Let's Pretend It's Love

“Miss. Miss. Miss,” a voice exclaimed as she felt someone nudging her side, harder each time she turned away in hopes of whoever it was would leave. She didn’t care if she wasn’t home – she would bloody damn well sleep on the bus if she wanted to!

She pushed her palm in her face, and with what she was sure were blood-shot eyes, blinked blankly at the man dressed in uniform in front of her. She had been peacefully napping in her little part of the train, near the back.

“Yes?” she asked, almost wincing at the sound of her voice. She sounded dead – disturbingly so and she pretty much felt like it as well.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the middle aged man spoke with a subtle lisp, a forced smile on his lips as his eyes glanced to the door, an annoyed look on his features as he furrowed his eyebrows. “We’ve been getting noise complaints from your cabin. We’re going to have to ask you to put the volume on your phone a bit quieter,” he spoke firmly, tilting his head as if he were about to shake it at her.

Her nose flared for a second and confusion combined with sleep muddled her brain until she realized that she’d been listening to her sleeping playlist on her iPod so she wouldn't have been able to hear her phone when it was ringing.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, batting her eyelashes and sniffling a bit as the 25 or 27 year old shifted from leg to leg – Rhianne had that effect on people, especially men.

“It’s all right just make sure it doesn't happen again,” he all but chastised her, making his way to the door as his worn fingers wiped at the brass buttons of his navy blue suit.

His heels clicked despite treading upon carpeted floors and the door slid shut behind him with a soft click. She wrinkled her nose and pushed in one earphone in her left ear, pulling her hair back and tucking it in when she heard her phone all but shriek – nearly making Rhianne piss her pants with surprise.

Her fingers yanked the earphone out carelessly, fingers shoving and pushing and pulling, searching for the bedazzles phone that was emitting Brittany Spears at a nose level that could’ve possibly started a couple of avalanches if they were anywhere near the mountains. She unlocked it quickly, sliding her finger across the large screen, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. She looked out of the window from her seat in the cart to make sure someone hadn’t walked up to the door to complain about her once again.

I’m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic?, Brittany wailed once more before Rhianne bought the phone to her ear, resting her light brown head of hair against the wall.

“Hello?” she breathed out, clearing her throat a bit nervously. She knew who was calling her and she just hoped he wasn’t cross with her for not picking up yesterday and today when he’d called. She just needed a little time to move her things out from her parents' place and get onto the train was all – she might as well have lived in another country from how far she lived away. Plus, only one person was cheeky enough to go into her own phone and personalize his own contact.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied once more, almost giddily now as she forced herself to bite down on her lip to hold back a giggle. She almost scolded him, almost let the words slip out of her mouth but she didn't feel up to the flirting game. She wasn't sure what was up with her today, but she was excited to see him later on. Really, she was but instead she let the yawn slip out of her mouth and let the sound carry over to him.

“I’m sorry, I’m not avoiding you,” she blurted and made a ghastly face as soon as the words left her mouth. Why on earth did she have to say that?

“No, I know I’m hard to miss,” he joked, sending caterpillars crawling around her stomach. “Sorry I woke you.”

She could hear the chuckle clearly over the hone but his words were crinkled, distant over the top end of her phone. She closed her eyes and saw the caramel colored eyes that she had missed for a while.

“No, don’t be – I was just waking up,” she lied, a small smile playing on her lips as she rolled off of the mini bed and let her body fall onto the soft carpet. She reached, her fingers stretching to touch the chair over in the corner.

“You’re not as good of a liar as you think you are,” he said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Ignore the first two calls – the boys were just asking to see what time the jamboree was – that and they really felt like bothering some Zeta Girls.”

“Did you call me because you missed me?”she teased him, playing with the ends of her hair as she wondered when she was going to get her next trim. Her split ends were absolutely disastrous.

