Snapshot » l.t.

Chapter 26

Chapter 26


Renee's POV


It's been about a week since Louis and I declared our best-friendship for each other, and truthfully, nothing was really all that different. I still treated him like I did, and he was still his normal weird, strange, but cheerful self.

So, in other words, s'all good.

I decided to stalk him for a change and show up at his front door randomly. It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time, but then I realized I was an idiot when I pulled to a stop in front of their front door.

None of the other boys knew about our friendship, so this would be awkward. Or maybe none of them nor Paul was there, just Louis. Oh yeah, that would make perfect sense.

I sighed as I got out of my car and slammed the door shut. I wasn't about to turn around and drive away now. The boys would have to find out sometime. And, in truth, I kind of wanted to see their reactions.

When I was standing right outside their door, I smoothed down my shirt and flipped my hair back. I practiced smiling. I figured I looked like an idiot, so I pushed the doorbell button.

"I'll get it!" a million voices chorused all at once. Then I heard a bunch of scuffling noises, like they were wrestling. A blonde boy answered the door.

"Hello, there. How may I help you?" he asked, all friendly-like. I immediately liked him.

Before I could answer, someone yelled, "Shut the door! Some fangirl might notice you!" I could be wrong, but I think the voice was Liam's.

"Oh, right," Blondie said sheepishly. He had an adorable accent. Irish, I think? "Why don't you come in? Or fangirls will try to get you, too."

It didn't seem to occur to him that I could be a fangirl. Perhaps not screaming at him and/or trying to rape him gave it away.

I nodded. "Okay," I said cheerfully, but before I walked in, I asked, "What's your name?"

Blondie stared at me like I was crazy. "I'm Niall," he stated, like it should be obvious.

I nodded again. "Nice to meet you, Niall," I said, and shook his hand. I had to reach for it and shake it myself. I was amusing myself by messing with him.

"Seriously, shut the door!" Liam said snappily, and Niall jumped. I came inside and he slammed the door shut.

I stared at the ground. The boys were still wrestling, for whatever reason. Zayn was sitting on the couch reading a magazine while Harry punched his foot. The nearly-bald one was pinned underneath Louis, and struggling for his life. I felt a pang of sympathy. I'd been there.

"Guys, we have a guest," Niall said pointedly.

They still struggled.

"And it's a girl."

They jumped to their feet, while shouting, "Hi! We're One Direction!"

I smiled and tried not to laugh.

Louis stopped mid-sentence and stared at me. I stared back at him. He was frantically asking me with his eyes why the hell I was there. I refused to answer.

"Wait a minute," Harry said, eyes widening. "You're Renee!"

"Ooh, really?" Zayn asked excitedly, and could bear to put down his magazine for just a moment.

He skipped over to me. He stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Zayn," he purred.

I raised an eyebrow, but shook his outstretched hand. "Yeah, I know that. And I'm Renee, which you already know."

"Take cover!" Louis yelled and jumped behind the couch. "She's going to kill you!"

I was surprised he was still going with that charade. "You know very well, Tomlinson," I huffed. "That if this was anything like the situation before, I wouldn't step foot in here to save my life. I would be screaming my head off."

"Fair point," Harry conceded, while everyone else gave me a weird look. I couldn't tell with Louis. He was still behind the couch.

"Did you finally forgive him?" Harry asked excitedly.

I rolled my eyes. "No, not at all," I said sarcastically. "I just happen to know where your flat is without using a GPS."

"Traitor!" Louis accused, his head popping up. "You stink at keeping secrets!"

"It was going to happen sometime!" I retorted. "I wanted to be the stalker for once! And, quite frankly, I think it's fun. I should do this more often." I paused for a moment before adding, "And besides, you wouldn't want your other secret plastered all over the Internet, now would you?"

Louis' ears darkened. I smirked. "I thought so," I said.

