Canon

I stare at Niall silently trying to process what exactly just happened and what did it mean. Niall slowly moves back letting his hand linger for a moment. Neither one of us say a word as we walk back into the apartment. Rose and Zayn come back with bags of chips and candy and toss them down onto the coffee table.

‘So you two have completely destroyed the place, I’m surprised.’ Zayn taunts flopping down into the recliner, ‘Come here Rose.’

I watch on quietly as she slides down into his lap and he wraps his arms around her waist. He leans forward to whisper something in her ear causing her cheeks to grow warm.

‘Do you either of you need a blanket? I’m about to turn the air on for a few. Cool it down a bit.’

‘I’ll take one.’ I nod before Niall opens his mouth.

We were watching Rocky IV as it started to get dark outside. Zayn cuts off the lights and Rose curls up in his lap once again. Niall moves over towards the center of the sofa during the middle of the movie. He stares at the TV but continues to move his body over. I could soon feel his legs brushing against mine as well as his arm rubbing up against me. He pulls the blanket on top of his legs keeping the straightest face. Niall throws an arm around my shoulder and I didn’t think it was actually happening. I felt like I was somewhere watching this take place right now. Like I was hovering my own body right now. I leap through the window of opportunity and toss my legs across his lap. Part of me waited for Niall to throw me off of him in a moment of shock or even disgust but he never does. Instead he rests his chin on my shoulder still staring at the TV. His thumb draws circles in my back every so often. Niall was so close to me that I could practically smell the sweet mini Twizzlers he popped into his mouth. I turn meeting his eyes and he raises an eyebrow towards me.

‘Do you want one?’

‘Unless you were planning on eating them all to yourself.’ I silently laugh as he bites another Twizzler.

‘Sorry.’ He whispers placing the bag of Twizzlers in my hands, ‘you can have the rest.’

‘Can’t believe she fell asleep.’ Zayn turns in the recliner so we could see Rose fast asleep in his arms.

He realizes that I was halfway on Niall’s lap and Niall’s chin rested over my shoulder then shoots us a sly smile.

‘I’m about ready to get out of here, are you?’ Niall murmurs against my ear once the movie was over.

‘Yeah I better head back home anyway.’

‘We’re gonna to head out.’ Niall carefully stands to his feet gently setting me aside on the sofa.

‘Gonna get a room, huh?’ Zayn wiggles his thick crow-like eyebrows with a smile.

‘No, you dumbass.’ Niall answers and I couldn’t tell if he was joking or actually annoyed. ‘Don’t forget that the stupid ass project is due on Thursday.’

‘Yeah, yeah. Get off my damn back.’ Zayn fans Niall off as we walk out of the apartment.

The car ride back to my place was quiet, but a peaceful quiet. I take advantage of the moment of silence by staring out the dark tinted window beside me. All of the stars seemed to have some sort of extra glow to them tonight. The air was warm and inviting tonight, it almost made me want to lay down in grass somewhere and fall asleep.

‘Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Niall walks me up to the door kicking a small pebble up the walkway.

‘See you.’ I nod kissing his cheek in a way that an eighty-year old grandma kisses her six-year old grandson.

‘Goodnight Lizette.’ Niall blinks and I mentally kick myself all across the front steps.

‘Bye.’ I say scurrying into the house and closing the door behind me. ‘Stupid.’ I mutter tapping my forehead, ‘you are so stupid.’

…

The next morning I go downstairs to see my mom perched on top of one of the stools in the kitchen. In front of her was a floral duffle bag, which was the bag she would be taking to the hospital with her.

‘Packing, already?’ I tease pouring myself something to drink and dropping my backpack at the table.

‘I think I should’ve packed weeks ago,’ she laughs looking over at me, ‘we’re nearly at the end of this.’

‘Just two more weeks baby bro.’ I smile lifting myself up from her swollen belly. ‘I can’t wait to meet you.’

‘I have an appointment this morning to check in on my little guy, too bad your daddy couldn’t make it.’ She whispers to the tiny human inside of her.

‘Dad’s not going?’ I question confused, ‘dad always goes.’

‘He left a little early this morning to get a head start at work.’ She answers back stroking her stomach, ‘do you want some breakfast?’

‘No, it’s fine. I’ll just grab something at school.’ I toss the heavy backpack across my shoulder, ‘see you later!’

‘Have a good day Lizzy.’

I climb inside of my car and head out of the driveway. Some of me wanted to wait for breakfast but most of me wanted to get to school to see Niall.

