“Um, so my roommate has been nonstop texting me about seeing me, so I think I’m gonna peace-out,” I said as I rose out of my seat. I felt dizzy and hot, and I knew I needed to get out of this room with all this complicated shit.

Niall rose, too, “Okay, I can give you a ride back to your place.”

“No, I mean, she said she’s just down the corner at Coffee Bean so I can walk over there and meet her.” I knew I was lying but I couldn’t stand to be in the car with Niall with all these thoughts running through my head. Walking would do me good anyway, and I could hail a cab once I was a couple blocks away.

“You sure?” I nodded as I looked at the countertop, trying so hard to avoid his eyes. “Alright well I’ll call you later than, yeah?” He looked a tiny bit hurt at the fact that I was leaving so abruptly, but at that point I didn’t care. I grabbed my purse and went into Niall’s room to grab my heels and dress from last night. I somehow found them within the mess on the floor, and also grabbed an empty American Apparel bag to hold them in. I took out my heels from the bag and put them on, carrying the flip-flops in my free hand. As I trotted out of the bedroom towards the front door, I turned around to face the boys, who seemed to be having a deep conversation in my absence.

“See you guys later. And tell what’s-her-face thanks for the flip-flops, won’t you Harry?” I tossed the shoes at him and walked out the door. I heard Harry and Niall burst into laughter before it closed. As I was waiting for the elevator, a familiar Arab God emerged behind me.

“Leaving already, babe?” He winked at me.

“Well, you know, got to get back to reality at some point,” I said as we both walked into the elevator.

He smirked, “At this point this is your reality isn’t it?” I didn’t answer as I pressed the button for the lobby. It was my reality wasn’t it. It’s not like I dreamt up last night – it actually fucking happened. Shit, where the fuck did I go from here? I didn’t even know what Niall and I were for crying out loud. For all I knew I was just another random girl who passed the test. I decided to be bold and ask Zayn for his honesty.

“Give it to me straight Zayn: does Niall have four more girls coming over this afternoon or does he actually like me?” He began to laugh at my crudeness but I kept a serious face as I awaited his reply. After he caught on that I wasn’t laughing, he answered me.

“In all honesty Charlie I think he likes you. You see, Niall isn’t like Harry or myself; he’s tired of a different girl every night. Sure he’s drunkenly hooked up with a few girls here and there, but lately something in him clicked. He’s tired of playing the field, and he’s got his sight set on finding a real girlfriend.” The elevator door opened and he pulled me off to the side to finish the conversation. “Louis’s been a huge influence on that, and I think seeing what he and Eleanor have makes Niall crave the same. He’s been talking you up a lot, and I think he sees the potential of starting an actual relationship with you.” He bore his gorgeous brown eyes into my soul as he spoke, and I wanted to throw up. That was NOT the answer I was expecting, and I felt dizzy and hot all over again.

“I don’t even know how to respond to that Zayn. I was actually anticipating something totally different.” I bite my bottom lip as he let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Oh, come on babe, we’re young and hot and we can do whatever the fuck we want. Take it as you will, but I’m telling you Niall hasn’t talked this much about a girl in quite some time. I mean, you see how he acts around you, what do you think?” What did I think? I had no fucking clue, so I decided changing the subject was best.

“Wait a minute, what time is it? Don’t you usually wake up around 5 PM every day?” He had told me this when we were drunk dancing the night before.

He smiled as he led me to the back entrance of the lobby. “Usually, yeah, but Liam got up early to hit the gym and I woke up when I heard him leave. I figured if I was up, I could get dressed and smoke a fag.”

“So, you and Liam room together, Niall with Harry, and Louis lives with…?”

He finished my thought, “Eleanor.”

“Ah, I see, so you all have eyes on each other to make sure no one jumps off the roof?” I asked while we exited the hotel.

“Basically, yeah.” He ignored my snarky commentand lit his cigarette, then offered me one. I usually didn’t smoke, but seeing as how my life was pretty fucked up, I came to a decision that a cigarette would calm me down. He lit mine as I inhaled deeply. Fuck, these cigarettes were smooth. I looked at the pack and saw they were Menthols – my new favorite. We were silent for a moment as we inhaled and exhaled, but Zayn soon started up a new conversation.

“How are you getting back? We picked you up last night, yeah?” God dammit motherfuck, I thought he wouldn’t have remembered any of last night, but apparently I was wrong.

“Yeah but I figured I could walk home. I love the scenic route of LA.” Real fucking smooth, Charlie. I’m sure Zayn loved the “scenic route” of too many cars and polluted air, too.

