."

"It was a responsibility, Annabelle. I sort of had to."

"We both know the status of your dad at home, and it's 'he-who-must-not-be-even mentioned'."

"One up from Voldemort."

"My point, Liam."

"Despite what others might say, nothing compares to the awkwardness between Louis and Georgia. Especially with me around. That was ridiculous."

"Only because you made it so. But really, what does my dad expect the result from putting me and Georgia in a room together? Us to magically become friends? Me to take her on a tour around Doncaster when there's nothing for us to discuss? I like kids, and I'd probably be an English teacher or football coach if we weren't here, but really. I don't want much to do with her. And if Troy even opens up about our family- which I'd rather keep to ourselves- I'm not going to be happy with him at all."

"Well you heard that."

"Boys. There's a problem. They've got one less room for us, so you'll have to pair up because you 6 have only got 3 rooms. Unless you want to sort it out differently."

"Well I'll go with Harry as usual, and you four can sort yourselves out."

"I don't want to try sleeping with Niall around, he'll be hyperactive at 3 in the morning. Zayn, you go with Niall."

"So you'll go with Annie? Didn't think so."

"He farted in my face the other morning," I lied. "I think I'll stay away from him for the meantime."

"Yeah okay then."

"You'll have to tell me the story later."

"Got plenty of time for that when we get up there tonight. But for now, food! I need food!"

"Do you have anything to tell me?"

"Depends what exactly you mean, Liam."

"About the exact situation with Niall?"

"Well…"

It was pretty cold, and Niall didn't have the habit of wearing a shirt to sleep because he's just like that. He crawled in with me for the night again, and surprisingly, neither of us fell off for the second time in a row. So I'm going to bed first, and he tells me that he's got some stuff to do before he sleeps. I can’t sleep because that's me: I take about half an hour on good nights to fall asleep and most certainly longer when there's a light source. So anyway, by the time he's done, I'm still absolutely wide awake and not very tired at all. He crawls in shirtless and cold, and I want to hit him on the head because boys are generally stupid and Niall's even more so. Just had to put it out there. Either way, we get stuck into a conversation about why I am the way I am, and it's strange, I find. And I tell him that, no matter what a loner or tomboy tells you, because that's what he described me as, they don’t want to be left out. No matter what they might appear to be: tough, uncaring, stone cold without feeling, they just want to be cared about. And he hugs me, maybe because he knows I'm talking about myself in particular, or because he's absolutely freezing cold. And this is when I think for the first time, that being boy-shy and tomboy really goes well together: it goes hand in hand if you're tomboy, at least.

"Oh…"

"Yep."

"And that'll be Zayn and Niall, they're on this side and they're giggling. Goodness, those boys."

"Really didn't expect Zayn to be a giggling type of guy."

"Oh you know, they're probably discussing girls."

"Wonder what's so interesting that they have to giggle like little girls."

"Being a guy myself, it's blindingly obvious, after what you've just told me."

"Didn't expect to be so fascinating. Zayn's got sisters, doesn't he?"

"Three of them. As if two aren't bad enough."

"Louis' got five of them," I mention flatly.

"Oh yeah... But doesn't he only see Lottie and them usually?"

"On all technicalities Georgia is as much a sister of his as those four."

"The difference being that Niall's the only one who has a brother and went to an all-boys secondary. I must strongly emphasise that one does not simply go to Niall with girl problems."

"He's childish."

"Is that why…?"

"No, no. Sing to me, Liam? And then I'll take the couch there."

"Sing what?"

"Whatever pleases you."

"Ah… that's hard. I think I have one in mind. That should be me, holdin' your hand, that should be me makin' you laugh, that should be me…" I was barely awake, but I could sense that Liam had left. I sighed inwardly, before falling asleep.