Canon
seven.
‘What are you doing?’ I question once I come to stop in front of Niall.
‘Why be stuck inside when it’s such a beautiful day.’ He stiffs out a laugh gesturing up at the dark sky. ‘Would you like to join me?’
‘Sure, why not.’ I shrug as I following him through the grassy part of the school that led to the parking lot. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I am pretty hungry now that I think of it. For some odd reason I am craving McDonalds.’
‘Okay your car or min-…’
‘Shit get down!’ Niall grabs a hold of my arm after cutting me off, ‘school security.’
‘If I get caught skipping class I’d be in unbelievable trouble.’ I breathe out peering over the car we were hid behind. ‘Even if it is just a P.E. class.’
‘What kind of trouble are we talking here?’ Niall asks slowly standing to his feet, ‘and I’ll drive.’
‘Well, my dad’s a cop so I’ll let you figure that on your own.’ I follow Niall to the familiar throwback Mustang.
There were dozens of cars lined up in the parking lot and Niall had the best one. His car was parked perfectly and shined even with the dark sky. He unlocks the car and slides down inside of the car. I carefully open the door and sit down beside him fastening my seat belt.
‘Your dad is a cop?’ He makes a face as he shakes his head, ‘wow.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing. I just see how you rushed home after Zayn’s party. I mean it all makes sense. You are a daddy’s girl.’
‘Don’t call me that.’ I turn in my seat to stare at him. ‘It’s not true.’
‘Okay.’ He nods, ‘didn’t mean to piss you off.’
‘I just really hate the term “daddy’s girl”.’
‘Good to know.’
As Niall drives I take the opportunity to examine his features. He wore his usual Ray bans but I knew the crystal blue eyes that rested behind. His dyed blonde hair was messy from his hat earlier. Niall wore a white tee shirt that clung to his body and I could see the swirls of ink underneath it.
‘That’s a nice watch.’ I nod at the sparkling silver watch that wrapped around his wrist.
‘Thanks. It’s actually my dad’s.’ he uses two fingers to adjust the watch.
‘You’ve talked about your dad a few times but never about your mom. Why is that?’
‘Don’t think I’ll spill all my secrets to you that easily.’ He shakes his head keeping his eyes forward. ‘I’m not some open book.’
‘You never answer any of my questions.’
‘I’ll answer just about anything with the exception of my family.’ He replies, ‘so go ahead and ask.’
‘This really isn’t about your family but then it is in a way. When did you come to America because you’re clearly not from here.’
‘I came to America when I was ten.’
‘How do you know Zayn, Louis, and the others?’
‘How did I know you’d ask that.’ He stiffs out a laugh full of amusement, ‘I first knew Zayn. We grew up down the road from one another. He used to beat me up every day after school but one day I decided to fight back and ever since then we’ve been pretty okay. I guess in a weird, stupid way I gained his respect. We hung out a bit then we meet up with Harry and them at school. They were pretty cool I guess. So that’s how I know them.’ He explains, ‘Alright one more question for now.’ Niall says holding an unlit cigarette between his narrow fingers.
‘When and why did you start smoking?’
‘I started smoking when I was 15. Yeah, I’m not proud of it but what are you gonna do? I mean I can live without them some days. I started because they were always lying around the house. I snuck some down to Zayn’s place and that’s how I got hooked on them. It was we did to bond. Sad but true.’ He says pulling into the McDonalds parking lot.
‘Do you want something to eat or drink?’ he wonders going straight to the drive thru.
‘Just an ice cream.’ I answer, ‘but I can pay for it.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ he laughs, ‘I’m not letting you pay for a dollar ice cream cone.’
‘Hello, welcome to McDonalds. What can we make for you today?’
‘Hey can I get a large fry, twenty of the chicken nuggets, a large sprite and an ice cream cone.’ He says hanging out of his window. ‘That’ll do it.’
‘Alright, please pull around.’
We get to the first window and Niall fishes out a bill then hands it to the worker. He carefully drives around to the next window to pick up his food. Once we get our stuff Niall drives the front of the building and parks the car in one of the free spaces.
‘So tell me about you.’
‘What about me?’
‘Tell me one that thing you absolutely love to do.’
‘One thing I love to do…’ I pause, ‘I really like to write and I know that its stupid but I like it a lot.’
‘No it’s not. Don’t say that,’ he corrects me, ‘what do you like to write?’
‘Fiction.’
‘How often do you write?’
