When Worlds Collide

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Andy, Liam, Harry and I decide to wait at a table for the other two before we order anything. Soon after we sit down Zayn comes in with a smug smile on his face. I watch him wearily, knowing that the reason he's smiling like that couldn’t be good.

“Why are you smiling like that Z?” Harry asks, raising an eyebrow and glancing behind Zayn at the doors. Before Zayn can answer, Harry doubles over laughing, narrowly missing the table with his head. I look up at Zayn’s smiling face before I look behind him.

In comes Niall, face aflame, wearing a Justin Bieber tee. It’s a men’s shirt, at least, but still. My face crumples inwards and I burst out laughing, leaning my shaking head against Liam’s shoulder. He's also shaking, but only subtly.

I look up and steal a quick glance to my right at Andy, who has managed to keep his composure, except for the fact that he looks like he's about to explode. His face is red- almost as red as Niall's- and his lovely lips are squiggling like he's trying not to even smile.

Zayn takes a seat next to Liam, and Niall sits next to Zayn. Zayn chuckles and throws an arm around Niall's shoulder, bringing his flaming face into his chest. “Ah, Niall. You just had to bring the bag, didn’t you?”

“Y-You were the one who looked!” he mumbles, pushing his face further into Zayn's chest.

Liam clucks disapprovingly, but he smiles anyways. “Poor Niall…” Harry mocks, reaching across the table to poke Niall in the cheek. Niall sits up straighter and pokes Harry right back. This, of course, starts a poking war which quickly involves the rest of the lads, even Liam and Andy.

We all stop when someone clears their throat. “May I help you?” a waitress asks, glaring down her nose at us.

“Yes, we would like some food,” Andy says, smiling charmingly. The waitress, whose nametag says Debbi in black curling letters, snorts.

“You need to do that at the counter,” she says, pointing at the red countertop littered with papers.

“Well, no one was over there Debbi Dear,” Andy fires back, smile growing.

Debbi’s face contorts into a deep scowl. “Andy. Should have known,” me and my mate’s gazes flip back and forwards between the two. Andy, smiling like he's enjoying it, and Debbi, looking as if someone trapped her in a room with a skunk for a few… years.

“Yeah, it’s me. Can I have the usual? Times six?” Debbi purses her lips but writes it down and leaves after glaring at him for a couple of years.

“So… that was Debbi,” I say. Nodding my head. “Who’s Debbi?”?

“She’s still pissed at me for breaking up with her seven years ago,” Andy answers, sighing and leaning back against his seat.

“Seven years and she's still mad?” I ask incredulously. That’s just… wow.

“Yep. We broke up in this same restaurant, actually,” he smiles fondly.

I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t think she might, oh, I don’t know, poison our food or anything like that, do you?”

“No, no. maybe my food, but she has no interest in killing you five. I think,” he chuckles. He thinks?

“What's Debbi’s last name?” Niall asks curiously. Andy stops and thinks for a moment. A dark look crosses his face as he answers.

“Atherson. Debbi Atherson,” Atherson?

“Hey, isn’t Atherson the name of that one chick you say turned your best friend?” Harry asks, looking to the counter. I look, too, and think about the past I had blocked out.