7:15 {N.H.}

Chapter 3: Ice Cream Shoppe

[Chapter 3: Ice Cream Shoppe]

{Mary}

            It's already towards the end of July and I feel as if school is just around the corner. I've been frantically  organizing and packing for the new school year already. And no matter how much Niall tries to calm me down, I'm always planning everything out in my head.

            He's taken me to a few places, and I've also refused to go to a few. By now, he's gotten so fed up with me, that he begs on his hands and knees for me to take a day off.

            ...And when that doesn't work he literally pick a me up and carries me over to his car. I have no idea where we're going, but I should like to know.

"Niall" I try to control my temper.

"Yes Mary?" he smile sweetly, starting the car.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"To get some ice cream. You've really needed to chill down lately." He laughs at his stupid pun.

"Oh. Because, you know, I'd kind of like to know what place I was picked up and forced to come to." I say full of sarcasm.

"Well I couldn't get through to you" he defends himself. "I wish you could see yourself when your in this work crazy mode. Because honestly, you'd be scared."

"I would not!" I act shocked. I most likely would just hearing about myself in this mode.

"Ah, here we are." Niall parks the car. "My favorite old ice cream shoppe."

            It was a cute little place where they made ice cream from scratch and had the greatest original flavors.

"Just gonna stare in awe or are we gonna go eat and ice cream?" Niall looks at me with a smirk.

I roll my eyes."C'mon, let's go get some."

              I grab his hand and we walk into the small shop. A large, bald man welcomes him with a huge bear hug and Niall looks as if  the air is being sucked right out of him. I try to stifle a laugh which gets the man's attention.

"Oi! Niall you didn't tell me you had a new girl!" I blush and shyly put out my hand and am surprised as the pulls me into the same unbreathable hug.

"Ernie, this is Mary. Mary this is Ernie." He introduces us.

"Hi" I squeak still recovering my breath.

"Take a seat at the counter, I'll be right with you two," he winks at us and disappears in the back somewhere.

"So," I say, "You two know each other?"

"Yeah" he answers, "A great friend to me for longer than I can remember."

            I smile to myself. I love hearing about Niall' s life in small bits and pieces. It's cute. And I'm very curious.

          And observant. Usually when it's a happy memory his dimples stand out and he glances at the floor a lot with a smile that doesn't show his teeth.

         When it's a sad one, the corners of his mouth turn down and he constantly closes his eyes longer than a normal blink as he holds back tears.

"Okay," the man Ernie comes back, "What can I get for you?"

           I look at Niall, slightly biting my lip. "What do you recommend?" I ask him.

"Two cookie doughs in sugar cones please" he tells Ernie.

"I've never had cookie dough ice cream before" I look down at my hands embarrassingly.

"What?!" He asks shocked. "You, Mary, have not lived."

I feel my cheeks go hot as he slings his arm around me. "Do you feel a little bit calmer now?" he asks me.

"A lot better when I'm with you," I think to myself but I just nod.

            Ernie brings out our sweets, and we both indulge ourselves in the deliciousness of our cookie dough ice cream.

"Delicious" I state.

"I'll say" Niall answers. I glance at my watch as I take another spoonful, 7:15. The time cookie dough ice cream became our favorite ice cream flavor.

Niall then pays and tips him, and we say our goodbyes.

           We decide to walk around for a while to finish our ice cream before heading back home. The sun is starting to set and the sky turns that perfect combination of colors in the sky.

           I think about where I would've been at this time on a normal day. Down at my dock, sketching away until there was nothing left to see, and having Niall sit besides me watching my pencil strokes carefully.

           I haven't spent a night away from our dock in ages, and, to be honest, I miss it. Our spot is there, not here. We stop and sit on a bench side by side and watch the sunset. But really, no matter how nice spending time with Niall is, I wanna go home.

           "Hey Niall, do you think we could, um, like-"

           "Yes....." He holds out his phrase and starts to lean into me. What is happening, what is he doing, is-is he trying to..-no, I-we can't.

           I panic, badly, and turn my head into my elbow and fake sneeze as best I can. Gosh I must look like a real joke right now.

"I-I'm sorry Mar-" he starts but I cut him off, "No no, it's fine, you know, just allergies and stuff" I try to play it off with a laugh. Both our faces are bright red now.

"Um, we should get back home, right? it's getting late, yeah" I bite my lip.

"Yeah, sure" Niall says softly as we head back to his car. The rest of our walk is silent.

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Hey guys! Sorry for leaving for like, you know, ever lol.
I'll try to update a lot more since I'm out of school now, I promise!
BUT 1,900 READS!!!¡¡¡!¡!!¡ THAT'S AMAZING <3
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