Let's Pretend It's Love

Her denim shorts clung to her legs tightly as she sloshed in her ballet flats up the stairs. Holding her hand tightly, the blond haired Irish boy trailed behind her, keeping his eyes on the floor dutifully. “If you look at my arse, I swear I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Eh, I’m a respectable Irishman. I would never stare at your arse unless you have me permission,” he replied.

Lola rolled her green eyes as the crested the steps. “I’m going to go change real quick. You can wait out here if you like.”

He nodded as Lola disappeared. She stumbled into her dormitory room, scrounging around for a dry pair of clothes. On the chair in the corner of the room, hung several pairs of trousers, but it was too warm for those. She wanted something she could dance in, something she could slip in and out of easily if it came to it.

A vague humming sound shattered the silence of her scrounging in her room and she knew almost immediately that it was her cellphone ringing from her discarded trousers from a few hours ago. She hopped over her satchel of books, her ballet flats flying off her dainty feet. Elise’s name appeared on the screen right before she answered. “Elise, I have an emergency.”

“I swear to God that if you have sex in our dorm room, there will be a conflict between us. That is not alright with me, Lola. You don’t even know him!”

Lola rolled her eyes again. “I wasn’t going to tell you that I was going to have sex with him. Even if I was, I wouldn’t tell you. Where is that skirt you wore the other day? The one with the yellow and red flowers.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to wear it, duh,” Lola answered with a sassy edge. “Niall threw me into the pool and I’m in desperate need of something cute to wear so I can hopefully distract him from my terrible running makeup.”

“It’s hanging up in my half of the closet,” Elise said with a huff before she hung up the phone.

Lola smiled as she slipped out of her denim shorts and her camisole and into the floral skirt and a bright yellow tank top. She combed her hair hastily before she straightened up her make up, or attempted to, in the mirror by the dresser she shared with Elise.

Once she realized that her makeup was a lost cause and the mascara that leaked underneath her eyes was a permanent acquisition to her face, Lola opened the door and immediately smiled at the shy look that Niall shot at her. “It took a bit longer than I expected. I couldn’t find any clean clothes.”

It was an obvious lie and as soon as those words left her mouth, she felt bad. She’d only just met Niall Horan from the Omega frat house and she’d already started off whatever relationship they had with a lie. She considered telling Niall that she’d lied, but decided against it when he smirked. “You look lovely, Lola.”

She dipped her head. “Why thank you. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee down in the kitchen? Or would you rather go back to the party outside?”

He shrugged easily, lifting his shoulders and letting them fall. “I’m not really in a partying mood. Coffee sounds lovely.”

Lola stuck out her hand for him to take as she led him back down the stairs. She narrowly avoided the wet spots on the wooden stairs as she carefully took each step one at a time. The influence of the alcohol made her head a tiny bit dizzy ash she watched her bare feet. “So.”

“So.” She heard Niall’s response behind her as the reached the bottom floor. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m afraid I didn’t have time to eat before the rest of Omega started the party. It doesn’t help that we didn’t have much notice either.”

“Who exactly through the party?”

Niall shrugged as she watched him sit down at the bar in their kitchen. “I don’t rightfully know. It kind of just happened, really. There wasn’t much planning except that Louis really wanted to help make the bonfire. Other than that, it was just thrown together.”

Lola fought a giggle when he leaned over the bar island and brushed his fingertips against her wrist, but she couldn’t resist the blush that appeared on the apples of her cheeks. “Was there anything you were in charge of?”

He smiled again. “I was in charge of the drinks. I bought all the alcohol.”

“There was a lot there. You must have quite a bit of money,” Lola commented lightly as she poured hot water over the crystalized instant coffee. It foamed quickly as she stirred the crystals until they dissolved into coffee. “Black or cream and sugar?”

“Black. I need something to counteract the alcohol.” Niall smiled lightly at her. “I’m sorry for pushing you into the lake, Lola. I don’t rightfully know what came over me.”

Lola shrugged as she gently pushed the striped coffee mug towards Niall. “It’s quite alright. I was just shocked at how cold the lake was. I expected it to be warmer than it was, but I suppose that’s all you can really expect for August in London.”

“Is your hair naturally that red?” he asked randomly.

She brushed her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Aye, I
was indeed.”

“It’s nice.”

“Nice?” she asked, feigning incredulousness.

He immediately backtracked, stuttering a response. “That’s not- I didn’t mean...I think it’s beautiful.”

“Well now, you don’t have to lie.” Lola winked at him before she meekly sipped the nearly boiling coffee. “It’s not the best coffee, but it’s what I can afford.”

“Afford?”

Lola nodded. “My parents don’t support me so I have to make a living so I can buy food and nice things. My life isn’t exactly easy at home.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d rather not ruin the mood of the party,” Lola responded quickly and without hesitation.

He smiled again. “You mean our party of two? It’s not exactly lively. Two people drinking coffee while all of our friends are partying and dancing and drinking outside isn’t exactly how I’d like to spend a weekend night.”

“I’m sorry I’m boring you then,” Lola hissed. She set her coffee mug down by the sink and turned on her bare heel to walk up the steps. “I’ll let you go back to your more lively friends outside so I don’t bore you to death.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Niall protested. She dodged him as he rose to grab her arm. “I just meant that this isn’t the scene I usually play in. I’m usually the one drinking a lot and being loud, but...things have been hard for me lately and I much prefer this. I like how quiet things are between us.”

“Between us?” she asked hesitantly.

“Maybe that’s not the right way to put it,” he murmured. He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “I meant that there isn’t any drama between us as of yet and I like that. It’s just two people becoming friends, yeah?”

Lola nodded and took her cup into her hands again. “Yes.”

They turned their heads quickly when they saw Rhianne walk into the kitchen of the Zeta house, a slight frown on her face. “Is everything alright, Rhianne?”

She nodded shortly. “I was just checking up on you. Is everyone else upstairs?”

Lola shrugged. “I think so.”

“Alright then.” She turned on her heel and disappeared back outside, making her way to the party.

“She seems bossy,” Niall muttered around the coffee mug.

“She’s really not. She’s just...maternal, that’s all.” Lola smiled at him before they both turned to their coffee, silence enveloping them again.

Oh, the simplicity, Lola thought as she snuck a glance at Niall.