That Summer

Chapter Two

Second chapter! Here we go! Comment and vote? :D

~~~

"Are you almost ready, sweetheart?"

I glance up to Mum, nodding.

It's been two days since they told me the news of my trip. We called Uncle Paul, and he told me that he'd pick me up tomorrow, after my flight lands. Then, we'd spend about two weeks in London before going to the U.S. for the boys' Up All Night tour. At first, I wasn't too happy. But then I remembered that the majority of the female population would die of they were in my position.

"Are you sure you're okay with packing my stuff?" I ask, turning the volume on music down.

"Of course," she laughs. "When will you ever be able to travel with a world famous band again?"

"Never," I scoff playfully.

Mum grins. "Evan said he'd be back in town tonight."

"Really?" My older brother is 21, moved into his own flat now and taking classes at a college a few blocks away from there. In addition, this summer he is an assistant at the college's summer football camp for younger children.

She nods happily. "It's been awhile since he's made a visit."

I can tell she's excited about this.

~~~

At about 5 P.M. that night, when my clothes and forms of entertainment are all packed and ready for tomorrow's flight, the doorbell rings. Immediately, I run down the stairs and fling the door open. I look up into the brown-eyed, blonde-framed face of my older brother, Evan. Even after only about a couple weeks without a visit, he still looks older than the last time I saw him.

Maybe its the facial hair he's growing.

"Evan!" I jump into his arms, engulfing him in a hug. He wraps his arms around me for a few seconds, a brief gesture of "sibling love".

"How are you doing, Phoebe? I hear you're going on an exciting trip with a famous boy band?" He steps inside and I close the door behind him. Before I get a chance to answer, my mum and dad take their turns greeting him. "Well, are you?"

I smile in response.

"That's amazing!" he says, hugging me once more. "Though, it kind of upsets me that you get to go to the States before I do."

"The Americans just aren't ready to handle the awesomeness that is Evan Edwards," I respond, pushing his arm.

"Clearly," he laughs.

My little family of four then spends the rest of the night chatting, Evan talking about college life, the football camp, and so much more. But most of the evening, he talks about his girlfriend, Lily. They had started dating during his senior year of high school. She was always so nice, so kind and good to him. They are going to the same college, living in flats that are in the same building. He talks about what he's finally decided to do with his life.

After a quick dinner and a movie, my parents head off to bed (they've never been the night owls that Evan and I are). I go to my room and pull my guitar out of its case, letting my fingers strum the familiar strings, and listening to the quiet, soft music that is produced. I close my eyes and let my hands do the work.

I feel one side of my bed sloop a little. Opening my eyes, I find Evan seated on the opposide side, a small smile on his lips. "You were always the arts-guru of the family."

I laugh. "What's up?"

He looks at me with a serious expression. "First off, I want you to be responsible while you're gone for a few months with five boys--"

"I am not having the talk with you!"

Evan stops immediately. "Good, I didn't want to go through that."

I grin. "Now what's the real reason you're in here?"

"What, a brother can't talk to his little sister?" I give him a look. "Okay, I wanted to tell you that I'm going to propose to Lily."

My jaw drops. "Really? That's fantastic!" I lean over and give him a pretty long hug. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Well," he begins. "I need your help with it." We spent the rest of the night planning it out. And good god, she will love it.

~~~

"Thank you for flying with British Airways Flight 174. Please take your belongings and have a wonderful day here in London."

I reach up into the overhead compartment and pull out my purse and guitar case, eager to step off the plane and set foot into London for the first time. I shoot the flight attendants a quick grin before heading off. The hustle and bustle of people surrounded me as I made my way to the luggage pick-up. And that was when I saw him. The world's best uncle, just the way I remembered him.

"Uncle Paul!" I take off running, watching a grin spread across his face as I hug him.

"How's my favorite niece doing?" he asks.

"I'm doing great." I glance down at the five black and white polka-dot suitcases beside him. "I see you found my luggage."

"Is five bags not enough?" he says, starting to lead me out of the airport.

I smile. "You should know that girls pack excessively."

We drag my bags out to his black car, throwing everything into the trunk before climbing into the front and taking off for coffee.

Once at the nearest Starbucks, after we order and get our drinks, we sit down to talk.

"Are you excited about meeting the boys?" he asks.

I take a bite of my banana bread. "Very. Can you prepare me for our first encounter?" I smile.

Uncle Paul thinks for a moment. "With these boys," he finally says, "you never really know. And the stereotypes you've probably heard are true. Trust me when I say that when I introduce you, they will be flirts. You've dealt with boys before, though. Its nothing you can't handle." He grins. "I trust your parents told you that we'd spend probably around two weeks in London?" I nod. "Great."

We finish our breakfast in a hurry. "We're heading over to the building where the boys live, now," he says once we get in the car.

The ride there is fairly quiet. Uncle Paul drives and I gaze out the window at the wonders of London. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. Everything is so busy. But I love it. The boys' bulding is massive, at least six stories high and about two blocks long. It's very fancy, from when the doorman shows us in to when we step inside. Even the elevator is nice, made out of glass on three sides.

When we reach the sixth floor, Uncle Paul leads me to furthest one on the left. "This is Harry and Louis's flat." He pulls out a set of keys (come on, he's their bodyguard, so he has to have easy access to them just in case), but I grab his hand before he puts the key in.

"I don't know if I'm ready to meet a world-famous band," I say.

Uncle Paul smiles and looks me in the eyes. "They're normal teenagers," he says. "They just have a huge reputation."

"And if they don't like me?"

He laughs. "Now, who wouldn't like you, sweetheart?" That reassures me. Letting go of his hand, he knocks twice, slips the key into the lock and opens the door.

The apartment is empty, from what I can see, but is very nicely furnished and is surprisingly clean. But before I can say anything, something small and hard hits me on the upper arm. I glance down and see...a Nerf bullet?

And that's when the five boys of One Direction pop out from behind the chairs, the couch, the walls, armed with huge Nerf guns, and begin to open fire.

~~~

I loved writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!