Taking On The World (A One Direction Fan Fiction)

Coffee And Surprises

The next time Mary Gates came up in a conversation between Vincent and I, his “just friends” remark had become more. I was standing outside a small coffee shop in the middle of town one Saturday afternoon, finishing the last of my pumpkin macchiato. The chorus to Linkin Park’s “Numb” began to play, and I realized my phone was ringing. I checked the caller I.D. on the screen. It was Vincent. 

“Hey,” I greeted cheerfully. 

“Hey Ava, can we talk?” Vincent asked. “Sure,” I responded, “what’s up?” 

I wasn’t focused so much on what he wanted to talk about, rather than the fact that he had actually called me. “Ava, there really isn’t an easy way to say this, so I just will.” He paused, and my stomach dropped. I suddenly really cared about what he had to say. “What is it, Vincent?” 

Vincent sighed. “Ava, I’m breaking up with you. For Mary Gates.” 

I let the words sink in. Was he serious? Was he honestly breaking up with me for someone like Mary Gates? After contemplating for a moment, I decided that he was serious about what he had said, then went into hysterics.“Vincent, don’t do this, please!” I sobbed into my phone. 

Vincent’s voice was hard. “I’m sorry, Ava. I love her more.” 

“How?!” I exclaimed. Tears were welling in my eyes. “I gave you the best thirteen years of my life, and you throw it all away for someone like Mary Gates. Why?!” 

Vincent sighed on the other end of the line. “You’re great, Ava. But Mary…Mary’s different. She knows what she wants, and then she goes after it,” he said, intrigued. 

I choked back my tears. “So you want someone who steals away what’s important to someone else? You’re just going to buy into her little game?” 

“Sorry,” he said nonchalantly.

“I hate you, Vincent.” I said quietly. Then, before he could say anything else heartbreaking, I ended the call. People seated outside the coffee shop turned to look at me. At the poor girl who was now in tears. I slid down the brick wall outside the store, and pulled my knees to face. I put my phone in the pocket of my hoodie, and began crying. My entire body had become numb. And it didn’t help me much that it was late November, and it began to lightly snow. 

I would’ve gone home, but I was too shaken to walk home. Not that where I lived was much of a home. No one was ever there. My dad was serving across the seas, and my mom worked all day, every week, as a nurse. In addition to constantly working, she was as of right now, at a Nurses Symposium in Atlanta, and wasn’t supposed to be home until mid-December. So I was left to fend for myself. 

I guess wasn’t completely alone, though. I had a cat named Charlie. He was a present from Dad before he left to go over seas in May. 

I just decided to stay curled up against the wall, cold and dead inside. I pushed my brown hair out of my face, just to see five boys waiting to cross the street. They looked so happy to be together. At least some people could find a reason to be happy in this world. As I kept watching them, I suddenly recognized them. 

They were the boys from the British boy band, One Direction. I knew who they were, and I liked their music, but I didn’t completely fangirl over them. Because, in reality, they were just normal guys. Sure they were famous, but they were really just a group of guys who liked to sing with each other. 

I watched as some girls ran up to them, and started demanding pictures and autographs. One of them was actually Mary Gates. The five boys spent a few minutes signing papers, and posing for pictures. The girls eventually cleared away, and the boys started to cross the street. 

They walked in chorus line style. The boy on the far left had dark skin, which matched his hair and eyes. I knew him as Zayn Malik. The next one was fairly tall, and had curly, brown hair, and eyes the same color. That one was Liam Payne. Next to him was Harry Styles. I always though Harry and I looked alike. My hair wasn’t as curly as his (it was more wavy), but the color matched, and we both had bright green eyes. Next to him was Louis Tomlinson. He had side-swept, dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. And on the far right was Niall Horan. 

He had blonde hair, and bright blue eyes that seemed to make me melt. He was always my favorite. Though, I could never pick out when he was singing. Seemed like he never got much solo time. 

The boys continued crossing the street. They were almost across when an eighteen-wheeler flew by them. I gasped, and waited for the truck to pass, making sure none of them were hurt. 

“Watch it, ya jackass!” I heard someone yell in an Irish accent. I realized it was Niall (he was the Irish one of the group), and he was waving his fist angrily in the direction of the truck. I giggled to myself. I never saw Niall as the one with a bad mouth. He looks too sweet and innocent for it. Then again, so do I. 

They finished crossing the street, and walked near the coffee shop. They were indulged in a conversation about, well, who knows what? The line at the coffee shop stretched outside, so the boys stepped to the back of the line. And wouldn’t you know it? They were standing right in front of me. 

Niall and Louis were the closest too me. Though, they didn’t see me. I wasn’t going to bother them with pictures or autographs, seeing as they just went through that across the street, and nearly got taken out by an eighteen-wheeler. 

Louis and Niall were discussing (what sounded like) soccer. Louis was using his hands to imitate (what I assumed to be) a dive one of the player’s took at one point in the game. Niall began to laugh loudly. He took a step back to prevent himself from falling. But he stepped directly on top of my left hand. 

Pain rushed threw my hand, and I immediately pulled it out from underneath his shoe. Niall stopped laughing and looked down quickly at me.“I’m so sorry!” he said, in a panicky voice. 

I brushed away the excess tears from my face, and replied hoarsely, “it’s okay.” 

Louis reached his hand down, offering it to me. I grasped it with my other hand, and I pulled myself up. 

“Thanks,” I said. Louis nodded, and smiled. 

I looked at Niall, and his eyes met mine. “Are you okay?” he asked me. 

“I’m fine,” I answered quietly. 

Tears were stinging my in my eyes. One slipped through the corner of my eye. No. Not now! Couldn’t they at least wait until I got home? But I guess the heartbreak, mixed with the pain in my hand, was too much. 

“Oh, my God! I made you cry!” Niall stated, blushing hard.

I shook my head. “It’s not you.” I turned swiftly on my heel, and ran in the other direction. 

“Hey! Wait!” I heard Niall call after me.