Study of Life and Love

There was a short scream and a thud on the wall connecting my bedroom with the one next door. I turned towards the door as Nina paused in it, one foot inside, her body turned down the hallway.

“Spider,” came a muffled voice from next door.

I smiled and turned back to the mirror, sliding concealer under the bottom of my left eye, before dabbing it with my finger.

“I swear this house needs to be sprayed or something. I had a spider in the shower with me this morning and last night.” Nina grumbled, walking to her side of the bedroom and falling down onto her unmade bed. I watched her in the mirror.

“Leah and I saw a mouse in the media room yesterday. Almost gave me a heart attack.” I told her. “Maybe we should tell Sid?”

“Hmmm,” Nina mumbled, her eyes focused on the ceiling.

I turned to face her properly. “Are you okay?” I asked, she seemed awfully quiet.

“Yeah, do you think the house should get a dog or something?”

I blinked, surprised by her questioning. “Maybe? I mean I don’t know if we are allowed one.”

Nina frowned and held her phone above her head, her thumb swiping across the screen. I sat down next to her and angled my head so I could see the phone better. I smiled at the husky that took up the screen. It was Nina’s dog Kojo. She was homesick.

“Come on.” I took her phone and crossed to my side of the room. “You need to get ready and stop being depressed about your dog.” I threw her towel at her and shooed her out of the room. She frowned but followed my orders, gripping the towel to her chest.

My own phone beeped from my nightstand, cutting into the soft music that was playing in the background. I moved to grab it when someone knocked on my door.

“Hey, Harry said you were going out with them tonight,” Caydance said, entering before I offered and falling down onto my bed, bouncing twice before turning her head to look at me.

“Uh, yeah. A new club opened up called Prohibition and we were all keen on checking it out.” I said.

She looked at me for a moment. “Cool, well I’m going to be out tonight so I might see you all.”

She stayed, lying on my bed and I felt like there was more to it, but she wasn’t saying anything else.

“Uh there has been a few spiders down here by the way and I think I saw a mouse yesterday,” I said in way of conversation.

Caydance sat up suddenly, a frown on her face. “Yeah, Thea said she though she heard mouse the other day.” Her frown seemed to be making this a much more serious matter than it actually was.

“It’s just a mouse right?” I offered.

Caydance glanced at me before nodding slowly. “Yeah, probably. Look, how are you and Liam?”

The question was sudden and unexpected. “Uh, good?” My voice squeaked out, the answer sounding more like a question. Blood rushed to my cheek and I felt entirely too warm.

“Good, great, yeah.” Caydance nodded, climbing back to her feet.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Nothing yet, might need your help soon though.” She grinned at me before leaving the room without another word.

Nina entered the room after Caydance. “What did she want?”

“I have no idea,” I said honestly, still staring at the door, perplexed.

That whole interaction had been varying levels of confusing. I continued getting ready and was only sliding on my heeled boots when Leah knocked on the door.

“Hey the others are here, you ready to go?”

I nodded and stood up, gaining my balance before chucking my phone into my clutch and followed Leah out of my room.

I was surprised when I met Liam in the foyer.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked warmly, walking over and accepting his kiss to my cheek. He was dressed up, tight black pants and leather jacket worked together with his gelled hair.

“Louis and Caydance wanted to go out and the rest of us are being dragged along. I texted you before to see if you wanted to come.” Liam pouted.

“Oh,” I said grabbing my phone out and seeing the message on the lock screen. “I didn’t even see this. I’m sorry. But I promised I would go out with some friends tonight.” I frowned up at him, honestly sad that I couldn’t spend time with him. “Caydance said that she might see us out, so maybe we can meet up later.”

Liam smiled, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Yeah, that’s fine. You go have fun.”

I tired not to feel like I was a toddler being sent off to go play in a park.

“Okay, well I’ll see you later.” I said unsure, something was off, Liam was tense but his forced smile tried to push through as he just nodded. I quickly leant up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth before Nina started calling my name.

I flashed Liam one last smiling before rushing out the door. Everyone that we were going with was waiting around. I allowed Harry to pull me into a hug and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Ripley. I even offered Danielle a smile.

“Hey, anyone else find it weird that our seniors house members are going out tonight as well,” Luke said from where he was already wrapped around Nina.

I nodded, wandering the same thing. We all turned to look at Harry. “When did you tell Caydance we were going out?” I asked.

