Give Me Love

An hour after my shower, I was feeling good again as I pushed this morning and the dream out of my head.

I opened the curtains and let the sun pour in and flood the room with it’s bright rays and I started vacuuming a bit. Claire was hardly ever home and I was stuck to do everything if I wanted a clean home. It was such bullshit, but I’d rather not live in filth. And now I had new friends who I might possibly want to invite over, anyways.

As the vacuum was roaring away, picking up any dirt or grit left behind, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

Hey sexy x

It was from an unknown number… quite peculiar, if you ask me. I simply ignored it and went about more vacuuming. Then there was another vibration.

You’re funny ;) x

Unknown number again… what the actual fuck? I was getting somewhat creeped out and then I got a flood of messages, all from unknown numbers.

Hey babe, up for a skinny dip tonight? xx

You’re scrumptious ;) xx

You smell

Do you like turtles?

Are you a parking ticket? Cause you’ve got “fine” written all over you ;) xx

Come get some Nando’s with me

You’re quite cheeky

I had then suddenly realized these were four unknown numbers and some of these phrases seemed quite familiar. I decided then to send one large group text to all four of the numbers, having a very large suspicion of who it was.

I know it’s you, you fuckers. Piss off because you can’t fool me x

Five minutes after I sent that text I had finished my vacuuming and the house looked spotless. I was actually very pleased with myself and how my cleaning habits were making this house look extremely orderly.

I took a seat on the sofa and turned on the television. Although, I would much rather have been going for a stroll around or doing something outside, but it was way too hot to even bother to do anything. Even sitting outside not being active, it was still too hot so I settled on watching a movie instead.

Five minutes into the movie, the doorbell rang. I walked over to it, suspecting it was Claire since she hadn’t bothered to come home last night, but instantly smiled when I saw who was at the door.

“We’re devastatingly bored and we’ve come to crash here,” Zayn announced, walking in and the rest of the four boys following, Niall being last to step in my house.

“Have you cooked yet? I’m quite starved and parched. I could do with a nice steak and beer, yeah?” He questioned, actually looking curious.

I’ve got to hand it to him, those beautiful blue eyes and that gorgeous blond hair with those brown roots topped off with that adorable curious look in his eyes, he was one of the cutest things I’d seen. Whenever he smiled and laughed he could instantly get the rest of the room to do the same, Niall was just able to cheer you up without even saying anything, and for that I instantly loved him from the start.

“We haven’t gone out for pints yet and I’m craving some drinks, the rest of the boys said they were as well,” he continued.

“There’s some in the fridge, go and help yourself,” I said, adding a smile at the end.

“Thanks, Ef. Would anyone else care to chug some with me?” Niall asked, leaving Harry and Louis to raise their hands.

“Zayn, Liam, are you sure you don’t want some?” I asked, I thought they might have felt sort of funny, but we were all friends here and I didn’t mind giving them some. It’s not like Claire was ever home anyways and I wouldn’t sit here and drink it all by myself.

“I’m not in the mood to drink right now, maybe later on. Liam can’t drink, he’s only got one kidney so he plays the safe side and refrains from drinking,” Zayn answered, sort of shocking me with his answer.

“Liam, you only have one? What happened?” I asked, genuinely curious to find out.

Liam had explained his whole childhood experience about it and how he went through everything and decided to not drink when he was older and how he believed that to be the best decision for him.

We had all sat around some of us drank a bit, but not even enough to get us tipsy or buzzed, but just enough to make us feel good. We just sat there watching the TV but then talking about everything some more and just hanging out. Harry even decided to spark up a game of “I Spy” but it ended in laughs when Liam couldn’t quite describe his item too well, giving out clues that sounded quite…well, perverted. “I spy with my little eye something pink. I spy with my little eye something pink and wet. I spy with my little eye something pink, wet, and squishy.”

We all rumbled into laughter and Liam innocently looked up totally confused, pondering what he did wrong, “What? Guys, why are you laughing? I was only describing the plush pillow that Niall put in his mouth before when he pretended to be a dog!”

Our laughter continued on for a bit more and eventually died down, and then Zayn finally explained to poor Liam who sat there so lost in his own innocent daze. “You’re all just a bunch of cheeky pervs!” He said, smiling a bit and getting sort of red in the face at his description.

“Aw, Liam! You’re blushing,” I said, chuckling a bit as I pinched his cheeks in between my fingers.

While we all sat there, still somewhat chuckling over the fact Liam didn’t understand what he was saying, I heard the door slam open and I got sort of alarmed.

“I’ll go check,” I said, being extremely scared but feeling responsible to take charge since it was my house.

