Chapter 8 ~ Liam

The boys are all looking at me expectantly and Brit is at my feet playing with my shoelaces. By playing I mean biting them trying to get to them and kill them. I look back at them, not saying a single thing despite their question being clear: “What is going on with Darcy?”

“If you don’t talk, I’ll give all your shoes to Brit,” Louis threatens and I swear Brit understands him because she jerks up and looks at him with her tongue hanging outside. Yes, that’s her smile.

“Nothing is going on!” I reply quickly. I’ve lost so many shoes already; I can’t lose anymore.

“But you want that to change,” Niall ventures eating some crisps. I thought he had eaten them all by now.

I don’t say anything, instead I look away. Of course I want things to be different, I never wanted this, even though I don’t know why. I just find her so fascinating and refreshing, so kind and caring, so sweet and cute. Is it possible to find a person more beautiful later on? Because for some reason after she left my house with Lizzie holding her hand I could only think that she is more beautiful than what I thought at first.

We are going out again, but with Lizzie and probably the boys as well. It’s not a date yet I’m excited to see her again. I want a chance to talk to her, to get to know her better. I feel she’s the kind of person that has a lot to say but she doesn’t speak her mind often. I want to listen to her and all that she has to say, not because I want to make a move on her, but because I care and I really want to.

“Of course he wants to,” Zayn replies for me with his arms folded and a goofy smile on his lips. “Don’t you see the way he looked at her all the afternoon? Bro, you could’ve tried being more subtle,” he mocks me and Niall laughs. “That’s not the question but what are you gonna do to change that?”

I look at them and I see the change in their expressions. Louis and Harry grow in excitement, Niall raises his eyebrows, interested as well and Zayn waits patiently. He’s the one who knows more about this situation.

“I dunno. I’m not sure about her feelings. Sometimes I think she may see me the same way, but then she ignored me like I was just a fly on the wall. Plus, you heard what Lizzie said: She’s not interested in a relationship,” I tell the lads and Harry smiles cockily.

“So you’re pursuing a relationship with her, uh?” The curly-haired boy asks and I feel my cheeks burning. I didn’t say that, but the thought of Darcy and I in a relationship doesn’t scare me. In fact, it intrigues me. How would that work out? “That’s why you looked at me like you were ready to kill me when I was flirting with her?”

“Can you call it flirting when the other end is not interested?” Louis retorts and Harry looks at him faking shock.

“Hurtful, Boo bear,” the youngest of the band replies and Louis just grins mischievously. “And to answer your question, yes, it’s still flirting, for which I’m sorry, mate,” he adds looking at me this time. “But to put you at ease, I think she’s just like you in that matter. At least that’s what I saw.”

I arch an eyebrow because I’m not sure what Harry saw whilst we were with Darcy and Lizzie.

He rolls his eyes and explains, “She was aware of you all the time. It was evident by her posture and how if you moved a tad bit closer, she moved away. What I think is that she wants to put distance because she wants you closer.”

I know I’m not the only one confused because we all are looking at him as if he’s talking about rocket science. Since when did Harry’s mind get so complex?

“You are so slow sometimes. Let’s put it like this so you pack of retards can understand it: It’s like there’s just one last burger and you want it, but you know it’s not a good idea because you have eaten so much already, yet you still want it, and in order to keep yourself safe, you put some distance so you won’t end up eating it and getting sick. You get it now?”

I know Niall lost it when Harry mentioned burger, Zayn and Louis look as confused as I feel and I’m still trying to put his analogy in practice, but I’m not sure. “Am I the burger? Does that mean that Darcy has been with a lot of guys like me?” I ask and I swear Harry is about to hit me.

“No, you idiot. She thinks that you might hurt her, considering that you are a popstar and all that crap. You know, what all girls think and she doesn’t want to fall for you though she probably has some feelings already, that’s why she puts distance between you two, so she won’t end up hurt,” he tries again and now I get it.

“But I would never hurt her,” I say. I would never do such a thing to her.

“You know that, but how can she know it? She doesn’t really know you. That’s why you need to show her that not because you’re a popstar means you’re gonna hurt her,” Harry says slowly so I can grab every single detail.

“Since when did you get so smart?” Zayn asks and Harry doesn’t take offence in that statement, he smiles proud of him.

“I have my way with women and for that, you need to know their minds,” he says arrogantly and we all roll our eyes. “But let’s not talk about that know, Liam needs our help right now if he wants to get his girl.”

