Study of Life and Love

Sidney

“I’m going to be knocked out from this study load. Literally.” Leila hefted the large book into her arms while I stood beside her patiently. My own International Humanitarian Law textbook settled in my arms.

We fell into step with the crowd slowly leaving the lecture hall.

“Do you want to study the tutorial questions before the class tomorrow?” I asked Leila, already going over ideas in my head.

“Yes, that would be so amazing. How about I answer the first two and you do the last two questions tonight and we can switch and discuss tomorrow at JoJo’s café around lunch?” Leila asked as we stepped out of the building and into the sun.

I nodded at her, slightly distracted by the smiling boy who was looking directly at me.

“Sidney?” Leila smacked my arm for attention.

“Yeah, lunch is good.” I turned to her, nodding quickly.

She laughed and waved me off, throwing a wink Niall’s way before heading across the Great Court.

“Hi.” I beamed at Niall.

His blonde hair was pulled back into a backwards snapback, a small tuft of the blonde poking out of the hole. He had a Nike backpack slung over one shoulder, pulling against the loose black singlet he wore.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Just finished a tute, thought I would wait for you, while I was around.” He shrugged, reaching out to grab the textbook from my hand.

“You waited around?” I asked, a smirk crawling along my face. “You waited around in front of the law building while your class would have been in Arts across the campus. Near our houses?”

Niall blushed, his eyes focused on my textbook. “So, I walked over here to spend time with you.” He mumbled out.

I laughed and linked my arm with his at the elbow. He turned to smile at me and we fell into an easy step together.

“So what are you learning in International Humanitarian Law?” Niall asked me, reading the title from my textbook.

“Um a lot about the Geneva Convention and the rules of war. How law fits in with it all. This week was focused mostly about how ethically okay it is to kill someone in war or combat. How far does the law allow people to kill before it becomes a lawful murder?” I told him, thinking over the tutorial questions I would have to study before tomorrow. “How was your class?”

“Eh, wasn’t much. Mostly spent the lesson learning the new computer programs the University installed this year. Can’t wait to start filming with the recording equipment they finally bought us. Our head of school has been asking for more money for the course for years. And we’re the first year that gets to use it.”

We skirted around the soccer fields where Niall called out to Liam and Louis who were practicing by themselves.

“Be home for dinner tonight Ni!” Louis called out before racing Liam back to the other end of the field.

“Dinner?” I asked Niall who waved me off with his free hand.

“Some meeting of Louis’ or something.” He told me, completely dismissive. I let it go and allowed him to lead me onto our street, past Cromwell house.

Camden was heading out of the house, ear buds in his ear and running shoes on his feet. He nodded at Niall who lifted a hand in greeting.

“You’re still friends with him.” I glared back at Camden until he rounded corner. I was still furious with the marks he had left on Caydance, even if he had a purple eye from her.

“Not friends. I’m just keeping the peace. I’m not interested in hating anyone or feuding and all that other crap.” Niall told me, walking straight past his own house.

“If you don’t like feuds why did you join a fraternity then?” I asked Niall.

Fraternities and Sororities were known for their competitions with each other which more often then not led to long standing feuds between houses. As long as it had been recorded the houses Kings and Emmanuel never got along. They were bred to hate each other in their first weeks as part of the fraternity. It was just how it was meant to be.

“I join Kings for a whole hundred other reasons that do not include feuding and alliances. The pranks however are fun to pull.” Niall smiled at me, trying to bat his eyelashes innocently. I laughed and pushed his face away before we stopped in front of Grace.

“What are you doing now?” Niall asked, his eyes staring up at the white house.

“Studying.” I gestured to the law book in Niall’s hand and reached to take it from him.

“We could study together?” Niall offered, allowing me to take the book.

“You want to study with me? Actually study?” I asked, thinking Niall was joking.

“Yeah, I want to spend more time with you and you want to study so I can do that too.” Niall already started walking towards the house. I hurried to catch up, opening the door and letting him in before me.

There were a few girls wandering around, some on the stairs, others in the kitchen. I waved as I passed and let Niall into the back study room. Only two other girls were using the area. I dropped my book onto the closest table. Niall frowned.

“I thought we would study in your room?” Niall asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Rules of the house. No boys allowed in bedrooms.” I told him taking a seat while Niall still stood there, put out.

“This was not the type of studying I had in mind.” He grumbled before dropping his bag to the floor and falling into the chair opposite me in a heap. His expression clearly disgruntled.

I stifled a laugh and grabbed a notebook and pen from my bag before flipping through the textbook to the chapter we had started discussing in class.

