Rockstar 101 (One Direction)

Chapter 3

"Carter let's go to the pool and check out all the hotties!" Riley comes up behind me on the balcony.

This hotel is amazing. The rooms have two queen beds, a huge bathroom, a great view from the balcony, and a mini fridge stocked with free food. Normally, hotels charge you when you eat their food. Not here, though. It completely free.

"You have a boyfriend." I remind him.

"I can look." Riley grins admiring our view. We can see the pool and downtown with all the lights lit.

"But it's cold." I complain looking down at the pool.

"It's heated!" Riley exclaims. He must really want to go.

I stare down at the pool watching all the people in the hot tub. "Okay, but if I freeze I blame you."

I walk back in the room grabbing my suitcase. I dig to the bottom to grab my batman bathing suit. Batman is my favorite superhero. Riley got this for my birthday last year. I change in the bathroom pulling a pair of sweats and a purple hoodie on over it. I slip on a pair of black flip flops. My brown hair is cascading down my back in loose waves. My hair rests about three inches below my shoulders.

"Where are you going?" My mom looks up from her magazine.

"Riley wants to go down to the pool." I explain stuffing a pair of underwear, bra, and tank top in a drawstring backpack. I am not coming back up in just a bathing suit. I will freeze to death.

"You're going to freeze." She comments.

Riley steps out of the bathroom with his black swimming trunks on. I swear if Riley wasn't gay, I would definitely go after him. He has a well defined six pack and very nice biceps. He is definitely gay, though. I have walked in on his boyfriend and him making out one too many times.

"Ready?" Riley asks grabbing two towels.

I nod my head grabbing a room key. "Let's go freeze." I laugh.

Riley and I skip down the hallway to the elevators. We've been best friends since I was five. I figured out he was gay in eighth grade. Riley was scared to tell me, because he thought I would make fun of him. That would never happen.

The elevator ride was quiet until we walked to the pool. We found an empty table to set our stuff down. The pool had about fifteen people swimming in it. They were mostly hanging on the walls in small groups.

I pull my hoodie and sweatpants off instantly becoming cold. That water better be really warm. I run past Riley and dive in the pool in the deep end. Ahh! This water feels amazing! Almost like my bath water. I push up off the bottom and resurface to see Riley jumping over my head. He lands behind me in the water.

"This feels amazing!" I say when Riley's head pops out of the water.

"Aren't you glad I made you come?" He splashes me.

I splash him back. "Yeah, but it's going to suck getting out." I look at everyone in the pool trying to see if I see anyone from the X Factor.

"Carter!"

I snap my head around to see Louis waving me over on the other side of the pool. Riley grabs my arm and pulls me to the shallow end.

"Hey." I smile shyly. Riley leans up against the wall watching the two of us.

"Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other." Louis grins.

"Looks like it. You are a really good singer." I compliment him.

Louis flips his wet hair to the side smiling. "Thanks. Did you try out?" He asks Riley.

"Oh no." Riley laughs. "I sound like a dying walrus! I'm only here for Carter."

I nod. "Only because you don't want me to run away." I point out.

"You'd leave me?" Louis holds a hand to his chest and pouts.

My eyes dart to his chest quickly. In the dim light, I notice a small six pack on him. Not as good as Riley's, but very close. My eyes roll back up to look at his chest and see him smirking at me. Oh my! He just saw me checking him out! That's embarrassing! Real smooth, Carter!

"Are you here with your parents?" I change the subject attempting to hide my blush.

"Yeah. You need your parents to get on the show." Louis laughs at me.

I'm so lame.

"Right." I mutter.

"When she's nervous, she starts to babble and blush." Riley speaks up.

I turn to look at him with my eyes wide. He did not just say that! Riley smirks at me and tries to hold in his laughter. I give him the death stare before smiling innocently at Louis.

"That's not true. He's lying." I shake my head waving at him dismissively. Riley is so going to get it later.

Louis smirks at me. "Don't worry. It's cute."

Cute? Me? I'm not cute. More like socially awkward around guys except for Riley and Daniel. Only because they are gay, though.

"Carter! You need to come up now!" My mom yells from our fifth floor balcony. Is everyone out to embarrass me tonight?

Riley starts snickering while Louis bursts out laughing. "Don't worry. At the boot camp, parents don't come along." Louis says.

"When do we go to boot camp?" I ask. I didn't know we were going to a boot camp.

"Carter! Riley!" My mom yells again. The other people in the pool start laughing and pointing at me.

Louis looks up and then back to me. "It starts Monday."

Monday? That's in four days. I need to go home and pack. I swim to the edge of the pool and hoist myself up running to my towel. I grab my bag and run into the outside changing rooms. I dry off quickly and change into my other set of clothes. I throw my hair up in a messy bun.

When I walk back outside, I find Riley talking to Louis. What are they talking about?

"See you around, Carter!" Louis yells loudly.

I wave back at him and start to head inside knowing Riley will follow. "What were you two talking about?" I ask when Riley falls in to step with me.

"Things." He replies.

That means me. Probably talking about how lame I am. Only I could manage to embarrass myself twice in one night. I'm so lucky.