Breathe

I was a right mess.

My hair was all over the place from the wind and I was sweating through my jumper from running around so much. I wasn’t complaining, though. My best mate, Olivia Young, or Liv, as we all liked calling her, was making me laugh till I couldn’t breathe. The two of us were at a local funfair a few blocks from our shared flat, which we’d moved into together about three weeks ago.

“You look like a mad person,” she laughed, pointing to my hair. “There’s also some candy floss in your hair. Hold on.” She stilled me and set me upright so she could take out the pieces of candy floss that had gotten stuck in there.

“How’d it get stuck in my hair?” I asked, still wheezing from laughing so much.

“I don’t know, Blair,” she replied, picking out little pieces of blue from my hair. “You took it on that last ride?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I was eating it and then I stopped ‘cause your ugly mug was screaming so loud.” I laughed thinking about it again.

“That one was proper scary,” she said, giggling nonetheless. “I think I got most of it out. You might need to shower, though, when you get home.”

I shrugged, running my hand through my sticky and knotted hair. Liv and I managed to go on all the rides at this fair at least twice and the air was sticky hot, making us sweaty and sticky as well, but neither of us cared. Although, we did bump into a few fit boys and Liv ran away from them, making me run after while cackling into the air.

“Where to next?” I asked her, once we’d both settled down.

“The Ferris wheel,” she said. “We haven’t gone on that yet.”

“That’s where all the couples are going,” I pointed out.

“We can be a little lez and go over there,” she insisted, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the line.

I laughed. “Alright, alright. Let’s get some sausages after because I’ve been eyeing the truck since we’ve gotten here.”

“Sausages from a truck are quite ghastly,” she remarked once we’d gotten on the long line.

“It’s delicious.”

“You enjoy McDonalds, so I’m not surprised.”

I barked out a laugh and threw my head back. Liv hated McDonald’s for some ungodly reason whereas I loved it. I mean, it’s McDonalds. So, every few days, Liv would Facebook me articles regarding accidents that happened to customers who ate there. Just last week she sent me an article about a woman who got an STD after getting a chicken sandwich there because one of the employees jerked off on it. It made me laugh for a day straight.

“Do you wanna see the vines I took of us on all the rides?” I asked her after.

She nodded, grinning and stepping closer as I unlocked my phone and pulled up my vine app. I didn’t have many followers and I didn’t think I’d get any either. The only things I posted were stupid vines of Liv and I doing mundane things. These new vines of us on all the rides were epic because we looked nuts, screaming our heads off with our hair flying everywhere.

As we were watching and laughing over them, someone approached the line behind us. “Liv?”

We both looked up and I noticed a guy with a girl close beside him. He was gorgeous, like an Adonis. I didn’t even know hot boys like this existed in the world, let alone London. He had olive colored skin and dark hair, which was styled into a messy quiff that was slightly wilting due to the heat, and his eyes were a nice caramel color.

Liv’s eyes widened and she grinned, closing the gap between them and giving him a hug. My eyebrows shot right up as I stepped back a bit and looked at them. Since when does Liv have hot friends like this and why has she never introduced me? I think I’m going to have to reconsider our friendship or something because this is just not done.

“Zayn,” she cooed, pulling back, still smiling. “How are you?”

“Good, good,” he grinned, and Jesus Christ, that smile. “Just out, spending the day with Zoe.”

That’s when I noticed the girl beside him. I’d completely forgotten she was there, let alone breathing, when my eyes had focused on him. She was pretty and no doubt, she was probably his girlfriend or something. Shit. Maybe this is why Liv didn’t introduce me.

“Hi Zoe,” Liv said, moving away from Zayn and hugging the girl. She hugged back, grinning.

“You look amazing!” Zoe said. “Did you get a haircut or something?”

“Yes,” Liv nodded. “Trying the short hair look. Was such a risk.”

“No,” Zoe shook her head. “You look amazing.” Now that I got a good look, I noticed she was more than pretty. She had a certain innocent, cute quality about her face.