Niall’s Point of View

I pry my backpack from my dad’s unconscious body not caring if I did wake him up. He rolls back over on the couch with a grunt of annoyance.

‘I wonder if you’ll still be there when I come home.’ I scoff walking towards the door.

I grab one of the bananas from the table and swing the door open leaving. To my surprise there was a large SUV cop car parking along the sidewalk. Oh, fucking great – what has he done now? Stole some beer in the middle of the night? Peed on the side of some damn building? The tall man steps out of his car and I started to take in the similarities. You have got to be shitting me. What in the hell does he want?

‘Good morning,’ he sends one of his hands into the air, ‘Chief Matthews.’

‘Yeah I know who you are. What can I do for you?’

‘I just wanted to stop by this morning and have a quick chat with you. About Lizette.’

‘I’m already running late this morning and I have to get to clas-…’

‘It’ll just take a moment.’ He chimes in abruptly cutting me off. ‘I understand that you and Lizette are classmates, I guess?’

‘Something like that.’

‘Lizette has an incredible amount of wonderful characteristics but one of her faults is her poor judgment. Lizette likes to make her own mistakes but I can’t tell you how many times she’s been burned for getting too close to the flame. Like the time she insisted on taking her training wheels off too soon. She was going down the hill too quickly and ended up breaking an arm.’

‘Good to see it healed.’ I attempt to step aside him but the guy follows.

‘The point is, sometimes Lizette doesn’t know what’s good for her and what she needs. Me being her father I always try to guide her down the right path.’

‘Or do you mean push her down the “right” path?’

‘Look, I just wanted to cut the cord on whatever this is before anyone gets hurt. It’s best to end it before things get to serious.’

‘I can’t say that I’m following you, sir.’

‘This is Lizette’s senior year. She has so much potential, there’s numerous college applications flying around for her. She needs to keep her grades up and her head screwed on straight. She doesn’t need to be sidetracked by someone like, you.’

Someone like me. Classic. I couldn’t tell myself how many times I’ve heard those goddamned words.

‘Don’t take it personal,’ he insists condescendingly, ‘I mean it’s not like you’re into the whole college scene. You’re bound to want to do something else with your life, like working in a mechanic shop or a tattoo parlor.’

I wanted to laugh in his face and flash the schedule listing all of the damn AP classes I was taking or the amount of colleges that are waiting for me. People look at me and see some dumbass loser dripping with tattoos but I’ve actually been in honors classes since fucking middle school. I’ve never been the time to show off just how smart I was because I never felt the need to. I have nothing to prove to anyone. Including this asshole.

‘I hope that I’m making myself clear with all of this right now.’

‘Yes sir, you are.’

‘Good. Just steer clear of Lizette. It’s the best possible thing for everyone.’ He pauses briefly to stare at the Mustang in the driveway, ‘nice car by the way.’

I watch as he walks off to his protected SUV and drives off. I look down at my hand to realize the banana was dripping onto the grass thanks to my grip.

Lizette’s Point of View

At school today Niall was avoiding me like I had some kind of plague. He sat in the back of the room in Trigonometry and practically ran out to the hall after class was over. He decided to skip gym class today and had yet to reply to any of my texts. Maybe the kiss weirded him out and he decided to block me out for the rest of the year. I was naïve to think that what happened last night was more than just some kind of one time thing. After I changed out of my gym uniform I walk out to the parking lot to see Niall rolling around punching some guy in his face.

‘Niall!’ I shout rushing through the crowd of onlookers. ‘What the hell are you doing?’ I tug at his arm but he doesn’t budge, ‘Stop it!’

‘Get off me!’ he barks yanking away from me and peeling out of the parking lot in his car.

‘What’s going on here?!’ the biology teacher, Mrs. Yates questions staring at the boy laying in the parking lot.

‘Nothing.’ He mutters standing to his feet, his face dripping of the sickening crimson color.

‘Everyone I suggest you get into your cars or onto the bus and go home. Unless you wish to spend this Friday night in detention with me.’ Mrs. Yates speaks loudly and everyone rushes out of the way.

As I’m walking to the car my phone begins chiming. I actually hoped it was Niall explaining what just happened and what’s been with him today. It was just my mom.

‘Hey, mom.’ I answer digging through my bag for my keys. ‘I’m on my way home now.’

‘No no don’t go home! Get to the hospital as we practiced! The baby’s coming!’ she thrills into the phone anxiously.