Lost in London

"Where have you been?"

Reilly's best friend, Lexie, appeared on her computer screen as she pressed the button to accept the Skype call. Her tone was demanding and her expression was one of concern. Reilly sighed visibly, not making the smallest attempt to hide it.

She had been home for hours, and had spent the entire afternoon doing homework and drinking insane amounts of water to rehydrate herself in an attempt to feel normal again. It worked to an extent. Her brain finally felt like it was its usual size, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of not being able to recall the events of the night before. What if something had happened before the boys found her? What had she and Fallon fought about? A hundred unanswered questions floated through her head.

"I've been trying to call you for hours, but you weren't on until just now. I was seriously freaking out. I almost called your dad," Lexie said.

"Don't call my dad, ever, Lex," Reilly said. "It's not like he'd care if I was missing anyway. He actually might be happy, because it would mean he wouldn't have to pay for my school anymore."

Lexie sighed. "Where were you?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

Reilly pushed her long, wet hair over her shoulder. "I have so much to tell you," she said.

She went on to tell her friend what she could remember of the night before, and then went into the events of the morning. Lexie interrupted her several times for clarifications and further explanations. By the end Reilly felt more out of sorts than she had that morning waking up in a strange place.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Lexie said after nearly a full minute of silence. "You got into a fight with your bitch sister that you can't really remember, and you got blackout drunk and were picked up by a group of five boys who could have potentially raped, tortured, and murdered you, but were actually just really nice guys trying to help out a girl in need and you spent the entire morning and early afternoon with them and then just said goodbye?"

Reilly squeezed her eyes shut tightly and then opened them again. "Yeah, Lex," she said.

"You didn't think to try to be friends with any of them? I mean, you didn't want to give your number to the one who asked for it. Are you sure you're capable of normal human interactions?"

"No," Reilly replied as her phone started ringing.

"Who's calling you?" Lexie asked.

Reilly reached for her phone. 'Niall' flashed across the screen, along with a phone number she didn't recognize. With a sigh, she turned it around for her friend to see.

"Who's Neil?" she asked.

"Niall," Reilly corrected her, "is one of the boys I met this morning. Er, last night. Whenever."

"I thought you didn't get his number?" she asked.

Reilly shrugged. "I didn't. One of them must have put it in my phone while I was passed out, or something," she guessed, putting her phone down and pushing it to the side.

"What are you doing?" Lexie demanded. "Answer it!"

"No. I'm talking to you."

Lexie rolled her eyes and leaned closer to the computer screen. "There's a probably really cute boy with a sexy British accent calling you and you want to talk to me, instead? You can talk to me any time."

"Niall isn't British. He's Irish, I think."

"Your kinfolk. Even better! Answer!" Lexie exclaimed.

She shook her head as the ringing ceased and the call went to voicemail. "Too late," she said. "And why do you just assume that he's cute? He could be a troll," she paused for a moment. "Or a leprechaun. He could be four feet tall with pointy ears. You have no idea but you assume he's cute."

Lexie giggled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Well, you're right. But I assumed you would have told me if you met a real leprechaun," she said. They both fell quiet, each taking the moment to consider what the other had said. "So, is he?" she asked.

"Is he what?" Reilly asked. "A leprechaun?"

"Or a troll?" she said with a laugh. "No, I meant, is he cute?"

As if someone knew she didn't want to answer that question, Reilly's phone rang again. She reached for it and rolled her eyes when she saw Niall's name flashing across the screen again.

"Is he?" she asked again.

"Oh, look," she said turning the phone around so her friend could see it. "He's calling again."

This time, she answered it when she turned it back around. It was the only way to avoid the question her friend was still repeating. It seemed to be the lesser of two evils at the moment.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi, Reilly?" he inquired.

"Yeah," she said.

"Hi, it's Niall," he said.

"Yeah, I know," she told him. "Someone put your number in my phone. Do you know anything about that?" she asked.

"No," he said. "I know that probably sounds like a lie, but I really don't. Is that why you didn't pick up before? You didn't want to talk to me?" he asked.

Reilly closed her eyes, suddenly wishing she hadn't answered. "No, that's not it. I'm just talking to my friend from home. She was worried about me because I missed our regular Skype time earlier, because, well, you know."

"I'll let you talk to her, then," he said.

"No," she said quickly. "It's fine, Niall. She doesn't mind. I talk to her all the time."

On the computer screen, Lexie had her chin resting in the palm of her hand, focusing on something other than Reilly while still repeating 'is he?' incessantly. Reilly shook her head at her friend and laughed softly.

"Okay. So, are you okay?" Niall asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better. I think I drank about a gallon of water," she said. "I still don't remember anything, so I guess that's not coming back, ever. Well, not until the next time my sister calls me and tells me what a horrible person I am."

Niall sighed quietly, but it was loud enough that Reilly could hear it. "I don't know what to say to that," he said.

"It's fine," she said.

"Listen, I have an idea. I'm starvin'. Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked her.

The question caught Reilly off guard. "Um," she began. "I don't think that's a good idea," she told him, even though she was also starving, having not eaten since shortly after the boys had dropped her off.

"Why not?"

She was silent for a minute, searching quickly for a good reason to give him. What came out was ultimately the truth. "I have to get up early tomorrow. I have classes all day," she said.

"Oh," he replied. "Maybe another time?"

"Maybe," she replied.

She had become distracted by Lexie. Her question had progressively gotten louder. And what had previously been somewhat amusing, had suddenly become obnoxious.

"Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he? Is he?" she repeated.

"YES, he is!" she shouted at her friend. "God, Lexie, will you shut up?"

Regret set in the moment the words passed her lips. Lexie's jaw dropped. And Niall was in her ear questioning what she talking about.

"Are you talking about me?" he asked.

"No, I'm not talking about you," she lied.

"Reilly Quinn, you are a damn liar," Lexie shouted. Her voice came loud enough through the computer speakers that Niall heard her.

He laughed the most adorable laugh Reilly had ever heard in her entire life. "What am I?" he asked. "I think I like your friend. She sounds cool."

"I'll give you her Skype info," Reilly said. "Listen, Niall, I should really go and get some sleep."

"You're just trying to get me off the phone so you don't have to tell me what you said about me."

"Very astute," she said.

"I'm going to call you tomorrow night," he said.

"I probably won't answer. I have classes literally all day. I won't get home until late."

Niall sniffed. "Well, you must have a break during the day so you can eat," he said. "You do eat, right? You hardly ate any of your toast this morning."

"My stomach was queasy this morning. And I already threw up on your shoes once, I didn't want a repeat performance all over your couch or in Harry's hair. I assumed you didn't want that either, or Harry, for that matter," she said. "I have a break around one for about an hour," she added, answering his initial question.

"Then that's when I'll call you."

"Niall," she said with a soft sigh. "You really don't have to do that. I'm fine. I'm alive. You did your good deed already and then some."

"Good deed?" he asked, obviously confused. "Is that what you think this is? I'm trying to be your friend. Is that okay?"

"I, well, when you put it that way, it would be kind of rude if I said no. So, I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said.

"Thank you," he said. "Good night, Reilly."

"Good night," she said, and ended the call.

Lexie stared at her through the computer screen. "You threw up on the leprechaun's shoes?" she yelled. "You didn't mention that part."

Reilly rolled her eyes at her friend. "Next time I get a phone call while we're talking, you're getting muted," she said.