Thalia
I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my face, fueling me with excitement. All around me car horns, sirens and the exhaust from big trucks blended with the white noise of thousands of bustling people. There was a excitement to the place that sparked my lust for adventure.
“Thalia? What are you doing?”
“Feeling Rome,” I replied.
“Yep, she’s definitely lost it…”
I opened my eyes to see my family and One Direction staring at me in bemusement. All looked hot and exhausted as they leaned against the large rocks outside of the Colosseum. We had arrived in Rome yesterday morning and have been running around the city ever since, attempting to see all that the city has to offer. So far we had been to St. Peters and the Vatican, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, and a number of small markets and shops I pulled them into along the way. We had just finished our private tour of the Colosseum, curtesy of One Direction, and were now sitting outside waiting for everyone’s feet to recover before heading to our next destination.
“How are you not tired?” Maeve looked at me astonishingly as I passed her my water.
“Oh come on! It’s only ten in morning! You can’t really be tired yet.”
“Thalia we’ve been walking for ages,” Archie cried dramatically.
“Well can you walk a little longer?” The kids let out groans and I added, “There’s gelato in it for you if you make it.”
“YUMMY!” cried Milly and Layla together.
Last night we had taken them get gelato as an afternoon pick me up and the kids have been obsessed with it ever since.
“Where are we headed now?” Jasper asked curiously.
I broke into a smile. “My favorite spot in all of Rome…the Pantheon.”
“Have you been?” Mackenzie asked Niall? He thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“We only went te St. Peter’s an’ da Colosseum last time we were here,” he replied.
“Well then lets get going!” I cried with the excitement of a college tour guide. Slowly but surely, I managed to get everyone on the road again. Harry and Louis volunteered to carry Millie and Archie around via piggy back so we could walk the city rather than drive it. Thankfully, we only had one incident with fans yesterday at St. Peters, otherwise the two security men they had on hand kept most people at bay.
“So remind me again,” Louis said as we set out for our destination. “What’s the Pantheon famous for?”
“Lou! It’s one of the most iconic historical buildings of all time,” I replied. “It was built in 2,000 years ago 120 AD. It’s what most government buildings are modeled after now actually.”
“Is that the one with the circle on top?” Liam asked.
“Yes! And it’s called an oculus.”
“Why is it your favorite?” Archie asked.
“It’s just so full of history and carries this essence about it,” I replied, laughing at their skeptical expressions. “Plus it was the first historic structure I saw in Rome, it still gives me shivers.”
“I didn’t know a building could do that to a person,” chuckled Harry.
I simply gave him a smile and led the group forward. I don’t know why, but it was still incredibly hard to talk to Harry alone. I felt like I was cheating whenever I spoke to him without Marco around. Which was, of course, ridiculous. But the way Harry looked at me made my chest hurt and my heart flutter. I shouldn't be having these feelings for someone who I had decided to be just friends with.
Marco and Nicola had come to the city on business; Marco was meeting someone for his father, while Nicola was lunching with her modeling agent. Both were planning to meet up with us for dinner at one of the more expensive venues in Rome. Afterwards the three of us were taking One Direction and my older siblings out to see the nightlife. Until then however, I was left to fend off these unwanted feelings towards Harry by myself.
"Are we almost there?" Leo groaned as he drug his feet across the cobble stones. I was snapped from my thoughts and back into reality.
"Just around the corner!" I called back, picking up my pace as we wandered through the small medieval streets. As we neared the building seemed to part, giving way to the monumental structure. I felt the breath leave my lungs as an overwhelming feeling of fondness and joy washed over me. It was as if I was like finding a long lost friend or returning home after years of travel. It might not be the best description, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.
"You look like you're going to cry," I heard Louis laugh.
"They all do."
After a moment of inner battle, I was able to pull my eyes from the Pantheon to see my sisters staring open mouthed at the structure.
"It's huge!" Mackenzie managed after a moments struggle.
"It's imposing," corrected Maeve. She turned to me and broke into her small mischievous smile. "I can see why it's for favorite."
Maeve held up her large camera and began moving around the piazza to find that puffery shot. I on the other hand, turned to one direction to see their reactions. I found myself however disappointed with they're unimpressed faces.
"Can't you feel it?" I cried, bouncing to create emphasis.
"What are we supposed to be feeling exactly?" Louis puzzled.
I let out a groan, causing them all to laugh. "History! Can't you feel the history just emanating from the building?"
"Ah no. No I can't."
I looked at him with a horrified expression and successfully earned another round of laughs.
"She looks as if you've just slapped her grandmother," Harry chuckled, his deep voice and lopsided smile pulling me back to my sense.
"I just...I really need you to appreciate the fact that the building is 2,000 years old. The inside creates a perfect sphere and the technology was lost...meaning there is no way we could recreate this building the way they did."
I watched as the guys turned back to the building with slightly more admiration for it.
"You know for once I think you're right professor," Louis teased. "The history makes me like it much more."
I rolled my eyes and pulled them all inside. After a quick hour long tour (okay maybe not that quick) of the Pantheon I led the way back through the winding streets, this time in search of a gelateria.
"I want the chocolate chip one!" Cried Archie as soon as we had entered the shop.
"Un cuppeta piccolo di stracciatella," I quickly ordered from the annoyed looking Italian behind the counter.
"I didn't know you spoke Italian," the drawling voice of Harry Styles said quietly.
"Well it's kind of important to know the language of the place you're living," I laughed before ordering two strawberry gelatos for Millie and Layla.
"Are you ever going to go back to London?" Harry asked curiously.
"Of course!" I laughed. Having those piercing green eyes trained on me so intently was nerve racking. "I'll live in London and just visit different places all over the world. I'll stay for a few weeks at a time to paint and draw! Then when I come back I'll make a gallery and sell them all."
"Sounds like you've got this all worked out then," he smiled sweetly.
Nodded, giving him a tightlipped smile in return. Then, spotting Mackenzie and Niall watching us carefully and gossiping in whispers from the corner, I quickly I turned away.

