All Grown Up

"So you're, like, dating him now?" Ian questioned.

We were both at lunch in a dodgy pub called Stumpy's. It only served the greasiest fish and chips on this planet, but it was damn good. It was right down the block from uni and since Ian was out this way anyway, we both decided to meet up and have a much needed lunch date.

I chuckled, forking a piece of greasy fish in my mouth. "Well, yeah, but I guess we've been dating for a while now."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh really?"

"Yep," I replied, popping the 'p'. "A few weeks after you yelled at me on my balcony we made it official. It was pretty much out of nowhere."

"So does that mean I can pull the big brother card on him and threaten to chop his balls off and give him a pair of cement trainers so he can go swim with the fishes?"

I busted out laughing. I couldn't help it. He was such a nerd. And an idiot. I've spoken to his parents before and we've come to the conclusion that he watches too many old gangster/mob movies and tended to use some of their terminology in real life. It was quite scary to be honest. The way he said them, and he was so serious about it too. To be honest, I had my suspicions that he was a part of a secret London mob.

"Don't ever say that again." I laughed. "People will start thinking you're a part of the London mob."

He smirked. "Maybe I am. You don't know me. You don't know my life."

That made me snort. "Oh, I don't know your life? You live in a flat in Hampstead, you drive a freakin brand new Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV, your parents visit you every two months, you take a little tea with your sugar and cream." He chuckled. "You hate the crusts on your sandwiches and they have to be cut diagonal instead of up and down."

"Okay," he started. "Maybe you do know my life."


Yeah, you can be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You can beat the world
You can beat the war
You can talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up
You can beat the clock (yeah)
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don't wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame (yeah)
And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)
'Cause you burn with the brightest flame (yeah)
And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

You can go the distance
You can run the mile
You can walk straight through hell with a smile—

"Ana!"

"Jesus Christ, Lilly!"

"Niall's on the phone." She handed me the phone and walked off, flipping off the stereo as she passed it. "Jesus fuck," I mumbled. "'Ello?"

"How's my best mate doin'?" He spoke.

"Good. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out with me and the lads and their birds? Perrie said something about taking you shopping with them later, too."

One Direction girlfriends wanted to take me shopping. But I wasn't a One Direction girlfriend. Well, not technically. Not to anyone but me and Harry. He still didn't want to tell anyone. That and he didn't want his management to find out and ruin it for us. So instead of telling everyone, we kept it on the down low and snuck around. The paparazzi had since given up on following me around when they figured out my life was as boring as it could get.

"Um," I dragged out. "Why?"

I can imagine him shrugging. "I don't know, I guess they think you're cool enough to hang out with them."

"Oi! Fuck you, Niall!" I exclaimed, putting down the kitchen cleaner. "I'm plenty cool enough!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. But for real, I'm in front of your flat right now. So come on and get down here. I have Tunnock's Caramel Wafers."

That bastard. He knew those were my weakness. "Fine. Let me get my heels on." I hung up and tossed my phone in my book bag, then slipped on my heels and headed to the door. "I'm going out! Don't know when I'll be back! Call me if you need anything!"

As soon as I got in his Range Rover and shut the door, I turned to him. "Where's my candy?"

"About that," he trailed off. My eyes narrowed. "You wanker! You can't lie to a lass about her favorite candy! You raging twat monster!" I had settled for smacking him a few times instead of actually causing him major bodily harm.

"Ow!" He shouted, trying to block my swinging hands. "OW! OW! OW!"


"Woah, wait, hold on!" Louis exclaimed. "You totally just insinuated that you've been having a thing with someone! Tell me who it is!"

Harry had a pretty good poker face. But now, it faltered. I saw it. It was in his eyebrows. That was totally weird, but that's what gave it away. That's what I noticed anyway. They immediately shot up when he responded with his lie.

"I did not, Lou!" He sputtered. "I'm a single Pringle ready to mingle. I went out just the other night and had drinks with some model that Grimmy set me up with, and then went to a club with Gemma and a girl she's trying to set me up with."

I honestly don't know what his answer stirred up inside of me. All I know, was it wasn't good. It made me feel funny. Just the thought of him with someone else made my stomach hurt. If he hadn't told Louis yet and he considered him a brother and one of his very best mates, then maybe he wasn't serious about us. From what Niall's said, Harry tells Louis everything.

"I've gotta go to the loo," I mumbled to Niall. "I'll be back in a bit."

Ignoring Harry's look as I walked out of the living room made me sigh. Don't overthink this stuff, Ana. Just calm down. After I climbed the many stairs of Niall's gigantic staircase, I went all the way down the hall to the last door on the right.

"Is this worth it?" I asked myself. But is it? Because I don't think it is.