I was so busy watching Zoe and Liv talk, I didn’t notice Zayn turn to me. “Hey,” he said, smiling at me. “I’m Zayn.”

I looked at him like a deer caught in headlights and grinned stupidly. “I’m uh…I’m Blair.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand. And wow, he’s hot and well mannered. This Zoe girl hit the fucking jackpot, mate. I shook his hand with a smile.

Liv had turned back to us and smiled. “Introduced yourselves?” she asked. I nodded and she stood beside me again. “Zayn, this is my flat mate. The one I was telling you and the others about a few weeks ago.”

Zayn’s eyes widened in recognition and he grinned wider. “Right. You’re the infamous Blair Gallagher that Liv keeps talking about. Heard loads about all the adventures you two have and now I finally get to meet you.”

I blushed and gave Liv a nudge. “I’m wondering whether any of the stuff she’s told you is embarrassing or not.”

Zayn laughed and Christ, I shouldn’t be this attracted to him when his girlfriend was stood right in front of me. “It was funny, don’t worry.”

“And I am Zoe,” his girlfriend said, walking forward and smiling brightly to me. “Nice to meet you. None of these losers bothered to introduce us.”

I laughed. “No matter. Nice to meet you, though. I’m Blair.”  

She smiled at us and leaned against Zayn. “Anyway, you two enjoying the funfair?”

“Yeah,” Liv nodded. “Been here for a few hours and we’ve gone through all the rides except this one. Blair kept avoiding it saying that it was for couples.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Zayn shook his head. “Niall and Liam have gone on this at least three times together, looking well impressed with themselves.”

Liv laughed and grinned, excitedly. “Are they here?”

Zayn nodded. “Lou and Harry, too. They’re somewhere in this mix. I’m sure you’ll find them. We only got here a half an hour ago.”

“I have to see them,” Liv said. “I think it’s time I introduced you all to Blair, anyway. She’s started at Imperial just this term.” She turned to look at me with a smile. “They all go to Imperial with me, too.”

“Oh, nice,” I said. “It’s a good school. Much better than my last.”

“Where did you transfer from?” Zoe asked.  

“Kings College,” I replied.

“Do you like it at Imperial so far?” Zayn asked after that.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “But, I’m kind of looking forward to graduating, really. It’s senior year and I just want to be done with school.”

Before the conversation could continue, the gates opened for the next batch of people to get on the ride. “We’ll see you guys later then?” Liv asked, looking at Zayn and Zoe and they nodded giving her a smile.

Liv and I got on a carriage and the guy conducting the ride pulled down the bar to hold us in and the ride moved us up to let in Zayn and Zoe. I looked at Liv and gave her a grin. I knew that she knew that I had a lot to say about what just happened, but we both also knew that there were people right below us who could hear everything unless the ride started up again completely.

Once everyone was put in, they closed up the gate and the ride started. I turned to Liv with wide eyes and she laughed. “He is gorgeous, Liv, like fucking gorgeous.”

“You should see his friends,” she giggled. “They’re just as hot, but he’s always been a little extra.”

“Too bad he’s got a girlfriend, otherwise you know I’d hop on that.”

“Yeah,” Liv sighed sadly. “And she makes it so hard to hate her because she’s so cute. They’re actually sickeningly perfect for each other. They’ve been dating for a while. I met him, like, my sophomore year at Uni. His mates and him are all a part of some frat. Theta Chi, I think, and they also play football so they’re pretty well known on campus. You’d have met them, anyway.”

“And you’re, like, friends with them?” I asked her.

She nodded. “I only know them because of some composition class I took sophomore with his friend Liam, who I’ll introduce you to. He and I started talking and then he introduced me to Zayn and the others.” She grinned for a second as the ride stopped with us all the way on top. “It’s weird because I actually knew Harry first.”

“Harry?” I asked her.

