Every Minute's Like the Last; A One Direction Fan Fiction by Niallerbeast

Every Minute's Like the Last; Chapter Seven

Mikaela

August 2011

Slow change may pull us apart

When the light gets into your heart, baby

“Aaaand that’s a wrap!” the director yells.

“Wooo!” We all smiled and turned to hug each other. I’d just finished shooting the last episode of The Real World: Malibu. It was the craziest thing I’d ever done in my life, being a girl from a small town in Canada, suddenly finding myself on American MTV. In California. In a house full of crazies.

“Hey, babe. We’ll be okay.” Mikey said, throwing his arm around my shoulder. We had decided to stay in California and move in together. It was hard to say good bye to the other cast members, who were boarding their planes and buses back home, but we knew we’d see each other for the reunion at least.

“Are you ready to get started?” I asked Mikey. Mikey was such a doll. He was from Massachusetts, but wanted to get out. Throughout the show, he had struggled with feeling comfortable around his peers, after being teased mercilessly in high school for being gay. It seemed natural that he and I had gravitated toward each other, since we were both only 18 and the only ones in the house who couldn’t drink.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he replies, grabbing my bag from me and tossing it in the back of his Jeep. We’d already signed a lease for a small studio apartment on the Hollywood Boulevard. Now it was just a matter of getting some of our things from back home to fill it. Luckily we had our clothes from our time on the show, so we could move in right away.

Three Weeks Later

“Mikey, I got the job!” I rush into the apartment and jump on top of him.

“Oh em gee Mikaela! Wait, what job?”

I roll my eyes at him. “The waitressing job? At that funky new bar that just opened up? The manager promised me that he expects tons of celebs to come to the opening party tonight! And he wants me to work it!”

“Wow Mikaela! That’s amazing! I can’t wait to hear about it!”

“You aren’t coming?” you ask, pouting.

“I sort of have a date. Nothing too extravagant. But I’m excited. He’s Hilary Duff’s assistant. Hilary. Freaking. Duff.”

I smile, knowing that Hilary is his long time inspiration.  “Okay, I’ll let it slide, but only because it’s your first date since the show ended. Speaking of, how’s Brant doing?”

“Brant?” Mikey asks, looking at you with big doe eyes.

“Don’t wide-eyed and innocent me, Mikey. Tall blond and gorgeous? What happened to him, you two were inseparable the whole time we were in Malibu!”

“He was too… clean for me. He actually asked me to take off my black nail polish. Umm, as if! This completes me. No, I’m done with Hollister models. This boy looks like a sexier version of Jack Osborne.”

I rolled my eyes and kissed the top of his head. “Alright. I’m going to pick my outfit. Waitresses don’t have uniforms, just dress codes. Dress code: hot, anyway. Ciao!”

I left Mikey to his tv-watching and walked over to my closet. Mikey had won the fight for the room with the walk-in, but at least I had the half-bath in my room. “Cocktail dresses, cocktail dresses.” I mumbled to myself. That was the only uniform my boss, Lucas had given me. I decided on a halter dress, peach on the top, black on the skirt with silver chain trim, and some matching peach heels. After braiding my hair and putting it in a bun and doing some simple eye make-up, I grabbed my bag and drove to the bar.

“Ah, Mikaela!”

“Lucas! Thank you again for hiring me!”

“No problem. We have high hopes for Lush, and we’re glad to have someone as lovely as you on board.” I smile, and feel my face turn as peachy as my dress.

“Oh, I’m glad to be here.”

“All right Mikaela, if you go in the back, you can find your name tag. Please affix it to the front of your dress, and wear it at all times so that customers can distinguish you from patrons. Doors open in an hour, so use this time to familiarize yourself with the table set up and kitchen set up. Welcome to the Lush team.”

I smiled and thanked him, then hurried in back. The hour went by slowly, but once the doors opened, it seemed like I couldn’t move fast enough to keep up with the crowd. Finally, Lucas told me to take a last table then I could go on break. I walked over towards the table. There were two people there, a girl with long blonde hair, and a guy who was sitting facing away from me. The girl was really pretty, with hair way past her shoulders, and wearing a tight-fitting black dress that showed off how slender she was. Her eyes shown bright blue, even from halfway across the dimly lit bar.

“What can I get you?” I asked.

“Erm, I’ll have a ginger ale to start. Damn the drinking age in this country.” Said the boy in a British accent. I leaned in slightly to get a better look. That voice was very familiar. Then, the boy, who looked roughly my age, looked up at me and smiled. Then it hit me.

“Harry, right?”

“What?” he replied.

“That’s your name, isn’t it? Harry Styles?”

“Right.”

I turned to the girl he was with, suddenly not finding her as innocent as I’d thought. “And what can I get you, hun?”

“I’ll have a seltzer water with lime, please.” She replied, in a thick accent. It sounded either New Zealander or Australian. Maybe European. Definitely far more attractive than a Canadian accent like mine. ”All right.  I’ll get you those right away.” I took a deep breath and went back into the kitchen to prepare the drinks and text Mikey.

Omg mky. Harry styles is here! This is cray!!

àmkla! Dats insane!! Better hit tht while u cn! Xoxo

I laughed, reading his crude message, then prepared their drinks and slid them onto my tray.

I got back to the table, but Harry was alone.

“Where’s your date?” I asked politely.

“She’s not a date. Not technically. Just an old friend come to see the sights of Hollywood. I  thought I’d take her out, but Achi got a call from her boyfriend, Trey. He saw pics from the paps and now he’s called and started yelling at her. I can’t help it that we go way back, can i?”

“Oh. Have you gotten her in trouble? Achi, you said her name is?”

“Yeah. I think I have gotten her in trouble.”

“Well, I’m on break now. If you want to talk more.”

“No, I’ve got to hit the road. But listen, maybe we could hang out sometime soon? If I’m seen with a pretty girl like you, then the rumors about Achi and me should stop.”

“Sounds… lovely,” I reply, not wanting to believe my luck.

“See you…” Harry looks down at my chest. “Mikaela.”

My hand involuntarily moves up to cover my dorky name tag, as Harry scribbles something onto the bar napkin and, after throwing down a twenty dollar bill, gets up and leaves the bar. I pick up the napkin and realize he’s written a phone number down onto it. I tuck it into my heel, then bring the drinks back to the kitchen, still unsure of what just happened.

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A/N: Sorry for the crazy Hiatus. But I'm back now! Don't forget to vote/comment/fan etc. And follow me on tumblr (niallerbeast.tumblr.com) for updates on postings!! And if i need a secondary character (Like Achi in this chapter,) I do little mini contests on tumblr for spots. Follow Achi at liamsober.tumblr.com, and Mikaela is harrys-limp-peen Anyway, Mikaela's outfit is in the external link, don't forget to check out the music video that this chapter's lyrics came from. Peace out loves