Playing With Fire || z.m

"Not like you to spill alcohol, Nialler."

ZAYN

“And then the guy took a swing for me but I managed to move just in time and he missed but I spilled half my beer on the floor!” I sip from my champagne glass as I listen to the Irishman animatedly tell us about a run-in he had at the pub last night. “I was gutted.”

I absentmindedly gaze around the table, looking at everyone in their glad rags. I didn’t really want to be at this stupid party anyway, I’m not even entirely sure what its in aid of. I think it’s some kind of charity event. Not that I’m against charity, oh no, quite the opposite. I’d just rather be in bed. 

“Not like you to spill alcohol, Nialler.” Harry chuckles, sitting to the right of Niall at the large, round dinner table. His sister, Gemma on his other side as his plus one as Ellie couldn’t make it. “Please tell me you at least got down on your knees and licked it up off the floor. Don’t waste that shit.” Everyone sitting at the table laughs.

“Are you mad? The floor in my local pub is horrendous! You get stuck to it if you stand still for too long!” Yeah I can imagine Niall drinking in a place like that. You can just imagine all the old, creepy looking men sitting around, dart board in the corner, football on the TV, and a chavy looking barmaid with her top too low cut.

“I’ve just swiped this out the bar, lads!” Louis reappears at the table with a very expensive bottle of champagne and starts to fill up everyone’s glasses. I’m not entirely sure why he is so pleased with himself. First up, he’s old enough to buy alcohol and second up, he has enough money to buy it! And I don’t think that one bottle is going to go round ten of us.

I decide to keep my mouth shut, though, because this lot are very quick to accuse me of being in a foul mood. And what is it my mother always used to say? ‘If you haven’t got anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all’. That’s probably why people think I’m shy. I’m not, I’m just an arsehole.

To be fair, it doesn’t always stop me saying rude comments, does it!!!  

“Thank you, Louis.” I put on my best smile as he fills my glass half way and then pours some into Perrie’s.

“Oh, I’ll go and get another one.” Louis scuttles off again when he only manages to make it round half of the table. Prat.

“Harry, have you spoken to Ellie?” Perrie asks over the table. It gives me the weirdest feeling inside to hear Perrie talk about the girl I’m shagging.

“No, her phone was turned off but I text her. She had the day off work and was planning on spending it with her parents and she’s going to stay over tonight.” Bollocks. Utter bullshit.

“Weheyyy, I swiped another!” Louis appears again, a very smug grin on his face. How does that boy manage to steal two bottles of champagne? How does he do stuff like this? I love my friends even if they are a bunch of idiots.

*

“There’s a light on in Ellie’s house.” Perrie sighs, as I pay the cabbie. We both climb out of the cab, thanking him and look over the road. She’s right, the bedroom light is on. “I thought she was in south London?”

My heart beats over time. I knew she wasn’t going to her mums! She could have at least made it look like she was out. “Me too.”

“Should we check she’s okay?” Bless Perrie, she has a heart of gold. If she knew who Ellie was to me she’d let her rot.

“Nah, I’m sure she is okay. She may have left it on to make it look as though someone is home.” I brush it off, leading my girlfriend indoors. We make our way up to bed and I change and clamber under the covers as quickly as I can to get warm and cosy.