“Are you insane? What if it’s a murderer for real, or something and they’re trying to kill us? Sit down, I’ve got it, I’ll go check whatever this shit is,” Harry said, sticking his fists up a bit so his biceps became larger.

Hello.

“I’ll go with you man, I’ve got this, I can fight those fuckers off,” Niall announced, taking charge as well as Harry.

Still feeling sort of responsible and worried something might happen to the boys, I slowly crept behind them, praying it was nothing.

As we traveled slowly towards the entry way of the door we saw Claire pop out with a “BOO!”
Both Harry, Niall and even as well as I screamed, while she just seemed to laugh, obviously completely fucking hammered and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was high off her ass on E or something like that.

“Who’re these fine looking lads?” She asked, throwing herself onto Niall, who scoffed at her mixture of alcohol filled morning breath. “He’s my favorite,” she said, laughing and ruffling her hands through Niall’s hair.

Before she could do anything else, I took Harry by one hand and Niall by the other and pulled them next to me. “These are my friends Claire. Harry and Niall. I also have three others in the living room, but I think we’re going to get going now. Wouldn’t want to disturb you and the rest of your friends,” I nodded to the doorway, spotting three other guys and a girl carrying a six pack of beer.

“No, you should totally stay and join our awesome party,” she said, her words completely slurred. My cousin was had absolutely stunning features and don’t get me wrong, I did believe she was beautiful. Her auburn hair and green-grey eyes, to top it all off her tanned perfect complexion, she was just stunning. While she was absolutely gorgeous on the outside, the way she presented herself made it hard to see who she really was on the inside thus making it hard for someone to really fall in love with her, or even like her as a person. The way she carried herself was a huge turn off and just totally awful. I had no problem with people drinking and smoking, but when they made it their life 24/7, they seemed to look quite foolish doing so. You couldn’t get to truly know a person if they were drunk or high all the time, it just didn’t work.

As Claire ran straight for the kitchen, giggling, her happy, carefree drunk persona turned to rage in a flash. “Where the fuck did all my alcohol go?”

She stormed out of the kitchen and into the living room, where I heard her accusing the rest of the boys of drinking due to the fact that she saw the rest of “her” bottles resting on the table. “Who said you could have my fucking drinks?”

I ran to where she was and told her that I had gave them the permission and that I would go out and fetch her some more. “We’ll be leaving now, yea boys? I’ll go get you some more beer, don’t worry Claire,” I consoled, trying to actually convince her but not quite positive on how to.

“Be back soon, I need some more fast,” she said, her words still slurring and her breath being shot across my face. I instantly had to turn my head because it was so incredibly gross.

“CUH-LAIRE! Are you gonna keep us out here all day long now?” Bree, Claire’s friend shouted.

“No dear, come sit with me! My other darlings, come make yourselves at home as well,” she shouted, sprawling herself across the couch. Her legs wide open so that you could see her knickers under her tiny micro mini skirt.

“It seems your cousin has gone completely mad,” Liam said, just watching her laugh and lay upon the couch.

“No Liam, she’s just too wasted to give a shit about anything right now. She’s forever wasted and totally unaware of what she’s doing. That’s just her, and she’s been this way for the last four years I’ve known her,” I send back to him, leading all of the boys out the door.
“I’ll go get you to get some beer, then?” Harry asked, touching my arm and trying to console me. He saw how embarrassed I’d been, that she had stormed in like that while we were having a great time. How ridiculous she had acted without having a single fucking regard for anyone but herself.

“She can wait until later. I’m really sorry about that, honestly. It’s terribly embarrassing. I don’t even know what to say,” I said, my cheeks turning pink. The boys told me it was fine and there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Niall came straight up to me and gave me a huge hug and then pulled away and looked at me, “This doesn’t change the way we see you. Just because that’s your blood cousin, doesn’t make you her. We’re all still friends here, right?” He asked, gesturing to the boys. They all gave me sweet smiles and replied with, “Of course!”

While these boys could be some of the cheekiest pricks I’d ever met, they were just as well some of the most sweet, caring lads I’ve ever met as well. And for that, I knew then we would definitely all be able to be friends and depend on each other with things.

****

I’d been hanging out with the boys nonstop for the entire week and it had been a blast. They made me laugh all the time and they always kept my mind off of things I didn’t want to think about.

It was scorching hot outside, and I was at Harry’s house with the boys in the air conditioner. That invention is truly one of the most beautiful things on this planet, I swear to you.

“Haz, you’ve got nothing to eat in this house, do you ever go shopping?” Lou complained from the kitchen.