“Yeah, he’s one of them. Really cool guy and he’s in more than half of my classes because he’s also a law major like me. I’ve known him since freshman year and we didn’t talk, but I used to have a crush on him.”

“Oh,” I drawled out, smirking. “Are they single?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Not sure about Harry, though. I never got the nerve to ask him, but I’ve creeped around his Facebook a little and I think he might be in a relationship.”

“It’s alright,” I said. “Three out of five. If they’re as hot as Zayn then we’re alright.”

Liv laughed and we turned to look out at the view in front of us, enjoying the rest of the ride. Once it was over, we got off and started out towards the sausage truck after I whined for the last thirty seconds of the ride, threatening to break Liv’s shower caddy if she didn’t come with.

However, it was another queue we had to wait in, because Liv spotted someone and smiled, bringing me over. “Hi boys,” she smirked, looking at two boys who were stood on the line. I peered over her shoulder and wondered if they were friends of Zayn that we were just talking about. They were fit, after all. One of them had brown hair on the sides but a quiff that was bleached blonde. The other had on a beanie that read HYPE. 



“Olivia!” the bleached blonde one grinned, grabbing her and giving her a hug so tight, she was lifted off the ground. He put her down and smiled, rumpling up her hair, affectionately.

Beanie boy grinned at her, too, and gave her a hug before she turned back to me. “This is Blair,” she said. “Blair, this is Niall and Liam. Friends of Zayn.”

“You saw Zayn?” Niall asked.

Liv nodded. “Blair and I bumped into him and Zoe at the Ferris wheel queue.”

“Well, if you see him again, you tell him he owes me ten quid for the bloody game he kept playing, trying to win Zoe a fucking bear,” Niall said.

Liam smacked him on the chest. “You tell him. It’s not like you live far. Plus, it was your fault. We all know he’s bloody useless when it comes to any game.” With that, he turned to smile at me. “Hi, sorry about this one. I’m Liam.”

“Blair,” I smiled. “And it’s alright.”

“You’re the flat mate, right?” Niall asked.

I nodded. “We just moved in about three weeks ago.”

“How’s that going then? Planning to rip each others hairs out soon?” Niall said with a laugh.

Liv and I looked at each other and shook our heads. We loved each other way too much. “Quite the contrary, Horan,” Liv quipped. “Blair and I are doing great.”

“You say that now,” Niall said. “But wait a few more weeks and then you’ll want to kill each other.”

I frowned. “Wow. Who do you live with?”

Liam smacked Niall on the chest again and shook his head. “He’s only taking the piss. He lives with Harry, and Zayn and Louis and I are down the hall, but he’s just as much of a nuisance as the rest of us. Plus, he lucked out with Harry, considering Harry cooks and cleans. Louis trashes our place and Zayn smokes inside. Really, Niall, you have nothing to complain about.”

“Harry gets up every morning at the arse crack of dawn to go fucking running, waking me up as he goes. It’s the bloody worst, Li,” Niall complained back.

“Oh my god, Blair,” Liv said, suddenly turning to look at me. “Their living arrangements are so cute. They’re like the show Friends. Liam, Louis, and Zayn live in one flat. And Harry and Niall right across the hall.”

My eyes widened as I looked back at the boys. “No way,” I yelled. “That’s the dream.” I turned back to Liv and pouted. “Why don’t we have more friends so we can do something like that?”

“It’s because nobody likes us,” she pouted back.

“I wish we were more charming.”

“Too bad we’re just arseholes.”

Then we started to laugh again and turned back to the boys who looked at us in amusement. The queue moved up again and soon it was our turn. Niall ended up buying us sausages as well, but since Liv didn’t want hers, I took it greedily. We ended up walking with the two boys towards the drinks area. There were a few trucks stood about, handing out pints to people of age. We settled down near a table with our food.

“Louis and Harry are getting drinks,” Liam explained. “They’ll be here in a bit.”

Liv nodded as I stood next to Niall to finish my sausages. It was quiet while we two ate and Liam and Liv chatted about some professor. A while after, two guys approached us, holding two pints each. I looked at them and my eyes immediately squared in on the one with the fedora.

