frostbite || n.h. au

chapter two || too cold

“All I am is a man. I want the world in my hands.”

-Sweater Weather || The Neighbourhood

 ❄

{ niall }

I was going to thank Seth later for not being at his house when I got there.

When I walked up to him, the first thing I noticed was the petite girl beside him.

“Who’s this?” I asked, smirking. My eyes began to wander the mystery girl’s curvy body. I inspected her every crevice, my lip caught between my teeth, until I came up to her flushed face. She squirmed and my smirk grew knowing I made her so flustered. She obviously took interest in me as well. She couldn’t keep her pretty little eyes off me.

“This is Heather Pennington, our new neighbor,” he said and smiled at her, like she was his. I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like the word “our.” I didn’t like sharing. She was my neighbor. I took a step towards her and smiled warmly.

“Well, hello Heather. It’s nice to meet you.” I extend a hand out to her and watch her petite hand slowly rise to meet mine. She nodded quickly, seeming to be at a loss for words. This cause the side of my mouth to curl involuntarily. The instant her fingers grazed past my hand and softly gripped it, I wanted more of her. I liked the feel of her skin. I didn’t know her, but I liked that. I was bored of all the other girls in our town. It wa in need of a little mystery. “The idea of a new neighbor is exciting. That’s pretty rare here.”

“O-oh is it?” Her voice was shaky. Her eyes never left mine and neither did her hand.

“Yeah, it is. It’s been a while since someone has moved into Mayville.”

“I think we better get going, Niall. Wouldn’t want to miss that game tonight,” Seth insisted uncomfortably. I ignored him. Heather was more interesting.

“So where are you from, Heather?” I ask, slowly letting go of her hand when I noticed that neither of us had yet.

“Toronto. Uh, Canada.” Her mouth was slightly parted and I glanced at her hands which here playing with the end of her sweater.

“Must be pretty cold there.”

“Niall, let’s go,” Seth implored. I turned to him, my eyes shooting darts. I said nothing as my gaze went back to this new girl.

“So you’re obviously going to be going to Mayville high, right? It is the only high school in town.” She nodded as her eyes darted away, but quickly returned to my face.

“I-I’m going to be starting in a week.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Alright Niall, I think the game has started about now… we should really go.” I smirked and looked her up and down once more.

“See you around, Heather.”

~

“What the hell do you think you were doing back there, Niall?” Seth hissed the moment we stepped into his room.

“Is it wrong to welcome a new neighbor?” I questioned back casually, leaning into a bean bag beside his bed.

“You did not just ‘welcome’ her Niall. I know what you were doing. I know you.” I laughed at him.

“What was I doing?” I asked him, even though I already knew.

“You can’t hit on the hot new girl yet. She hasn’t even been here a full day. Let her get used to the town or you’ll scare her off.” He hopped onto his bed and grabbed the remote, turning on the small televisor.

“You do have a point.” I saw him puff his chest up, liking the fact that I thought he was right. I grabbed a bag of potato chip lying on his nightstand. “But, I’m obviously not going to listen to it. Like you said, you know me.” He rolled his eyes at me and I was statisfied as I munched on my chip.

“You can’t do this, Niall. At least don’t pretend to be this polite, gentleman to lead her in. That is just wrong.”

The potato chips were making me thirsty. “You know me,” I said and walked out to get water from the refrigerator. I amused myself sometimes with my wittiness. I wish Seth could be more like me and just have fun with his life. Try different things. Put himself out there.

But then again, I changed my mind. I liked being the only one in this town known as, well, a “player,” as people called it. I just referred to it as trying different girls on for size.

I returned to Seth’s bedroom to find him on the phone. My prediction: Priscilla.

“Cilla,” he laughed into his large mobile device and so did I at my accuracy.

Priscilla was his much too perky girlfriend. Surprisingly, I never had a thing with her. I think we had made out once, but nothing else. She wasn’t really my type. Clingy. That’s just what Seth wanted, though. A dog to follow him around in some daydream land. I only liked those type of girls for a night and I was done. For example, Grace Urbano before she settled down in a committed relationship with Daniel. That girl followed me around everywhere I went after we messed around one time. She did have a nice body, but that’s all.

Thinking about all of these girls made me wonder about Heather. Just from our few-sentence conversation I could tell she wasn’t the perky type, but I didn’t know what she was. She definitely was new. Not “new” as in to the neighborhood, but new to me. New to my neighborhood. I wanted her.

“Alright, Cilla. Okay, bye babe.” Seth pulled his phone down from his ear and ended the call with his girlfriend, a dumb smile still stuck on his face. I snorted and the smile wiped clean off his face.

“Something funny?” he asked in a sharp tone.

“Just how dumb your face looks every time someone even mentions her.” Seth scoffed, turning back to the television.

“At least I have the ability to stay with one girl longer than 2 weeks.”

“It’s just not fun that way, though. I’d rather have a variety than just one chick,” I said, then chuckled coming up with a pun for my way of ‘dating.’ “One is no fun.”

“You disgust me, Horan,” Seth laughed, “but at least you’re honest about it.” I hummed, taking pride in his mentioning of my acceptance of the lifestyle.

“I think you should stay away from that Heather, though, Ni. She seems like she’d deserve someone better than you,” Seth admitted. Something ignited in me after he said this, turning back to the footie game. I stared at the screen aimlessly and grinded my teeth. I didn’t like how he thought that I wasn’t good enough for Heather. The sad truth was, he was right. But I wanted him to be wrong. I wanted Heather, and I was going to get her.

I always get what I want.

~

8    v o t e s    f o r    c h a p t e r   3   ||   s e e    y o u   o n   w e d n e s d a y  

AN: sorry for the short chapter. i think i might start posting twice a week. i was done with this chapter really fast. let’s do wednesdays and sundays. muah x

-olivia