“Mum has been cramming with all her extra work so she’s been on a tight schedule and I sure as hell am not picking my arse up to do so,” he said, lazily scrolling through the channels on the television.

“Well, I think it’s about time you do because, for lack of better words, I am fucking starving,” Louis bluntly said, which made me laugh a bit.

“Come on Harry, you drive and I’ll go shopping. I’ll even cook for you guys tonight because I’m just that wonderful,” I announced, which led to Niall and Zayn grabbing hold of my legs and thanking me, since they apparently hadn’t had a proper cooked meal in a week. They claimed they were “in good need of a meal that didn’t leave them deprived.” They were ridiculous so I just tutted at them and shook my head.

As we got into Harry’s car, he put on the radio and flipped to a station where “Kiss Me” by New Found Glory was playing, and he instantly blasted it. He began belting along to the tune even.

“Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight, lead me, out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance, silver moon sparkling. So kiss me!” His voice was absolutely extravagant as he hit all the notes, and then began drumming on his steering wheel and doing the ever so famous head bang along with the song and he looked like he was genuinely having fun so I thought to myself, Hell, why not join in?

“Oh, kiss me! Beneath the milky twilight, lead me, out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand, strike up the band, make the fireflies dance, silver moon sparkling, so kiss me! So kiss me!” And I threw my hands up and flailed them everywhere, not really knowing how to dance but not caring anyways because his dancing hadn’t been any better. We just sat there smiling, singing and dancing along to the song and having a good old time. When the song ended Harry made a kissy duck face at me and we both started laughing hysterically, to the point there were tears in my eyes.

“Oh gosh, that was a good laugh, my stomach is hurting so bad right now,” I said, still laughing a little.

“Same here,” he said, chuckling back.

We had finally made it to Wal-Mart and our laughter had died down by then and we stepped in the store, getting ready to pick up food, snacks, and anything else we decided to get along our way.

We picked up most of the necessities first hand but then he started to mess around with me, thinking it was funny. He took one of the world’s ugliest hats, a hot pink fitted hat with a humongous puffy light pink bow to the side, and slid it on my head. It felt super tight and the thick strings from the bow blocked my eyes so my vision was blocked.

“Well, you like quite, erm, unique,” he said, ruffling his hand through his hair laughing quietly, his famous smirk spreading across his face.

“You know you want this, Styles. You can’t turn me down with such a ravishing hat like this,” I said, batting my eyelashes some and then smiling coyly at him. I even twirled a piece of my hair around my finger, because I had read that it made you seem cuter to a guy. Although, I wasn’t trying to seduce Harry or make him see me as cute, I just thought it would be funny to mess with him.

I felt like he was becoming something more to me, and I couldn’t even imagine this was in my thought process since it’d never been there before and I was kind of scared to admit it, but I felt like he was becoming a best friend. I’d never had one and I’d always been afraid to open up. The more a person knew, the more they could use against you, make fun of you for, make you feel like shit with, judge you for; I was just afraid of all of these negative things that could happen that could possibly leave me alone and hurt.

I was beginning to trust Harry with more and more every day, and it was scaring the fucking shit out of my honestly.

I was close with the other boys as well, especially Louis which was a given from the start, but Harry kept talking to me more and more, making me feel more safe around him. Zayn was still quite mysterious in ways, but he talked to me much too. Niall I loved so much, he was always there to make me laugh and he was great to have a conversation with. The stories he had to tell, they were actually quite incredible. I always loved when he told me about the things him and his buddy Sean did growing up, they’ve had some pretty wild adventures. Liam was so sweet and I felt like he was such a genuine guy. Watching him with Danielle too, it kind of basically restored my faith in love and relationships, knowing there were still gentleman out there like Liam.

Some guys think it’s okay to be a total douchebag and still get the girl. The sad part is, that’s usually how it works today, anyways. Even when a girl knows the guy is bad or doesn’t treat her right, she still takes it because she loves him. Or maybe she doesn’t and thinks she does. I don’t really know because it depends on the situation.

I remember reading in one of my favorite books, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, “We accept the love we think we deserve.” And as humans I felt like that’s exactly what we did, accept the love we thought we deserved. Sometimes our expectations we had set, didn’t really match up with reality and I guess that really scares me too in ways.

“Ef, we gotta get on line, you there?” Harry said, waving his hand in front of my face.

“Ok then, let’s go!” I said, snapping out of my trance and back into the real world. I get so lost in my own head, sometimes. “Race ya!” I shouted.

We raced all the way to the front of the store and I beat Harry by five seconds, since the idiot bumped into a lady along the way. I laughed and danced a victory dance at the register.