The boys were staring at us, eyes flicking back and forth, and the nearly-bald one (who I guessed was Liam, since he was the only one left) finally spoke up. "Okay, could someone tell us what the heck is going on here?" he exclaimed.

I smiled again. "Sure," I said brightly. "I forgave Louis. We're best friends. The end."

They continued to stare at us like we were from another planet.

"Whoo!" Harry suddenly whooped out of nowhere. Apparently no one else was expecting that either, because we all gave him an odd look.

"I knew it would happen sooner or later!" he shouted. "I'm just smart like that!"

I giggled as he bounded over and shook my hand. "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Tomlinson!" he said happily.

"WHAT?!" Louis and I screamed at the same time.

I pushed Harry away from me. "What the hell?" I demanded, struggling to keep my cussing to a minimum. "What's that supposed to mean? We're just friends!"

Harry frowned. Then a look of realization dawned on him. "Oooh," he said, drawing out the word. "Then never mind." He made it clear that he was crossing his fingers behind his back.

"Are all your friends this deranged?" I asked Louis, a little angrily.

He looked just as pissed, but before he could answer, Zayn spoke up. "I'm not deranged," he said loudly with a pointed look at Harry. "I'm quite normal." He grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes back. "Yeah, a normal girl with a billion hair products and shopping bags," I said.

The boys laughed as Zayn's face flushed. He pouted at me. "Rude," he muttered.

"Sorry, sorry," I said, grinning.

"Is it true you guys are really best friends?" Niall asked incredulously.

"Yeah," I replied. "What's so amazing about that?"

"Nothing," Zayn sang and Harry punched his shoulder. The pretty boy scowled and rubbed his arm. They glared at each other.

I frowned. What was that about?

Before I could ask them, Harry asked gleefully, "Did he tell you his secret?"

I smirked back at him and nodded.

"Traitor," Louis mumbled again. He was sitting on the couch now and glaring at us, like he didn't want us to get along. Bipolar weirdo.

"They're your friends," I pointed out. "Don't you think they should know?"

"You're Mrs. Tomlinson after all?" Liam asked.

"NO!!" Louis and I yelled at the same time. "Shut up," I added. "Or I'll kill you, just like Louis said."

They each took an obvious step back.

"But it's not my secret to tell," I continued nonchalantly. "Same with you, Harry. Louis can tell you if he wants. I'm not cruel."

Zayn coughed.

"Oh, shut up," I repeated, but still I giggled.

Harry pouted and I patted his head. I stopped, then did it again. "Wow," I said wondrously. "Your hair is really soft!"

"Isn't it?" Harry boasted, but I made him bend his head over so I could pet it repeatedly.

"And it isn't sweaty like Louis'," I added.

That made Harry look up, and everyone else, too. "What the heck does that mean?" he asked.

I blushed before I could stop myself.

"She gave me a massage," Louis said with a smirk. Was he actually boasting? Da hell? "She was really good."

"And you were really sweaty," I reminded him.

"That just sounded really wrong," Niall said, the same time Zayn said, "I'm just going to pretend you guys never said that."

I blushed again.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," I said briskly. "I have to go."

"Where?" they all asked in unison.

I frowned at them. "Somewhere," I said slowly. "Stalker much?"

"It's in our nature," Louis spoke up, and we grinned at each other.

I escorted myself out. I kind of enjoyed doing what I did, but at the same time I felt a strange disappointment. Me and Louis still couldn't fully announce our friendship without being accused of things we weren't. It wasn't fair.

Mrs. Tomlinson? Please. Don't make me vomit.


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Author's Note:


OMG, while I was writing this chapter, the Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 movie preview-thing came on the TV, and "One Way or Another" by One Direction was playing in the background! I just about fangirlled! Luckily, no one was in the house but me at the time, so no one gave me weird looks.

I'll try to get a picture of that nerdy Zayn guy, but technology is practically banned from our school, so it's gonna be hard. But still, I'll try! ;)


Stay Beautiful,
-Sammi <3