Niall lasted a couple of minutes before hefting a huge sigh and pulling his laptop from his bag.

I smiled down at my book when Niall’s foot gently touched mine before entwining itself around my own feet. I let him play footsie while my attention zeroed in on the textbook.

After a few pages Niall tapped the paragraph I was reading with my own highlighter. I looked up at him in annoyance before seeing him gesture to my left where Riley stood.

“Riley. Hey, what do you need?” I asked the young blond.

Her hands were joined together in front of her, twisting in a nervous motion.

“I have a question.” She said, her eyes shooting between Niall and me.

“Did you need to go somewhere private?” I asked her, concerned.

“No, no! It’s okay.” She said hurriedly, holding her hands out. “I just had a question about winning the scavenger hunt the other day.”

I nodded at her to go on.

“Well you said that when we won we become a permanent member of the sorority now and we couldn’t get kicked out unless we broke proper rules right?”

I nodded again, wondering where she was going with this.

“Well does that rule still apply to no dating in the first semester?” She asked hurriedly, her words tumbling out of her mouth and her cheeks darkened red.

Niall snorted into his hand across from me. I kicked him under the table for his lack of tact.

“Sorry love, but yeah that rule still applies. It is kind of one of the major rules within the sorority. You still can’t date until after the first semester.” I told her gently. She only looked slightly disappointed but nodded anyway and took a step backwards before hesitating.

“Is there something else?” I asked her.

“I uh actually wanted to ask about something I had heard. A- a person told me about um a bet that some of the fraternity boys did with Grace freshmen.” Riley looked increasingly nervous and her eyes slid over to Niall. She was getting flustered and I reach out to touch her arm calmly.

“I don’t specifically know of any bets. The boys never give you a straight answer if you ask, but if someone is harassing you for a date Riley then let me know and I will deal-”

“No, no, no one is harassing me. It was just something I heard and I was curious about. That was all.” Riley began taking steps backwards. “Thanks anyway, have fun studying.” She rushed out of the room and Niall chucked after her.

“Liam wouldn’t be in a bet to get with Riley would he?” I asked Niall seriously. I didn’t want her to get hurt.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Niall responded, his eyes focused back on his laptop. The only willing minute of studying he had done in the last half hour.

“Niall.” I pleaded.

“I can’t tell you anything about bets or those type of things. You know that Sid.” Niall responded firmly.

I sighed and gave in, understanding. There were some secrets that I had to keep about Grace too.

“I don’t want my girls getting hurt.” I muttered to Niall, trying to focus back on my textbook.

He sighed and slouched down in his seat further. “I can’t tell you anything Sid. But I-I shouldn’t have to. You know Liam and you know what type of person Liam is.”

I frowned down at my book and conceded to Niall’s words. He was right; I did know Liam. Not as well as Thea and Caydance but I still knew him enough to know that the type of person he was wouldn’t do this to a freshmen. At least that’s what I was hoping for.

-

There was a high screech ripping through my speakers across my room, startling me from sleep. My heart rate rocketed and I breathed in deeply trying to control the thumping of my heart.

The screech had scared the crap out of me and was still ringing around my room. Wincing, I jumped out of bed, rushing over to the stereo before I woke everyone else. The sound was deafening in my room and was probably carrying through the door.

I stumbled blindly in the dark to the stereo, noticing that the power light was on and the time on the screen showed me it was two am. I reached for the dial to turn down the noise but it didn’t change. The screech continued and the knob made no difference. I jabbed the power button but it still wouldn’t turn off.

In a panic, I grabbed the remote next to it and tried to press buttons. Nothing was working.

I jumped at the bang of my door as it was shoved open. The screeching became louder and I realised it was coming from outside of my room as well.

“It’s not just yours. Everyone’s won’t stop screeching.” Rhiannon yelled at me, her hands covering her ears. The noise was worse outside of my room.

Worried, I followed her out of the room as girls were rushing out of their rooms on all levels. Slamming their doors shut behind them to try and stifle some of the noise. But there were too many stereo’s both personal ones in rooms and the larger ones in both the kitchen and entertainment area.

I was at a loss for what to do until Caydance ran up the stairs towards me, fuming.

“It’s Louis! Louis is out front!” Caydance yelled at me, her voice, amazingly, reaching higher tones then the screeches.

I rolled my eyes and headed past her down the stairs.

“Everyone out the back!” I called out while the girls ran down the stairs. Some had already run out the front. I grabbed Thea’s arm, she had been smart enough to wrap a dressing gown around herself.