The curly-haired boy frowned at us all. “She was with me when I text you all.” He shrugged, trying to look innocent.

I glanced back at the house, wandering if Liam was going out tonight because I was. A small flare of anger lit up inside of me, it better not be because he didn’t trust me.

“As long as Olivia doesn’t come out, I really don’t care.” Leah growled out. I shared a look with Nina, remembering why Harry had organised this. We needed to get Leah drunk.

Ripley seemed to remember this at the same time and quickly ushered everyone into the waiting maxi taxis.

The new club was only twenty minutes away from the campus and was already bursting with people. The club was underground, you had to follow a dark corridor before you even came to the front door. The line was long but quick and we slipped inside to bet met with a loud bass and flashing lights. The whole area was set up like a Speakeasy. Most of the bar area bathed in low yellow light where in the center racks and racks of alcohol was set up on glass shelves back by mirrors. The bar itself was a square around this centerpiece and the bartenders moved swiftly from customer to customer, filling up orders.

I grabbed Leah’s hand and tugged her towards the bar, weaving my way to the front, actually thanking my small frame as it made it easier to squish my way through with Leah’s hand held firmly in between mine. I ordered us jaeger bombs straight from the start, two each and made Leah down them before we ordered other drink and left the bar. Leah was smiling, her body relaxed and I leant into her. She had been upset for so long I was glad she finally looked happy.

Our group had taken up a corner area that had booth-styled seats along the wall and small wooden tables in front of it with barrel-styled chairs placed haphazardly around.

I dropped in a seat next to Harry and toasted the drink he held in his hand. “Where’s Nina?” I asked curiously.

He pointed out to the dance floor. It was packed full with people, bodies moving together and separately, bouncing off each other and into others. There were a lot more people out there than I expected.

I stayed mostly with our group, chatting good-naturedly when other people came to join us, after awhile I excused myself to go the toilet and found myself in a mix of hair, make up and loud girl talk. I washed up and happily complimented the clutch of the girl near me before heading back out into the hallway. There were a group of guys block most of the hallway, being all out loud and pushing each other.

I tried to move past when one of the boys were shoved right in front of me.

“Oh sorry hun,” the guy who had hit the wall turned to me, a smile playing on his face. I shot him a smile and moved to get past him but his hand reached out to grab onto my arm. “What’s your name?”

I eyed him and his mates; there were five of them. “Riley,” I smiled politely, pulling my arm away but he didn’t let go, his fingers tightening.

“Can you let go,” I said pointedly, tugging on my arm. This made the boy smirk.

“Was just trying to have a chat, Riley.” A shiver slid through me when he said my name. It didn’t sound pleasant coming from his mouth.

Another guy pushed through the crowd of boys and a small bubble of panic started to slide into my stomach. There were too many of them. That was until, the new guy’s hand came down on the hand holding onto my arm.

I looked up, in surprise, at Louis. “Don’t think she wants you touching her,” Louis said simply, his voice calm. He didn’t look angry but his fingers tightened on the guys wrist, making him wince before he finally let go of my arm.

He lifted both his hands up, palm faced towards us. “Didn’t know she was spoken for man.”

Louis rolled his eyes and nudged me down the hallway, his arm coming up around my shoulders.

“Thanks,” I said politely, feeling slightly shaken.

“I thought this was the reason why girls go to the toilet in groups.” Louis only said. I laughed and felt better as we wormed our way back through the club.

“Liam here?” I asked, already knowing the answer and trying to peer into the corner I knew our grew was.

“Course.” Louis grinned. “Gotta warn you though, our Liam can be a jealous one. I suggest not giving him reason to be protective.”

Louis threw me a wink before unwrapping his arm from around my shoulder and shoving me into the back of someone. Someone who spun around and smiled widely, arms automatically reaching up to grab onto my waist. I smiled up at Liam.

“Where were you?” Liam shouted over the music. I stepped closer, so we were chest to chest.

“Toilet, you guys follow us here?” I grinned up at Liam so he knew I was joking.

He laughed and nodded his head towards where Harry sat, a happy Caydance firmly perched in his lap. “I don’t think she could really allow him out tonight without being around.”

I turned to Liam. “And you, you’re not here because you don’t trust me right?” I kept my tone of voice light but I was wary about the answer.

