Do You Remember How We Started?
s t a l k i n g
“Is there a reason for this?” Mariana mumbled as she trudged out of her bedroom with Dougie following closely behind; the dirty blonde haired man had spent the night because he was too lazy to drive the twenty minutes to his own apartment. The constant knocking on her door was starting to aggravate her; she didn’t need this at eleven in the morning. Opening her door with Dougie standing behind her, she groaned when it revealed the whole gang. “Whatta what?”
“If I knew you were going to open that door looking like that,” Harry was cut off when Izzy slapped his chest as Mariana thought she heard a soft growl coming from behind her. “Sorry, but maybe you should put some clothes on.” Rolling her eyes, Mariana stepped aside and let everyone in; there was nothing wrong with what she was wearing, all she was wearing was Dougie’s shirt that he had worn yesterday and a pair of yoga shorts.
“Why are you guys here?” Dougie asked as Mariana excused herself to take a quick shower and get ready for the day.
“Why are you still here?” Giovanna called from the kitchen; he knew from the banging and clanking noises that she was either making breakfast for everyone or looking for the coffee machine.
Dougie rolled his eyes. “Since when is it a crime to spend the night at your best friend’s?”
“When your best friend is the opposite sex.” Tom comment, causing the rest to agree. “and also when said best friend is hot.” Dougie opened his mouth to reply, but closed his mouth when Mariana came back into the room throwing her wet hair up into a bun.
“You can shower now, if you want.” Everyone knew that the statement was for Dougie, and taking it as an opportunity to leave the conversation, he nodded his head before disappearing into the bathroom.
“What’s up his ass?” Mariana asked quietly when he shot her a look before he disappeared. “Actually, don’t answer.” Mariana uttered quickly when she noticed the slight smirk growing on Harry’s face. “Where’s Gia? And Danny?”
“Gia’s in the kitchen –probably getting coffee since we didn’t have time to stop at Dunkin’s.” Tom answered just as Gia walked back into the room with a steaming mug of coffee. “And Danny’s the one who told us to get our asses over here.”
“Why?”
“Something about showing us something.”
Mariana narrowed her eyes in confusion and slight annoyance as she took an open seat on her couch. “Why my place?” she whined as Dougie appeared from the bathroom, and took a seat away from her. She was slightly confused and hurt as to why he didn’t want to sit next to her, but decided not to voice it. Gia was the one who shrugged her shoulders as she brought the mug up to her lips.
“Maybe because you’re place is the closest for everyone?” Izzy asked. Mariana shook her head before placing it in her hands. She was still tired from last night; Dougie decided to have a movie marathon, and wouldn’t go to bed unless she watched all of the movies with him. Though no one could see, she smiled softly as she thought about last night.
”Let’s watch this one!” Dougie held up the movie, Nightmare on Elm Street, from her DVD case. Reading the name from the cover, Mariana frowned.
“You know that one scares me to death.”
Dougie flashed her a quick smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be here to protect you.”
A loud pounding on her apartment door, caused Mariana to snap out of her flashback. Standing up from the white plush couch, she made her way to the door this time looking through the peephole. Seeing Danny standing there with his arm wrapped around an auburn haired girl, Mariana’s eyes widened. Was this the girl that Danny was talking about?
“Danny’s here with a girl.”
“Wait- what?” Tom stumbled over his words, looking around the room. “So, he wasn’t lying?”
“Apparently not.” Mariana spoke before she opened the door. “Hey, Danny.” Danny grinned at Mariana before walking into the apartment and pulling the girl with him. “Now, Danny, what have I told you about being too rough with the young ladies?” The girl that was attached to his side began to giggle lightly, as she looked up at him since he was a few inches taller than her.
“You can loosen your grip a bit,” the girl spoke softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The display of affection caused the boys to cheer and the girls to coo, which ended up with the couple to have tinted cheeks. Mariana closed the door, and took her seat back on the couch, letting the newly arrived couple take the loveseat. Tom, Harry, Dougie, Izzy, Gia, and Mariana were looking at the girl, wondering when Danny was going to take the hint and introduce her.
“Since he doesn’t seem to get it,” the girl laughed, “I’m Nicole.”
“You’re the girl that he had locked up and hidden?” Harry asked causing Nicole to raise her eyebrows in confusion.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you think it’s weird that after all these years you’ve guys have been dating, you finally meet his friends now?” Izzy asked the question. At this point everyone in the room was confused at what was going on.
“We’ve only been dating for about a few weeks… give or take.”
“Really?” Mariana uttered, giving Danny an interesting look.
“Yeah…” Nicole paused. “Is there something that I should know?”
