Learn How to Play the Game

There was a movie on the tv and Niall was stuffing his face with popcorn, Liam was watching the movie intently and Louis was texting on his phone. I looked across at Zayn who’s head was rested on my shoulder as I was surfing the internet his eyes were drooping and it looked like he was about to fall asleep. I glanced over at Harry who had been scarily silent the entire afternoon instead he just watched Zayn and I together when he thought I wouldn’t notice. It was beyond strange but if Zayn had noticed he didn’t let it phase him. I clicked on an article that had my name tagged and my eyes widened. Growling I tossed the pillow at the back of Harry’s head and he scrunched his face up at me before picking it up throwing it back at me, I opened up twitter and saw we were trending.

“Fucking great,” I sighed clicking on #DirectionersBelieveInStlonroe.

#DirectionersBelieveInStlonroe Just look at them together!

Look at the pictures, Harry is only happy in one of them! #DirectionersBelieveInStlonroe

I bet Taylor is fuming at those pictures and how we are so supportive of this relationship #DirectionersBelieveInStlonroe

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked and I growled again

“Everyone believes we are back together.” I rubbed my forehead groaning, “you better get ready for a phone call from your girlfriend. Great it’s going to be like when we broke up all over again when they find out it’s not true.”

They look just like they used to back in the days before #Haylor and #MostConfusingBreakUpEver happened. I hope this is true #DirectionersBelieveInStlonroe

“Why do they think that?” Harry asked grabbing his laptop off the side and opening up safari and googling us.

“Central Park.” I told him and he groaned, “guess we should know better huh?”

“We’ve always been so bad at it.” He sighed, “fuck they do look bad don’t they?”

“What?” Zayn looked confused and I pointed at the screen, “you look like a couple.”

“It’s bad isn’t it?” I pursed my lips, “my twitter is going crazy.”

Harry is with Blair. Harry isn’t with Blair. Harry is with Taylor. Harry is with Blair. What is going on? #MakeYourMindUpStyles

You are such a bitch. He’s Taylor’s leave him alone! #BlairsASlag

It was as I read the last tweet that Harry’s phone started vibrating at the table. The whole room went silent and looked at the phone with Taylor’s name flashing up on it. We just stared at it until it rung off, I looked over at Harry who had gone white and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Just answer the phone Styles, we haven’t done anything wrong.” I gave him a small smile and he nodded before standing up and answering the phone.

“Hey. Yea. Sorry. I was in the toilet.” He scrunched his eyebrows together at his bad lying.

We all watched him leave the room before the boys all spun to look at me.

“So you and Harry.” Liam grinned.

“I expected better of you.” I pursed my lips together, “these three I kind of expected it from, but you. I’m saddened Li.”

He rolled his eyes and I looked at their awaiting faces.

“Nothing.” I told them, “honestly. We’re trying to be friends. That is all.”

“So no feelings?” Niall scrunched his eyebrows together, “not even a little kiss?”

“Nothing guys.” I sighed closing my laptop, “we talked.”

“Talked?” Louis raised an eyebrow, “you and Harry talked?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“You and Harry were alone and you talked?” he clarified and I rolled my eyes.

“Yes. How is this so hard for you four to grasp?” I shook my head, “this is what you’ve all wanted. You wanted us to try to be friends and we are.”

“You might not be when he comes back in.” Zayn remarked and I sighed, “she’s probably having a go at him.”

“Not probably. Definitely.” I rolled my eyes, “I told him but he didn’t seem to care. This is Harry.”

“That boy really doesn’t care does he?” Louis mused.

“Maybe he learnt that from you.” I grinned and Louis rolled his eyes.

“You do have boundary issues.” Liam agreed, “you always push the line of acceptability.”

“He does.” I nodded, “always has. A right little tear-a-way he was.”

“And you were a saint.” Louis snorted, “it’s your fault I woke up in an airport.”

I pursed my lips together as the others looked at me curiously.

“I wanted to go to Amsterdam.” I told them and they sniggered, “in my defence I was drunk and didn’t realise they didn’t fly over night. If they had though we’d have had a fucking great time and you would have hailed my plan as legendary.”

“Instead of an epic fail.” Louis nodded and I laughed.

“We had good times.” I mused.

“We still do babe.” He grinned and I nodded.

“The best.” I looked around and grinned momentarily forgetting the mess I was currently in.

Jenny

I pressed answer and held the phone away from my ear.

“Please tell me it’s true! Please tell me you and Harry finally got your shit together!” she yelled down the phone and all the boys chuckled.

“We’re just friends Jen.” I told her and rolled my eyes at her hum of doubt, “we are.”

“Well body language expert lady says you two are still loved up.” She told me.

“Oh well. If the body language lady said that then it must be true.” My voice was dripping in sarcasm and she snorted.

“You’re a sarcastic bitch sometimes you know that.” Jenny noted and I laughed, “so no wild crazy Styles sex to tell me about?”

“Nope.” I chuckled, “none of that.”

“Ah, that sucks.” She groaned, “when it happens you have to ring me and tell me all the nasty details. He’s an animal in bed isn’t he? I bet he is. He has that look. You could climb him like a fucking wall.”

“Jen.” I interrupted.

“Sorry.” She laughed.

“You need to get laid.” I told her and she made a sound of agreement.

“It’s just he’s so fucking beautiful.” She sighed and I laughed.

“He is still my ex, you do know that right?” I rolled my eyes and all the boys were listening to my side of the conversation completely baffled.

“I know but it’s Harry Styles. Therefore it’s alright for me to still drool.” She laughed, “god the things I would do to that boy.”

“Jen.” I reminded and she laughed.

“Niall too actually.” She sighed, “he’s fucking hot. Not sexy. I doubt he’d be quite as animalistic but he has a glint in his eye. He plays guitar. He could play me any day.”