Liam frowned and shook his head, leaning down to be closer to my ear. “I trust you, definitely. I just like spending time with you.” He said gently, his lips brushing across the top of my ear.

I pressed closer and shivered in his arms. A completely different shiver to the one that had spread through me when I was in the hallway. I pressed a kiss to Liam’s cheek and I felt like my heat was going to burst.

“Wanna go dance?” I stepped back and picked up Liam’s hand, tugging him towards the dance floor.

He happily followed. I found some of our group already out there, claiming the middle of the floor right under the chandelier. Leah pulled me against her, eyes dark and hazy. She was well on her way to being drunk. I was surprised to see Zayn out here, dancing with a girl I didn’t know.

Danielle smiled and moved around the circle towards us. I immediately stepped into Liam’s space, a spark of possessiveness reared up inside of me.

“I see we were found out,” Danielle laughed and I almost felt bad for the way I wrapped my arms around Liam’s waist, Danielle hadn’t necessarily made any moves against Liam so we were officially together. Didn’t mean I trusted her though. I smiled and nodded at her before looking up to an amused Liam.

“You know there is nothing to worry about, I feel nothing for her,” he teased.

I playfully punched his arms before lifting my arms up to wrap around his neck and began to move with the music. Liam easily moved with me, his knees bent slightly and his arms wound tightly around my waist, slotting my body against his, both of us swaying to the beat and bodies around us.

I pressed a quick kiss to Liam’s neck, right under his ear before turning around in his arms and continuing to move, one arm remained around his neck as the song changed and we kept going.

We stayed out there for many more songs, more people began to join us. Thea and Caydance dragged Nina out and I moved closer to them, wrapping my arm around Nina. Zayn had forgotten about the girl he had been dancing with and was with Louis and Niall, all three jumping to the music. Occasionally someone would step too close, trying to find a way to one member of our group only to be pushed away or blocked out of the circle.

I found myself laughing and spinning, losing myself to the music and only recognizing the people close enough to me, their smiling faces blinking in and out of focus under the strobe lights.

More drinks had been steadily procured throughout the night. Caydance constantly dragging us to the bar for more shots, to the point that my face was numb and everything was becoming meshed into one big whirlwind. I was really sure if my moves were actual dance moves or just drunked stumbling and arm windmiling.

We were at the bar again, Caydance calling for another round of shots when someone’s hand grabbed my ass. I squeaked, in surprise. Leah too, jumped in shock from next to me. My stomach sunk as I slowly recognised the guys behind us. The ones who were in the hallway.

“Fuck off.” Caydance told them sternly, shoving shot glasses into mine and Leah’s hands. She reached her hand out and shoved them both, but being drunk took away most of her strength and they barely moved. I down the shot glass and tugged Leah with me away from the bar area and away from those guys.

I started to make my way back to the corner I knew Nina had disappeared to with Luke when someone yanked on my arm again. I was pulled away from Leah and against the chest of the same smirking guy. I growled at in anger and shoved against his chest, hard, but I unbalanced on my heels and he easily kept one arm around my waist.

“Let go of me,” I grunted, pushing my hands between our chests.

“Come on love, I just was one dance. You were dancing with a lot of other people. You can spare me one.” He sneered out.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “I said no.” I said more forcefully, trying to push away.

“Hey asshole, she said no.” Caydance appeared by my side, all fiery red hair and steel eyes. She reached out to tug me away when one of his mates grabbed her, his arm slipping around her waist.

I widened my eyes at the growl that ripped from her throat.

“You got five seconds to let me go, mate, before I ensure that you will never ever be able to pass you crappy genetics on to some poor woman’s eggs.”

The guys around us laughed and I was pulled tighter against the hard body holding me. I struggled more when I felt his groin nudge my hip. I almost tripped over his foot and took my chance, slamming my heeled boot into the toes of his shoes at the same time that Caydance aimed a knee into the crotch of the guy holding her.

Before I could pull away, someone else’s arms wrapped around my waist and lifted my out of the way. I got ready to aim for their crotch before Liam’s hand caught my knee.

“Woah, hey, I got this.” He said gently, hand squeezing my shoulder affectionately. His eyes however, were dark and cold. He spun and kept my behind him before he took a step forward.

I saw Harry move towards the guy that was still trying to hold onto Caydance but she beat him to it. Punching him right in the jaw, sending him straight to the floor. I laughed in surprise before noticing Liam lunge away from my body to the guy in front of us. I reached out blindly to stop him but was too late.