Anastasia Foster @AnastasiaBaby.
Is it really worth it?

Ian King @Ian_King
If you're questioning it, it isn't. Don't waste your time on something that ain't worth it babe. Trust me on this.

Anastasia Foster @AnastasiaBaby.
I might possibly need another lunch date soon Mr. King and it seems only Stumpy's greasy foods can fix my dilemma.

Ian King @Ian_King
Deal! But only if we can get milkshakes and pints after.

Anastasia Foster @AnastasiaBaby.
Greasy foods. Milkshakes. Pints. #yesplease

Soft knocks came at the door. "Ana?"

Harry.

"I'm kind of busy,"'I replied. I wasn't just hiding out in Niall's massive bathroom and tweeting, I was actually doing my business. "I'll be out in a sec."

When he didn't say anything else I thought he had left. But then the door opened and he slipped in, securing the door behind him. I hastily pulled my pants up. "Harry!" I exclaimed. "I had my pants down!"

He smirked. "Nothing I haven't seen before." That made me roll my eyes.

"That's not the point," I said. "Normal people like to go to the bathroom alone."

Instead of waiting for him to answer, I turned toward the sink and started washing my hands. His large hands slipped under my blazer and tank top, ghosting across my sides and resting on my stomach. His lips skimmed up my neck, lingering in certain places. I shrugged him off. It made me feel bad that I did and with the look on his face, I knew it made him feel bad too.

"I have to go. Eleanor and Perrie want to take me shopping," I explained softly. "Sorry."

And with that, I left him in the bathroom.


"Oh my gosh, this would look so cute on you," Perrie gushed. She held up a sheer short sleeve button down floral blouse. It was muted colors, but every now and then there was a burst of purple in a few of the flowers. It was pretty.

"That is adorable," I commented. "Is that a small?"

She nodded. "Yep!" She handed it to me and I thanked her.

Eleanor was on the other end of the store looking at dresses when she hollered at us. "Pez, Ana, come here!"

"Coming!" Perrie shouted back. The paparazzi and fans had quickly spotted us out and about this afternoon and had taken to following us. It got so bad that Perrie had to call her security and a few of them came within fifteen minutes of her calling. The security guys had cleared out the store, like they had all the other stores we went into, and had the workers lock the doors. So we had this huge store all to ourselves. It was quite nice actually. Being friends with famous people had its perks.

"I found us the perfect dresses!" Eleanor exclaimed. She had three dresses in hand. One was a short blue dress that had what looked to be like a snake print on it, the next was a long gown that had nude bodice with a black design on the front and a long black skirt, and the last was a long green gown that had a nude strip going down the middle with green lace and jewels covering the nude fabric. They were all beautiful.

"Oh my god! This is gorgeous!" Perrie snatched the nude and black dress out of El's hands and took off for the dressing room. El handed me the green dress making me furrow my brows. "I have nowhere to wear this, El," I spoke.

"But I thought you were going to the lads movie premiere in a few days?" She questioned. Now I was confused. No one had told me about this. Harry hadn't said anything and neither had Niall.

I shook my head. "I didn't even know they had a movie. Let alone a movie premiere."

"Huh." She shrugged. "Well try it on anyways. Just for fun."

I took the dress and went into my own dressing room. The dress got hung up on the hook of the door and my phone was taken out of my book bag and a text to Niall was opened. Niall would tell me the truth, so it was easier to go through him.

So I just got handed a dress and told that I could wear it to your movie premiere?

Their movie premiere was in a few days. And El thought I was going with them. And I hadn't heard a single thing about it. Either Harry forgot or didn't want to take me as his date. And here it is again; the second guessing. It was like Harry was ashamed of me. Like he didn't want to be seen with me. That was enough to send me back to my old ways. And he didn't even realize it.

Harry hasn't asked you to go with him yet?!

Um no. Wait, why would he ask me?

Why would he assume Harry would ask me?

Maybe because he totally has the hots for you. Ever since we first met in Cheshire, he hasn't shut up about you.

But for real he hasn't asked you?

Oh whatever and no he hasn't. El was the one who told me about it all.

What a raging twat monster!

He's fucking daft! He needs to be whacked upside the head!

I'll take you as my date.

Anastasia Foster, would you do me the honor of being my date to the bands first ever movie premiere the twentieth of this month?

I'd be honored to be your date to the bands first ever movie premiere.

Splendid! I'll buy your dress and everything! Where are you? I'll send Dan with my credit card.

Niall you don't have to. I have my own money.

I don't care, I'm still doing it. Now where are you?

I told him where we were and thanked him profusely. Once he told me to shut up before he drove out here himself and smacked me, I put my phone back in my bag and tried on the dress. It fit perfectly.

Anastasia Foster @AnastasiaBaby.
What is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.