The Lift (A One Direction Fanfiction)

Chapter Nine

"Erin!" My mother tries to shake me awake. "Erin this is ridiculous! Get up!"

I groggily push her hand away from my shoulder and get out of bed as I mumble incoherent and grumpy sentences. I almost forgot how much I hate waking up for school. I feel like I can describe my opinions on early rising hours with one quote by the infamous Garfield the cat: "If we were meant to pop out of bed, we would all sleep in toasters."

My eyelids hooded, I pull on a random pair of jeans and somehow manage to struggle into a blue top. I stagger out of my room and into the bathroom, grateful that Katie felt like waking up twenty minutes earlier than usual today. I fill my cupped hands with water and try to imitate the girls in those Neutrogena commercials by splashing it neatly into my face. Instead of that happening, I get water up my nose. Not sure how that worked out but I'm much too tired to investigate further.

I wash my face and put on some light make-up. I happen to like make-up, but only in moderation. I think of it as an accessory, not a mask.

Now slightly refreshed, I head back into my room to grab my school things. I hold the "End" button on my phone as I wait for it to turn on. While doing this, I walk into the kitchen and grab the box of generic oat cereal that sits upon our counter every day. I pour myself a bowl and sit at the table to eat it.

While I'm a-munching, I feel my phone buzz in my hand. I look at it to see a text.

From Niall.

Holy shit. He actually texted me, and so quickly! I open the text and can't resist smiling a bit.

"Morning Erin! Hope you don't get mobbed at school today!" -Niall

After the initial shock of receiving this text message, then the happiness the words bring me, I realize he's right; I still haven't said anything relating to the rumors of me and him to any of my home friends, apart from Rebecca, of course. As far as they know, I'm Niall Horan's fuck-buddy. That is most certainly not something I would like to be known for throughout the school.

Then what should I say if anybody asks? Should I tell an abridged version of the truth and admit I know Niall, probably causing a large group of obsessed teenage girls to gather around me in the hopes of making themselves closer to a superstar? Or should I lie to a large group of teenage girls that probably wouldn't believe me anyway and would then shun me from polite society and make life just a teensy bit harder than it needs to be?

Decisions, decisions.

I send him back a message: "I may have to stretch the truth a tad if someone asks. If a rumor starts about you being creepily close to some obscure cousin of yours then don't look at me. I promise I have nothing to do with it :P" -Erin

I finish up my cereal, wash the bowl and put on the drying rack. I finish all my morning business in about ten minutes and then I head out the door. My high school is only about five blocks away so I normally walk in the morning, stop halfway to meet up with Rebecca, then we walk the rest of the way together.

I smile internally at the fact that I can see my own breath floating in the air. I've been looking forward to snow more this year than any prior. I don't know why; I'm just in a flurry mood.

Two and a half blocks into my walk, I stop in front of a house and ring the doorbell. I've always envied Rebecca for owning a house. Actually, I've envied basically every kid in my town. I'm the only person in my grade that lives in the apartments here. It makes for some cramped holiday dinners, but otherwise it's okay. I mostly wish I had a house so I could get a dog. I can't do that with a landlord who's stricter than Dolores Jane Umbridge.

The door swings open and Rebecca ambles out of her house, waving goodbye to both her parents as she does every morning.

"Erin," Rebecca says seriously after we've walked a bit. "Erin you need to tell me everything that has ever happened with you and Niall right this instant."