“Get everyone to go out the back. They want us to run out the front.” I told Thea before letting her go and marching towards the front door. I stormed outside to be met with all the boys from Kings and about half the girls from my own house outside in the cold in nothing but their pajamas. Other houses were starting to come out, wondering what the commotion was.

“Out the back girls.” I yelled out, the screeching still echoing in the house. “Call it off Louis!”

“Why, when there is such a nice view.” He yelled back, his face smug, a remote in one hand.

Caydance rushed past me in black panties and a purple shirt, tackling Louis to the ground. The two scrabbled with each other, Louis pushing his hand against Caydance’s head trying to push her away while she grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged, the other hand reaching out to grab the remote Louis was stretching away from himself.

Niall stepped forward to take the remote but I moved quickly, tripping him out of the way and diving for the remote myself. I ripped it easily from Louis hand and immediately hit the power button, sighing in relief when the screeching finally stopped.

Caydance slumped forward, half her body still on top of Louis while she held a hand up to high five me. I complied with her, grinning at the smug look she sent down to Louis.

Her face turned to surprise when Harry appeared in front of her to offer her a hand up. She took it gingerly and watched, perplexed, when Harry shrugged his sweater off and offered it to her.

She took it slowly before slipping it on; an actual blush spreading across her cheeks while she mumbled her gratitude.

“I’ve never seen you so furious.” Louis laughed, still lying on the ground next to where I sat.

“I was sleeping.” I hissed at Louis, slapping Niall’s hand away and climbing to my feet myself. I had grass stains on my long flannel pajama pants from sliding across the ground to get the remote.

Niall only looked half-apologetic but the sincerity of the look was ruined by the chuckles that kept rolling out of his mouth.

“S-sorry, but y-your face.” Niall doubled over and began laughing harder.

I glared and reached out to smack the back of his head.

“Are we safe to head back in?” Thea walked out from the side gate where she had made sure all the girls had gathered. Her dressing gown was wrapped tightly around her while she walked barefoot towards us.

I realised, by watching her, how cold my own feet were.

“You look really cold. You should head inside.” Louis stepped towards Thea who shot him a distrusting look and took a step back.

I shared a confused look with Caydance, who seemed to want to laugh while simultaneously burying her face in Harry’s sweater, which almost reached her knees.

“Did you do something to the inside of the house while we ran out?” I looked at the house, wary.

“What no! That was all; the prank is done.” Louis defended; folding his arms as if he was offended that we didn’t believe him.

“You know I have to say, this prank was pretty weak for your standard,” Caydance commented innocently.

Louis turned to gape at her. “I’ll have you know this is just the beginning. We gave you an easy one but there will be more.”

I groaned at Louis and Caydances’ stare off with each other.

“Get everyone inside Thea. I need more sleep.” I grumbled as she turned towards the backyard.

“I could always keep you company.” Niall sidled up to my side.

I placed my palm on his chest and pushed him away, making him stumble a few steps backwards into Zayn who grabbed his shoulders. Niall looked at me, faking a wound on his chest.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re a dick. You could have warned me today.”

Niall smirked in response while Zayn wrapped an arm around his shoulders, a matching smirk present on his face.

“I could never rat out my lads Sid. They’re my brothers.”

“Well your brothers have cost you a sex life.” Caydance cut in, linking her arm through mine and turning me towards the house.

I flushed darkly and allowed her to lead me into the house where everyone was slowly walking back towards their room. Eyes already drooping closed.

“Is that the remote they used?” I looked towards a third year sister, Rebecca, who was the houses go-to-girl for anything electronic.

I nodded and threw the remote at her. “Go to bed and deal with it tomorrow then let me know how you go.” I instructed her before walking up the stairs with Caydance.

“Whose sweater?” Thea ran up the stairs beside us.

“Harry’s.” I told her while Caydance scowled and headed off to her own room. I shared a smile with Thea before continuing up to the next flight where my own room sat.

I sighed happily when I saw my bed, shutting the door behind me and heading straight towards heaven.

Until a tap at my window made me pause but there was just silence so I continued on until another tap. Groaning and ready to kill Louis, I stormed towards the window and pushed it out as another pebble flew up, narrowly missing my head and landing someone on the ground behind me.

I glared down at a sheepish looking Niall.

“What do you want?” I hissed at him, hoping my glare was scary from this high up.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let-” Niall burst into giggles before he finished.

I couldn’t help but smile at his childishness. “Niall!”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He laughed up at me. “Come down and sneak me in.”

“What? No!” I shook my head at him firmly. “You’re not allowed up here.” I added.

“No one will find out.” He replied, pleadingly.

I shook my head again. “No. Now go home and go to bed, I’m tired.” I was sure that anyone below my window would be able to hear us talking.

