Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Leslie’s POV “ Leslie! ” Mum called, as I attempted to drag my large suitcase out of the bedroom. “ Hurry dear, we’re going to be late! ” “ Coming! ” I called, thumping down the stairs. Maura’s not my real mother, she’s my foster. But she’s as good as a mother to me, she sure acts like one. Mum smiled expectantly. “ Got everything? ” “ Think so. ” I hesitated. “ Are you sure you want me to go? ” I didn’t want to go at all, really. I was just glad to see my brother again. Mum kissed my forehead. “ It’s what’s best for you, Leslie. ” She smiled. “ Besides, Niall’s excited to see you. ” “ I’m excited to see him, too. ” I whispered. I didn’t like talking much. Not after the incident. I didn’t trust boys. Not anymore. “ Well, let’s get you to the airport! ” Mum said cheerfully. She helped me get my suitcase into the car and we drove off. Mum chattered nonstop. I kind of just sat there and nodded, through her words went in one ear and out the other. We arrived at the airport just in time for me to get to baggage and take-off. I held out my arms and Mum hugged me tightly. “ You’ll be fine Leslie. ” She promised me. “ I’ll miss you” I looked at the ground. “ I’ll miss you too, darling. But I think this will do you good. ” Mum kissed my cheek. “ Have a safe flight. I love you! ” “ I love you too. ” I reluctantly boarded my flight to London and fell asleep. When I awoke, we were landing. I smiled slightly, I loved plane rides. Something about them was just relaxing. I stepped off the plane and searched anxiously for Niall, the only boy I would ever trust. He was as good as my brother, and I had missed him, a lot. Suddenly I spotted a blonde head, weaving in and out of the crowd. “ Niall! ” I screamed. He turned around and a smile lit his face. “ Leslie! ” He ran to me and swept me off my feet in a huge bear hug. “ I missed you! ” I said, laughing. Niall pecked my cheek. “ And I missed you more. ” “ Doubt it. ” I countered, grinning. Niall put his arm around me and guided me to baggage. “ So, little sis, how have you been? ” My face just fell, and he noticed. His eyes widened. “ Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry, I forgot. ” Niall said, looking guilty. I squeezed him arm. “ that’s okay. ” We got my bag and headed off into a limo. I raised an eyebrow. “ So this is how you cruise now? ” Niall laughed. “ Well it’s the fastest way to get to the tour bus, which is leaving in, ” He checked his phone. “ A half hour. Plenty of time. ” He grinned at me. “ Nice, isn’t it? ” I smirked. “ I suppose. ” Niall hugged me to him. “ You’re going to have a great time, I promise. ” I sighed. “ Really? ” “ Really. ” He promised me. “ You’re going to love the boys. ” I snorted. “ I’m never going to love a boy ever again. ” Niall gave me a sad look. “ I’m so sorry, Leslie. ” I brushed him off. “ Don’t worry about it. ” Niall smiled slightly. “ Well you can be friends, at least. ” I shrugged. “ Sure. ” But I had no intention of befriending any of them. I’d just end up hurt. CHAPTER 2 Niall and I arrived at the tour bus in record time. “ Two minutes to spare! ” Niall cheered, opening the door for me. I chucked and shook my head. He was such a dork sometimes. I heard voices coming from the lavishly decorated living room, and I peered in to see four boys, sitting on the velvet couches. “ Niall, there you are. We thought you got lost. ” Chuckled a boy with crazy hair and suspenders. “ Yeah, I got lost at the airport, Louis. ” Niall rolled his eyes. “ It could happen, with you. ” A boy wearing nothing but boxers winked at him. “ Ah, shut up, Harry. ” Niall chortled. “ And who is this lovely lady? ” A boy with wavy brown hair and a cute smile asked. “ My foster sister, Leslie. Leslie, this is Harry, Louis, Zayn, and Liam. ” Niall pointed to each one of them as he spoke. I smiled shyly and waved. “ Well, aren’t you pretty. ” The boy with the boxers, Harry, smiled flirtatiously at me. Louis cackled. “ You think everyone is pretty. ” Niall shot them both looks. “ No one is going to date my sister, just so you all know, and that’s final. ” He said firmly. “ You sure? ” Harry waggled his eyebrows at me and I blushed. I had o admit he was pretty cute. Okay, majorly cute. He had a great smile and gorgeous green eyes. And the curly hair… that was pretty attractive. I shook my head. No. No crushing on anyone. “ Sorry about Harry. He’s a strange one. ” I think it was Zayn who was talking. “ Hey! ” Harry shoved at him. “ Harry, get some clothes on, we’re leaving. ” Liam commanded. “ Yes, sir. ” Harry saluted and marched out of the room. I had to giggle. “ He seems fun. ” Niall chuckled. “ That’s a way