everything I didn't say

twenty one

"So, we're good now right? Please say yes." Julie begs as I try to avoid eye contact on the shared couch.

She was just looking out for me, I suppose. I could put on my facade of me being mad, but I don't want to be. Julie is basically my only friend here and I live with her. She's been a good roommate and a good friend in the time we've known each other, and her hiding her previous relationship with the guy I'm into shouldn't be that big of a deal. I can't forgive Niall and not her.

"Yeah, just get off of me." I laugh and playfully push her away from me when she scoots too close to me on the couch.

"Sorry." She laughs and scoots to her end.

"I know what will make this better!" She suddenly shouts, standing up. "All of this. Go get Niall up!" She demands, pointing to my bedroom door. She groans and I go do what I'm told.

It takes five minutes, several times shaking him, and even me dragging him out of my bed, but I return with Niall to the living room with Julie.

She's on her phone, sending a text it seems, and she looks up at us.

"Okay, who wants to go to a party tonight?" She smiles and I shake my head.

"I've been to more parties in the past month than in all four years of high school." I protest, but I know this is how college is. There's a different party every week, and with Julie as a roommate, I'll probably be dragged to many more than what I've already been to.

"Sounds cool. Whose party?" Niall yawns.

"The fraternity a couple of streets down." Julie smiles, waving her phone in the air with the information of the party on it.

"Cool." Niall nods and they both look at me.

"How about it" Julie asks.

"Just us three?" I look between the two, not wanting to go alone with the two just because of my own selfish thoughts.

"Of course not, Leah. Jared too!" Julie is jumpy and excited, and I know her intentions are good here. I agree to go reluctantly and hope the decision isn't a stupid one.

"Look at us," Niall hooks his arm around my shoulder when Julie leaves the room. "Our first date at a party." He smirks at me.

I shake his arm off and laugh. "How romantic." I roll my eyes. "But it's not a date." I correct him.

"We could make it one." He suggests.

"At a random party where you'll get drunk and go crazy? No thanks."

"Hey," he points to me seriously. "I'm not gonna drink. Or go crazy. Not on a date."

"Too bad it's not a date." I tease.

"We're going together anyways so it might as well be one."

"We're going with two other people."

"Fine. It can be a double date then." He smiles playfully and I can't help the smile that grows on my face in return. I have to be that girl, the one who goes out with the boy that has a girlfriend. I don't even care though, I'm looking at someone I care about and the opportunity to be on a date with him is too intriguing for me to think about any other girl.

"Come on. I promise to be a good date."

"Fine." I say, making him smile widely.

-

"This is gonna be cool, I've never been to a party here before." Jared says as we walk up the porch to the house.

"I find that hard to believe, Jared." I say and Niall laughs.