Twinning

Chapter 6

My alarm buzzes loud and obnoxiously and I immediately turn it off. Today is the day. I'm going to talk to Niall. Just the thought of that makes me shiver, so I grab the tiny picture frame and stuff it in my basket ball shorts pocket. I got up extra early today, I don't really know why, and I'm out the door.

•

The day slowly rolls on by until I get to my lunch period. Everyone drizzles out of the room and I take a deep breath, then head off to the library. I've seen Niall in there a couple times, so I decide to try going there. I swiftly walk down the empty hallway and down the stairs and open the door to the library.

He's here.

I watch as Niall takes some notes from the very large book he's reading out of. Just as I'm about to walk up to him, I see Zayn hit him on the back of the head with the book he has just picked up. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and pull back for a while to watch where this is going. Niall rolls his eyes and continues taking notes. I bite my cheek as Zayn forces Niall's book closed and speaks to him,

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." His voice has risen a tiny bit and that's all I can take.

"Hey Zayn, why don't you go to lunch and leave 'em alone." Zayn stands up so were staring eye to eye,

"Why aren't you there, Jen?"

"Cause I want to talk to my friend," I explain, gesturing to Niall. Zayn smirks at this and just sizes me up,

"Your friend?" I nod, standing my ground. "Okay. Whatever, I'll tell the twins that you're skipping lunch to talk to this..." He just gestures to Niall in disgust and then walks away. Once I see that Zayn has walked out the door, I slowly sit down and awkwardly drum my fingers on the table. Niall opens his book back up and begins taking notes, it's like he doesn't even notice my presence.

"N-Niall..?" He takes a moment to collect himself before his beautiful blue eyes meet mine.

"H-hi Jennifer." He looks back down at his book, almost like he's embarrassed.

"Hey! You know to call me Jen!" I see a small smile spread across his face,

"I uh... I guess I've forgotten." I'm literally drowning in the awkwardness right now.

"So how have ya been..?" I ask. He shrugs a bit,

"Alright." There's a long pause, "can I ask why you're randomly deciding to talk to me now?" This takes me by surprise and a knot sets in my stomach,

"Because I uh.. I miss you, Niall." He looks back up at me, shock is written all over his face. "I feel like such a bitch," I continue now that I have his attention, "I've been completely ignoring you, talking to all the popular people. I never meant to do that... It just happened.." He swallows hard,

"Why didn't you just say that earlier? You know, two years earlier?" I bite my cheek and close my eyes.

"Because I was too scared. I didn't know how you were gonna respond. I didn't know anything."

"Well you should know that there's no need to be scared to talk to me." This forces a smile on my face,

"So does this mean that.. We can go back? Just like eight grade?" He puts his pencil down and closes his book, giving me his full attention.

"Honestly Jen, I don't know. Your friends, Zayn and Louis, they're jerks to me."

"Well I can change that." I fumble with the picture frame in my pocket. He sighs and looks down. "I never knew they were like that. They're really nice people, I promise." He scoffs and rolls his eyes,

"Sure." This is when I pull out the picture frame. I lay it on the table right in front of him. This immediately changes his tone. He picks up the picture and stares at it for a good minute before speaking up,

"Y-you still have it?"

"It's right by my bed." I look down, a bit embarrassed. Suddenly a huge smile spreads across his face and he sets the picture down. He then reaches into his backpack and pulls out a binder, turning it upside down.

"I have the same picture with me... Every day.." I stare at the picture on his binder and smile.

"So you did miss me..?"

"Of course."

"I feel horrible, Niall. I did this to you." He shrugs,

"I'm just glad you haven't forgotten me."

"How could I forget you? Your like a bro to me."

"I thought the twins were your bros." I immediately feel a pang in my stomach,

"Well, yeah. They are. And that's another thing, I never wanted to replace you. They're just really sweet.."

"Oh yeah. They're so sweet to persuade you to leave campus during your lunch hour." My jaw slacks open and I stare at him in disbelief,

"You knew?"

"I saw you leave, yeah."

"That was my decision. Don't blame them."

"Well then why did you do that?" It's like he's interrogating me. This catches me by surprise and I don't have an answer to that question.

"Just... I just wanted to take risks, I don't know."

"It's like they've changed you, Jen."

"No. Of course not, I'm the same Jen you knew back in eighth grade." He stares down at the picture of us on the table and sighs.

"I sure hope so." There's another pause,

"So does this mean we could repair our relationship?" I ask, cautiously.

"Maybe." He smiles up at me, like he's trying to assure me of something.

"Does Marcel ever talk to you?" I ask after a couple seconds.

"Nah, I don't think he's ever going to, either."

"I'm sorry.." The bell rings and Niall stuffs his junk back into his backpack. "So I'll see ya around?" I smile as I stand up.

"Yeah. See ya around." He looks down and slings his backpack over his shoulder.

I begin walking back to my class, as I turn down the hall, I hear two voices,

"Wait up, Jen." So I turn my head to see the twins walking swiftly my way,

"Hey guys!" I smile and continue walking as they catch up, walking on either side of me.

"So uh, you skipped out on lunch?"

"Uh yeah, I was catching up with an old friend. You remember Niall, right Marcel?" I turn my head to look at him,

"Uh yeah, Niall." I bite my cheek, realizing that what Niall said is true. He's not planning on talking to him again.

"So you ditched us for him?" Harry asks. "Zayn told us."

"Yeah. I did. Is that an issue?"

"You could've told us that you weren't coming to lunch.." Marcel pipes up. I take a deep breath at that,

"I gotta go." And I turn down the nearest hallway.