On The Edge

Chapter 2

Louis's POV

We were on our way to an orphanage. I know you must be wondering why. Simon said it would increase our responsibility. I honestly think we're pretty responsible for a group of guys that travel the world. I mean, I've only forgotten two pairs of underwear before, and that was because Niall had hid them under a lamp shade. How was I supposed to know to look there! And besides, if Simon really wanted to us to become responsible, he could've gone with a dog. I've been wanting a dog.

But I have been wanting a daughter, or a younger child to inspire and make them laugh. This wouldn't be so bad; I'm just hoping that the lads will want a daughter as much as I do. And if the girl would want us as well.
"So no one girly, right?" Harry clarifies from the 3rd row of the SUV.

"Yep." Liam nods, staring out the window of the passenger seat next to me.

"I hope she likes us." Niall sighs, also staring out the window behind me in the 2nd row.

"Who couldn't like you Nialler?" Zayn grins, shoving Niall's shoulder.

"To be honest, I'm super excited." Liam smiles, looking at all of us.

"Me too." Zayn agrees from next to Niall.

"I'm a little nervous." I admit, turning off the busy road and onto a smaller street.

"Don't be." Harry encourages. "She'll absolutely like you and you're sense of humor."

"Have you guys noticed we haven't said the word 'love'?" Niall points out.

"I think we're just not getting our hopes up." Zayn mumbles.

"Guys, be excited! We're getting a daughter!" I express one of my signature weird faces, making everyone rolls their eyes and smile.

We pull up to a gray building on the side of the road with no drive way. It's surrounded by other small shops and such.
"Lets do this." I breathe, getting out of the car, the others following my example.
Liam walks up the few cement steps and knocks on the door. A middle-aged woman around 45 opens the door; she's wearing an old dress with a dirty apron over it, like she didn't care what she looked like anymore. To be honest, she looked pretty mean.

"Um...we're here to adopt?" Liam explains, more as a question.

The woman immediately puts on a smile. "Well, hello! Yes, come in, come in."

She swings the door open wider and we file in to the small, dull foyer. To the left is a kitchen with a huge, wooden dining table with, at least, 20 chairs. There is a door that leads to a sad-looking playground. To the right is-- I'm guessing-- the office, papers and empty cups of coffee crowding the desk. In front of us is a staircase that leads upwards. Man, this place is a little depressing.

"I'm Miss. Jane." Miss. Jane introduces herself. "So you are the boys wanting to adopt a 14 year old girl, correct?"

"Yes, that's us." Zayn nods, extending a hand. "I'm Zayn."

"Nice to meet you." She falsely smiles, clearly not happy to be shaking a boy's hand. "I'll call the girls down." She turns to face the staircase and shouts:
"14 years, come down the stairs! We have guest!"

I refrain from putting my hands over my ears, and I can see the boys flinch at the noise level. Almost instantly, a sea of teenage girls come down the stairs. They frantically get in a horizontal line, quickly brushing stray pieces of hair behind their ears and fixing their shirts. Some of their eyes go wide; I guess they realize who we are. One girl whispers, "Oh my gosh, it's oNE DIRECTION."

"These boys are here to adopt one of you...children. Behave." She turns to look at us. "Go on ahead." Miss. Jane offers, stepping back a step.

Just as we are about to step forward and ask the girls some questions about themselves, the door bursts open and a teenage girl stumbles in. A boy with blonde hair and sunglasses staggers in behind her, breathing hard; they both are clutching to their weird skateboards. She stands up straight and my breath catches in my throat; she's perfect. Now, not in a way that makes her pretty-- which she is, but in a way that she doesn't care or notice. Her hair is straight and brown with random blonde streaks, and her eyes are bright hazel, more green than brown. Freckles are scattered across her nose and she has fair skin.

"Where were you? You're late! I told you to be back by 4:00." Miss. Jane states through clenched teeth, obviously holding back her anger.

"Oh." is all the girl says. "Umm... sorry?"

"Parker, why are you're clothes wet?" Miss. Jane questions, putting her hands on her hips and getting worked up; her name is Parker?

Parker looks down at her scratchy blue, cut-off shirt and black-ripped jeans and smiles, obviously not bothered by Miss. Jane's seething anger; I was bothered.

"Oh, well, Shades and I and my other friends at the skatepark had a water gun fight and--"

"I don't care! Just go get changed into dry clothes." Miss. Jane exclaims, pointing to the stairs. "This is why you're going to be stuck here until you're 18 and then kicked out on the streets." Harsh.

Parker sighs and turns to face the boy, fist-bumping him. "See ya later, man."

"Don't sweat it, dude." Shades grins, and then turns to face Miss. Jane. "I'm sorry she's late--"

"Just leave." She huffs.

Shades just shakes his head and waves to us before walking out of the building, closing the door behind him.

"Up!" Miss. Jane demands, pointing up at the stairs.

"Alright, alright." she mutters under breath, but only we can hear her say it. Parker jogs up the stairs with her board in her hand, her beanie flopping on her head and her combat boots clonking against the wood.

"Sorry, please, go on ahead." Miss. Jane smiles, gesturing to the other girls with her hand.

"Um, do you mind if I look around upstairs?" Zayn asks.

"No, not at all." Ms. Jane nods.
"You lads, look down here." Zayn waves to the girls in their line and heads upstairs.
I look at the boys and they shrug; okay then.

Zayn's POV

I head up the creaky stairs and see a door cracked open on my left at the top of the stairs. I peak inside and see the girl, Parker, sitting on her bed, picking at her nails. I knock on the door lightly and step inside the dull room; it's huge, but empty, only occupied by one bed and a rip-stick. And a girl, of course. Parker turns to look at me and her expression remains blank. "Hey." she says.

"Hi." I respond, walking over to her. I sit next to her on her bed and clasp my hands together. She looks up at me questionably and scoots back a little, and I immediately sense a wall going up. Her hazel eyes are intelligent and observant, piercing mine and making me nervous. Wow, is it hot in here?
"So um...you're Parker, right?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yep." Parker sighs, looking back down at her nails.

"Can...can you tell me about yourself?" I prod, lowering my head to see her lowered eyes.

"I like to rip-stick, listen to music, and play sports. I don't like it when other people do stuff for me; I can do it myself. Aaaannnd put me in a dress or skirt and you won't wake up the next day." Parker looks at her lap, blushing slightly from everything that she said.

"That's cool." I grin.

"Yeah..." she responds uncertainly, glancing up at me nervously.

"What kind of music do you like?" I ask, trying to get her to come out of her shell.

Parker looks up at me curiously, no judgement in her eyes. "Why do you want to know about me?"

I laugh lightly, and she cracks a small smile. "What type of music do you like?"

"Rock and a little pop." Parker answers, crossing her legs on the bed; at least she's getting more comfortable.

"Me too." I grin. "So you're 14, right?" She nods her head.
"Do you--" I pause, pondering what I'm about to say. "Do you want to be adopted?"