“I let you win, anyways. I wanted to stop and say ‘hello’ to her since she was pretty hot. I thought I might give it a shot,” he said, in his always deep voice.

“Very clever, Styles. Good try, but I know you’re just being a sore loser and you hate the fact I beat you,” I finished, sticking my tongue at him, only for him to take his thumb and index fingers and grab it.

I tried to say “Ew” but it came out more as an “Awu,” since his two fingers currently controlled my tongue. I swatted his hand away and we both started laughing. “If I get sick, I’m blaming those germy hands. I can only imagine where they’ve been,” I said, instantly regretting the words, knowing he was going to turn it dirty. All he had to do was look down at himself and then back up to me and wink.

“Wow, so original,” I muttered, winning a laugh from him.

I tried to pay for the groceries, since I had picked out most of them while he watched, but he wouldn’t let me. “They’re for my house, why would you think to pay for them?” He argued, pushing my money away and handing it to the cash register employee.

“I did pick out most of it,” I mumbled, looking at the floor feeling sort of bad he had just spent a great amount of money on food.

“Oh shut up,” he said, carrying most of the bags, only giving me two of the twelve we had. It was incredible that he could carry ten bags, but then again he had very long arms and big hands. At least they put something to use.

We loaded up the car and then got into our seats and buckled up. The radio wasn’t as loud as it was before, now it was just some faint background music while we talked about random stuff.

“Where do you plan on going once you’re allowed to leave here?” He asked, eyeing me through his mirror.

That was a good question to ask because now that I was enjoying being here, I hadn’t given it as much thought anymore.

“I’m, I’m honestly not-not too sure…” I stammered, at a complete thought for words. “I mean, if you would have asked me two weeks ago, I would have probably said California or anywhere I could just clear my head and be by myself. I didn’t have much to worry about. Claire isn’t much to me, my mom doesn’t really give two shits about me, no relationship with my dad, no friends, I didn’t really have anything, to be honest. Then, I met you guys and now I feel like I grow closer to all of you each and every day and I don’t want to leave you guys, just yet. I’m having fun,” I answered truthfully smiling at him.

“Yet?” He asked, smiling back.

“Oh come on, Harry, you know what I mean,” I said, looking down at my hands. I had hoped he wasn’t going to make me admit it, that I wouldn’t have to say that dreadful word out loud.
“I’m actually a bit stumped, why don’t you spell it out for me?” He said winking at me, telling me he was going to make me say it.

“Idon’twanttoleavebecausenowihavemadereallygreatfriends,” I said, all in one shot, hoping he would make it out and translate it into the proper, clear English.

“Come again?” He asked, fucking with me now but I figured I might as well get it over with and stop being a pussy and just admit it. Admit it to him, to the inside of the car, and to myself.

“I don’t want to leave, I’ve made really great friends and I’d be sad if I had to go so soon. There, I said it,” I said with a pout. Harry gave me the biggest smiled and said back to me, “I’m happy you want to stay, I don’t want you to get yet for long time. And neither do the other lads.”

When we reached the house, Harry and I got out of the car unloading the bags. He thought he would be funny by saying to me, “Thank you for that glorious time we just shared together. I will forever treasure it.”

I smirked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Oh of course you will, especially when I fell in aisle three because I didn’t bother to pay attention to the ‘Wet Floor’ sign,” I retorted back, earning a laugh from him. I had never seen this laugh before but I thought it was adorable. He laughed really loud and then basically realized maybe he shouldn’t have laughed and then would cover his mouth. That only ended up making me laugh, not exactly preventing it.
“You sure you don’t want to come hang out for now?” Harry asked, eyeing me into the eyes to make sure I was okay.

“Yes, Harry, I’m sure. I’m just a bit tired so I’m going to go lay down for a snooze or nap or something. I’ll set my alarm for around 5PM and then get up to make dinner for you guys, okay?” I asked, making sure it sounded good with him.

“Sounds good,” he announced, walking over to his house, “See ya later then.” In his low, slow voice.

I waved by at him, set my alarm on my phone, and ran inside the house to “Dreamland”, the only place I knew I could never truly be hurt because I could simply just wake up from the bad situation or whatever pain would come. What sucked was knowing the relief would only last a mere second since I’d only be waking up to the reality of everything, and that usually was no better.

Today was different though. I went inside, genuinely tired and easily fell asleep. No tossing, no turning, just a peaceful, no nightmare slumber.

And by the time I woke up to prepare the boys’ dinner, I couldn’t even remember the last time I had felt so refreshed and rejuvenated. I felt like I was ready for anything, and I wanted to keep that feeling for the rest of my life.