Blind date (n.s)

19

"I've wanted to get a new tattoo anyway", Julia smiled at Zayn. "I thought of some kind of text."

Zayn nodded. "I could make it for free if you want me to"

"Really? Are you being serious?" Julia squealed.

Shawn looked at me and rolled his eyes. I had to hold back my laughter.
I was terribly fond of Zayn. He was not the most outgoing person but he certainly was a nice fellow. He had a little bit of a mystery to him, something that Julia seemed to love.
Somehow Zayn was almost a part of our little group. He joined us at lunch and sat in the chair Eleanor had sat in.
I hadn't heard from her in quite some time. Which does not mean that the whole baby business is not my problem anymore. It still is.

"So what are you guys up to on the weekends?", Zayn asked after he had reassured Julia that he would get her that tattoo.

"Normally we go to the KIWI at Fridays...", Julia said.

"Normally?"

"Yeah, well, there was some kind of incident the last time we went and now Niall is not too happy about going anymore", Shawn tried to explain without making me the coward who is not down for a little bit of fun.
He failed. It did sound like I was the most boring person to be.

"Huh? So why's that?"

"Uhm... something happened and I..." Zayn furrowed his brows and I immediately understood that he would never get why I'm feeling the way I do about going out. "You know what, screw it. Let's go partying this Friday!"

"Brilliant!", Zayn grinned.

"Are you sure mate?" Shawn looked me up and down as if he thought I might not be the real Niall.

"Yep. Totally sure, let's have some fun"

"Louis, are you down as well?" Julia turned to question him.

Louis looked up from his still full plate. "What?"

I worried about him. It's something that comes along with having a child. You tend to worry about everything and everyone. Since Eleanor packed her stuff and just moved out from one day to the other, Louis seemed to be sad. That's okay. People are sad when a relationship ends, but with Lou it's something different. Louis is not the kind of person to be completely shattered for days and even if he is he does not show he's hurt.
Looking at him know made me feel guilty. I wanted to help him the way he always helped me but before I could do that I had to hurt him real bad and I did not know if he was willing to be friends with me afterwards.

———————————————————

"I will talk to Harry" I blurted out.

Shawn turned from where he was stocking the shelves.

"Who?"

"Harry", I said a bit more quiet. I could literally hit myself for speaking my thoughts out loud. "The barkeeper"

"Oh, yeah, right", Shawn Grimmes down at me knowingly from the ladder he was standing on. "Does someone has a crush?"

I handed him the jars of strawberry jam.
"I... I just thought. Everyone always tells me I should go and stand up for myself. I think he's nice and... I will go and talk to him."

Shawn laughed. "What happened to the 'I'm giving men up for good' talk?"

"Harry is not any man", I pouted. "I'm giving those stupid internet blokes up for good."

"Aha", Shawn nearly dropped a jar of jam as he was shaken by laughter.

I felt stupid. "Stop laughing, idiot!"