More Than Effort

Secrets and Mall Drama

"Hello?" I answered, my voice slow and curious. Nothing but the sound of breathing is to be heard and as I'm about to hang up the words "Stay Away" flash on my screen. I shake my head drastically hoping this is just me hallucinating.

"I mean it!" A disguised voice over takes the room from my speaker, and with that they hanging up the only sound in my ears now is the noise of a click at the door.

"Deyla honey you home?" My mother's voice makes me relax.

"Yeah mom how was the flight?" I asked her holding my hand to my head from the other room.

"It was the same as it always is, whiney and demanding people, and the occasional horny man trying to get with me." My mother joked. She loved being a flight attendant, she got to travel wherever she wanted honestly, even if she didn't get to stay there very long she loved just the fact that she was in a whole new country.

"Oh you mean a regular flight." I said making her a cup of coffee. She laughed and I told her about my date with Ashton, even the part when he came inside. I told her everything; she was like my second best friend.

After, she went up stairs with her drink I sat down at my table going over the phone call again. My phone rang again only a caller I.D. showed up as Anderson.

"Hey what's up." I answered getting up from the table.

"Can you pick me up from the mall? Jake and Sidney already left and I'm here alone." Anderson explained through the speaker. He sounded really annoyed, and while I laughed to my self in silent I felt bad. I stuck my phone between my shoulder and my head, and grabbed my car keys, whilst heading toward the front door.

As I pulled into the mall parking lot I everything in my world spun. Anderson was standing there.

In a dark corner.

Kissing Louis Tomlinson.

I rubbed my eyes as to see whether I was seeing things, maybe I'm high and I didn't even know it. It would explain this half of the day. I pulled out from the parking space to make sure they couldn't see me and pulled around to the front. Louis noticed my car first and roughly pushed Anderson off of him.

"What the fuck Valencia? Get off me!" He said going back to his jerk facade. I stepped out my car slamming the door.

"Stay away from me. Both of you! You're fucking freaks." Louis spat storming away from us. Anderson turned around on his heel and pushed me toward the car.

"What the fuck was that-"

"I'll explain when we get home. Can we just leave please?" He said getting in the front seat.

"I gotta stop at the grocery store for mom but, we can go home after." I explained getting and starting my car up. I sighed and relaxed into my seat before looking at him.

"You're a real piece of work you know that?" I said chuckling.

"Yeah but, you love me." He retorted buckling his seat belt.

After getting our groceries and putting them inside, Anderson lead me into his room before closing the door and locking it.

"Can I know now?" I said leaning onto his closet door.

"Yeah yeah, hold your shit." Anderson grumbled while digging into his bag. I walked over to him curiously and peaked into his bag. He pulled out his phone opening his text messages.

"I don't know how it started but, it just. I don't know." He half explained and sighed lying back on his bed.

"Hi J"

"Hi? Who is this?"

"Some1 u know."

"Well duh how would you get my number?"

"Me to know and 2 u to never find out J"

"Ok?"

"I want 2 meet u."

"I'm feeling adventurous so 4:30 at the Mall today, In front of subway?"

"Ok you're cute I like you."

"Ha thanks? Are you a girl or a boy?"

"Boy. don't tell anyone please L"

"Ok ha well I'll see you later."

"Ok bye cutie ;)"

"And it was Louis. God I feel like such a fucking idiot." Anderson complained covering his face with a pillow.

"Oh don't be such a fucking drama queen. You're not stupid. Really the only thing you should be concerned about is the message he just sent you." I explained handing him his phone.

"I didn't mean it when I called u a freak :( I just don't want anyone to know about me yet you know?" Anderson read the text out loud confusion clear in his voice.

"I'm sorry :( I still want to be with you. I meant everything I said at the mall. But Harry's my best friend and you know how he feels about you. I can't even imagine how angry he'll be when and if I ever tell him." Louis' text read.

"What DID he say to you at the mall?" I asked laying on the bed with him and looking at him.

"He was saying shit like that he's liked me for a while and stuff and I kind of believe of him. He was saying that he's been bullying me all this time to suppress his feelings for me. That he liked me even before he knew I was gay." He explained covering his face in his hands.

"Well damn, did he know you in the womb?" I joked with him.

"Very funny, how did your date with Ashton go?" He asked turning the attention to me. At first I wasn't going to let him get away with it but, by the discomfort in his voice while reading out the messages I could tell we weren't going to get very far in the conversation.

"It was actually pretty fun, and you know what the weirdest part was? Even though Harry and Claire were there I still managed to have a good time." I truthfully answered.

"But when I got home I got a phone call from a blocked number and some random message saying "Stay Away." It was fucking weird."

"Strange. It's probably just Harry or Claire." Anderson suggested cleaning his room up a bit.

"Yeah." I agreed. He was probably right. They do this shit all the time. All my bets are placed on Claire though. She's hated me from the beginning of time because, she thinks I like Harry. Gross Claire, seriously? Just gross.

"Ugh I'm so tired; I don't want to go to work tomorrow." I complained. My work was ok. I answered calls in a doctor's office. I got paid decent enough and I only had to work three days out of the week. The only downside was the occasional ass hole yelling when he didn't get attention from nurses.

"That sucks for you." Anderson teased. I grabbed a pillow from his bed and hit him with it, smiling.

"Well guess what without my job you'd be walking to school." I retorted. I stood up from the bed and headed toward his door.

"Are you going anywhere tomorrow?" I asked him leaning in the door way.

"Ugh yeah, I gotta go to the mall and then Jake is taking me somewhere after I don't know." He sighed and lied back down on his bed.

"Shit what are you gonna tell Jake?" I asked him re-entering his room.

"I have no idea, I mean what if this is just some sick joke." Anderson worried.

"Worry about it when it comes to it. As long as you don't cheat on him it's all good right?" I said comforting him.

"Yeah I guess. Louis did kiss me, but then again I actually liked it." He admitted.

"Ugh I'm going to sleep, what do you want for breakfast?" I asked him yawning.

"I'm craving some cinnamon rolls." He stated pulling a notebook and pencil from his bag.

"Then cinnamon rolls it is." I say smiling at him and exit his room.

I walked back into my room scrolling through my phone for cinnamon roll recipes when a message notification appeared on my phone.

"I'm sorry."