A Coincidence||Fionn Whitehead

20

Dotty couldn't look at Fionn for the rest of the day. She was so confused and the idea of her not knowing that she was talking to him still hadn't registered. But wait. What if it wasn't him? No, it had to be. It all made sense, but felt so wrong. Her head was all over the place and she wanted nothing else but to dive into the water with lead boots on, dragging her to the bottom so she drowned. Being so foolish and so stupid made her feel small, whatever would Fionn think if he found out? Did he already know? Was this a game to see how gullible Dotty is?

At dinner she didn't sit with the lads, instead she found a small fish and chip shop and bought some chips to eat down by the beach. Her feet dangled off of the mole rocking slightly back and forth to the rhythm of the music playing in her ears. She loved going places in her own, the beach in the evening especially, although usually she count go to the beach because she lived in the city.

She didn't always. Up until the age of fifteen, her family lived in large house in the middle of the countryside. Much like her grandparents house in Ireland, with land surrounding it, Just fields and mud, not crammed in with other buildings, she was free, whereas now she was restricted.

As the night grew darker and the sea came in, Dotty found herself rubbing back so that she was off the beach before the sea covered it and deemed it impossible for her to get back. Instead of returning to hotel, Dotty wandered the streets that were lit up with lamps and the lights from buildings. It felt amazing and brought a smile onto her face as she saw locals enjoying meals in restaurants and talking in their mother tongue, bright smiles on their faces. It was simply picturesque, and she so wanted to message Fionn about it, he had only told he that morning his picturesque where he is was, he was right. Dunkirk has gorgeous streets.

Would things change if she told him?

She sighed and made her way back to the hotel, bumping into Jack halfway up the staircase in the hotel. "Um..?"Said Dotty, as he hugged her. "Should I ask?"

"Harry was chasing me." He mumbled, "You must save me."

Dotty patted his back awkwardly as the stood on the stair like a pair of weirdos. "Where is Harry?"

"He went in the lift."

Dotty rolled her eyes and pushed Jack off of her, "then go back to the room, he'll think you're downstairs, go on!" She nudged the man up a few steps before he broke off into a sprint leaving the woman to follow behind slowly as she couldn't be bothered to run. She made it up to the same floor Jack had stopped on and followed him, he went into one door and she continued down a few doors before sliding her key into the lock and pushing the door open. After closing the door she tugged off her clothes, pulled a long plaid night shirt on and some shorts before some long socks and flopping onto her bed, and switching on the tv.

Scrolling through the channels she found Nickelodeon and playing was iCarly, specifically the episode with one direction in it. Dotty was in awe at young Harry with his floppy curls, all of the boys looked so young and even more adorable and damn Niall was still her love. It would hopefully never be revealed to Harry, that Niall was her favourite from the beginning, him joining Niall at the top having now become friends with him and seeing him for who he really is in real life and not behind the microphone or camera. Of course, it wasn't much different to how he has always acted since X-Factor, in the tour diaries and just on snapchat and other videos, except now Dotty knew little things she didn't before, and how much of a dick he wasn't, or the fact he liked pickle on corned beef and simply how normal he is.

She continued watching the episode until a knock was on her door. Pausing the television, she trudged to the door and opened it a crack, Tom was stood their in sweats and a loose white shirt. "Hey." She greeted.

"Hey, can I come in?" He replied, she nodded and moved out of the way, the door opening more so he could slip through. "Jack said he saw you come into this one, would be embarrassing if it wasn't you, though."

Dotty chuckled agreeing with him before joining him and allowing he to take a seat on the bed with her. Tom's eyes travelled down her body, stopping at her legs and instantly her eyes widened, "I've got shorts on, don't worry."

Tom shook his head laughing, "I don't doubt that, it's just a lot of Harry Potter." It was true the shirt, shorts and sock were all Harry Potter related, she was a tad obsessed.

"Well, I breath Harry Potter so..."

"Fair play to you, why weren't you at dinner?" He asked her.

"I ate some chips on the beach." She shrugged. "Why did you miss me?"

"Only a tad." Tom teased, "Why'd you eat alone? I would've come with you do I knew."

"It's fine, I like being alone. It allows me to think better." Dotty stated and looked around the room, her thoughts over took her once more and she was trapped between the walls of reality and her mind.

Tom bumped their shoulders together, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's Fionn."

"What?"

"I've been messaging Fionn. I'm so stupid that I couldn't see it. But he lied. I'm not mad, I just want to know why. But at the same time I don't want him to know I know, what if he knew it was me he was texting?"

"He doesn't." Said Tom.

"How'd you know?" The girl asked nibbling her lip nervously and playing with the bottom of her shirt, weaving the material between her fingers.

"Because Harry figured it out before you, and then told me, Fionn hasn't got a Scooby Doo, Dotty, trust me." Tom replied, taking her hands in his to stop her fiddling. "You trust me right?"

She nodded, "Why didn't you two tell me? Or at least Fionn."

"Because we thought you'd work it out sooner or later, and you did."

"My dad told me, I didn't exactly crack the puzzle. How long have you known?"

"A few days." Dotty nodded, "Are you going to tell Fionn?"

"I don't know." She said, looking at Tom. "I mean it doesn't mean anything, it's just a coincidence that I accidentally messaged him. I liked messaging him though and not knowing who it was, it was a sort of freedom, I could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge me because he didn't know much about me but still we talked like we knew each other."

"Maybe it doesn't have to end, maybe you could still text, I mean, friends still text, Dotty. Just because you have found out more about each other doesn't mean things will change the way you talk."

"But what if they do?"

"Then that is something you'll have to deal with, but it's Fionn, I doubt things will. And if they do, you still have me." He grinned.

"I suppose so," Dotty smiled, "You'll always be my numero uno best friend."

"What about that Anna?"

She shrugged, "She doesn't have to know."

"Sneaky lil' sausage, aren't yeh'?"