I wake up to a cold hand lying limp on my chest and a chilled nose nuzzled in the cave between my neck and shoulder. The girl’s hair tickles the inside of my elbow as I try to wiggle out from under her. I sit up and feel a cool breeze coming from the window I hadn’t had time to shut last night. The girl lying naked in my bed groans and rolls over, she notices I’m not there then looks up to me with tired eyes. The ends of her mouth curl into a seductive grin, the same grin that won me over last night.
“Niall, right?” she asks making sure that is my name.
I let out a light chuckle and nod then say, “Yeah, Niall.” She gets up wrapping the sheet around her long slim body then steps over to me. Her toes tickle mine once she squares her body against mine; her fingers trace the sleeve of tattoos treading up and down my arm and her lips fiddle with my lip piercing. Her eyes fall eyes fall to the clock behind me and her eyes go wide,
“Crap is that the time? I have to go I have work in twenty minutes!” the sheet covering her bare body falls loosely to the floor, I turn away though I’ve already seen every hidden inch of her. Before scurrying out she scribbles her name on my hand,
“Don’t be afraid to call it, kay?” she persuades me to make a promise I don’t plan on keeping. Once she’s out I look down to the name written above the digits Ella.
I shove the curtains out of my way and close the window then put on a wrinkly pair of jeans that were thrown to the floor. After brushing my teeth and rustling my blonde hair to the side I slide on some chap stick over my kissed chapped lips. After rummaging through my closet of jumbled clothes I find a black band T-Shirt of the concert that I’m going to tonight. When I try to slide shut my closet door the bottom comes off its hinges and I groan too lazy to fix it. I slide my phone and wallet into my jeans pocket then head out the door. I tread down the apartment building stairs and out into the winter’s light rain. When I notice my hair is getting damp I pull my hood over my head and continue walking to a local coffee house. My breath makes a cloud with every puff of breath I let out.
As I walk into the coffee house a bell jingles above my head, a girl behind the counter smiles at me and I get in line. In the corner sits one of the bands that’ll be playing tonight, hanging on their arms are girls that I’d love to be with, the band’s groupies. One girl particularly catches my eye, when she sees me staring her eyes look me up and down then she smiles. Her eyes are the shade of the light that reflects from a blue ocean, the way her brunette hair trickles down her back makes me want to tangle my hands in it; and the smirk that takes place on her face makes me want to make her mine. When her eyes leave me they find their place in the lead singer’s. I get my coffee then leave for the park until it’s close to the time for the concert to start. I find an empty bench under a few scattered trees hoping it’ll be dry. But when I sit the mornings rain seeps into my jeans so I jolt up and walk around instead. When it’s time to go I quicken my pace to the venue wanting to get into a warm place. Inside there are no chairs and everyone stands as close to the stage as possible. The opening band comes out and everyone starts fist pumping and screaming out the lyrics from their dry throats including me. Behind me a mosh pit forms and people start taking turns going in. When the guy beside me gets hit he turns around and pushes the other guy back in. I guess he didn’t like getting pushed and thinking it was me gets into my face and starts trying to yell over the crowd around us.
“Hey!” the guy beside me yells,
“It was me not him, you got a problem take it up with me!” he growls angered. The two men stand intensely with eyes digging into each other’s. When a punch is thrown at the guy beside me I jump in trying to stop it. We’re all pulled apart by security and thrown out. The guy I tried to defend kicks the door then slides down the brick wall.
“I paid so much for those tickets man! Dammit!” he curses with eyebrows scrunched together. He looks up to me then says, “I’m Zayn.”
I slide down beside him and sit on the cold concrete below us. “I’m Niall.” I mutter out trying not to shiver. He pulls his beanie on tighter and slips his hands into his jeans pockets. His skin is dark but light enough for the tattoos on his neck and knuckles, a strip of blonde is exposed not hidden by the beanie.
“Thanks for having my back in there.” He says not looking at me. I shrug my shoulders and say,
“It was nothing. A few doors down a girl comes out fighting with a guy, her tone is laced in hysterics and his is cocky. She pushes him away when he tries to pull her in. She keeps screaming for him to go inside and leave her alone and when he shoved her against the wall I get up. I run over to the silhouettes covered in darkness and pull the guy from the collar of the shirt, it gives way and tears. When he goes to punch me I tackle him down and beat my fist steadily into his face. Zayn pulls me off and when I get up the light shines in the guy’s face, it’s the lead singer I saw at the coffee house earlier. And when I look up to the girl I notice it’s the same girl too. But this time her blue eyes aren’t so bold, they’re scared. The singer get’s up and pushes me,
“Get outta here punk!” he yells. I look at him then back at her. She stands against the wall with her hands hugging her arms in the cold.
“Not without her.” I negotiate. He looks to his groupie then laughs in annoyance,
“Take her, she’s trash anyways.
Before she steps forward she looks at him cautiously then warily walks to my side.
“Let’s go.” I say digging my hands into the caves of my cold pockets. The girl treads lightly partially behind and beside me depending on her pace. Zayn walks on my other side and asks if we need a ride, I nod and look to the girl. “You need a ride? I enquire, her jaw shivers in the cold and she nods. We walk to his car and I get in the front while she sits in the back. When we start driving I ask, “So what’s your name?” she blows her heated breath into her cupped hands then says,
“Lena, with one ‘E’.”I smile at her slight attitude. “What about the two of you, I got in a car with you so I think I need names.” She states boldly. I can’t help but smirk and say,
“I’m Niall.” After turning sharply Zayn says,
“And I’m Zayn. So where am I taking the two of you?” he asks. Lena mumbles out a hotel name and I say,
“You could stay at my place for the night.” When we pull up to the hotel she laughs then says,
“Buy me dinner first then make that offer, maybe then I’ll fall for your charm.” She half giggles then gets out slamming the door behind her. I can’t help but let my eyes watch her leave as her hips sway confidently back and forth. I find my tongue fiddling with my lip ring as I think about how I’m going to win her.
It’s been a week since the concert and since then Zayn and I have started making music. It turns out he too sings and plays some guitar. For awhile now I’ve been looking for another singer and I think I’ve found it. We’ve made three songs and today we’re going to meet up about recording a demo. I walk into the coffee house and when I get in line I look to the same corner Lena sat in before and am disappointed when I don’t see her. I order my usual and take a seat at the empty side of the room. I see Zayn walking up through the window, he catches eye of me before getting in line. I find myself looking at the tattoos he has on one arm and around his neck and wonder where he went to het his work done. Once he has his coffee he comes over and sits. We discuss how we’re going to pay for the demos and where we’re gonna record. He says he has a friend that works in a nice studio about half an hour from here. He leans back in his chair then asks,