‘Whenever I get the chance to breathe.’
‘Sounds cool.’
‘Thanks. How about you? Are you in photography?’
‘Ghee, what gave that away? The camera I lug around with at every moment of every day.’
‘Shut up.’ I laugh biting into the mushy cone.
‘Yeah, I like taking pictures.’
‘Of what?’
‘Different things. There’s usually some kind of beauty in every thing.’
‘Spoken like a true photographer.’ I slightly tease finishing off my ice cream. ‘I should get back to the school so I can get my car.’
‘I thought Cinderella only fled in the night.’
‘I am actually tutoring.’ I inform him as he pulls the car out of the parking lot.
‘Tutoring? Oh yeah? Who?’
‘A former friend, Scott Hunter.’
‘Scott Hunter…’ Niall says messing with his lip ring with his fingers, ‘I think I have him in history. How do you know him?’
‘We actually dated for awhile.’
‘So, you’re tutoring your ex boyfriend? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Yes, he’s my ex boyfriend.’ I nod trying to read Niall’s new expression.
‘Nice.’
‘I wondering if you maybe wanted to do something together this weekend.’
‘Nah, I’m busy.’ Niall says staring out the windshield, ‘sorry.’
‘Maybe another time?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Why are you acting like this?’
‘I’m not acting like anything.’
‘Yeah you are. You just shut down.’
‘Well this is who I am. Sorry to disappoint you.’ Niall comes to a quick stop in the school’s parking lot, ‘bye.’
‘Whatever Niall.’ I close the door and grab my car keys from my backpack.
I climb into my car just as Niall peels out of the parking lot cutting off several people causing them to blow at him. I get in line with the train of cars and wait to leave the parking lot.
‘I’m home.’ I announce walking through the front door of my house, ‘hey mom. How’s the baby?’
‘He’s good.’ She beams rubbing her belly, ‘he’s been kicking all day. Do you want to feel?’
‘Okay.’ I drop my bag and stand in front of my mom’s tight belly.
‘Put your hand here.’ She instructs happily.
It wasn’t long before something pushed out against her touching my hand. I gasp with tears in my eyes, overjoyed. My mom laughs with tears in her eyes as well.
‘It’s amazing.’ I smile. ‘I can’t wait to meet him.’
‘I think you’re going to make the best big sister. You can teach him everything that we can’t and talk to him about things we cant understand.’
‘Dad’s home.’ He announces in third person plopping down at the table, ‘how are my two favorite girls and my little son?’
‘We’re good.’ Mom and I say in unison.
‘Scott’s coming over today.’
‘Did you two make up already?’ Dad asks loosening his tie.
‘No, I’m just helping him with his math. It was never his strong point.’
‘That was nice of you.’ Mom says getting up to waddle over to the refrigerator. ‘I’m going to get started on dinner.’
‘I will finish bringing the stones out of the shed for the pathway.’ Dad goes out the side door to the backyard.
About an hour or so later Scott was coming through the doorway and into the kitchen. He sits down running a hand through his hair before pulling out his math book.
‘Scott, so great to see you!’ my mom smiles patting his back.
‘Likewise ma’am. The rents say hello.’
‘Well tell them we say hello.’
‘Alright lets get started.’ I say, ‘so what are you struggling with the most?’
‘All of it.’ He groans, ‘all of it.’
‘I promise that I will have you ready for your test.’
‘Thanks. I cannot be benched this early on.’
‘Yeah I know how important lacrosse is to you.’
‘I think you were more important and I was just an ass at showing it. I just didn’t realize it until you were gone.’
‘That’s just how it usually goes.’
‘I’m really sorry how it ended with us.’
‘You don’t have to apologize Scott.’
‘No, I do because I messed up and I really want you back.’
‘What?’
‘I want us to start over.’ Scott grabs a hold of my hand, ‘you don’t have to answer right now. I can wait.’
Scott leaves after my mom invited him to join us for dinner. He sits beside me and devours his food talking to my dad about sports. My mom awes at the fact that he’s already mapped out what college he’d be attending. She suggests that I need help mapping out my future. I sigh with relief when his jeep heads down the dark road. I call it a night and go to my room then lay across the bed. I check my phone to see I had a text message from Niall. I hesitantly unlock my phone and go to the messages.
So i may have been a jackass today and I’m sorry. I don’t know why I do the shit that I do or why I act the way I do. I’m probably making an ass of myself trying to apologize right now because I never do this. Anyway sorry. I’ll see you in class. – Niall.
