We Literally Just Ran Into Each Other.
Chapter 1.
I awoke in my little flat, located in London, feeling deprived of sleep.
I dragged myself away from my cosy duvet cover, noticing the time on my little alarm clock; it read 11:37am.
How could I feel so tired? Oh I remember, my friend's 19th party was last night. What is wrong with a quiet night in?
That's how I spent my 19th a few months ago. I needed coffee to revive me, and a hell of a lot of it!
After getting ready (attempting to look human…) I felt unbelievably starving. I looked through all the cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer, everywhere!
"Oh for God- nah never mind, I'll just go to the café." I loved the little place, it wasn't often I went but I had favourites; all hail the cheesy oatcake!
I could eat them by the dozen! Actually, to be fair, I could eat anything by the dozen! Among my friends I am known as Harriet, the human bin…
It wasn't until lately that I understood that nickname when I was caught digging in my best friend, Amie's bin.
Please, don't ask…I'll tell you: I was only looking for a label, but found an uneaten burger in its wrapper. Unfortunately it was at the bottom of the bin.
So as a result of my lack of height issue I fell head first into a weeks worth of trash… Not so nice… Although I got the burger!
I glanced into the mirror just before I was heading out; I have always hated my auburn, half curly, half wavy, thick, fuzzy hair but there was nothing there could be done about it…
"I'll do" I muttered to myself. And so I left.
It was freezing! Snow was falling quite heavily now, it was getting hard to see! I was almost sprinting to my destination; bearing in mind it was unbelievably icy.
I was at the narrow alleyway just opposite the café when suddenly I sped around the bend way too fast, I slipped on some ice and I rammed into someone,
knocking him onto his back. We were a tangled heap surrounded by a mess of food (not that it resembled food for the state it was now in…)
"Oh crap, I'm so sorry! I-I…err…um" I had turned into a gibbering idiot and began to, much to my dismay, blush a bright shade of crimson.
I looked at the stranger in front of me, blond with deep, blue eyes; he looked somewhat familiar. He was beautiful… In an adorable Irish accent he said:
"Ha, ha, ha. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going… I'm Niall by the way." He held out his hand and smiled back at me.
"I'm Harriet" I shook his hand feebly as I couldn't feel my fingers, speaking of which, "Aren't you cold?"
He was in a t-shirt! What the heck?!
"I think we made a bit of a mess…"
I offered to help Niall pick up the array of soggy food on the ground when he held up a crumpled box of chips and offered me one.
"Thank you! Cold, damp fries – my favourite!" I sarcastically blurted out causing Niall to laugh, except being honest, I loved cold chips...
I took a couple of chips and gathered what was left of what Niall had bought, I recognised the wrappers from the café I was heading to.
"Hey, um, Niall?"
"Yeah?" He asked.
"You got all this from the café by the big water fountain didn't you?
Well I was going there, so I could pay for what is now beyond inedible."
Niall burst out laughing.
"What's so funny" I was suddenly confused.
"Nah, it's just, well, never mind… Oh, and yeah, from the café."
"If it's about me paying for the damaged food, well, you'd be doing me a favour! I have a conscience you know!"
Niall was looking directly into my eyes. I was looking back at him and I couldn't stop, his eyes bore into mine leaving me blushing again.
"I've got an idea. If you want to pay me back, how about we hang out together today? It'd be fun!" Niall said hopefully.
"Please? I have nothing to do today! I'll be bored!"
I was unsure. We had only just met! And anyway, I needed some grub in my system so who would want to sit around with me and eat all day...
Then it clicked. "Hang on, hang on… you're Niall Horan aren't you?"
I felt my mouth hang open. Niall Horan just asked to spend the day with me! How could I not have recognise him?!
"And is that a problem?" Niall flashed another smile. Dammit, stupid irresistible smile. It's starting to become a Twilight scene with all this dazzling…
I sighed, "Alright, how about we start with going to the café then, I'm starving!"
"Awesome."
And together we walked into the warmth of the indoors…
Niall POV:
I had not a thing to do today, no photo shoots or filming or interviews… Liam, Harry, Zayn and Louis were busy. Good for them. I only wish I could go back to Ireland for a while but One Direction have to appear on a TV show tomorrow, leaving me stranded in a hotel in some high-street. The others won't tell me what it is they're doing…
There's a café close to my hotel, I'd order room service but I need the fresh air. So I decided to get out for a bit.
"Bloody hell it's cold!" I regretted saying that instantly as I may have said that a bit loud; people were looking at me! I shouldn't draw attention to myself but I suppose that's why I'm wearing jeans and t-shirt out in the snow. Well I can't be bothered to get a jacket now.
After buying what may seem like way too much, to someone normal at least, I half shuffled and half ran to my hotel. Suddenly I was knocked onto my back. Ouch.
I presumed I had fallen until I saw a pretty girl struggling to get up. Uh-Oh. I have managed to fling everything just about everywhere… Oops.
She noticed the mess and blushed a deep red.
"Oh crap, I'm so sorry! I-I…err…um" She was looking at me, probably feeling embarrassed. I looked into her eyes and couldn't pull away. I had to say something:
"Ha, ha, ha. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going… I'm Niall by the way." I held out my hand and she shook it. She was shivering.
"I'm Harriet… Aren't you cold?" She looked at me in disbelief.
I remembered about how underdressed I must look for the middle of winter. We sat there for a long second…
"I think we made a bit of a mess…I'll help you clean this up if you want."
Before I could say its okay, she was already up and gathering up bits of paper wrappers.
I found some chips that survived the trip and offered one to Harriet, thinking she would find it odd. Nope. Instead she says:
"Thank you! Cold, damp fries – my favourite!" Was she being serious? Clearly she was as she took a few of the chips… Suddenly she was smiling. Did she have to do that? I swear my heart just melted!
"Hey, um, Niall?"
"Yeah?" I asked.
"You got all this from the café by the big water fountain didn't you?
Well I was going there, so I could pay for what is now beyond inedible."
Did she not know I was Niall Horan? Obviously not. I could buy another load of food twice the amount of what I got at the café any day (I do though...).
I began laughing. Not sure why, really.
"What's so funny"
"Nah, it's just, well, never mind… Oh, and yeah, from the café." I was going to tell her about me, but I immediately thought it was unimportant.
"If it's about me paying for the damaged food, well, you'd be doing me a favour! I have a conscience you know!" I caught myself staring into her pretty eyes again, this time she looked at me too. I had to say something.
"I've got an idea. If you want to pay me back, how about we hang out together today? It'd be fun!" I said hopefully. I couldn't let Harriet go. There was something about her…
"Please? I have nothing to do today! I'll be bored!" Okay now I just sound desperate… (Slightly true… but only for her.)
"Hang on, hang on… you're Niall Horan aren't you?"
Harriet looked shocked. Almost scared. Well I guess telling her is no longer an issue.
"And it that a problem?" I smiled at Harriet hoping it would have some kind of charming affect.
She sighed, and shot me a smile.
"Alright then, how about we start with going to the café then, I'm starving!"
BEST. DAY. EVER. I hope at least.
"Awesome" I said. Today just got a lot brighter.
