With a Lack of Wanderlust

Liam and I were still outside on the balcony when the sun began to slowly set and turn day into night. I turned to look as he continued to tell me about all four of his best friends, “and Niall. Well, Niall eats a lot. You can probably always see him nibbling on something. Except when he’s--” He stopped and cleared his throat, “except when he’s making his food. Or walking to pick it up. Or paying for it. His favorite place is Nandos. Have you ever heard of it?”

I turned back to him, “No, can’t say I have.”

“Well it’s this chicken place it’s really good.” he smiled and scratched his head. “I can take you sometime if you want.”

“I’m a vegetarian.” I told him, rocking back and forth. My awkwardness was back and it felt like I was being too difficult, so I hesitated as I continued, “and I don’t think I really would like to go out to eat anyway.”

“Oh.” Liam’s bright expression was dulled down and he looked at the ground, “…Why not?” I looked at him as my eyebrows knit together in thought. He glanced back up at me and immediately spoke again, quickly, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

As things came to become more and more uncomfortable, I felt as I did in every other encounter I had ever had with a stranger like him. My anxiety got the best of me and I bit my lip, my fight or flight instinct flooding my body. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. There was a moment of silence.

“Why am I even talking to you, oh my god.” I let out in exasperation, which was something that never actually would’ve happened back in California. I could normally sift through all of my thoughts and let them out in the most polite way possible, if at all.

“What?” Liam inquired, taken aback.

Although it was quite new to me, I continued, speaking without a single thought on whether it was alright for me to even be saying it, “You’re creepy! You climbed up to my damn balcony! Why am I talking to you!? Leave!”

A rush of panic seemed to enter him as well as he looked around, unsure of what to do. “Uhh,” He turned to face the perimeter.

“DEAR GOD, JUST LEAVE, PLEASE.” I yelled, becoming impatient.

“I don’t understand what I did wrong, I just--” He turned his head back to me, upset.

Out of impulse I pushed him toward the metal ledge surrounding the balcony, possibly a bit harder than I’d wished. I immediately regretted it, reaching to grab his arm, but he’d lost his balance and fell too quickly.

I could barely comprehend what had happened as I watched him fall swiftly over the side and down onto the ground beside my house. I couldn’t even comprehend that I had done it, but all I could hope for was the it wasn’t too long of a drop.

“BLOODY HELL.” Liam screamed.

I ran to where he had recently been standing and looked down to find him curled up in a ball, rolling on to the pavement from atop a bush and yelling out every cuss word imaginable. At the same time, I heard someone rush onto Liam’s balcony beside me in a heap of laughter. I looked over to see four boys, who I assumed were all of his friends.

“Liam! Such fowl words, lad! And in front of a lady!” The boy who I had come to know as Louis was doubled over in laughter as the other three looked down at Liam in either shock or panic.

“Are you a bloody idiot, Louis?” The one with the fro yelled, smacking him in the head and causing him to stop laughing, “Look at him!”

“Oh,” He noticed me watching on and turned toward me. They all did the same. “Fuckin’ hell it’s the girl! I knew he was falling for you but not that hard.”

“Excuse me?” I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“This isn’t the time for you to be an ass, Louis!” The curly haired one spoke again, “We’ve got to help him or something!”

“Yeah that would be fucking ace right now!” Liam yelled from below. I looked back down at him. He was now gripping his wrist in pain and still curled up in a ball, his face tightened. I looked back up at the guys in alarm and we both fled inside from our respective balconies.

I rushed down the stairs, not stopping to answer any of my parent’s questions. There was no time to, especially not ones about what I wanted for dinner or if I needed any more blankets. Finally I got to the side of my house and Liam’s friends showed up shortly after.

We all watched Liam as he rolled around the ground as if he was a bug trying to get back on it’s feet, for a moment. Finally Louis spoke up with a chuckle, “So…what do we do?”

I rolled my eyes and continued to look at Liam, “Uh…What hurts?”

“Wait so you really are American? You sound it!” The boy with blonde hair looked at me, surprised and I nodded. I was going to say something until I was interrupted.

“Wait what,” Louis laughed again, “are you going to kiss it?”

“FUCKING HELL LOUIS I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH. It’s my wrist, my wrist and everything else.”

“O-kay.” I knelt down beside him hesitantly and looked up at them and shrugged.