‘Why be stuck inside when it’s such a beautiful day.’ He stiffs out a laugh gesturing up at the dark sky. ‘Would you like to join me?’
‘Sure, why not.’ I shrug as I following him through the grassy part of the school that led to the parking lot. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I am pretty hungry now that I think of it. For some odd reason I am craving McDonalds.’
‘Okay your car or min-…’
‘Shit get down!’ Niall grabs a hold of my arm after cutting me off, ‘school security.’
‘If I get caught skipping class I’d be in unbelievable trouble.’ I breathe out peering over the car we were hid behind. ‘Even if it is just a P.E. class.’
‘What kind of trouble are we talking here?’ Niall asks slowly standing to his feet, ‘and I’ll drive.’
‘Well, my dad’s a cop so I’ll let you figure that on your own.’ I follow Niall to the familiar throwback Mustang.
There were dozens of cars lined up in the parking lot and Niall had the best one. His car was parked perfectly and shined even with the dark sky. He unlocks the car and slides down inside of the car. I carefully open the door and sit down beside him fastening my seat belt.
‘Your dad is a cop?’ He makes a face as he shakes his head, ‘wow.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing. I just see how you rushed home after Zayn’s party. I mean it all makes sense. You are a daddy’s girl.’
‘Don’t call me that.’ I turn in my seat to stare at him. ‘It’s not true.’
‘Okay.’ He nods, ‘didn’t mean to piss you off.’
‘I just really hate the term “daddy’s girl”.’
‘Good to know.’
As Niall drives I take the opportunity to examine his features. He wore his usual Ray bans but I knew the crystal blue eyes that rested behind. His dyed blonde hair was messy from his hat earlier. Niall wore a white tee shirt that clung to his body and I could see the swirls of ink underneath it.
‘That’s a nice watch.’ I nod at the sparkling silver watch that wrapped around his wrist.
‘Thanks. It’s actually my dad’s.’ he uses two fingers to adjust the watch.
‘You’ve talked about your dad a few times but never about your mom. Why is that?’
‘Don’t think I’ll spill all my secrets to you that easily.’ He shakes his head keeping his eyes forward. ‘I’m not some open book.’
‘You never answer any of my questions.’
‘I’ll answer just about anything with the exception of my family.’ He replies, ‘so go ahead and ask.’
‘This really isn’t about your family but then it is in a way. When did you come to America because you’re clearly not from here.’
‘I came to America when I was ten.’
‘How do you know Zayn, Louis, and the others?’
‘How did I know you’d ask that.’ He stiffs out a laugh full of amusement, ‘I first knew Zayn. We grew up down the road from one another. He used to beat me up every day after school but one day I decided to fight back and ever since then we’ve been pretty okay. I guess in a weird, stupid way I gained his respect. We hung out a bit then we meet up with Harry and them at school. They were pretty cool I guess. So that’s how I know them.’ He explains, ‘Alright one more question for now.’ Niall says holding an unlit cigarette between his narrow fingers.
‘When and why did you start smoking?’
‘I started smoking when I was 15. Yeah, I’m not proud of it but what are you gonna do? I mean I can live without them some days. I started because they were always lying around the house. I snuck some down to Zayn’s place and that’s how I got hooked on them. It was we did to bond. Sad but true.’ He says pulling into the McDonalds parking lot.
‘Do you want something to eat or drink?’ he wonders going straight to the drive thru.
‘Just an ice cream.’ I answer, ‘but I can pay for it.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ he laughs, ‘I’m not letting you pay for a dollar ice cream cone.’
‘Hello, welcome to McDonalds. What can we make for you today?’
‘Hey can I get a large fry, twenty of the chicken nuggets, a large sprite and an ice cream cone.’ He says hanging out of his window. ‘That’ll do it.’
‘Alright, please pull around.’
We get to the first window and Niall fishes out a bill then hands it to the worker. He carefully drives around to the next window to pick up his food. Once we get our stuff Niall drives the front of the building and parks the car in one of the free spaces.
‘So tell me about you.’
‘What about me?’
‘Tell me one that thing you absolutely love to do.’
‘One thing I love to do…’ I pause, ‘I really like to write and I know that its stupid but I like it a lot.’
‘No it’s not. Don’t say that,’ he corrects me, ‘what do you like to write?’
‘Fiction.’
‘How often do you write?’
‘Whenever I get the chance to breathe.’
