Totally Not Me ( 1D/ N.H. / Niall Horan)

Chapter 11

Tryouts were shorter today due to the announcement of the final cut and who made the team. It's shit or get off the pot time. I've got to give it my all today and make my mark. I am so stressed out.

"Good luck today. I'm sure we'll both make the team...Well, you will for sure." Lou says to me as we walk into the gym to finish tryouts.

"Thanks. Good luck to you too. You'll definitely make it. I just really hope it's both of us." I reply nervously picking at my sweatband on my wrist.

I just need to get my head in the court, do my thing, and hope to hell it's good enough.

Niall's POV

"So, what's the deal with the Barbie doll?" Deo asks as we run through a few drills kicking around a ball waiting on Louis.

"Nothing. Why?" I shake it off.

"I see you trying to talk to her a lot. Don't do it, mate. I'm not exactly brushed up on my boxing skills to kick her stepbrother's and his followers' asses. They seem to really not like you."

"Why do you say that? I mean, what is there not to like?!" I tug on my shirt attempting to look over confident but start laughing at myself.

"Where do I begin?" Deo replies sarcastically.

Louis joins us a half hour late.

"Sorry, lads. I was trying to get out of the locker room but there was too good of a conversation to eavesdrop on." Louis explains his tardiness with no ounce of shame.

After about a five minute pause, I pipe up, "Well? Are ya gonna tell us or should we just stand here and stare at each other much longer?"

"Right! Sorry. The Tosser Twins were in the locker room talking about Barbie." Louis blurts out.

"What about her?" I immediately ask. I notice Deo rolling his eyes at me before he looks back at Louis.

"It appears that Ryan has a thing for her and her stepbrother was assuring him that if he asks her to Homecoming, she'd say yes." Louis informs us.

"Wouldn't that be a given? Cailin is a perfect fit with those 'plastics'." Deo adds using a term we stole from Mean Girls.

"That's what I thought but Ryan seems to be under the impression that she might not be too fond of him. That would be a first! Girls in this school flock to that guy! I guess having a little substance is overrated." Louis continues.

"Wait! Are you insinuating that you have 'substance'?!" Deo gives Louis a hard time.

"Hey! I said 'A LITTLE', ya twat!" He sasses back and we all break out in laughter.

Cailin would never go for Ryan...at least I don't think she would. Well, the Cailin I met last weekend wouldn't. Shit! This girl confuses the hell out of me. Either she's playing a sick fucking joke, she's got a twin out there, or she's got a severely fucked up life and needs a person she can trust. My gut tells me it's the latter but my head keeps telling me it's a sick fucking joke.

I remain lost in my own turmoil of thoughts about Cailin throughout our makeshift drills. I'd love to just get her alone and ask her all the questions I need to feed this growing curiosity.

After an hour, we walk back to the parking lot to meet up with my dad to give the boys a ride home. He opens the trunk and we throw all of our stuff in. As I close the trunk, I look up to see the wave of girls pouring out of the gym from volleyball tryouts, some happy and some not so much.

I quickly scan the crowd for Cailin to see if I can read her expression but I don't see her. I walk around to the passenger side of the car to get in while Louis and Deo get in the backseat. I scan the crowd one more time. There she is! Walking out with Lou.

I pause for a second and she makes eye contact with me. I can't read her poker face. So, I shrug my shoulders as if to say, "Well?"

She points to herself and mouths, "I made the team." The corners of her mouth begin to turn up. I smile at her and give her a thumbs up.

"Cailin! Hurry up! Let's go!" A voice bellows from my left. I look over to find that it's Brent with Ryan in his car.

I glance back over to Cailin and there is no trace of a smile on her face...not even a sparkle in her eyes. Brent appeared to suck the happy right out of the poor girl.

I look back over to Brent as I climb into the car only to find him glaring at me. Get over yourself, asshole! I shut the car door and we begin to drive with the memory of Cailin's reaction to her stepbrother on replay in my head.

Cailin's POV

"I made the team!" I practically scream into the phone to my dad.

"Congratulations! I knew you would!" He responds.

"I'll get you a schedule the minute I get my hands on one."

"I'll try to come to as many games as I can." He promises. I know he can usually only make a handful of them but it is important to him to be supportive and I appreciate it.

"I better get started in my homework, Dad. I love you!"

"I love you too, Jana. I'm so proud of you."

We say our goodbyes and hang up just in time for my phone to ring again. It's Lou.

"Hey, Lou! What's up?" I answer.

"Oh my god, Cailin! I am freaking out! You will never guess what just happened!" She sounds excited but I can't tell if it's in a good or bad way.

"Tell me!" I respond.

"Tom asked me to homecoming! Ahhhhhh!" She screams into the phone.

"No way! That's awesome!"

"I can't wait to go dress shopping! This is so crazy! Me?! He asked ME!" She converses with herself and I just listen.

"Seriously, Lou, stop freaking out. This is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"More than I can even put into words!"

"Well, take a few deep breaths and pinch yourself because this is really happening."

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She screams again into the phone. I laugh.

"Ok. I'd love to hear you scream in my ear all night but I've got homework that I have yet to start. We'll start talking dresses tomorrow."

"Ok....ok....I'm ok. Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!" She quickly hangs up.

I smile, shake my head, and throw my phone onto my bed. I settle in on my geography homework when there is a knock at my door. I let out a sigh.

"Come in!" I yell.

"Cailin?" A voice says as the door slowly opens. What is he doing here?!

"Yeah?" I respond barely looking up pretending to be severely preoccupied with my work that is spread out in front of me.

Ryan shifts his weight and clears his throat, obviously trying to get my undivided attention...kind of demanding it really.

"Sorry. I just have a ton of homework still to do." I stop and look at him hoping he got the hint to make it fast and get the fuck out!

"I was just wanting to ask if you'd go to homecoming with me." He declares with a smug grin on his face.

I want to laugh and say, "Fuck no!" Wait!...I can't answer him like that. Mom and Brent would go ape shit. But I don't want to go with HIM! But I have to. I fight this tug-a-war inside of me between what I should do to survive and what I really want to do. Ugh!

I guess I should be honored that out of the thousands of girls at school, he picks me. At least that's how he seems to come across. Sorry! Not feeling it!

"Uh...." is all that falls out as I try to find the right words.

A/N- What would you do if you were Cailin? Would you do what you have to do to survive or would you just tell Ryan "thanks but no thanks"? Please vote, comment, and/or share. You can always follow me on twitter at @Mama_Mofo_ . Thank you sooooo much for reading! :)