to put it. ” Louis smiled at him. “ He’s my boyfriend. ” I stared at him. “ You’re a couple? ” I asked. “ Yep. ” Louis answered. Zayn and Niall snickered. Liam rolled his eyes. “ No, they’re not. They just have a bromance. Louis has a girlfriend. ” “ Yeah, and she’s right here. ” A gorgeous girl with wavy brown hair came out from another room and smiled at me. “ Hi, I’m Eleanor. ” She introduced herself. “ I’m Leslie. ” I shook her hand. “ You’re Niall’s sister, right? ” “ Basically. ” I smiled. Eleanor laughed. Well, good. It’ll be nice to have another woman around. These lunatics can drive you a bit insane sometimes. “ But you love us. ” Zayn put in, grinning. “ Especially me! ” Louis sang, pecking her on the lips. My heart dropped. They looked so happy. Niall saw the expression on my face and cleared his throat. “ Well, we’re off! ” Sure enough, the bus had started moving? “ We’re taking over Europe! ” Louis cheered. “ Are we? ” I raised an eyebrow. “ Yep. We own the place. ” Louis answered. Eleanor rolled her eyes. “ Good thing you aren’t misleaded or anything. ” She turned to me. “ You and I are sharing a room. Top or bottom bunk? ” She asked. “ Bottom. ” I replied. No good came in falling off and bonking your head. “ Works for me! ” Eleanor chirped. “ So Leslie. ” Liam smiled at me. “ You excited? ” I shrugged. “ I guess so. It is a nice place. ” I said, admiring it. “ I designed it” Harry boasted, coming back into the room. Thankfully this time, he was fully clothed. “ No, you didn’t. ” Zayn rolled his eyes. “ Well, I like it, anyway. ” Harry countered. I laughed. Harry heard me and winked. I blushed. He was adorable. CHAPTER 3 Leslie’s POV Later that night, Eleanor and I sat in our room, talking. It was quite comfortable and roomy, and I loved it. “ You must have a boyfriend back home, ” Eleanor commented, grinning. “ You’re beautiful. ” My happy smile vanished. “ Thanks. ” I whispered. Eleanor looked at me in concern. “ I’m sorry, did I offend you? ” I smiled slightly. “ No, nothing like that. ” I sighed. “ I’ve just never been in a good relationship with anyone. ” Eleanor frowned. “ I’m sorry to hear that. ” I hesitated, but realized I could trust her. “ My last boyfriend, Jake…” I paused, and she nodded encouragingly at me. “ He raped me. ” I whispered, feeling tears build. I looked away and tried to blink them back, but she noticed. “ I’m so sorry! That’s terrible. You poor thing. You don’t deserve that. No one does. ” Eleanor said sadly, squeezing my hand. “ Thanks. ” I sighed. “ And, um, I kind of cut myself afterwards. ” I showed her my arms and she gasped. “ Oh my goodness! ” She exclaimed. “ This is terrible. I’m so sorry. ” She looked pitifully at me. But I hated pity. I shrugged as if it were no big deal. “ Don’t tell Niall, okay? He doesn’t know. ” Eleanor frowned. “ About-which part? ” I furrowed by brows. “ Both. He only knows I don’t trust any boys. He knew my past relationships were crummy. But please don’t sat anything. ” I begged. Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “ Shouldn’t you? I mean, this is something he’d be interested in. ” I shook my head. “ No, I don’t want to worry him. ” I smiled slightly. “ You must know him a little by now — he’s always so happy. I don’t want him to be upset. ” I told her. Eleanor smiled. “ You two are really close, hey? I nodded. “ Like real siblings. ” “ That’s sweet. ” Eleanor told me. “ The boys will have concerts almost every night, they’ll be gone a lot. Is that okay with you? ” I shrugged. Sure, I don’t really know all of them. ” I smiled. “ Besides, we can have girl time. ” “ Exactly what I was thinking. ” Eleanor laughed. Just then, Zayn poked his head into the room and smiled at us. “ Snack, anyone? ” “ Sure” Eleanor stood up. I shook my head. “ Not hungry. ” Both of them stared at me. “ Whoa, and you’re related to Niall? ” Zayn asked incredulously. I chuckled. “ No. Not by blood. ” “ Oh, right. ” Zayn laughed. “ Want to come anyway? ” I shrugged. “ Why not? ” I smiled at Zayn as he helped me up and led me out the room. He was sweet, like Niall. “ I think you’ll like it here. It’s quite different than most places. ” Zayn said conversationally. I laughed. “ Well yeah, it’s a tour bus! ” Zayn chuckled and nodded. “ You can talk to me if you ever need somebody, okay? ” I smiled, genuinely touched. “ Thanks Zayn. ” Everyone else was already in the kitchen. Niall frowned at mine and Zayn’s interlocked hands. “ Sorry. ” Zayn dropped mine, grinning sheepishly at Niall. Niall just smiled good-naturedly and turned around so Louis could shove a sub sandwich into his face. “ That hits the spot. ” Niall said, voice muffled. I giggled. How had I forgotten