Crooked

I only had two tasks to fulfill before the big benefit concert tonight. One: get to the event on time. Two: make sure the boys were fed before their performance. It was already five thirty pm and it was official, we were stuck in traffic.

Just my luck.

The boys were yet to be dressed, in casual jeans and tees but not their performance outfits that were waiting for them at the venue. I was dressed in what I’d be wearing for tonight, something cute but able for me to move around in without too much hassle. I was wearing a white peplum dress with royal blue heels and a matching necklace. The heels weren’t ideal, but they were my most comfortable heels with a wedge I could find and if anything, that was enough. I forced Angie to have a night off from studying and made her come with me to the fashion show, but she told me she’d meet me there as opposed to riding with the boys, to the slight disappointment of Harry and Zayn. I reminded them though that Cher Lloyd – who they had shared time during their time on X Factor and Little Mix, a popular upcoming girl group were coming, so that brightened their mood a bit. I snorted. Boys.

“Hey, driver!” I tapped the window that separated the driver to the passengers in the limo Randy ordered for us. “How long is it ‘til we get there?”

“Ten minutes, mam,” the driver answered. With a groan, I settled back into my seat, annoyed at the thought that I had already failed one of the two tasks I had been set. Some assistant I was.

Liam noticed my annoyed face and nudged my arm. “Hey,” he said gently. “You’ve done well. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“If you haven’t noticed,” I started icily. “We’re late. And if we’re late, that means everything else is going to be late and my ass will be on the line and shit will happen and what happens if I get kicked off the tour? Huh? Huh?”

“Woah there Blondie,” Zayn muttered. Blondie was my new nickname from him. “Calm down. “No one’s expecting much from you.”

“Why?” I crossed my arms and stared at him expectantly. “Because I’m blonde? Because I’m Australian?”

“Because you’ve never managed anyone before in your life?” Louis added to the conversation, looking up from his phone. “Never having done this sort of work and then getting thrown into it headfirst by managing us, I mean c’mon Cassie; you’ve surprisingly been surviving so far.”

“And we all love you,” Liam tacked on with a smile. “Don’t we boys?”

All of the boys nodded bar Niall, and I tried to not let that get to me. I also tried not to notice how devilishly attractive he was looking in a simple white t-shirt (why was he always wearing white t-shirts!?) and black jeans.

I let out a small sigh and smiled. “Thanks for cheering me up,” I told the guys, who looked pleased with themselves. “Now, when we get in there, don’t let me down and if you guys stuff up, I’ll hit you. Got it?”

Before the boys could answer, the driver pulled up to the venue, Hyde Park. I could see the backstage area we had to go to, and as soon as the driver opened the door, I barked out directions.

“C’mon boys! Out, out, out! We’ve got things to do, lads!”

“Yes mam!” Harry and Louis saluted at the same time, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

---

Despite the fact that we were half an hour late, things seemed to be running smoothly. The boys were immediately directed to hair and makeup, and I was able to get the driver to pick up Nandos for the boys and something for myself, but with no sauce, as I didn’t want to get it on my dress or for the boys to get it on their clothes. The boys were out by six fifteen, and they were now free to either join the festival or wait around for a few hours before they had to go onstage. Liam and Louis were meeting their girlfriends backstage somewhere, so I imagined they were off doing their own thing. Zayn and Harry had gone off to meet Cher Lloyd and Little Mix, doing God knows what. So left was me, Niall and Angie, and while I had no idea what Niall was doing, Angie and I planned to go to the fashion show.

Because none of the boys were with us, we weren’t able to sit front row but instead in third, which I was fine with. As I was settling into my seat and waiting for the show to begin, Angie nudged my shoulder.

“Yeah?” I asked, looking up at Angie. She nodded in the direction in front of me, and with surprise I noticed Niall sitting in the front row, by himself. What was he doing here?

“Let’s join him,” Angie announced, and before I could reply, she was already moving, taking a seat next to him while I watched, dumbfounded. With a sigh, I followed her and sat in the only place that I could sit that didn’t have a designated name on it, on the other side of Niall.

Niall still wasn’t talking to me, and honestly, I hated it. I missed our silly conversations and our flirting and our sweet kisses. Why did there have to be conflict between us?

Angie knew of the updated details between Niall and I, so we awkwardly talked around him as we waited for the show to begin. In ten or so minutes, the room was quietening down and the lights dimmed, signalling that the show was about to begin.

I wanted to focus on the clothes so I could bid on them, but the only thing I was aware of was Niall’s quiet breathing next to me, his warmth radiating off his body as we were sitting so close that I could feel it. I may or may not have pushed our seats together. For no reason, really.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Niall lean forward and study the models, and to my horror, one of the models had caught Niall’s attention. I knew this was true because she did something that made my blood boil, she winked at him. Winked. At Niall. My Niall.

Wait. What was I thinking? Niall wasn’t mine! Nor did I want him to be mine! Didn’t I? Or did I just admit to myself that I, Cassidy Lane, like Niall Horan?

Oh, God. What had I gotten myself into?