Just Friends | Narry | Discontinued

thirteen

Sitting next to Louis at lunch now felt different.

It felt wrong.

I feel like I've cheated and I haven't even done anything. Anything except doubt everything. I'm sure you could guess that the thick tension at our lunch table was no help either. Niall and Liam not exactly talking or even looking at each other for that matter. Liam was sitting in the seat away from Niall, due to Zayn's heavy implication on the decision. No one missed the overbearing aura of Zayn's deadly glares at Niall, who was sitting to my right while Louis was on my left. Louis was holding my hand under the table, my fingers were loose. I honestly wanted him to let go.

Louis leaned over to speak in my ear, "Is there something I'm missing here?"

"What?"

"Well Zayn looks like he wants perform some kind of ritual sacrifice on Niall and draw a sigil made of his blood and Liam— he looks so, disoriented. So out of it and Niall looks like he hit a puppy with all of the guilt written on his fa— oh they broke up."

"Can't really break up what never really started," I said, my words sounding a little harsher than intended, "but yeah."

"But they seemed so happy and good when we were at Li's and at the alley. It must not've ended well then."

"He broke up with him and slammed a door in his face."

At least he has the balls to do it.

Did I just say that?

"Niall can I— could I talk to you for a second?" Liam spoke up. Zayn tried to quietly protest, but Liam didn't listen. Niall glanced at me before him and Liam got up and went to go sit at a table nearby, I could hear Louis talking to me, but I couldn't really hear him because my attention was more focused on Niall and Liam.
I couldn't hear their words, but I could make out bits and pieces from reading their lips.
I could see Niall, repeating 'I'm sorry' multiple times, with a grim smile. Liam reaches over and grabs his hand smiling in the same fashion. Liam says something else and Niall shakes his head profusely and Liam waves him off. My eyebrows furrow when he looks at me, sending me a purse lipped smile. I avert my gaze and tune back into Louis.

"Did you even hear anything I said?" Louis asks, laughing.

"What?"

"That's a no. You're luck you're cute." Louis says, kissing my cheek.

I cringe involuntarily, Louis doesn't notice but when I look up, Zayn is looking at me with a questioning gaze and I give him my best smile.
He looks at me for a few seconds longer and then resumes eating his lunch.

"But I was saying, there's a fair in the next town over and I was wondering if you wanted to go y'know— like a date." Louis proposed.

"I'd love to but," I start sheepishly, "I already went."

"What when?"

"Yesterday."

"By yourself?"

"No with Niall."

"Oh." The word comes out minuscule.

I give him a lopsided, tight lipped smile. Zayn huffs, standing up, he goes to go dump his tray at the same time Liam and Niall come back to our table. Liam looking- better and Niall looking unsettled. I bump his shoulder with my own playfully. He looks at me, his expression still a little distant. The bell rang, and I managed to get my hand out of Louis' grip. Liam leaves with Zayn, and I have my next class with Niall, so me and Louis go to part ways. Louis smiles at me, and I return with a smile in half condition. He steps closer to me and pecks my lips. We part with little 'Bye's' and I turn to go into the opposite direction. I find Niall waiting for me, leaned against a locker. The same distant expression on his face though, it made me want to ask him about what Liam and him talked about.

But I refrained.

—

I was in the middle of a class lecture when Zayn texted me. I sneakily pulled my phone from my pocket, It read, 'Bathroom now.'

I asked, to be excused and Niall glanced at me from his seat next to me, but didn't say anything. I leave the classroom and traverse about the hall until I reach the end where the bathrooms were. I walk into the boy's bathroom and Zayn is just leaning up against the wall adjacent to me.

"You texted?" I say, getting his attention.

He looks up, standing up straight and stuffs his phone in his back pocket, crossing his arms. Almost as if he were some kind of cop in the middle of an interrogation. Which I'm guessing this was.

"Why are you with Louis?"

"What?"

"Are you and Niall playing some kind of game here? Some kind of Date your friends and break their hearts type thing?" He accuses.

"Louis asked me out and not to mention Liam asked Niall out, so how would that work?"

"Clearly, you're not into Louis, the same way he seemingly is with you? So what's your endgame? String him along up until he cares deeply enough and you what? Tell him you don't feel the same and slam the door in his face." He asks, attitude clear and the reference clear too.

"No." I shrink.

"You need to tell him. It's fuçked up to lead someone on like that." His mouth twitches which leads me to believe that the problem extends deeper than me, Louis, Niall or Liam.

"What if I do like him?"

"And what if you don't and you realise it too late?"

"I— I mean— it's just it's hard adjusting. He spent so much time trying to convince me I liked Niall then all of a sudden switched up to saying he liked me, so excuse me if I'm uneasy about the whole thing."

"Well that may be the case but just don't hurt him." He says, before brushing past me and leaving me alone in the bathroom.

—

AN: I AM ON FIRE. I accomplished my goal, I feel like I've gotten this story under control again, And I know where I want it go, and how I'm gonna get it there.

Plus double update too? In less than 24 hours? love me.

I'll try to update soon and for the Chasing Zayn readers, I'm working on that right now. It'll be up soon, I promise.