-

“Alright everyone!” Called Marco, cupping his hands over his mouth so that everyone in our large entourage could hear. “Welcome to one of the most popular bars in Rome.”
I giggled as Marco wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me inside. We were all a little tipsy already due to the expensive wine that had been served with dinner, and I leant heavily on Marco as we entered the pub. Loud, obnoxious singing was the first thing to greet our ears and I quickly burst into another fit of giggles.
“Oi! This is an Irish Pub!” Cried Niall, looking around at the wood paneled interior.
Scholars was in fact the most famous Irish Pub in London, and it was also the biggest tourist attraction for study abroad students. The combination of a dark atmosphere, two fully stocked bars, and karaoke three times a week guaranteed a good start to the night.
I linked my arm with Maeve before I was pulled towards the back of the bar by Marco. Much to our luck one of the booths was open, and I quickly shoved One Direction inside before they were seen. The booths, which had a small roof and sliding doors on the end, were easily the best seat in the house for the provided a space where you could actually hear one another talking over the thumping music.
“This is an Irish Pub!” Niall repeated once we had all managed to cram ourselves inside.
“It’s the tourist bar,” I added. “Mostly American’s studying abroad…this is where the Italian’s do their hunting.”
“We do not!” Cried Marco, hugging my middle. I was seated on his lap to allow more room for others to fit.
“Do too!” I argued.
“No.”
“What do you mean no? This is where you picked me up!”
A round of laughter followed and Marco’s cheeks flushed. “No, I asked you out at the gallery show!”
“Which you only found out about after you tried to pick me up,” I countered. Marco rolled his eyes in defeat and I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to ease his pain.
“I’m going to go get drinks,” Marco replied. “What do you all want?”
The boys settled for beer while Maeve, Elaine, and Mackenzie ran off their usual orders. When Marco finally reached me I gave him a mischievous smile.
“I’ll have whatever you got me last time.”
He started at me blankly for a moment before saying, “No.”
“What! Why not!”
“Do you remember what happened last time?”
“I promise I’ll drink it slower,” I replied with the sweetest smile I could muster. Marco hesitated before letting out a groan and walking away to the bar. I did a small fist pump in victory.
“What happened last time?” Harry asked curiously.
“I sang really badly to Shakira,” I answered as everyone but Nicola burst out laughing. “Everyone loved it but I dunno, I guess it was embarrassing or something…”
“We should sing tonight!” Mackenzie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on Niall’s lap in excitement. He wrapped his arms around her tightly to keep her in place as she burst into giggles. She never was one to hold her liquor.
“We can’t! The boys would blow their cover!” replied Elaine.
“We could do it like real quick at the end,” suggested Maeve, rising out of her seat.
“And then where would we escape to?” Liam challenged.
“Gilda,” Nicola shrugged.
“Yeah!” I smiled. Nicola shot me a galre and I turned to look at the others instead. “Gilda’s an awesome nightclub.”
“Hold on, we’re going to a nightclub too?” Louis frowned. Marco returned with the drink as Maeve ran off to request a song for karaoke.
“Of course!” Cried Marco, pouring a glass from the pitcher before passing it to the guys. “We said we’re showing you Rome.”
“Besides, we won’t head over there until two,” Nicola added, sneaking a look at her Rolex watch.
“TWO!” Cried Harry. “That’s past my bedtime!”
I took a sip of my very strong drink to cover my smile. Harry was such a dork.
