Privilege

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It’s a cold and extremely dark night; the moon and stars are covered by the clouds. It’s one of those nights when the wind rips the leaves off the trees every time it blows. The leaves still wet from the morning drizzle, feel slimy and foul when they happen to fall on exposed skin. So, when another gust of wind blows through the clearing, everyone ducks and covers.

Niall feels himself shiver as he looks around, he will not let himself question why he ever agreed to this.

“Ewwww! There’s one on my neck! Get it off!” Danielle screeches, doubling over with her shoulder to her ears. Danielle has never hit Niall as a person who drinks a lot, but she is currently clutching the bottle she had swigged from throughout night. It’s like she’s trying to wipe the previous night that had just finished with a ceremony in the Prescott chapel, from her mind. The wet leaf is stuck into her thick, curly hair and Niall watches as Liam comes to her rescue.

“There you go, babe,” he says as he flings the leaf to the side and affectionately strokes her hair. She mutters something under her breath and leans into her boyfriend’s arms. Niall might just be a little jealous. He watches them for awhile, wondering what they’re doing here, because they don’t seem the type to break rules and regulations. Liam had come off as this perfect person who did no wrong and excelled in his studies, but Niall doen’t know what to think of a student president in the middle of the woods.

Well, at least he isn’t drinking.

He pulls his thin jacket closer around himself and quietly observes the people around him. Louis, Harry, Josh, Zayn and Perrie are all there along with a few others from their dorm. Zayn and Perrie are sitting on a rock, snuggling together in order to keep warm and whispering what Niall assumes are sweet nothings into each other’s ears. His gaze continues to Louis who is having a hushed conversation with Conrad; Niall’s new, chill roommate. Harry is sitting by the fire along with a few other girls and boys.

They are all currently in a clearing in the woods just outside Prescott academy. What they’re doing is entirely illegal, but for some reason Niall doesn’t feel nervous at all. It has been a rough week and he feels like he needs to unwind.

He watches the others for a while, wondering whether this is what rich kids normally do, because it isn’t that different from what Niall knows. They all look so perfectly content and without a care in the world. Niall wonders if he’ll feel the same way, the longer he hangs out with them.

“Everything alright, Niall?” Josh appears next to him and smiles at him. Niall smiles back uncertainly. He isn’t entirely sure, but he is beginning to think that Josh has a thing for him; flattering, but Niall isn’t sure if it’s mutual.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Niall nods.

“Do you want Zayn to fix you one of his specials?” Josh asks and Niall shakes his head, lifting the green bottle in his hand. “No, it’s fine.”

Josh smiles and he looks at Niall with this glint in his eyes that makes him feel warm deep in his belly.  Another gust of wind sweeps across the clearing and Niall shivers visibly.“You cold?” He asks, and before Niall even has a chance to reply, Josh has already wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer. Niall is glad that it’s dark, so Josh doesn’t see the blush on his cheeks. “Better?” Josh asks and Niall nods mutely, not having anything against stealing Josh’s body heat.

They are standing like that when Louis looks over and Niall stiffens at the look in his eyes. There’s something unmistakable in Louis’ eyes that tells Niall, he doesn’t like what he sees. Unsure, Niall pulls away from a confused Josh.