“Jen.” I coughed.

“Sorry.” She laughed.

“It’s more awkward cause he’s in the room I think.” I chuckled and she let out an explosion of laughter.

“He didn’t hear that did he?” she asked.

“Nope.” I laughed, “you’re dirty secrets are safe with me.”

“What dirty secrets do you think they are?” Niall asked Louis and he shrugged.

“It’s Blair though so I assume it’s pretty dirty.” Louis laughed and I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Alright Jen, as much as I have loved hearing your nasty fantasies I really should go try and work out how to diffuse this situation.” I told her.

“Okay. Don’t fuck up too much!” She told me happily and I laughed.

“I’ll try.” I grinned, “please go find someone to have sex with.”

“Will do!” she laughed, “love you.”

“Love you too,” I grinned hanging up, “she’s precious.”

“So those nasty fantasies?” Niall grinned and I laughed.

“You are far too adorable to hear such dirty words.” I pinched his cheek and he glared at me, “oh, even glaring you're are cute as a button.”

At that moment Harry walked in looking sheepish rubbing the back of his neck with is hand.

“How bad?” Louis asked.

“She is on her way here.” He bit his lip.

“Fuck it. I’m off to Amsterdam!” I declared and they laughed including Harry.

“Cause that worked out so well for you last time.” He rolled his eyes and I bit my lip.

“You remember that?” I cocked my head to the side.

“I remember everything.” He grinned winking at me and I shoved him playfully.

“Clean thoughts Styles, clean thoughts.” I rolled my eyes, “I have a feeling world war three is about to break out if I remain in the same room as you.”

I walked over to the door to leave only to open it to find Taylor on the other side.

“You.” She pointed at me, “I knew you were trouble.”

“I’m not trouble.” I stepped back from her and Louis snorted with laughter so I glared at him.

“Taylor.” Harry reached out and grabbed her shoulder, “let’s just talk yea?”

“What about Harry?” she cocked her head to the side, “we broke up last time because you couldn’t stay away from her.”

I bit my lip and stepped back into Zayn’s embrace out of pure awkwardness.

“You and her are all loved up.” Taylor glared at Harry, “you love her.”

“Taylor.” He sighed.

“You want him back don’t you.” She spun to me, “I’ve seen it ever since I met you.”

“Harry and I are over.” I told her.

“Then what the hell are you doing holding hands with him?” she asked and I pursed my lips together.

“It wasn’t like that.” Harry sighed, “we were just talking.”

‘Why?” she asked, “why would you do that? I asked you not to.”

“It’s hard.” He bit his lip

“You either want to be with me or not Harry.” She put her hand on her hip.

“We need to do something.” I whispered to Zayn, “she needs to stop seeing me as a threat.”

“You are a threat though aren’t you?” he mumbled into my ear.

“No.” I shook my head, “I’m not. We need to help him.”

“Just go along with this yea?” he mumbled.

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Taylor.” He stepped forward away from me but held my hand, “you need to calm down, if I’m not freaking out why would you be? They’re trying to clear the air. Put it behind them.”

“Why would it matter to you?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Blair and I are seeing each other.” He bit his lip before looking over to Harry, “sorry mate, I was going to tell you before but.”

He scratched the back of his neck as the other three gasped like we were a television show that they were watching.

“You and Blair?” Harry gestured between us, his eyes wide and my heart was hammering in my chest.

This wasn’t right. He really believed it and he looked so hurt. He wanted to be with Taylor though and I wanted to be allowed to be friends with him. I stepped forward and Zayn wrapped his arm around me and as much as I didn’t want this I really wanted Harry back in my life in some way.



“So you and Zayn?” Harry pursed his lips together.

I opened my mouth but Zayn walked in wrapping his arm around the back of my chair and placed a kiss on the side of my head.

“Hey you.” He grinned and I smiled softly.

“Hey.” I leant my head on his shoulder.

“Right.” Harry nodded and stood up walking out of the room.

“Shall we just tell him?” I bit my lip looking and Zayn who shook his head.

“No.” Zayn bit his lip and looked at his hands, “Perrie has a new boyfriend.”

“She does?” my eyebrows shot up and he nodded, “who?”

“Max George from the wanted.” He mumbled and I bit my lip, “him B. Of all people.”

“Oh.” I shook my head wrapping my arms around him, “that is unfair. Why do you need to fake date me though?”

“I want to make her jealous.” He looked at me, “I want her back Blair. I’ve thought about it long and hard and I want her back.”

“Do you really think making her think we’re dating is the way forward?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“I think so.” He sighed, “look I’m not asking you to start telling people we’re together. But you saw how mad Taylor was when she saw those pictures of you and Haz.”

“That’s different though,” I sighed, “Harry and I have history.”

“Don’t you want him to be jealous? To feel how you feel when you see him with Taylor?” Zayn asked and I pursed my lips together, “I get you haven’t decided whether you want Harry back or not but I’ve made my decision about Perrie.”

“He might end up hating me for this though.” I nibbled at my lip trying to think what he was asking of me through.

“I’ll tell him it’s fake when you’ve made your mind up.” He promised, “I’ll tell him it was my idea and that you were doing me a favour.”

I sighed and looked at my feet.

“You did it to save him from Taylor didn’t you?” Zayn nudged me. “You want him to be happy and you think she does that.”

“He told me she does.” I told him.

“This would make me happy and help you have a friendship with Harry without her getting in the way.” Zayn gave me a small smile.

“I’m not kissing you.” I told him, “that’s weird.”

“Is that a yes then?” his smile started to grow and I sighed.

“Yes.” I shook my head, “I have a bad feeling about this but yes. We can try this stupid plan of yours.”