“Well if you go before then you’ll just be dancing with a bunch of creepy old men,” replied Nicola.
“So what are we going to do in the meantime then?” Louis asked curiously, taking another sip from his half finished glass.
"Let's play...Sherlock," Maeve suggested, a devilish little glint playing in her eyes. She was swaying slightly but was too determined to cause mischief to let her drunkenness stop her tonight. If anything it only enhanced it.
"Oh no! Not that game again!" Cried Niall.
I broke into a smile remembering the last time we had convinced Niall to play our made up drinking game. We had been at a bar in London early last year and for the first time ever, Niall had been the more drunk.
"What game?" Frowned Louis. "I've never heard of it?"
"That's cause we made it up," Maeve replied, a notable sense of pride in her tone.
"Hmm, no wonder Niall doesn't want to play," teased Louis. "'Must be rubbish."
"How do you play?" Harry asked, leaning over curiously. I noticed Nicola roll her eyes and take another sip of her drink.
“We pick a random person in the bar and everyone makes an inference about the person,” I answered. “Then one person goes up and tries to find out if it’s true or not. Whoever guess wrong has to finish their drink.”
“This sounds like a horrible game,” Louis laughed. “Everyone would just get piss drunk!”
“That’s the point Lou!” Maeve replied, a slight irritation in her voice.
“It’s actually quite fun! We meet a lot of new people,” Elaine smiled.
“Yeah! That’s actually how we met Calhan!” One direction groaned at Maeve’s words while Marco broke into a deep frown.
“So who want’s to play!” I asked, attempting to gloss over the subject of my ex before Harry. It was a bit of a touchy subject.
“Who is Calhan?” Marco asked.
I felt my cheeks flush as everyone at the table turned to look to look at me for a response. I tried to come up with quick response to satisfy Marco, but the alcohol had inhibited my brain function.
“He’s…uh...”
“Her ex before me,” Harry finished. “He took to stalking Thalia for a while.”
My head snapped up and I glared at those those bright green eyes, wishing he would for just once keep his opinion to himself. Harry simply shrugged and took a sip of his drink in response.
“What?” Marco asked, his face instantly hardening. The sudden tension that formed in the booth was enough to crush my soul and I briefly wondered if everyone else could hear my heart attempting to leap out of my chest.
“I told you about him,” I said quietly, taking another sip of my drink as silence took over the table.
“You didn’t say he stalked you.”
“That’s cause she downplays everything,” replied Harry.
“No, you’re all just overdramatic,” I hissed, glaring once more at Harry. What the fuck was going on with him? Meanwhile on the other side of the table Mackenzie, who never handled confrontation well, was the first to break the sudden tension.
“Okay so who wants to play the game!” She cried excitedly. “I say our target is the guy with the funny hat over there.”
But Marco had grumbled about a smoke before clambering out of the booth. Again, all eyes turned to me for a reaction.
“Fuck,” I cursed before taking another sip of my drink and getting up to go after my boyfriend.
“Thalia I-“
“You know what Harry…just…be quiet,” I snapped, my hazel eyes locking with his green once more. “You’ve done enough.”

Notes

Another chapter! I'll be heading out of town for the next week so you won't be getting an update until then...SORRY! I promise I'll have something good for you when I get back!!

Also, my apologies about the new formatting. The computer keeps deleting what ever I have written if I try to add spaces...so annoying. Or is it easier to read this way? Hopefully cause I gots no way ta change it.

Ciao cioa!