his eating habits? “ Want something? ” Harry smiled cheekily at me and I nearly melted. Oh. No. I couldn’t go through this. Not again. “ No, I’m not hungry. ” I replied coolly. “ I didn’t mean food. ” Harry winked. “ Harry! ” Niall said warningly, as my smile turned upside down. “ Sorry, sorry! ” Harry looked like he wanted to laugh. “ You’d better be. ” Niall rolled his eyes. “ No problem boys, I don’t want anything. ” I over enunciated. “ Whoa, turned down Styles! You must be crazy or something. ” Louis laughed. “ Enough, you two. ” Liam said firmly. He smiled at me. “ You sure you’re not hungry? ” “ No, I’m okay, thanks. ” I snuggled up on the couch and listened to their teasing banter. “ I’m hungry, Liam. ” Niall whined. “ Of course you are. ” Liam laughed I heard the sounds of crunching, and then, “ Thanks, babe. ” Niall cooed. “ No problem, babe. ” Liam replied. I stifled a laugh. Another bromance? Zayn came to sit beside me. “ How are you doing? ” He smiled at me. “ I’m fine, thanks. ” I smiled back. “ Cold? I could get you a blanket. ” He offered. “ That’s okay. ” “ You look cold. ” Zayn pinched my cheek and I slapped his hand away, laughing. “ Hey! ” “ What? Did that hurt? ” Zayn snickered I rolled my eyes. “ No, but I could hurt you, if you’d like. ” I countered, smirking. “ Whoa, whoa there! Fine, I won’t pinch you again. ” Zayn said, laughing. I realized it had suddenly gone quiet, and I peered over the top of the couch. Louis, Eleanor, and Liam were looking at us in amusement, Niall was shaking his head and grinning, but Harry was glaring at us. I frowned. What was his problem? CHAPTER 4 Harry’s POV I don’t know why I got so mad seeing Zayn play around with Leslie. Maybe it was the fact that she didn’t seem to like me, or maybe it was because they already seemed like friends, or maybe because I was jealous. Wait, jealous? Jealous of what? Zayn was one of my best mates. And he obviously got along very well with Leslie. But they were sitting awfully close, and I realized was jealous. Because Leslie was beautiful. Not like those girls I flirt with for fun, no, she was gorgeous. Her eyes were amazing, they were the most perfect shade of brown and sparkling. She had a very pretty smile, when she used it. Niall had told me she wasn’t very often happy. Bu maybe I could change that. Maybe I could make her happy. Maybe I could make her like me. “ Hello? Earth to Harry! Are you in there? ” Louis waved a hand in front of my face and I realized I had been staring. “ Sorry, what? ” I asked, zoned out. “ I asked you if you want to snuggle for movie night. Eleanor can share me. ” Louis cooed. Eleanor rolled her eyes but nodded, and I shrugged. “ Sure. ” Sure? ” Louis stared at me. “ That’s it? Just sure? ” He pouted, pretending to be deeply hurt. “ I thought we had something special Harry. ” Louis sniffled. I grinned. “ Sorry, Boobear. What I meant was, I would love to snuggle with you. ” I cooed. Louis pinched my bum. “ Oh wow, that was fun. ” I winked at him. “ Good. You’re my movie buddy. ” Louis waggled his eyebrows at me. We all took seats on the couch and Leslie stayed in her spot next to Zayn. I felt my jealousy bubbling up. How did he get so lucky? “ Shutting up time, it’s movie time! ” Louis sang as he popped the video into the DVD player. To be honest, I didn’t really pay attention to it. For one thing, Eleanor had picked the movie, so it was The Notebook. Usually I would be perfectly happy to sit and watch a chick flick, but not with Zayn and Leslie sitting so close together, right behind me. Even when Louis wrapped his arms around my middle, I still wasn’t thrilled. “ You can come sit with me, if you want. ” I told Leslie hopefully, winking. I patted my lap. Leslie didn’t even look at me. “ No, thanks. I’m okay where I am. ” She replied. I felt a smile drop off my face. I was crushed. She turned me down? I was not used to this. Not at all. And I didn’t like it. Especially with girls that I liked. Liam caught my eye and gave me a sympathetic look. Could he tell? I didn’t know. But he didn’t need to, anyway. Its not like Leslie would start flirting with me anytime soon. Obviously. “ Harry, this is the best part! ” Louis said, eyes wide as he stared at the screen. “ I’m going to the bathroom. ” I announced, standing up. I felt Liam’s eyes follow me as I rounded the corner and locked myself into the bathroom. ” I stared into the mirror. What’s wrong with me? Was I not attractive? Mean? Stupid? Maybe she knows me by reputation. I know I’m a flirt, but it’s all in good fun, really. Did Niall tell her to stay away from me? I’d have to talk to him about her. I knew he didn’t want any of us to date her, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was beautiful. Truly beautiful. I sighed and messed up my hair a bit before exiting and taking my spot next to Louis again. “ You missed some magical scenes. ” Louis told me, eyes twinkling. Niall nearly snorted into his popcorn. “ Yeah, magical. ” He mocked. Louis threw a piece of popcorn at his head. “ You’re mean, Louis! ” Niall wailed, pretending to be upset. Liam chuckled. “ How about we snuggle, blondie? ” “ Well gosh, I’m flattered. ” Niall pretended to blush as Liam pulled him into his arms. Leslie looked over and giggled. “ Having fun? ” She asked. “ I’m not gay, Leslie. ” Niall assured her. “ Liam’s just yummy. ” “ Nah, Niall’s yummier. ” Liam winked at him. “ You’re both pretty yummy to me. ” Zayn waggled his eyebrows at him and they both laughed, along with Leslie. I frowned. She seemed to think everything Zayn said was so fascinating. What did Zayn have that I didn’t have? “ I know you’re not gay, Niall, I met your wacko ex-girlfriends, remember? ” Leslie teased. Niall rolled his eyes. “ Yeah, I know you did. And they just loved you. ” Leslie giggled and snuggled into Zayn’s arms. I scowled and turned back to the TV. “ You okay, Harry? ” Louis asked, frowning. “ I’m fine. ” I seethed. No, I was not fine. I was jealous, and angry, and a little sad, even. Why didn’t she like me? CHAPTER 5 Leslie’s POV “ Leslieeeee. ” Someone sang into my ear. “ Mmmmph. ” I mumbled. “ Leslie! Time to get up! ” The person shook me more roughly. I looked up, expecting to see Niall, but it was Zayn. He grinned at me. “ Morning, sunshine! ” He chirped. I groaned. “ I’m tired. ” “ Me too, join the club. I hate waking up early. ” Zayn rolled his eyes. “ Then why must you torture me? ” I moaned. “ Because us guys have an interview. ” I stared at him. “ So? ” “ So, you can suffer with us. ” Zayn wined at me. I threw my pillow at him. “ Jerk. ” I muttered, but I couldn’t hide a smile. “ Aw, I see those dimples. ” Zayn chuckled, and I giggled. “ Are we ready? ” Harry appeared in the doorway, smiling. But it was off. It almost looked fake. “ Leslie is a slowpoke. ” Zayn taunted me. “ Shut up, Zayn! ” I laughed. “ Well hurry up. Liam’s cooking breakfast and he’s getting impatient. ” Harry snapped, and stalked out of the room. I frowned after him. “ What’s up with him? ” Zayn shrugged. “ Dunno. He’s been weird since last night. ” I nodded in agreement. “ Do you think he’s sick? ” I had to admit I was a little concerned. “ Nah, he’s probably just sad because you didn’t sit in his lap last night. ” Zayn laughed. “ I hope you’re kidding. ” I stared at the ground. Zayn shrugged. “ Harry likes girls. ” I rolled my eyes. “ Figures. Is he a player? ” Zayn avoided my gaze. “ I guess so. Kind of. I dunno. I sighed. Of course. There couldn’t be a cute boy without having something wrong with him. Then again, Zayn was pretty attractive. Scratch that, he was quite attractive. But I couldn’t scratch the feeling that Harry was special. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked him. A lot. This was bad. I hadn’t even been here a full 24 hours and I was already falling for him. No. I couldn’t. I wasn’t ever going to be involved with boys again. That was decided. Besides, Niall had said I wasn’t allowed to date anyone here. So as another excuse, what Niall says, goes. Zayn and I wandered into the kitchen. Everyone was tired, but happy and laughing. Except Harry. He avoided our eyes and stared at the ground. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Did I have a disease or something? Niall ruffled my hair. “ How did you sleep, Squirt? ” I rolled my eyes at the use of my old nickname. “ Just fine. ” I responded. “ Want some pancakes Leslie? ” Harry smiled at me. I frowned. Oh, so now he was being nice to me? “ Sure, sounds good. ” I said, avoiding his lovely green eyes. Zayn pulled out a chair for me and I smiled up at him. “ That was nice of you. ” Zayn chuckled. “ No problem. ” Harry set down a plate of pancakes in front of me as he scowled at Zayn. “ What did I say? ” Zayn stared at Harry. “ Nothing. ” Harry muttered. He smiled at me expectantly as I took a bite. “ How are they? ” I gave him a thumbs-up. “ Not bad. ” I saw Liam catch Harry’s eye and they shared a look. What was up with that? No one else seemed to notice; Niall was stuffing his face, Zayn was on his phone, and Louis and Eleanor were snogging in the corner. “ You girls will be safe without us big bears to protect you? ” Niall said through a mouthful of pancake. I giggled. “ We’ll be fine, Niall. ” “ Aw, I’ll miss you, Leslie. ” Zayn winked at me. I blushed. “ I’ll miss you too, Zayn. ” I told him. Harry had a weird look on his face. “ Will you miss me? ” I rolled my eyes. “ Sure, whatever. ” But that was enough to make Harry’s entire face light up. I noticed Liam grin and turn his attention back to the grill, and Niall and Louis just looked confused. Zayn made a face at Harry. “ We’d better get ready lads, the interview’s in forty minutes. ” Liam finished the last of his pancakes and ran out of the kitchen. “ Aw, look at our daddy. ” Louis cooed. I giggled and stuffed more pancakes into my mouth. Maybe this next little while wouldn’t be so bad after all. CHAPTER 6 Leslie’s POV The bus was strangely quiet after the boys left. It was nice, I’m not going to lie. Eleanor was in the shower when Maura called me. “ Hi, mum. ” I said brightly into phone. “ Hi sweetie! How is everything? ” Mum asked. “ Just fine. ” I answered. Mum knew I didn’t talk much, so she didn’t press. “ Having fun? ” “ Sure, they’re all pretty nice. ” I said. Mum could tell I wasn’t completely happy. “ Is everything alright? ” She asked in concern. “ I think I like someone. ” I whispered. Mum paused. “ Really? ” “ Really. ” I said, fingering the fringe on my fancy bed. “ Oh Leslie. ” Mum soothed me. It’s totally okay to like boys, honey. I know what happen in the past, but it doesn’t mean it will happen again. ” “ But I don’t want to go through the pain again. ” My eyes burned. “ Sweetheart, I’ve met all of those boys, and I can tell you none of them would hurt you. They are the sweetest people. ” Mum replied. “ I’m just not ready. ” I sighed. “ And I understand that, love. You’ll know when you’re ready to move on. ” Mum said comfortingly. “ Think so? ” I asked. “ I know so. Anytime you’re ready. ” “ But he doesn’t like me back! ” I laughed a little. “ How do you know that? ” Mum asked. “ Well, I don’t. ” I admitted. “ But it’s pretty obvious. ” I thought of all the looks he had given me, the way he talked to me. Although, he did seem bipolar. So maybe he acted this way with a lot of people. “ Well, love, you’re beautiful, and any of the boys would be lucky to have you. ” Mum said. I smiled a little. “ Thanks, Mum. ” I told her. “ I have to go Leslie, but I love you. Have fun, okay? ” “ Love you too, Mum. Bye. ” I hung up to see Eleanor gaping at me. I gulped. How much had she heard? “ You like someone? ” Eleanor stared at me. I blushed. “ Maybe. I dunno. ” Eleanor smiled. “ It’s okay if you do, you know. ” “ I just don’t know if I can trust people anymore. ” I sighed. Eleanor nodded. “ Which makes sense. But really, these boys are incredible. ” I smiled slightly. “ I guess so. ” “ So, who is it? I promise I won’t tell. ” Eleanor looked at me expectantly. I avoided her eyes. “ Guess. ” “ Zayn? ” I looked up to see her smirking. I gasped. “ Oh no, is that what it seems like? ” Eleanor just gave me a weird look. “ Huh? ” “ Zayn’s cute. And he’s super sweet. I like him a lot, but he’s more like a brother. Or a friend. ” I told her. “ Oh. ” Eleanor frowned. “ Who, then? ” I whispered my answer. “ Harry. ” Eleanor closed her eyes. “ Of course. ” I nodded. “ Of course. ” She chuckled a little. “ You sure don’t act like you like him. ” I blushed. “ That’s because I don’t want to get hurt again. ” I looked at the ground. Eleanor came to sit beside me and put her arms around me. “ Harry may be a player, but he’s great guy. Really. ” I sighed. “ I really don’t think I’m really to have feelings for anyone yet. ” “ Understandable. ” Eleanor squeezed my hand. “ And don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. ” CHAPTER 7 Leslie’s POV The next morning, I was messing around with my phone, just sitting on the couch when Harry approached me. He smiled brightly. “ Look, Leslie, I know we didn’t get off to the best start. How about we just start over? ” he asked hopefully. I sighed. I really wanted to be friends with him. But let’s be honest, if we were friends, I’d end up wanting to be more than friends. He was just too adorable for his own good. But I decided to accept, anyway. “ Sure, Harry. ” I said, and his smile grew bigger. “ Hi, I’m Harry, what’s your name? ” Harry held out his hand to shake and I giggled. “ Pleased to meet you Harry, I’m Leslie. ” I shook back. “ A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young lady. ” Harry kissed my hand and I blushed scarlet. He winked. “ You’re cute when you blush” I rolled my eyes. “ Not funny, Harry. ” “ Sorry. ” Harry grinned at me. And what an irresistible grin it was, too. “ Morning, Leslie! ” Zayn came out of his room, smiling. Harry’s happy expression faded. “ Morning Zayn. ” I yawned. “ Where are the others? ” “ Interview. ” Harry grunted, abruptly turning away. I frowned. What had suddenly gotten into him? Zayn gave me a