“Beside that fact that your boyfriend told us about you last year, than no I don’t think so.” Dougie stated which caused Nicole to sit up and look at Danny.
“Told us about you last year?” Nicole questioned, repeating what Dougie had said. “Were you stalking me?” Danny opened and closed his mouth a few times, not knowing how to answer. Nicole bit her lips, trying to hide the smile that was starting to show. She thought he looked cute when he was all nervous and flustered. “Well?”
“I, ah, you see…” Danny pouted. “Please don’t be mad, but-”
Nicole pressed her lips against his silencing him, “Don’t worry about. It’s kind of cute, actually.” Nicole laughed at the expression on Danny’s face before turning around to look at the others. “But anyways,” Nicole licked over her lips. “You must be Tom and Gia? Danny mentioned that you guys have been together the longest.”
Gia nodded her head, “Yeah, that’s us.”
“And you must be,” Nicole rested her chin on the palm of her hand as her free one was now laced with Danny’s. “Harry and Izzy –Danny told me that Harry’s girlfriend was blonde, and I figured that the girl who would have answered the door would be Mariana. Which leaves him,” she pointed over at guy who sat next to Tom, “to be Dougie.”
“Right.”
Nicole grinned as she leaned back against the couch cushion. “Are you two dating?” She asked gesturing between Dougie and Mariana, which caused Mariana to shake her head and laugh.
“No, he’s my best friend-”
Dougie cut her off, finishing her sentence that he thought she was going to say, “I could never date her.” The words rip through Mariana’s heart as she looked at him; Nicole was now looking down at her hands awkwardly as she if had been the one who stated it. The silence was starting to turn into tension, which made everyone decide that it was time to go home and do their own things.
Mariana watched as Tom and Gia quickly made an excuse to leave, followed by Harry and Izzy, who had mentioned that they had dinner plans with Izzy’s parents, which in end caused Dougie to leave the room and go into the kitchen with Danny hot on his trail. Mariana ignored the auburn haired girl’s stare, before finally deciding to look at her.
“I know we just met an all,” Nicole spoke. “but you look like you’re in need of a friend. Wanna go shopping? Maybe get a coffee?”
Mariana nodded not even thinking about Nicole’s offer twice before grabbing her car keys off of the living room side table as Nicole smiled softly disappearing into the kitchen, probably to tell her boyfriend where she was going. Mariana was already hurt at what Dougie had said about her, but she couldn’t help but wonder when it was going to be her turn to love somebody.
Would it ever be her turn?
“If I knew you were going to open that door looking like that,” Harry was cut off when Izzy slapped his chest as Mariana thought she heard a soft growl coming from behind her. “Sorry, but maybe you should put some clothes on.” Rolling her eyes, Mariana stepped aside and let everyone in; there was nothing wrong with what she was wearing, all she was wearing was Dougie’s shirt that he had worn yesterday and a pair of yoga shorts.
“Why are you guys here?” Dougie asked as Mariana excused herself to take a quick shower and get ready for the day.
“Why are you still here?” Giovanna called from the kitchen; he knew from the banging and clanking noises that she was either making breakfast for everyone or looking for the coffee machine.
Dougie rolled his eyes. “Since when is it a crime to spend the night at your best friend’s?”
“When your best friend is the opposite sex.” Tom comment, causing the rest to agree. “and also when said best friend is hot.” Dougie opened his mouth to reply, but closed his mouth when Mariana came back into the room throwing her wet hair up into a bun.
“You can shower now, if you want.” Everyone knew that the statement was for Dougie, and taking it as an opportunity to leave the conversation, he nodded his head before disappearing into the bathroom.
“What’s up his ass?” Mariana asked quietly when he shot her a look before he disappeared. “Actually, don’t answer.” Mariana uttered quickly when she noticed the slight smirk growing on Harry’s face. “Where’s Gia? And Danny?”
“Gia’s in the kitchen –probably getting coffee since we didn’t have time to stop at Dunkin’s.” Tom answered just as Gia walked back into the room with a steaming mug of coffee. “And Danny’s the one who told us to get our asses over here.”
“Why?”
“Something about showing us something.”
Mariana narrowed her eyes in confusion and slight annoyance as she took an open seat on her couch. “Why my place?” she whined as Dougie appeared from the bathroom, and took a seat away from her. She was slightly confused and hurt as to why he didn’t want to sit next to her, but decided not to voice it. Gia was the one who shrugged her shoulders as she brought the mug up to her lips.