“But I didn’t get a kiss before.” Niall pouted up at me.

I flushed, remembering Caydance’s comment before she had dragged me away.

“I swear if you go away and let me go to sleep right now, I will kiss you as much as you want tomorrow.” I promised him, only half regretting the decision when the wide smile spread to his eyes.

“That better be a promise.”

I groaned, ignoring the flush that now spread down my neck. “Only if it doesn’t interrupt classes or studying.” I warned him.

“I’m holding you to this Sidney Erin Hooper.”

“Go to bed.” I laughed, stepping away from the window and pulling it closed behind me before falling into bed, a giddy smile plastered across my face.

-

“Sid, do you have time to talk before you leave?”

I turned to Thea standing in my doorway. There was a nervous look on her face. It made me pause. Thea had never been hesitant before talking to me.

“For you, of course.” I smiled at her, dropping my bag and sitting down on the end of my bed to pat the spot next to me.

She shut the door and joined me. “I was just wondering if you or if you know if Caydance at all has told Louis to be nice to me at all?”

I stared at Thea in surprise. I wasn’t expecting that question.

“I know that you know and Caydance knows and probably a whole lot of other people know, that I like Louis and he’s just been incredibly nice lately and paying attention to me and I’m worried that one of you told him thinking you were doing the right thing. I’m not angry if one of you did, really I understand that you might have thought it was a good thing to do but it just kind of makes the whole liking him thing worse if, you know, he’s actually paying attention to me.” Thea finished her ramble with a deep breath and looked at me expectantly.

I took my time before answering, carefully choosing my words when I remembered Caydance’s theory about the soccer game. That Louis let the ball in for Thea, though he wasn’t aware, which I honestly couldn’t believe, not from the Louis I know.

“I can say that neither Caydance or I have said anything about your feelings for Louis to him or told him to act towards you in any certain way. And all I can say for Caydance is that she has an idea about Louis that doesn’t have a lot of evidence or is exactly foolproof. And what I can tell you is that I’ve known Louis for a long time, we’ve done the University experience together and he is a nice guy, a great guy, and he is always there for me when I need him.” I paused for a moment, gathering my words again.

“But he can also be a prick. I mean you saw it last night with his pranks. He can be stuck up, sarcastic and way too confident in himself. And on top of all that he’s also a flirt. A massive flirt to the point where it’s got him in to a fair bit of trouble. I don’t wan to dash your hope or say Louis isn’t interested in you Thea because honestly have no idea what or what Louis is interested in right now. But all I’m saying is that maybe you shouldn’t read too much into his actions. Sometimes they can be misleading.” I put a hand on her forearm, not wanting to hurt her feelings but I needed to tell her this bluntly, so she didn’t get hurt later on.

“It’s okay. I’ve realised that he’s a flirt. Trust me. And thank you, for being honest about it. I think I can figure out a way to deal with Louis without pushing my feelings in between us.”

“He can be a great friend if you get to that point.” I promised her, pulling her into a hug before letting her leave.

I considered that maybe I should ask Louis exactly what he was doing with Thea because although I didn’t necessarily believe Caydance’s theory, there were still other incidents between her and Louis that were odd; especially his sudden caring attitude last night in the cold. I didn’t want Thea to get hurt but Louis was also my friend and I didn’t want to hurt him either.

-

“Are you finished studying now?” Niall whined at me when I met him outside of my tutorial class.

I waved goodbye at Leila, allowing Niall to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me against him. My textbook was stuck in between our bodies.

“I suppose I could be persuaded to have a break.” I commented to him, trying to keep my smile as small as possible.

Niall’s own smiled calmed considerably, his face nudging closer to mine until our noses rubbed, twisting to the side and allowing our lips to brush.

“Persuaded yet?” Niall murmured against my lips.

I let out a huff of breath and shook my head, rubbing our noses together again. Niall pressed a firmer but still chaste kiss to my lips before moving his head back.

“How about now?”

“I think your persuasion needs some work,” I said. Pulling my free arm up to wrap around his neck, reeling him in closer. “You’re lucky you are so cute.”

I crashed his lips to mine before he could protest my word choice. He sighed, annoyed, against my lips before his fingers tightened around my waist and he coaxed my lips open with his tongue.

I moved closer, pulling the textbook out from between us before playfully allowing Niall’s tongue to move with mine, gently exploring one another’s mouth.

I pulled back breathlessly, leaning my head against Niall’s forehead, the taste of him still present on my swollen lips.

“You could probably persuade me to study if you keep kissing me like that.” Niall murmured before pulling me back in for more.