squeeze. “ Have a nice sleep? ” I nodded. “ You? ” “ Sure did. Hey, how about you and me taking a-” Zayn was cut off by a loud clatter in the kitchen. “ Breakfast! ” Harry called, banging a pot with a wooden spoon. “ Oh, good. I’m starved. ” I proclaimed. Was it just my imagination, or did Harry have a little smirk on his face when I left Zayn? “ Tell me later, Zayn? ” I asked. Maybe more privately, I added to myself. “ Sure. ” Zayn nodded as Eleanor stumbled into the kitchen. “ Morning, everyone. ” She said perkily. That girl was way too cheerful for morning. “ Where’s Lou? ” “ Aw, is someone missing their boyfriend? ” Zayn teased. “ Yeah, me. ” Harry chuckled. Eleanor rolled her eyes. “ Seriously, boys, where is he? ” “ Liam, Niall, and Louis had an interview to rush to. ” Harry explained, bringing over a plate of cinnamon buns. “ Did you make these, Harry? ” I asked politely, trying to avoid his gaze. He smiled. “ Yep. Fresh out of the oven. ” “ Well, they’re wonderful. ” I said shyly. Was I imagining it, or was he actually blushing a bit? “ Thanks. ” Harry said. Zayn just shook his head and dug in. Eleanor caught my eye and winked. I blushed. “ So, what are the plans for today? ” Eleanor asked conversationally, she sat down. “ Concert tonight. ” Zayn answered. “ But once the others are back we’re free until five. We have sound check at seven. ” “ You sound like Liam. ” Harry commented, and I giggled. Zayn made a face at Harry. “ You want to make it there on time? ” Harry shrugged. “ I guess that would probably be a good idea. ” Eleanor shook her head as I laughed again. Harry caught my eye and grinned. I smiled back. Maybe we really could be friends. CHAPTER 8 Leslie’s POV After the other 3 boys returned, Niall wouldn’t quit talking, so I slapped him round the head to shut him up, which made Louis cackle like a hyena. In response to that, Niall threw a plastic water bottle at Louis’ head, and then the two of them made it into an all-out throwing fight. I’d asked Harry if they were always like that, and he said most of the time. How interesting. They have a unique relationship. When the boys went to their concert, Eleanor and I went shopping. She bought several outfits, looking fantastic in all of them of course, and she insisted on making me try on clothes, too. “ I’m not a bigger shopper, really. ” I grimaced in distaste at a flashy dress Eleanor had picked out for me. “ I can tell. ” Eleanor laughed. “ But you look amazing anyway. ” I raised an eyebrow, not agreeing. “ Whatever you say. ” “ No, really! ” Eleanor insisted. I laughed. “ You don’t have to lie, Eleanor. ” She made a face at me. “ I’m not. ” “ Whatever you say. ” I said skeptically. In the end, I ended up buying the dress, but only to please her. We had a quick dinner in the food court before she insisted that she needed new perfume. “ Victoria’s Secret, I’d say. ” Eleanor winked at me. I laughed. “ I think I’ll wait outside. ” When we left the mall, it was rather late. “ The boys will be back by now. It’s nearly eleven. ” Eleanor commented, checking her phone. “ I want to see what Niall thinks about this dress. ” I said dryly. Eleanor just laughed as we crossed the street. The bus parked close, so we made the journey on foot. As the bus came into view, we saw all the boys on the front step, waving and blowing kisses. Eleanor rolled her eyes. “ What hams. ” She chuckled. I laughed along and after checking both ways, we started crossing the street, me slightly in front of Eleanor. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a car zoomed right towards me. It must have been barreling along at 130 kilometers an hour! “ Leslie! Look out! Eleanor screamed behind me, because the car was going to hit me head-on. I screamed and rolled just out of the way. The car zoomed off. I stayed where I was, shaking, until I heard footsteps. “ Leslie, oh my gosh, are you okay? ” A very worried Eleanor helped me up. I was quite shaken, not to mention my left knee was killing me. “ I think I’m okay. ” I groaned. The boys ran out to meet us, frantic. To my surprise, Harry approached me first, and squeezed me tight. “ Oh my gosh, are you okay? ” He asked weakly. “ That guy was a lunatic! ” I was a little shocked at his touch. I felt shivers go through me. “ I think I’m okay, Harry. ” I murmured. Harry stared at me. Then, so quickly and softly I might have imagined it, he leaned in to kiss my cheek. My eyes widened and I was stunned. I felt the sparks when he kissed me. But I was probably the only one. Harry still looked worried when Niall nearly pushed him away and grabbed me. Poor boy was almost in tears. “ Niall, I’m okay. ” I assured him, ruffling his hair. “ That driver was