Now, most people found that unattractive, but I for some reason found it rather cute. He was good on the face, too. He had little brown curls peeking out from underneath the fedora and cute, big eyes. The other boy was just as cute, but in a slightly different way. He had sharper features with amazing cheekbones.  

“Didn’t know we’d have company,” cheekbones said, setting down the drinks before giving Liv a big hug. “Otherwise we’d have gotten more.”

“We bumped into them on the sausages queue,” Niall said. While Liv was hugging fedora boy, cheekbones looked at me and smiled.

“And who is this?” he asked.

I frowned because he was talking as though I wasn’t here. “I’m Blair,” I said, giving him a meek smile.

“Louis,” he smiled. “Nice to meet you.” And, okay, can I just ask? What the fuck is up with Imperial? Have they been hogging all the good looking lads because Kings was shit, let me tell you.

Liv looked over at me then, pulling away from Fedora boy. “Oh, that’s my flatmate, Blair. Blair, this is Harry.”

Fedora boy—I mean, Harry—turned to look at me and smiled. It was unfair, really. He had a dimple and the most endearing face I’d ever seen.

“Hii,” he said, drawing the word out.

“Hi,” I replied, smiling back.

Liv laughed. “I didn’t think I’d be introducing Blair to all of Theta Chi today, but guess it had to be done at some point.”

“You go to Imperial, too?” Harry asked.

I nodded. “Just transferred for my last year.”

“So, you don’t know anyone besides Liv and now us?” Niall wanted to know.

“No, not really,” I replied. “I mean I’ve talked to a few kids in some of my classes, but that’s it. I’ve kinda been up Liv’s arse since I started, being needy and all that, begging her to have lunch with me everyday.”

“Well, now you’ve got us,” Liam said with a smile. “Speaking of which, I’m still hungry and that sausage was shit.”

“I told you!” Liv yelled, looking at me. I shot her a look with a mouthful of sausage, which in fact was quite awful, but I was starving.

“We should get something to eat before going home,” Louis said. “We’ve got nothing at home.”

“Well, I don’t know about you guys,” Harry started to say. “But Liam and I cooked last night.”

“What did you make?” Louis asked with a bored expression. “Ramen cup noodles? Because, I’ll tell you Harold, that’s hardly cooking.”

Harry looked sour, which made me laugh, as he said, “Well, it’s more cooking than you ever do, Lou.”

Louis shoved him with his shoulder, laughing. “Where’s Zayn?” he asked.

“Liv and Blair bumped into him and Zoe by the Ferris wheel last,” Liam told him. “Reckon we go get them“Olivia!” the bleached blonde one grinned, grabbing her and giving her a hug so tight, she was lifted off the ground. He put her down and smiled, rumpling up her hair, affectionately.

Beanie boy grinned at her, too, and gave her a hug before she turned back to me. “This is Blair,” she said. “Blair, this is Niall and Liam. Friends of Zayn.” and go out for pizza.”

“Sounds good,” Louis agreed.

Liam looked over at Liv and I. “You girls will be joining, I hope?”

I looked to Liv and she nodded her head. “We’ve only got bread and peanut butter at home,” she said to me quietly. She turned to Liam and smiled. “We’d love to.”

“Sweet,” Niall said, suddenly slinging an arm around me. “I’ve got so much to ask you about Kings. I’ve got mates going there and I almost went there meself, actually.”

We all started walking towards the Ferris wheel as I answered Niall. “It’s an alright school. I made a few friends there and the parties were alright, but I just hated it.”

“Why’d you hate it?” Harry asked, coming up beside us and joining the conversation.

“The professors were not good,” I said. “And I think I only had like three friends because everyone else was vapid.”

Niall laughed. “Do you, by chance, know Craig Barnaby?”

I laughed, nodding my head. “That tosser threw up on me at a party once,” I told him.

