Down the Castle Halls

Chapter Four

Gehar

September 2013.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“What way should I look at you like then?” Harry questions. “Should I be glaring at you in a scolding way because you just turned down that fine specimen.”

Louis jumps in and says, “Yes he should.”

It has been ten minutes since that blonde guy—Niall is what he said his name was—left. Harry and Louis have been quiet the whole time but I felt the stares on the top of my head (I am still reading my book, not really at the surprising).

I know that they are judging me. They are both mad because I did not give their set-up guy a glance. I was serious when I told Harry not to set me up with anyone. Now is not the time to think about relationships and I honestly think that I could not handle a boyfriend at the moment; especially if it is one that Harry and Louis picked out. Who really knows what that Niall guy is really like? I bet Harry and/or Louis knows little about him.

Do not think that I do not trust Harry or Louis, but come on. They love pretty much everyone (and that is not just because they are gay). It is just who they are, Harry more than Louis though.

“I know you guys are judging me with your eyes,” I eventually say. “But I am not going to change my mind. You guys need to stop before you even start.”

“Start what?” Louis asks, looking confused. I do not know if he is actually confused or if he is just faking it. He is an actor after all.

“Start setting me up with guys!” I exclaim, finally looking up from the book.

They are both staring at me, Louis with shock and Harry still has that scolding look on his face that he mentioned earlier.

Taking a deep breath, I say, “I do not need you guys to do this. I thought you were joking yesterday when you said that you were going to set me up Harold. But no, apparently you were not. I cannot believe you actually. You probably barely knew that guy—“

“We did not try and set you up,” Harry says, cutting me off. “Niall came up by himself and asked you with either of us telling him to.”

“Wait what?”

Harry shakes his head. “Niall came in this morning for food. We . . .” He trailed off and I could by the look on his face that he is thinking about something. “We—uh. We do not even know him. I knew that you were being serious when you said not to set you up, Gehar. That Niall guy came up to you all by himself.”

“But why?” I cannot help but ask.

If it is true that Harry and/or Louis did not try setting me up with Niall, then why did he ask me out? I am not saying that I am like really insecure or anything but why me? I am new to the Kingdom. Again, I barely know anyone and obviously do not want to (besides Harry and Louis). I think I proved that point with Niall.

And who asks someone out (even as friends) as soon as they meet a person? I know that happens a lot and every time I see or even hear about it, I want to punch both parties in the face. Do not immediately ask someone out (whether as friends or not) after you have only exchanged ten words with each other. That is when your story ends up on I Killed My BFF that airs on LMN.

“That still does not change anything,” I say.

“Are you serious?” Louis screeches. “You cannot be serious right now. That was one fine specimen—not that I would date him or anything Harry—and he was and probably still is very interested in you.”

Raising my eyebrow at him, I close the book. With these two in the room and with the way this conversation is going, I will not be getting reading done for a while. “That still does not change anything.”

“It changes everything!” Harry screams. “You know. This is the reason why you do not have friends.”

“Thank you so much Louis.”

I smile, covering up the fact that what he said actually hurts. I mean, it is no secret that I am very hard to get along with. And that I am very picky when it comes to choosing my friends. And let us not forget that I am socially awkward.

Back home, I had friends. Of course I had friends. Even loners have at least one friend, whether it is their mom or another loner. Who knows? At least they have a friend. So yes, I did have friends back in America. But when I left to come to Sonas, it was like I left them as well. I cannot remember the last time I actually talked to one of them.

And so the only people I talk to now are Harry, Louis, and my family on occasion. That still does not mean that I want Louis pointed that out or anything. I do not think anyone ever wants someone to point out the reason why they do not have friends. It sucks and it hurts. But I am still not going to tell either one of them that.

“He is just being honest,” Harry jumps in. “You shut Niall down before he even had a chance. Come on, Gehar. One outing as friends could not be as bad as you would think. Just give the guy a chance.”

It has been another ten minutes since Niall left, which would make it a total of twenty minutes since I turned down the blonde weirdo (and I say that in a nice way . . . sort of).

I can tell that they are not going to stop until I say yes. And I mean, who cares if I end up on I Killed My BFF or not? Not like I am cared about or anything. That was complete sarcasm, just to be clear.

But I guess that I could give the guy a chance. What is the worse thing that could happen? If we go out—as friends—in a public place, I cannot die. There could be no way of Niall killing me. Which is a good thing.

So I tell Harry and Louis that I would do it. But it is going to kind of suck because I think neither of the boys have the guys number. Oh well.