insane! You’re lucky you weren’t killed. I’m so sorry Leslie. ” Niall mumbled. “ I’m okay. ” I laughed a little as Zayn caught hold of me next. “ Idiot. ” He said angrily. “ Some people shouldn’t be allowed a license. ” I patted his back. “ Don’t worry about me, Zayn. ” “ That loser didn’t even check to see if you were okay! ” Eleanor said indignantly. “ Cunt. ” Niall muttered. I chuckled. “ Niall, I’m fine. ” Liam and Louis took turns hugging me next, and then Niall helped me back into the bus. But I couldn’t help sneak a look at Harry. He smiled weakly at me and I smiled back. I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss, even though it was just a peck on the cheek. It was perfect. CHAPTER 9 Leslie’s POV Jake had been texting me again. He was saying things like “ I’m sorry” and “ I want to get back together again. ” But no way I was ever going back down that road again. It still bugged me, though, so I went to talk to Niall that evening. Maybe he would know what to do. But when I found him in kitchen, he seemed to have problems of his own. He was staring at his phone, looking upset. “ What’s wrong? ” I asked worriedly. Niall’s head snapped up and he forced a smile. “ Nothing. ” “ Girl problems? ” I teased him. Niall just stared at his phone with a blank look at his face. “ I told you, it’s nothing really. ” I rolled my eyes. “ Niall, please. You’re my brother, I know you better than anyone. And clearly you’re not okay. So what’s wrong? ” I prodded gently. I sat down next to him and squeezed his shoulder. Niall sighed. “ I guess it’s just the fans. They’re a little cruel sometimes. ” “ Huh? ” I asked in confusion. “ Here. ” Niall handed me his phone and my eyes widened. People were saying horrible, horrible things about him. They were enough to get me fired up. Especially when I noticed a few tears in Niall’s eyes. “ Oh, Niall. ” I plopped in his lap and hugged him close. “ Don’t listen to those people. They don’t know what they’re talking about. And they don’t matter. Come on bud, you’re an amazing person. ” I ruffled his hair. “ Don’t listen to them, okay? I love you. ” I brushed his tears away and he smiled weakly. “ Thanks, Leslie. ” He said softly. Liam walked in right then, with a weird look on his face. “ We’re getting a maid. ” He said, shaking his head. “ Huh? ” Niall and I both stared at him Liam rolled his eyes. “ Paul thinks we’re slobs. And he doesn’t expect Eleanor or Leslie to clean after us, so he’s getting some girl to come and clean up after us! ” Liam threw his hands up in the air in frustration. ” Just some random girl! She has to stay in the girls’ room. But this isn’t right, we’re not sobs. ” “ You kind of are, actually. ” I giggled. “ Well okay, I guess some of us are. ” Liam said pointedly, nodding to Louis as he walked through. I giggled. “ Weird. ” Niall frowned. I left his lap to go sit on the couch, and I rolled my eyes when I saw that Jake had texted me again. Who are you texting? ” I jumped. Harry was standing right behind me, smiling. “ No one. ” I said quickly. Harry came to sit beside me and grabbed the phone out of my hands. “ Harry, give it back. ” I pleaded, he ignored me. I blushed as I realized he was reading Jake’s texts. “ Who is this guy? ” Harry demanded, looking furious. “ My ex-boyfriend. ” I muttered, too embarrassed to say anything else. “ This douche was your boyfriend? ” Harry asked in disbelief. “ Yeah. ” I stated at the floor. “ Well, that’s not cool. He needs to go drown or something. ” Harry exploded. I looked at him in surprise. “ This is not a way to treat a girl. Or anyone. Leslie, this is awful! This guy is a jerk. Want me to get rid of him for you? Because I’m about ready o give him a piece of my mind. ” Harry exploded. “ He said if I blocked his number he would hurt me. ” I finally found my voice. Harry’s eyes narrowed and he drew me in a hug. “ Well, I’ll deal with him. No one deserves to be treated like this. Especially you. ” Harry gazed into my eyes and I had a hard time breathing. I blushed. “ That’s very nice of you, Harry. ” “ It’s the truth. ” Harry tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “ I’m so sorry you had to deal with him. ” Maybe Harry really was a sweetheart. I smiled. “ Thanks, Harry. ” Just then, the bus stopped. “ We’re picking up the maid, everyone on their best behavior. ” Liam warned, going to the door. Harry and I exchanged looks. “ Liam, we don’t have a best behavior. ” Harry taunted. I giggled. Liam shot him a look as he opened the door. I raised an eyebrow. The “ maid” was young. Really young. And quite pretty, too. She smiled shyly at all of us. “ Hi, I’m Julie. ” She gave us a wave. Harry waved back. “ Hi! ” He