“Maybe because you’re place is the closest for everyone?” Izzy asked. Mariana shook her head before placing it in her hands. She was still tired from last night; Dougie decided to have a movie marathon, and wouldn’t go to bed unless she watched all of the movies with him. Though no one could see, she smiled softly as she thought about last night.
”Let’s watch this one!” Dougie held up the movie, Nightmare on Elm Street, from her DVD case. Reading the name from the cover, Mariana frowned.
“You know that one scares me to death.”
Dougie flashed her a quick smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be here to protect you.”
A loud pounding on her apartment door, caused Mariana to snap out of her flashback. Standing up from the white plush couch, she made her way to the door this time looking through the peephole. Seeing Danny standing there with his arm wrapped around an auburn haired girl, Mariana’s eyes widened. Was this the girl that Danny was talking about?
“Danny’s here with a girl.”
“Wait- what?” Tom stumbled over his words, looking around the room. “So, he wasn’t lying?”
“Apparently not.” Mariana spoke before she opened the door. “Hey, Danny.” Danny grinned at Mariana before walking into the apartment and pulling the girl with him. “Now, Danny, what have I told you about being too rough with the young ladies?” The girl that was attached to his side began to giggle lightly, as she looked up at him since he was a few inches taller than her.
“You can loosen your grip a bit,” the girl spoke softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The display of affection caused the boys to cheer and the girls to coo, which ended up with the couple to have tinted cheeks. Mariana closed the door, and took her seat back on the couch, letting the newly arrived couple take the loveseat. Tom, Harry, Dougie, Izzy, Gia, and Mariana were looking at the girl, wondering when Danny was going to take the hint and introduce her.
“Since he doesn’t seem to get it,” the girl laughed, “I’m Nicole.”
“You’re the girl that he had locked up and hidden?” Harry asked causing Nicole to raise her eyebrows in confusion.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you think it’s weird that after all these years you’ve guys have been dating, you finally meet his friends now?” Izzy asked the question. At this point everyone in the room was confused at what was going on.
“We’ve only been dating for about a few weeks… give or take.”
“Really?” Mariana uttered, giving Danny an interesting look.
“Yeah…” Nicole paused. “Is there something that I should know?”
“Beside that fact that your boyfriend told us about you last year, than no I don’t think so.” Dougie stated which caused Nicole to sit up and look at Danny.
“Told us about you last year?” Nicole questioned, repeating what Dougie had said. “Were you stalking me?” Danny opened and closed his mouth a few times, not knowing how to answer. Nicole bit her lips, trying to hide the smile that was starting to show. She thought he looked cute when he was all nervous and flustered. “Well?”
“I, ah, you see…” Danny pouted. “Please don’t be mad, but-”
Nicole pressed her lips against his silencing him, “Don’t worry about. It’s kind of cute, actually.” Nicole laughed at the expression on Danny’s face before turning around to look at the others. “But anyways,” Nicole licked over her lips. “You must be Tom and Gia? Danny mentioned that you guys have been together the longest.”
Gia nodded her head, “Yeah, that’s us.”
“And you must be,” Nicole rested her chin on the palm of her hand as her free one was now laced with Danny’s. “Harry and Izzy –Danny told me that Harry’s girlfriend was blonde, and I figured that the girl who would have answered the door would be Mariana. Which leaves him,” she pointed over at guy who sat next to Tom, “to be Dougie.”
“Right.”
Nicole grinned as she leaned back against the couch cushion. “Are you two dating?” She asked gesturing between Dougie and Mariana, which caused Mariana to shake her head and laugh.
“No, he’s my best friend-”
Dougie cut her off, finishing her sentence that he thought she was going to say, “I could never date her.” The words rip through Mariana’s heart as she looked at him; Nicole was now looking down at her hands awkwardly as she if had been the one who stated it. The silence was starting to turn into tension, which made everyone decide that it was time to go home and do their own things.
Mariana watched as Tom and Gia quickly made an excuse to leave, followed by Harry and Izzy, who had mentioned that they had dinner plans with Izzy’s parents, which in end caused Dougie to leave the room and go into the kitchen with Danny hot on his trail. Mariana ignored the auburn haired girl’s stare, before finally deciding to look at her.
“I know we just met an all,” Nicole spoke. “but you look like you’re in need of a friend. Wanna go shopping? Maybe get a coffee?”
Mariana nodded not even thinking about Nicole’s offer twice before grabbing her car keys off of the living room side table as Nicole smiled softly disappearing into the kitchen, probably to tell her boyfriend where she was going. Mariana was already hurt at what Dougie had said about her, but she couldn’t help but wonder when it was going to be her turn to love somebody.
Would it ever be her turn?
