Letting Go (Niall Horan AU)

Chapter 5

Niall
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For a while we awkwardly sit in silence and drink our beers. This is my first drink tonight, but I can tell she was already a little tipsy but she's slowly getting drunker.

I look at her in her little black dress big brown eyes and long brown hair. God she's gorgeous. She noticed me staring smiles and sits down next to me on my bed. I wish I would have cleaned it. What am I thinking?! Why would I clean it for her? This is fucking ridiculous. Why would I care if she thinks I'm a slob?ugh. I need to get a hold of myself.

"What're we gonna do?" Toby asks.

I ignore her and decide to turn on some music. It's too fucking awkward in here. When I switch in my iPod Bastille starts blasting through my speakers. I hum along to the song and look through my phone. I hear Octobers voice slowly get louder until she's full out singing the song word for word. I look back at her laying in my bed half drunk singing with a beer in her hand. Her eyes open after I stare for a bit.
She stops.
"What?"

"Nothing." I scowl. Ugh I can't believe she caught me staring again.

"Was my singing that bad?" She half laughs sitting up.

"Nah it's wasn't too shitty." Who am I kidding that was beautiful just like her. I internally smack myself. I DO NOT like her. No..... I just like her boobs and think she's hot.... Ya that's what it is, no actual attraction whatsoever.

I look up to find her eyebrows pushed together thinking hard. She almost looks... Sad?

"What's wrong?" I ask sounding bored.

She looks up at me the. Takes another swig of her beer.
"Nothing."
I let it slide not wanting to push her.

"Kay."
I continue to tap my foot to the blasting music.

"Shit!" October practically yells.

"What is it?"

"I left my purse in the other room!"

"We can't go back there for another 40 minutes." I reply setting my phone down.

"Great."

"C'mon what's the worse they can do?"

"Exactly." She answers wide eyed.

I just laugh at her expression. She breaks into a smile.
"It's not funny!"

"Yes it actually is you should've seen your face!" I continue laughing at her.

"Shut up." She elbows me. She says not really meaning it.
I just keep laughing harder and have to grab my stomach. After I calm down we just kinda look at each other smiling for a while. Eventually I remember: I have no real attraction towards her. I stop smiling and break eye contact.

"You're from America correct?" I ask trying to ease out of the silence.

"Yup. California born and raised.... What about you? You're from Ireland right?"

"Ya came t' school here only cause I got a scholarship." I shrug. Not many people know I have a full scholarship and I wonder why I feel like I can trust her with this information.

"Me too... Full scholarship." She shrugs, "Whatever my parents were happy I left anyways.."

"I doubt that."

"Honestly I don't even think they realized I lived with them for the last 8 years." I just nod.
"What about your parents?" She asks me.

"My dad left us when I was little and I lived with my mum and my brother for all my life." I answer quietly.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be fuckin sorry. It's not your fault. I don't need your bullshit pity!"
I snapped. I hate it when people look at me that way. Like I'm some lost puppy.

She just looks at me wide eyed. Shit I scared her. Just fuckin perfect Niall.

I get up and put in my earbuds and go on my laptop to cool down.

About 30 minutes later I pull out my ear buds and turn around to find October passed out on my bed. She's hugging one if my pillows and I laugh at how cute she looks. She looks so much younger and so peaceful when she's asleep. Oh lord listen to myself. I sound so cheesy. I shake my head.

Then i walk over to her and gently shake her. She just groans and pushes me away. I shake her and whisper her name trying to wake her up to get her the hell out of my room.

"October. October? Who drove you here?"
She replies slowly, "Jenna." With her eyes still closed.
Really? Jenna? Annoying red head Jenna? Ugh. I lock my door behind me just in case before I make my way downstairs to find the overly perky ginger.

After asking around I find a very drunk Louis Tomlinson.
"Where's Jenna?" I ask.
"I dunno mate. Think she left, wanna play?" He asks gesturing to the beer pong table.
"She left?!"
"Yup bout an hour ago." He smiles at me the smell of alcohol coming off him.

I give an exasperated sigh and walk back upstairs.

I unlock my bedroom door with my key then try to figure out what to do with October.

I don't trust anybody else at the party is sober enough to drive her safely back to campus so I decide I have to. I carry her downstairs and find Louis playing beer pong.
"What's Jenna's dorm room?" I ask loudly being the music in cranked up as high as possible.
"Still looking for her eh?" He smiles.
"Just fuckin tell me."
"26b." He winks at me.

I roll my eyes and walk away. I dodge drunk college students the whole way to my car. I unlock it and put October in the passenger seat, then start the car. She stirs a little from the sound of the classic car and grabs ahold of my arm as I drive. She rests her head on my shoulder and goes back to sleep.

Well this is strange. I'm not sure what to do. Should I push her off? I decide against it and let her be. It's a quick drive anyways.

When I pull into the parking lot and open the car door to pick her up I notice she gets goose bumps. I pull off my black jumper and pull it over her head. When I'm done I pick her up and bring her to her dorm.

Eventually I find 26b and quietly knock on the door. A sleepy looking Jenna answers and gasps when she finds me holding her unconscious room mate.

"She passed out at the party so I brought her back..." I say awkwardly.

She gives a quick nod and I push past her and lay October down in what I assume is her bed. I notice her wall is covered in posters and pictures like my room. There's a few of her and friends one of a dog. Song lyrics written down... I snap out of it and pull her black and white comforter over her sleeping body. She turns over a few times then is comfortable.

Jenna clears her throat and I realize I'm staring at her. I must seem so creepy. I awkwardly wave bye.
"Erm.. Uh... Bye?" I say and walk out. I am such a loser: I think to myself.