‘Sounds cool.’
‘Thanks. How about you? Are you in photography?’
‘Ghee, what gave that away? The camera I lug around with at every moment of every day.’
‘Shut up.’ I laugh biting into the mushy cone.
‘Yeah, I like taking pictures.’
‘Of what?’
‘Different things. There’s usually some kind of beauty in every thing.’
‘Spoken like a true photographer.’ I slightly tease finishing off my ice cream. ‘I should get back to the school so I can get my car.’
‘I thought Cinderella only fled in the night.’
‘I am actually tutoring.’ I inform him as he pulls the car out of the parking lot.
‘Tutoring? Oh yeah? Who?’
‘A former friend, Scott Hunter.’
‘Scott Hunter…’ Niall says messing with his lip ring with his fingers, ‘I think I have him in history. How do you know him?’
‘We actually dated for awhile.’
‘So, you’re tutoring your ex boyfriend? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Yes, he’s my ex boyfriend.’ I nod trying to read Niall’s new expression.
‘Nice.’
‘I wondering if you maybe wanted to do something together this weekend.’
‘Nah, I’m busy.’ Niall says staring out the windshield, ‘sorry.’
‘Maybe another time?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Why are you acting like this?’
‘I’m not acting like anything.’
‘Yeah you are. You just shut down.’
‘Well this is who I am. Sorry to disappoint you.’ Niall comes to a quick stop in the school’s parking lot, ‘bye.’
‘Whatever Niall.’ I close the door and grab my car keys from my backpack.
I climb into my car just as Niall peels out of the parking lot cutting off several people causing them to blow at him. I get in line with the train of cars and wait to leave the parking lot.
‘I’m home.’ I announce walking through the front door of my house, ‘hey mom. How’s the baby?’
‘He’s good.’ She beams rubbing her belly, ‘he’s been kicking all day. Do you want to feel?’
‘Okay.’ I drop my bag and stand in front of my mom’s tight belly.
‘Put your hand here.’ She instructs happily.
It wasn’t long before something pushed out against her touching my hand. I gasp with tears in my eyes, overjoyed. My mom laughs with tears in her eyes as well.
‘It’s amazing.’ I smile. ‘I can’t wait to meet him.’
‘I think you’re going to make the best big sister. You can teach him everything that we can’t and talk to him about things we cant understand.’
‘Dad’s home.’ He announces in third person plopping down at the table, ‘how are my two favorite girls and my little son?’
‘We’re good.’ Mom and I say in unison.
‘Scott’s coming over today.’
‘Did you two make up already?’ Dad asks loosening his tie.
‘No, I’m just helping him with his math. It was never his strong point.’
‘That was nice of you.’ Mom says getting up to waddle over to the refrigerator. ‘I’m going to get started on dinner.’
‘I will finish bringing the stones out of the shed for the pathway.’ Dad goes out the side door to the backyard.
About an hour or so later Scott was coming through the doorway and into the kitchen. He sits down running a hand through his hair before pulling out his math book.
‘Scott, so great to see you!’ my mom smiles patting his back.
‘Likewise ma’am. The rents say hello.’
‘Well tell them we say hello.’
‘Alright lets get started.’ I say, ‘so what are you struggling with the most?’
‘All of it.’ He groans, ‘all of it.’
‘I promise that I will have you ready for your test.’
‘Thanks. I cannot be benched this early on.’
‘Yeah I know how important lacrosse is to you.’
‘I think you were more important and I was just an ass at showing it. I just didn’t realize it until you were gone.’
‘That’s just how it usually goes.’
‘I’m really sorry how it ended with us.’
‘You don’t have to apologize Scott.’
‘No, I do because I messed up and I really want you back.’
‘What?’
‘I want us to start over.’ Scott grabs a hold of my hand, ‘you don’t have to answer right now. I can wait.’
Scott leaves after my mom invited him to join us for dinner. He sits beside me and devours his food talking to my dad about sports. My mom awes at the fact that he’s already mapped out what college he’d be attending. She suggests that I need help mapping out my future. I sigh with relief when his jeep heads down the dark road. I call it a night and go to my room then lay across the bed. I check my phone to see I had a text message from Niall. I hesitantly unlock my phone and go to the messages.
So i may have been a jackass today and I’m sorry. I don’t know why I do the shit that I do or why I act the way I do. I’m probably making an ass of myself trying to apologize right now because I never do this. Anyway sorry. I’ll see you in class. – Niall.