Niall let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back. “Good ol’ Craig. Still such a bastard.” We eventually found Zayn and Zoe by the gates and all started walking towards the nearest pizza place. Niall and I talked the entire way as he asked me about several people he knows who goes to that school. Weirdly enough, I knew more than half of them for someone who only had, like, three real friends once leaving.

“So, why didn’t you end up going there?” I asked him. “You mentioned you were going to, but then didn’t.”

“Right,” Niall said. “They didn’t give me a scholarship for Music Tech, which is my major, and I’m not well endowed enough in the money department to pay my way through uni. Imperial offered me a pretty hefty scholarship and I couldn’t be happier by choosing that school. I’ve made lifelong friends, thanks to this place.”

I smiled. “That’s nice,” I said. “They say that in uni, you meet the friends you’ll have for the rest of your life. I don’t agree with that entirely because I haven’t felt that way about friends since college. Uni has been alright, but who knows if I’ll keep in touch with anyone I’ve known for the past three years in Kings.”

“What about Liv?” Niall asked, looking over at her. She was walking ahead with Louis and Liam, talking about something. Zayn and Zoe were still hand in hand, while Harry walked beside them smiling about something. “You two are roommates and you seem great together.”

“Liv and I’ve got a funny story,” I said, smiling over at her. She turned when she heard me say her name.

“Talking shit about me?” she asked, laughing.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Ton of it.”

“She actually just told me how bad your morning breath is,” Niall played along. “Invest in some toothpaste, Liv. In the meantime, I’ll get you the mints and gum.”

I laughed as she flipped us the bird. “Fuck you both,” she laughed. We’d arrived at the pizza place and piled in, searching for the biggest table. The place was nearly empty, except for one guy sitting alone with his phone out by the window.

We found a big booth to fit us all and I slid in beside Liv with Liam on my other side and Harry and Niall right across from me. We discussed how many and what kind of pies we should get for at least five minutes before Louis made the executive decision of getting two large cheese ones.

“So, how did you guys all meet?” I asked. “Liv said you’re in a frat.”

“Yeah,” Louis nodded. “But Liam and Harry went to college together. Then we all got to know each other in uni. We didn’t join the frat until halfway through sophomore year.”

“Do you like it?” I asked.

“Do we like it?” Niall asked, grinning, red cheeked and so happy. “We fucking love it. The parties are mental. Especially the ones our frat throws. You guys have to come to a few. Zoe always comes.”

“It’s true,” Zoe nodded, sipping from her Sprite can. “It’s really fun. You two should definitely come. The themes are always creative.”

“In fact,” Niall said. “Why don’t you come to the mixer we’re throwing. It’s for the frat, but it’ll be in my and Harry’s flat.”

Liv looked at me and nodded her head slowly, trying to figure out whether I wanted to go or not. “I mean, it couldn’t hurt?” I said. I looked back to Niall. “When is it?”

“This weekend,” Niall said. “Here give me your phone, I’ll put my number in and text myself so I have yours. I’ll text you the details.” I pulled my phone out from my jeans pocket and handed it over to him.

While Niall typed in his information, Harry and Liam turned to us. “What about you two?” Liam asked.

“How did you meet?” Harry asked.

“You mentioned it was a funny story,” Niall added, looking up while fishing his phone out of his jeans pocket.

Liv and I smiled at each other before turning back to them. “I transferred to Blair’s college for sixth form and everyone already knew each other. I was such a loner and I would always see Blair with her friends. She was popular, mind you, and I used to want to be her friend so bad.”

“She always says that,” I cried, laughing. “She says she always wanted to be my friend, but she never approached me. I didn’t know what else to do. You don’t always approach the new girl. Plus she hung out with some really sketchy people that I didn’t like so I didn’t want to bother.”

“That’s only because you didn’t want to be my friend!” Liv yelled, throwing her arms up in the air.

“You never approached me!” I argued back.

“That’s because you scared me. You were punk back then,” she said.

“I went through a phase,” I told her. “But I was not scary.”