“I did actually, don’t be so surprised,” he shot back with a slightly offended tone, smiling widely although he was sitting alone on his couch, flipping to random channels on the telly. “Perhaps I should let you get your rest, princess. I don’t want you falling asleep when you’re supposed to be kissing me hello,” he joked, making Rhianne open and close her mouth a few times since she had no way to respond to that.

“Liam Payne!” she scolded him as she listened to the melodic rhythm of his laughter on the line. “Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping you quite pre-occupied.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”



She sighed as she unzipped the last of her bags and put up her dresses in the closet – getting that done before she unpacked all else. Her books were stacked as they were when she’d left in the middle of the summer. She sighed moving her wavy hair to the side as she pulled her lacrosse stick to the side and bought out her outfit, dressing quickly and grabbed a little beanie just in case it got windy and her ears got cold. It was almost the middle of fall but it wasn’t all too cold yet so she thought she would be safe with her creamy colored dress and her bag.

A lot of the girls had arrived during the middle of the day, around noon and a couple of the Zeta girls and some of the other sororities were already moving into the houses down at the block. The university was so large and had so many tracks and societies that one of the classes helped to fund a part of the campus – a whole street of large houses for honor track students and of course the sororities and fraternities.

“Are you going to finish unpacking later?” asked Emma, leaning against the door, dressed and ready with a small smile on her face as Rhianne slid the lipstick across her bottom lip, puckering up quickly.

“Yup,” Rhianne answered cheerfully. “Here let me fix your cat eyes,” she said, beckoning Emma over to the wheelie chair at her desk and quickly, almost expertfully re-doing Emma’s make-up. She didn’t do too much but she did do it with a certain finesse that left her friend almost dazed.

Emma blushed slightly in the mirror, fluttering her eyelashes as she tested out her look for the night. “Love it,” squealed Emma as she stood and clicked her heels together before following Rhianne out her room. Rhianne shrugged, “How else do I get by as leader of the Zetas?” she joked.

Emma shouldered her lightly, rolling her eyes as she pulled her hair back off of her shoulders. “By making us hot chocolate and making us do study sessions,” she laughed.

Rhianne rolled her eyes. “Oh please! You manage yourself better than I could and Elise is too smart for her own good.”

“Are they coming soon?” asked Rhianne.

Emma nodded, “Yeah, in a few minutes too, I think. I just wanted to help set up a little bit.”

Rhianne laughed shrugging. She didn’t mind spending some time with Emma as they all walked down the pathway of the gardens to get to the field where the jamboree would be taking place. The bonfires were already in place, the bright embers blazing as the sun started to set, leaving the sky only with pink tones and purple hues. The jamboree was a tradition at the University of Westminster and would allow all of the sororities and fraternities to mingle and mix. There was usually live music or at least a DJ somewhere, lots of food and of course – lots of drinks. Usually it was the Zetas and Omegas who were ruling the jamboree as they were the sister and brother sorority and fraternity.

“I think I’ll go help out with the food. I’m starving,” Emma said excitedly. Rhianne didn’t mind being abandoned as she saw a boy in a Jack Wills sweater, making his way over to her.

When they were at arms length – just a few hands away from an embrace, Rhianne attached her lips to his, knowing that he had prepared something witty to say – she’d seen his mouth forming words as he’d walked over. She wasn’t in the spirit to have her heart stolen from her chest before the night had even started.

“Hmm,” he hummed, sweeping his lips over hers in a soft kiss, his fingers pressed against the curve of her back and his palms brushing against the nape of her neck, making her hairs rise against her will. He pulled away slowly, his thumb leaving traces where his lips should’ve continued as his thumb went from her lips to her chin to her collarbone. “I like you promises,” Liam grinned, not saying anything else as she ran her fingers through his short hair. She giggled, showing off her one dimple on her right cheek as she marveled at his haircut, still petting him until he leaned into her palm, closing his eyes as her touch was warm and something he’d missed as long as she had been gone from his side.

“So do I,” she agreed as she stayed in their embrace, letting herself lean against him as he in turn leaned against the bark of a tree near.