Looking puzzled, he stomped on his finished cigarette. “I can give you a ride back if you want. It’s no trouble seeing as how I’m already fucking awake.”

I smiled because even though he sounded angry, I knew it was his way of being sincere. “Thanks, that’d be great.”

We walked over to the garage and a silver Audi R8 was idling in the exit waiting for us. As we approached the vehicle, I noticed Zayn motioning for the passenger seat.

“Uh, you’re not gonna drive your car?” I questioned as he pulled the seat forward so I could slip into the back.

“Course not, I don’t drive. I just like cars.” He acted like it was completely normal. I shrugged it off and hopped into the ridiculously expensive car. The ride was silent other than my telling Zayn my address. I stared out the window and tried to make sense of my life, but it was no use. When we reached my place, Zayn adjusted his seat to let me out, and hugged me goodbye.

“There’s no need to be scared, Charlie,” he whispered in my ear, then removed his embrace, got back into his car, and drove off. This guy could read people like a book couldn’t he?

When I entered my apartment, I was surprised to not be greeted at the door by my easily-excited roommate. I walked into the kitchen and found a note on the countertop. Seeing as how you obviously are having a much more interesting morning than expected, I decided to grab lunch with Mikey, be back soon buttercup! Phew, Naomi was out with her boyfriend Michael, or Mikey as she loved to call him. She was a huge fan of tacky nicknames. Her absence gave me plenty of time to shower and wash off my regret from last night. I dropped my dress-bag and clutch on my bed, then stripped of my newly acquired garments. I threw them straight in the trash -- where they belonged just like the girls who wore them…which I guess was me. I rolled my eyes in disgust at myself and turned the shower nozzle to extra hot as I jumped in.

I let the water trickle down my body as I tried to put together my life for the hundredth time that day. Zayn said Niall probably really liked me if he brought me home. Did he? He did send me cute texts and always started the conversation, and Cosmo told me those were signs that he was into me. But, what if he only brought me home because he was drunk and knew he’d get it in because I was drunk, too? Eleanor told me he fancied me, but maybe that was just the alcohol talking. I decided my best bet would be to lie low for awhile and if he really did like me, he’d call.

I hopped out of the shower after what felt like an hour, and threw on jeans and a t-shirt. Naomi was still out with her boy-toy, so I called my best friend Kim. She agreed to come over as I tried not to sound too whiney on the phone.

Kim didn’t bother knocking when she arrived, and barged into my apartment while I was eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey – a clear sign I was upset. I was going to grab the pint of Dublin Mudslide, but it felt too ironic. I was so upset I even had Taylor Swift blasting on my iHome. What can I say? The girl knew heartbreak pretty well.

“What the fuck is wrong? Did someone die?” Kim asked as she turned down the music and took in the scene surrounding her.

“I hate my life,” I said with a mouthful of Chunky Monkey. She sat down next to me and I began to tell her everything – from the car accident to the sex to the “indefinite” stay of the band in LA.

“Oh my fucking God, that is insane! What was their name again? I think I saw them on the Today show a couple months ago. Let me Google them.” She pulled out her phone but I took it from her.

“Trust me; you have to watch what exactly you Google because some of these girls…” I widened my eyes as I searched for a recent picture that wasn’t on a creepy-stalker Facebook page. I found a cute one of them at a movie premiere and showed Kim.

“WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?” she screamed in my ear, pointing to Zayn.

“Uh calm the fuck down. That’s Zayn and this is Louis, Harry, Liam, and that one is Niall.” I pointed to each boy but she kept her eyes on Zayn.

“I NEED TO MEET HIM!” she yelled as she fell on her back like a cockroach on the floor. We both started laughing and soon we heard my front door open. Naomi came bursting in carrying two shopping bags, and Michael was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah! Charlie!” she exclaimed as she ran over and hugged me.

“I missed you! How was your trip?” I asked picking Kim’s limp body off the floor.

“The usual; mommy and daddy send their regards.” Naomi came from a very rich family in Kentucky, and whatever she wanted was handed to her on a silver platter. “Now, let me show you my present for you!” She ran into her bedroom and reappeared holding an envelope.

She handed it to me. “What is this?” I asked, opening the envelope. There were two concert tickets inside…One Direction concert tickets. My stomach dropped. I looked up at Naomi who had the largest grin on her face.

“They’re called One Direction and they’re this super popular boy band from England or something. My little sister is obsessed, and she was showing me videos of them and I just fell in love. I think the curly-haired one is the cutest. We’re seeing them next week and we have front row tickets and backstage passes!” She seemed so happy I wanted to cry. I stood there motionless while Kim muffled her laughter behind me. Why was this my fucking life?