“You scared me and you didn’t want to be my friend.”

“I didn’t even know you wanted to be my friend. We had one class together and I barely showed up.”

“Because you hated me!” Liv laughed.

I was laughing, too, because we always did this whenever we talked about our past. Argued back and forth about how we didn’t used to be friends.

“I didn’t hate you. I was indifferent.”

“Wait,” Niall said. We turned back to him and the others and noticed them all staring at us, completely amused and watching us bicker. “How did you become friends then?”

“Oh,” I said. “It happened after we graduated sixth form. After freshmen year of uni, we bumped into each other at a mutual friend’s party and just started talking and it’s never been the same since.”

“I love you two,” Zoe giggled. “Watching you talk is like watching a TV show or something.”

Liv laughed. “It’s not the first time someone has said that to us, believe me.”

“But yeah, we get along so well and we have the best friendship so I’m happy to be living with her and now going to the same Uni,” I smiled, nudging Liv with my shoulder. She giggled and put her arm around me.

“Isn’t that cute?” Louis cooed. We laughed and then quieted down once the pizza pies got there. We all piled our plates each with at least two slices and dug in. I was trying to lick the cheese off my finger when Harry decided to ask me my major.

“Um,” I mumbled, putting down my pizza and trying to dab my mouth with my napkin to get rid of the oil. “I’m a computer science and business major. Liv mentioned you do law with her.”

“Yeah, Harry smiled. “It’s pretty interesting. Can’t say I’m looking forward to law school though.”

“We can do it, Harry,” Liv smiled at him. “You’re brilliant.”

“Yeah, only because I’ll cheat off you,” he replied, cheekily. Liv looked shocked and a little taken aback. I laughed, turning to the others.

“What about the rest of you?” I said, chewing on another bite. “I know Niall’s Music Tech.”

“I’m doing drama,” Louis said. “Dunno if I want to teach after or, like, act.”

“Arts,” Zayn answered me.

“He’s amazing with his drawings,” Zoe cooed. “You should see them.”

I smiled. “And you, Zoe? What do you study?”

“I’m an English Lit major,” she replied.

“I’m doing engineering,” Liam said slowly. “But, I should just say that I’m rubbish at it.”

“It’s true,” Louis smirked. “He somehow manages to pass, though. Every term his parents pop champagne in honor of him not being kicked out due to being a moron.”

Liam glared at him and pulled his earlobe, making Louis yelp. “That’s because I play football and the team is only winning every season because of me since I’m captain.”

Louis laughed haughtily after that. “Right, but who is co-captain, Liam?”

“You are, but I play better,” Liam argued.

“You can keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep better at night, but I think everyone in this room knows I’m best. Including that lonely lad sat by the window.”

Niall, Zayn, and Zoe watched them in amusement. Harry, on the other hand, looked bored. “You’re both good, now shut up,” he said.

“Harry here sucks,” Liam said, turning to me and away from Louis. “He might be the worst player.”

“Excuse me, Liam,” Harry said, affronted. “Please don’t talk about me like I’m not right here.”

“While Liam is right,” Louis started to say after giving Harry a look. “I can vouch for Harold and say that while he is rubbish, he has improved.”

“How’d he make the team then?” Liv asked.

“He’s our friend,” Louis said, as if it was obvious. “So is Niall. But he’s actually good. We dragged Zayn to try outs. He wouldn’t even run the laps. He fucking took out a fag and blew smoke in my face. Bastard.”

Zayn shrugged, grinning cheekily while I turned to Louis, looking slightly bothered. “You made all your friends join the team. That’s illegal, I think. It’s called nepotism.”

“No,” Louis argued back. “It’s called favoritism.”

“It’s still an ism,” I argued.

“You two are quoting Full House, I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Niall pointed out, grabbing his third slice.

“If this is not friendship in the making, I don’t know what is,” Harry remarked, smiling at us. I smiled back because yeah, that’s what it was. Friendship in the making.