A Night In the Dark | H. S.

Chapter 9

Felicia shook her head.

"Oh no, Mama Mary, they can't be drunk. I mean, they don't sound like they are. Listen... do you hear their laughter? It has a genuine vibe to it. It's... real and wholesome. From a place of true happiness."

Felicia stopped. She felt so dumb for carrying on so. After all, Mary had a better view of them than she did. Mary could see what was going on. Felicia couldn't.

Mary was quiet.

After several grueling seconds of silence, Mary squeezed her arm.

"You know what?" She said leaning into Felicia, grandmotherly like, "You are right. You are exactly right."

Felicia closed her eyes as she dropped her head down in bashfullness.

"Let's go see what all the ruckus is about though, eh?" Mary pulled Felicia in the direction of the two men.

Felicia felt the pavement change to grass under her feet. Individual blades brushed gently across her toes that were exposed in her sandles. She loved the feeling.

"You there!" Mary called out like a woman in charge. "What seems to be the trouble?"

The two men came to a halt very quickly. Their eyes bulged as the look of panic filled their faces.

"Nooo," Mary silently whispered to Felicia, "They are most definitely intoxicated. One of them has balloons in his hair holding a wet burrito. Let's go back to the car."

But Felicia didn't move. Instead, she called out to them.

"You seemed to have been having quite a good laugh." She started with an unnatural aire of confidence. "Mind telling a blind girl what it was about? I'm in need of some humor."

Silence.

Felicia instantly began double guessing herself. Was she even looking in their general direction? Maybe they had run away. Maybe they were staring at her grey eyes that had a habit of freaking people out. Doubts flooded her head for several seconds, until a faint, British accent broke her mind.

"Um... we-we-we were having a wa-water balloon fight... and I won... and his burrito... she lost..."

Felicia giggled slightly. That made no sense.

"Oh, okay." She sweetly replied. They sounded like boys to her. Little boys without a care in the world.

"My god, you are gorgeous..." an Irish accent piped in.

Felicia tensed as she tried to keep her composure. Mary let out a breathy gasp followed by an annoying, "Mmmm." Felicia could feel the huge grin on Mary's face.

"Niall," the other one hissed quietly, "that was awkward and out of place, you twat."

"But she is." The Irish one snapped back. "I'm just stating the facts, Lou. Look at her! She's as beautiful a girl if I've ever seen one."

Felicia smiled broadly at their little scuffle back and forth.

"So," she added a flare of attitude in her voice, "your names are Lou and Niall, I see?"

Both boys were silent again.

"Yeah..." Louis replied. "How'd you guess that?"

Felicia threw her head slightly back and laughed with Mary.

"I'm blind, not deaf... Sound travels through the air. It's called 'science.'"

Both boys gave a nervous chuckle as they stood to their feet and walked towards the women.

"I'm sorry," Louis apologized as he rubbed his hands together. "I didn't mean to make it sound that way. Here, I'll sign anything you want."

Felicia furrowed her brow as she gave a small smile.

"And why, on earth , would I want your signature? Are you a British Prince or something?" She teased as Mary laughed silently.

"Louis," Niall whispered through gritted teeth, "What are you thinking?"

Louis cleared his throat uneasy like as he shifted his body from one side to the other.

"Ye-yeah! You're right." He nervously continued. "Why on earth would you want my signature? Totally! Ha, ha, I was fooling! It's not like I'm a prince or a famous person! I mean, if I was, I definitely wouldn't be walking up to random strangers offering them my... you know what, I think I need to stop talking. Niall, let's go... now."

Felicia laughed out loud.

"You guys are a little batty..."

Niall gave a loud laugh with her.

"Indeed! Indeed we are! But, we really need to be going now. We've already been gone longer than planned."

"By the way," Louis chimed in, "may we have the names of you two lovely ladies? I want to make a note of it in my scrapbook that I'll be sending home to mother."

Niall slapped Louis' arm. Mary shook her head in amusement.

"I'm Mary."

"And I'm... Felicia."

Niall extended his hand to touch Felicia's as it dangled to her side . She jumped at the first feeling of his fingers.

"And it was a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Ms Felicia." He leaned his head down and placed his lips on the back of her hand.

Shivers soared up and down her spine. She felt like she could have fainted. White flashes filled her dark eyesight as things turned in her core.

"I won't forget you, Ms Felicia!" Niall called out as they began to walk away.

It took her a good while to control her impulses, and regain her witty persona.

"Nor I, Mr Niall." She grinned shyly "And you are one of the handsomest blondes I have ever met, may I add."

Both boys froze in their tracks.

"How the heck did you guess that?" Niall almost yelled in amazement.

Felicia giggled. "It's a blind thing..."

"You are one of a kind, my dear." Louis shook his head.

And with that, both boys walked away, over the green embankment, and disappeared from sight... and sound.

As Mary and Felicia walked back to the car, Felicia felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I hope..." she started, "I hope I get to see them again..."

Mary smiled as she patted her on the back.

"Especially the little blonde one, Niall. He's a cutie muffin."

♡