Zayn was there first, one arm coming across Liam’s chest and pulling him back.

“Come on mate, calm down, none of that. Riley’s fine, aren’t you Riley.” Zayn looked at me sternly and I quickly moved into action.

I stepped into Liam’s line of site and reached up to drag his head down to look at me. “I’m fine,” I grinned.

Liam still seemed unsure when Zayn started herding us away. “Time to go,” he yelled over the music, his head gesturing towards the security guards heading towards us. I grabbed Liam’s hand and tugged him towards the door and up the stairs.

We broke through the outside world, take a grateful breath of fresh air, goosebumps slid up my arm straight away from the cool night air. Zayn herded us off to one side, Louis had apparently gone to get everyone else.

Harry was happily wrapped around Caydance and she only looked smug. Her hand cradled against her chest.

“You okay?” I asked her.

She grinned and winked at me. “Yeah, you? Nice heel to the toes back there.”

I laughed. “Nice punch.” I replied before turning my attention to Liam.

He was frowning, his attention focused on my bare arms before he pulled the leather jacked off his shoulders and quickly wrapped it around mine. I happily pushed my arms through the holes and pulled the skin-warm jacket tighter against myself. It smelled like sweat, whiskery and Liam. I pulled it so tight around me it was like a second skin.

“Thanks.”

Liam’s hands came up to frame my face, his thumbs brushing gently against my cheekbones. “He didn’t hurt you did he?” Liam’s eyes were still dark, lips in a permanent frown.

I shook my head and pressed a chaste kiss to his bottom lip. “I’m fine, promise.”

“What happened?” Nina was at my side, pulling me out of Liam’s arms as she tried to look me over. “Louis said some guys grabbed you and Caydance?”

Thea was at Caydance’s side, inspecting her bruised hand.

“We’re good, we handled ourselves just fine.” Caydance supplied.

Leah snorted, still swaying slightly on her feet, her and Niall were leaning heavily against each other, despite being the drunkest of the group. “Men, who needs them.”

“Here, here.” Niall grinned, lifting the beer he was holding up into the sky before placing it at his lip. Louis rolled his eyes fondly and ruffled the blonde’s hair.

“Let’s get McDonalds. It’s just around the corner.” Louis fell into the head of the group, Ripley at his side as they chatted. Zayn pushed Niall and Leah in the right direction before walking with Thea.

Liam’s hand clasped mine as I walked beside Nina, Luke and Liam talked over our heads as Nina kept asking what happened. I squeezed Liam’s hands tightly and found myself unable to stop grinning.

We all piled into the closest McDonalds, pushing chairs and tables over to the booths so we could all fit. Liam climbed into the booth first and I was pushed against his side, Nina joining my side. Louis pulled Liam into a conversation as he sat across from him, Thea was next and Caydance next to her.

“Are you okay?” Thea asked, a frown pulling on her features.

“Don’t worry, she handled it.” Caydance said, pride in her voice. Harry snorted from next to her and smiled into his burger.

I grinned, still drunk from all the drinks and happily shoved a handful of fries into my mouth. It felt nice and warm sitting here amongst everyone, we were easily the loudest in the place and no one cared. Louis threw chips at Zayn that sat down the other end of the table, he used them to carefully place through Niall’s hair as his face rested against the tabletop. His snores like a soundtrack to our laughter.

“He was pretty annoyed Sidney wouldn’t come out tonight.” I heard Thea say to Caydance. Louis looked at the both of them, frowning down the table at the blonde Irishman.

“I don’t know why he wasn’t surprised.” Caydance shrugged. I slapped Nina’s hand as she tried to take some of my fries.

I watched interested, as Louis casually offered Thea his pickles and took her tomato in compensation. They were pressed shoulder to shoulder in the booth, Louis arm was draped across the back of the booth, almost touching her shoulders. Thea seemed oblivious to Louis’ eyes as they moved back towards her.

Liam’s own arm was wrapped securely around my shoulder and I snuggled in closer, his jacket still pulled tight around my body. His mouth pressed a kiss to the top of my head and I buried my nose further into his neck, smiling and letting the giddiness wash over me.

Notes

So guess who finished Uni? Done!! So Done!! :D
And as a reward for being so amazing with me you all get a surprise. So keep an eye out over the next couple of days xx