A Chuisle mo Chroi

It had not taken long before Zayn realized why I gave him my number; our little stunt we pulled at their concert made the reason crystal clear. He called that very same night just minutes after we got home, demanding to know why we ran off.

Explaining the situation, I had admitted that I didn’t know why Jax was so afraid to meet Niall, but I did, however, have an idea of how to get them to finally meet. Zayn had immediately agreed to help, stating that they were stuck in Brooklyn for another week because of the sudden snowstorm having delayed their flights. We had agreed to meet the following day with the rest of the group, aside from Niall and Jax, at a coffee shop.
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“You ready?” I asked Georgie, pulling my sweater on.

Nodding her head towards upstairs she questioned, “Did you tell Jax we were going out?”

Sighing, I replied, “Yeah, I told her. No response.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, then opening the door, “Let’s go.”

Slipping my hat on my head, I trailed behind Georgie, and waited while she locked up the house. We headed down our driveway, passing our cars and turning onto the sidewalk.

Side by side, we strode down the busy sidewalk in silence, not a single word of conversation passed between us; the only sound that could be heard was the chattering of my teeth as I shoved my hands in my sweater to stay warm and the splash of cars driving over roads of slushed snow.

Tightening the scarf around my neck, I cursed the unexpected weather, but admired the beautiful fleece of white covering Brooklyn’s streets. Having forgotten my mittens, I bundled my hands inside my sweater pockets, seeking even just a sliver of warmth. Peeking out of my periphery, I noticed that Georgie wasn’t shivering or striving to keep warm like myself.

After a few lefts and rights, we turned down the boulevard where I spotted the coffee shop at the end of the lane. I picked up the pace, speedily walking towards the promise of warmth while being careful not to trip; Georgie followed cautiously beside me, her arms out and ready to steady me if I slipped. We must have looked like an awkward pair, scuttling down the sidewalk like penguins, as we made our way to the café.

The soft jingle of a bell rang as I pushed open the door, announcing to the workers the arrival of another valued customer.

Marching straight up to the cashier I ordered, “One large vanilla coffee and a large hot chocolate, please.”

The cashier rung up the order, taking my cash and handing me my leftover change, before directing us to wait at the other end for our drinks. Georgie and I stalked towards the other end of the counter to wait, when I noticed the guys already sitting at a table.

They were in disguise, wearing layers of clothing and huge trench coats, all of them huddled closely together around the table to hide their faces and detract attention, but they weren’t being very inconspicuous and were in actuality, attracting very many curious eyes; I even caught the two girls at the table across from them, eyeballing them suspiciously.

A worker placed our hot drinks on the counter, grabbing my coffee I mixed in three sugar packets before I was satisfied with the sweetness. Spinning on our heels, Georgie and I headed towards the guys and seated ourselves opposite of them. It seemed all eyes were on our table; the people in the café probably imagining they were about to become eyewitnesses to a drug deal.

Ignoring the obvious stares, I turned to them and said, “Hi guys.”

They each mumbled their hellos, not quite as upbeat as they were the night before.

Zayn spoke up, getting straight to the point, “So what’s the plan?”

“Yeah, let’s get down to business,” Louis added, sounding a bit more cheery than the rest of the group.

“Yes, please,” Liam pleaded, “I don’t think I can take another day of this!”

Georgie sipped her hot chocolate, and then asked, “That bad?”

Harry nodded his head, sighing, “He doesn’t leave the room. Not even to eat.”

“And Niall loves to eat!” Liam exclaimed, distraught and concerned like a loving mother for her child.

Louis patted Liam’s back roughly in an attempt to be comforting.

Frowning, I replied, “The same thing is happening with Jax. She stays locked up in her room. She won’t eat anything.”

Georgie patted my back gently, displaying the correct way to pat a person comfortingly.

“So how do we get them to stop acting like this?” Zayn questioned.

Nursing my hot caffeinated drink in my hands, I answered, “We’re going to force them to meet.”

“Force them?” Harry repeated. “How’s that going to work?”

Georgie took over, continuing, “We’re going to trick them by telling them different stories so they can meet up at the same place unknowingly.”

“So what’s the story?” Liam asked.

Leaning forward, I laid out the plan. “You guys are going to tell Niall that you have a photo shoot that came up because you’re all stuck here for another week. Georgie and I will tell Jax that she should get out so she can clear her head and get some fresh air.”

“So simple,” Zayn mused, stroking his chin. “Where are they going to meet? The entire city is covered in snow.”

Shaking my finger, I said, “Not to worry, my friends. Georgie and I know of the perfect place.”

“It’s a little glasshouse atop my work’s roof,” Georgie informed, giving them the location.

“What are they supposed to do when they get there?” Louis asked.

“We’re going to set it up so they can have a picnic,” I declared, smiling.

“Good idea,” Liam encouraged, “Get some food into them while we can.”

Harry scrunched up his eyebrows, inquiring, “But what if they try to run away?”

“They can’t,” Georgie stated simply.

“Why not?” Zayn enquired.

“Because we’re going to lock the door,” I answered.

“Ah, brilliant,” Louis whispered, amazed by the simplicity of the plan.

“So do you guys know what to do?” I asked, taking another sip of my beverage.

They nodded their heads in agreement and understanding.

“Then it’s settled,” I nodded.

“Operation Romantic Glasshouse Picnic is a go,” Georgie reported, naming our plans like always.

The guys burst out laughing at Georgie’s statement; their spirits finally starting to lift.

Louis held out his hand, cupping it around the air, before stating, “We are now ready to commence Operation RGP. Troops, move out!”