called. “ Whoa, no flirting? Styles, you’re off your game. ” Zayn jested, coming into the room. Harry threw him a withering look and poked my shoulder. “ Look at Niall. ” He whispered. I turned to face my brother and had to giggle. He was staring at Julie with a look I knew well; the I-think-you’re-gorgeous-look. “ Hi, I’m Niall. ” Niall told her breathlessly. Harry caught my eye and we both smirked. Julie blushed. “ Nice to meet you. ” “ It is very nice to meet you! I promise I wont leave any dirty underwear lying around! ” Louis yelled, shaking her hand. I stifled a laugh as Eleanor looked embarrassed. “ Sorry about him. ” She told Julie. Eleanor went to go help her settle in the bathroom, and Harry went off to get a snack while I plopped back onto the couch. Zayn approached me and smiled. “ Hey, you. ” “ Hey, Zayn. ” I said brightly. “ I was wondering, if maybe, you’d want to go see a movie with me tonight? ” I was stunned, and I heard all of the sounds in the kitchen stop. Harry must be listening. I hesitated. On the one hand, I really liked Zayn. But only as a friend. I never wanted a boyfriend again, and I really hope that wasn’t what he had in mind. I would feel awful. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have to be his girlfriend. We could just have a fun night out, as friends. Besides, I liked Harry. Didn’t I? “ Well, ” I smiled slightly. “ Sure. ” That’s when we were startled by a crash from the kitchen. CHAPTER 10 Harry’s POV “ Sure. ” Leslie told Zayn. My mouth fell open and I dropped the plate I was holding. It broke into a million little pieces and a shard nearly hit Louis. “ Harry! ” Liam was the first recover. “ What were you thinking? ” He demanded. He grabbed the broom and sweeping. “ Move aside. ” He said crossly. Zayn and Leslie both stared at me. I couldn’t read the expression on her face, but she seemed almost apologetic. Louis caught my eye and frowned. “ Anything the matter? ” He mouthed. “ Tell you later. ” I stormed into the room I shared with him angrily. I just couldn’t believe it. I thought I was wrong. I guess Zayn’s more appealing than I am. But I’m not used to being jealous. And if tonight went well, I would never get Leslie. I threw my phone against the wall in frustration. “ Harry? That’s your name, isn’t it? ” Our “ maid” as Liam put it, poked her head into the room, smiling slightly. I managed a smile in return. “ That’s me. ” “ I was just going to tell you, I cleaned up your plate. So don’t worry about it. ” She said politely. I chuckled. “ You didn’t have to do that. ” Suddenly Niall joined her at the door. “ Oh, hi Harry. I just came to, um get the comb you borrowed. ” A grin spread across my face. He totally fancied her. “ Niall, I didn’t borrow any comb. ” It was just an excuse to talk to her. How cute. “ Are you sure? ” Niall blushed. Julie smiled at him. “ I just found a comb in the couch. Come with me, maybe it’s yours? ” I watched as they left, smiling. I sighed. Why couldn’t Leslie and I be like that? Because I could bet anything Niall was going to get that girl. The look she gave him-all I could say was, I wished Leslie looked at me that way. Oh, man, this is bad. I really was jealous. “ We’re leaving, Niall! ” I heard Leslie chirp, and I poked my head out of the room to see her and Zayn holding hands. I narrowed my eyes and felt a surge of jealousy rise up. Niall frowned. “ Have her back by ten, and don’t you dare try any funny business, Mister. ” Leslie, Zayn, and Julie all laughed. My heart fell. That should be that Niall’s scolding, I thought sadly. The door slammed and I watched out the window as the two of them walking off. “ Harry? ” Someone asked hesitantly behind me. I turned to find Louis standing there, looking worried. “ Mate, you okay? ” “ Not really. ” I plopped down on the bed dejectedly and he sat next to me. I’d been able to tell Louis anything, so I guess I could tell him this. “ I think I’m falling hard for someone who isn’t falling back. ” I admitted. Louis nodded understandingly. “ Leslie? ” I stared at him. “ How’d you guess? ” Louis chuckled. “ Please, I could tell the first day. You should see the way you look at her! ” I sighed. “ It just drives me crazy that I just barely got a chance with her, and now Zayn goes and swoops it away. ” I said angrily. Louis rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. “ I’m sorry Hazza, I really I am. ” He looked at me sorrowfully. “ What does he have that I don’t? ” I whined. Louis cracked a smile. “ An earring. ” “ Is that what I need? ” I demanded. Louis gave me a startled look. “ I was kidding. ” He paused. “ You’re really jealous, aren’t you? ” I flopped down onto the pillow. “ I’m afraid