Canon

Monday morning arrived in a rush, ready or not. With a hot shower and a piece of toast I was out of the door and in my car.

'Thanks for calling.' Rose's voice was laced with annoyance but a smile played on her lips, 'or were you too preoccupied with Niall?'

'He just gave me a ride home, that's it.' I pull out the Trigonometry homework I didn't finish over the weekend.

'After he defended thy honor with the throwing of beer.' Rose scrolls her finger across the screen of her sleek black iPhone. From where I sat I could see that she was on Instagram. 'Serves him right. After you two bailed Zayn kicked John out.'

'I didn't mean for it to that far.' I sigh remembering the look on John's face.

'Well, he shouldn't have been so drunk off his ass.'

After homeroom I make my way to Trigonometry and fish the white tee shirt from my bag. Niall comes in seconds before the bell before taking the seat behind me. Nathan Wells didn't dare question why Niall preoccupied his seat. I don't blame him. A few minutes after the bell Dr. Werner begins to walk around the room to collect everyone's work. I turn in my seat and place Niall's shirt on his desk. His to-die-for blue eyes danced with confused as he looked up from his journal.

'Here's your shirt, don't worry I washed it.'

'Keep it.' he shrugs as Dr. Werner snakes down the back row pushing her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. 'Like I said, I have plenty to spare.'

'Thanks.' I slip the tee shirt down into my backpack, 'so why the sudden change of location?'

'Let's just say the view's better here.' he replies with the smallest, nearly invisible grin. 'Did you get into much trouble Saturday?'

'No, both of my parents were worn out from the nursery renovations.'

'Nursery?' Niall raises one his thick eyebrows towards me.

'Nursery. My mom's pregnant with my little brother.'

'Well congratulations.'

'Thanks. Do you have any siblings?'

'An older brother Greg, we don't talk much.'

'Why no-...'

'Miss. Matthews - class has started.' Dr. Werner leans her head down to stare at me above her glasses as she always did.

'Yes ma'am.' I turn in my seat to face the front.

Another conversation with Niall, cut short.

'So where are you headed?' Niall says as he walks beside me after class.

'Art Appreciation.'

'Yeah, Zayn's in that. I bet he floods the room out while he's drooling over your friend.' Niall stiffs out a laugh adjusting his green backpack.

'Together they would flood the entire school.'

'Good that means I wouldn't have to sit through this History class.'

I walk to Art Appreciation with Niall beside me, half expecting him to walk away any second now but he doesn't. From the corner of my eye I could see all of the stunned stares we were receiving. Niall continues on with just how boring his next class was and insisting he could do the work in his sleep. We arrive to the art room where Niall comes to a stop beside the lockers.

'I'll see you later.'

'Bye.' I wave heading into the room to find my stool.

'Did I just see my mate walk you to class?' Zayn's dark eyes stare at me knowingly. 'Or were my eyes deceiving me?'

'Did I just see you grab Rose's favorite smock so she'll have it when she gets here?'

'Well played.' Zayn grins running a hand across his scruff. 'Well played.'

Rose rushes in seconds before the bell rings signaling the start of class. Zayn whispers something over to her that I couldn't quite understand. Rose in return smiles grabbing the smock from with a girly thank you. During class I watch as Zayn casually sketches Rose's side profile. He signs his name to it before ripping it off the pad and rolling it up for her. The next class period drags on slowly as I wait for the lunch bell to ring. After class, my ex boyfriend Scott Hunter pulls me aside as he stops talking to his lacrosse buddies.

'Hey, Lizette. Haven't seen you since we-... you know.'

'Since we broke up. It's okay for you to say it and for us to act civil towards on another.' I look down at my English book in my hands.

'Yeah, right. So, I hear you're seeing that Niall Horan guy now?'

'Is that what people are saying nowadays?' I impatiently begin to tap my foot, 'what is this really about?'

'Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean I stopped caring about you.' Scott pulls on his perfectly ironed polo.

'Please, all you care about is lacrosse.'

'Be careful, Lizette. I don't want to see you get hurt.'

'Thanks for the warning.' I turn on the heel of my boot head to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was obnoxiously crowded as it always was, Monday through Friday. I go to stand in line for Monday's cheese pizza behind the long train of people.

'Come up here.' Harry's sleeved arm flags me down from the front of the line.

'No.' I shake my head peering over the many shoulders, 'that is considered cutting.'

'What are we in the first grade?' Harry steps out the line and pulls me to the front with him.

No one questions it or complains.

'Thanks.' I nod stepping forward in the lunch line.

'Just consider it my apology for Saturday night.'

'You didn't do anything.'

'Exactly.'

Harry and I get our pizza then walk over to the arrangement of tables. Just about every chair was filled and every table was crowded. Teachers ease their way around the cafeteria to monitor as they did every day. Zayn finally flags down Harry as he returns the blue table. Rose uses her designer purse to hold a seat for me.

'There you are.' she removes the purse allowing me to sit down.

'Where are the others?'

'They're blowing the rest of the day.' Zayn answers ripping into the bag of chips from his lunch tray.

Last period of the day Rose and I walk to the gym outside and into the small locker room. To my surprise, Niall, in the school's work out uniform, was sitting down on the gym's floor pretending to stretch his legs. I take a seat on the floor beside him putting my tennis shoes on while glancing over. His legs, the only bare part of his body were covered in dark hairs but I could see the pale skin that rested underneath.

'Are you running today?' I inquire getting my shoes on my feet.

'Yeah, ran out of notes.' he shrugs rolling up the sleeves of his gray tee shirt.

'Exercise is good for the body.'

'Yeah I know a few exercises that are good for the body.' he tilts his head back with laughter as I feel my cheeks warm.

The coach blows the whistle and we all head out on the track. I jog beside Niall in the front of the rest of the class. Niall keeps his eyes down towards his black Nikes.

'You're pretty fast.' I breathe out taking my eyes off his shoes.

'Why the tone of surprise?'

'Because I am surprised. You dislike running with a passion but you're actually really fast.'

'Why run when you have your license and a car?' he jokes picking up his pace, as did I.

We finish up the daily laps and are free to leave for the day. I change then head out of the gym with Niall slightly behind me. We walk into the parking lot while I dig in my backpack for my car keys.

'Do you know people actually think that we're together?'

'I don't really listen to what people say in the halls.' Niall shrugs unlocking his car, 'It's not like it's true anyway so who cares, right?'

'Right.' I nod sliding down into my car and driving home.