“You should totally organise a flash mob for asking her out! That can’t fail,” Louis states excitedly. “You can even get it to the news. She can’t say no to that,” he trails off and we all look at him like he just grew another head. “What?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Zayn takes the words out of my mouth. “I honestly don’t see Darcy being comfortable with that, in fact, I think that would scare the hell out of her.”

“Fine, let’s do something lame then,” Louis says folding his arms over his chest.

“You could buy her all the food in a restaurant,” Niall offers and I look at him confused. “You could get me like that,” he defends his idea and I laugh at the blond lad.

“I know. The way to your heart is your stomach, but I don’t see how that could work with her. You saw she doesn’t eat much,” I tell him and he shakes his head disapprovingly.

“Which should be a crime if you ask me.”

We all laugh at Niall’s statement before Zayn comes up with a simple but effective idea. “You two need time alone, that’s for sure,” all the boys nod except me, I keep listening to him. “If we go with you, or at least Harry goes with you that day, I don’t think it’s gonna be hard to distract Lizzie and give you two some time alone. You can talk to her and even ask her out again.”

“Again?” Niall, Louis and Harry ask at the same time.

“This time only the two of you,” Zayn hurries to add when I see how I look at him terrified that the guys may find out that I asked her out the first time and she rejected me… subtly.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Harry says letting the ‘again’ subject drop. He smiles at me showing me his thumbs up. “I’ll take care of Lizzie so you can make your move. Show her all your charms, Payne!” He encourages me with a big smile and patting my back. “You’ll get her this time.”

I hope he is right. I haven’t been this interested in a girl since I met Danielle, but this is different at the same time. I remember I always thought I couldn’t get someone like Danielle because she was older than me and I was only seventeen, but I never gave up and she finally accepted to go out with me.

I’m that kind of guy. The one who doesn’t give up easily just because he got rejected the first time. I came back to the X-Factor because I never gave up and the best part of my life came out of that. I won’t give up on Darcy yet, I’m going to try it again and Harry may be right this time. I may get her.

I don’t know if Darcy is the girl for me, I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship again, I’m not even sure if I can have one right now, but all I can do for now is trying. Something good may come out of this, the least I can do is to give my best.

“You can leave the flash mob for later,” Louis adds breaking through my thoughts and I just laugh at his silly idea. I honestly believe that if I do something like a flash mob, Darcy will get a restraining order for me and the lads.

“We can do a flash mod for Eleanor if you want,” Harry offers as everyone, including Brit, looks at Louis disapprovingly. “If you really want to.”

“Would you help me?” Louis asks hopefully and Harry smiles nodding. Then the Doncaster boy looks at me sternly. “Then you’ll see how this was the perfect idea but you won’t be able to use it anymore. It’s gonna be too late and you’ll beg for another wonderful idea but I’ll tell you ‘it’s too late to apologise, too laaaaate,’” he ends up singing One Republic’s song.

We laugh at him until I feel how Brit has finally managed to untie my shoelaces and now she’s running away with my left shoe. Oh, shit, I just lost another shoe.

* * *

“Okay, so this is the plan,” I state looking at all my band mates, Paul, and Greg, two of the bodyguards that are going with us today. “Harry will go ahead with Lizzie to see the giraffes and I’ll stay behind with Darcy. Paul, you’ll go with them and Greg, you’ll stay behind just in case we run into some fans. Harry, remember to always stay in sight so Darcy won’t get worried for Lizzie, okay?” The curly-haired boy salutes me making me know he got everything I just told him. “Everyone agrees?”

“Yes!” They answer, Paul and Greg are smiling, amused by the situation. I could be a good lieutenant now that I think about it. I’m good at making plans and organising people. “And while you’re at the zoo with Lizzie and Darcy, Niall, Zayn and I will be rehearsing for my fabulous flash mob,” Louis adds and Greg has to fight his need to laugh out loud.

Oh Louis, when something gets in his mind there’s no way to convince him otherwise.

“Good luck with that. Now let’s go so we can pick them up,” I tell Harry, Paul and Greg. The three of them nod.

The day has come, we are about to set off to go pick Lizzie and Darcy up for our date. We decided during the week that the zoo was a great idea for Lizzie to have fun, and a perfect place for Harry to create some distraction so Darcy and I could spend some time alone during that afternoon. I’m really nervous about it, but it’s great to feel like that. As Zayn says, I feel alive. It’s almost like that moment when I’m about to get on stage, when my anxiety is about to eat me alive but at the same time is one of the best moments of the day. Feeling like this reminds me that no matter how crazy my life is or how different everything seems, I’m still just a boy trying to get the girl.

I like to feel like this.

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Hope you all liked it. 

Bel, xx