Crooked

All thoughts of Niall rumoured to be my girlfriend were forgotten as the boys hastened to warn me about Simon.

"Try to be as calm as possible," Liam instructed while I ran my fingers through my hair and tied it into a high ponytail.

"Yeah, he'll notice straight away if you're nervous," Zayn added.

"Don't feed him bull, he'll see through it," Harry told me. "The number of times I've tried to lie.."

"Haz, that's because you're a terrible liar," Louis told him affectionately, patting his mass of curly hair.

I smiled at the two. If they weren't straight, they would be totally cute for each other. I'd pay cold hard cash to see them kiss or something.

"Remember the time you told him you tried to tell Simon you got arrested?" Niall but in, a smile appearing on his face as he thought of the situation, "that was too funny."

I grinned, remembering when Louis and I were stuck were in the jail cell. He was so nice, and charming. However the smile on my face faded when I remembered why I was put there in the first place.

The car suddenly stopped, and I realised where we were.

"You ready?" Liam asked me, resting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, and the six of us climbed out of the limousine with thankfully, no one in sight.

"Woah, no fans," I muttered, stretching my arms and legs. "Thank God."

"Mmm," Harry mumbled, stretching like me, "don't get used to it. It's rare moments like these when we actually get a chance to stretch our feet with no one around."

We headed into the building where Simon was located, and after Zayn signed us in, we all headed up to the tenth floor where Simon's office was. Finally, the receptionist there called my name and I stood up, nervous as hell.

"Cass," Niall squeezed my hand, "chill out, okay? You'll be fine."

"Thanks Niall," I smiled at him, and made my way to his office, knocking twice before I heard a sharp British voice say, "come in."

I opened the door to find Simon himself sitting at his desk, looking tough as shit and mean as hell. I knew there was a nice guy in there, judging from the few times I had seen him on X-Factor, I just had to find it in the right way.

"Sit down, please." Well, at least he was polite.

I sat down on the chair, just realising on what I was wearing; my all black super ninja outfit. Damn it, I bet Simon thought I was a spy or something. Or an agent. Actually, if he thought I was an agent that'd be pretty cool, although I'd have to have some sort of badge or something ...

"So who are you, exactly, and what are you doing with the boys?"

"I'm Cassidy Lane, I'm eighteen and basically I'm here because I'm sick of my family pushing me around. My best friend Angie lives here, in England, and she thought of the idea to get me to move out here so I could be free from my parents and let me do my own thing. But the only way to do that was to have some sort of cover, so I could still take their money because I'm poor." Now I was just rambling, but I had to tell the whole truth, like the boys had said. "I met Louis in jail. And it would have been the end of that but then Niall paid for my bail and I was forced to thank him and then somehow I roped him into my idea of letting me be their assistant or something. I don't really know. But all I know is that now I'm here, I don't need them to cover for me anymore. So really I'm good." I crossed my legs and looked down at my jeans.

"So you don't want to be my assistant then?" Simon asked me, forcing to look at him. "From what I understand, you're poor and you need some money."

"Actually I'm taking my parents money, so I'm not exactly poor," I told him.

"But didn't you say you wanted to be free from your parents?" Ooh, Simon stumped me there. Before I could say anything, he went on. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to hire you. As one of my many assistants. You'll get paid well, don't worry about that. I have one assistant for each of my acts on my label, so you'll be the assistant for One Direction. How does that sound?"

I smiled at him, "you're making it sound like I don't have a choice."

He chuckled. "Of course you have a choice, but why would you turn down a job where you get paid very highly plus have the chance to be with your boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend?" I asked blankly.

"Niall, isn't it? You two make a fine couple. I approve."

---

"How did it go?" Zayn asked cautiously as I stepped out of the office with Simon in tow. I didn't answer. On one hand, I was happy that I had a job, a good paid one to be exact. Simon even mentioned that I could bring Angie along if I wanted. On the other hand, Simon thought I was dating Niall.

"Boys, meet your new assistant!" Simon said excitedly. Or maybe that was sarcasm. I couldn't tell with British people.

The boys all let out a simultaneous whoop, and rushed towards me with open arms.

"One Direction hug!" Louis yelled, and I let out a strangled scream as I felt Niall's arm wrap around my waist and Harry's arm around my shoulders. This felt like one weird hug, but for some reason I hoped it wouldn't be the last.