“You’re really going to kiss it!” Liam looked up at Louis with a scowl, still gripping his arm.

“Well damn, Liam. You don’t have to be laying there! Just sit up!” I told him. Obediently, he sat up and looked at me, appearing to be scared out of his mind. I closed my eyes in frustration, “let go of your wrist.”

“What are you going to do?” The curly haired one intruded once again.

“I’m sorry but what is your name?”

“Harry…” He said slowly.

“Well, shut up Harry.” I had no idea where this bitch in me was coming from, but all I could focus on was fixing what I made happen to Liam. Harry backed away, putting his arms up in defense.

“This might hurt a little bit, but it’ll make it feel better eventually.“ I told him. He nodded and I grabbed his hand and pulled as hard as I could, snapping his wrist back into place.

“Shit,” He cringed, letting out a breath.

“I’m sorry, was that your wanking hand?”

“What?”

I smiled and turned to the boys who were looking on in terror.

“The fuck was that?” Harry said, watching Liam as he rolled his wrist god knows how many times. “The fuck did you do? Are you like Hermione Granger or something? You did not just fix his wrist by pulling on it.”

I looked at him with an emotionless face for a moment, wondering if he was going to continue to freak out and also why he didn’t know that that would help.

“Well…I was going to study to be a massage therapist when I went to college until my parents came up with the idea of living here, but that doesn’t really say much…” I paused. “I just snapped it back into place, I’ve known how to do that since I was in like…5th grade, dude.”

“You really are American! Fifth grade, not Year 5!” the blonde said again and I responded by nodding again, with a laugh.

“Um.” Liam spoke up, “Can you please help me I’m kind of bleeding.”

“Oh,” I stood and two of the boys helped him to his feet. We decided that it would be best that he would come inside my house, since it was closer. We all entered and my mom looked at us, confused. “Mom, you remember Liam from the airport.”

“Yes…” She looked at me suspiciously.

“Well,” I laughed, “Funny story. He kind of fell off our balcony.”

“Is that so?” She crossed her arms and looked at Liam.

“Yes ma’am. Fell into a rose bush.”

“Oh, dear!” She led us to the table set up in the kitchen where we sat him down. I looked at his scratched up arms and pulled the sleeves of my jacket down.

“Mom do we have any peroxide?” I asked her. She shook her head so I turned back to Liam.

“Um, I’ve got some, I’m sure the lads can find it…” He and I both looked to them and they nodded.

“I’ll get it.” Harry said, turning for the door.

“No no, you all can go get it.” Liam urged, looking at them with pleading eyes. Louis nodded with a smirk.

“I got you, mate.” He patted him on the shoulder and they all left. It appeared that my mom had “gotten” him too as she hurried up the stairs. “Okay boys, let’s be real slow.” I heard Louis say quietly as they shut the door.

As soon as they were for sure gone, Liam looked at me. “Why the hell did you push me?” He whispered frantically. I responded with a shrug, not bearing to look at him. “And why wouldn’t you like to go out to eat with me!?”

“It’s not that!” I whispered back. “I don’t like going out in general!”

“Why?!” I failed to answer him again and he groaned, putting his head down on the table for a second before turning his head to look at me. “I‘m sorry. That‘s intrusive. You don’t like going out, I understand.”

I merely nodded, afraid to say something I would regret.

He sat up again and smiled at me, “Would you be up for anything else, then?”

Still not speaking, I shrugged.

“Because we all were going to make dinner tomorrow at my house. My parents are going out. It’s their anniversary. Would you want to come?”

I continued just to look at him, unsure.

“My sister will be there, I’m sure you’d get on with her.”

“Maybe.” I finally spoke.

“Please?” He drew out the word, still grinning, “You owe me!” he held up his arm.
With out another thought, I nodded again, slowly. I needed to get out of my comfort zone one way or another, and at least I felt moderately comfortable around these boys.

After about a minute, the four finally came back in.

“THE ALMIGHTY PEROXIDE!” Louis screamed holding it up in the air.

“And cotton balls!” the fourth friend with the dark hair and glasses spoke for the first time, holding them up enthusiastically as well.

“And bandages!” Harry did the same.

The blonde was beside him, eating a muffin, which led me to believe he was, in fact, Niall.

I finally got to cleaning Liam’s scratches, as awkward as it was. He had just spent the
entire time smiling at me.

I would forever be confused by these boys.