Niall looked over to Elena as they walked towards her car, "So," he started, "Why did you come here today?" He stopped walking over near the passenger side of the car he squinted his eyes slightly from the glare of the sun through the clouds.
Elena paused and fumbled for her keys, "I guess I wanted to help Mara out, she didn't want to come alone... plus she can't drive." She chuckled and unlocked the car for them; they got in and buckled up. "Are you ready for me to take your Seattle Aquarium virginity?" She started the car and started backing out of the lot.
"Excuse me?" He chuckled and blushed, "Did you just say take my aquarium virginity?"
Elena paused and looked at him, "You know it's true." She blushed as well and started driving towards the pier.
The clouds started to come over head as the light sprinkle of snow on top of Elena's windshield, the months were changing from a harvest November into a white December. She parked her car and smiled toward Niall who nervously ran his hands down his knees, "So, let's look at some fishes, hmm?"
The snow mixed rain rested on Elena's blonde hair, their breath smoked up as they walked. Niall had his hands in his pockets nervously as they waited in line, Elena staring down and shifting her weight. She looked up toward his blue eyes, blinking her thick eyelashes and smiling, "You seem uptight." She tilted her head and kept moving forward as the line got shorter.
"Nah. I'm—excited." His voice cracked and his cheeks turned pink.
"You don't need to lie." She looked forward and got her debit card ready for admission. "If you didn't want to come you didn't have to." She looked over to him and smile, "I just thought it was crazy that you've never been here..." She blushed as well.
"No, no! I wanted to come, just, it's complicated." He nudged her, she moved and laughed softly.
"Complicated? I understand." She was silent for a moment and bit her bottom lip.
"So, what's your favorite part here?" He opened his wallet and pulled out money as they paid separately then started walking to the tank filled with native salmon.
"To be honest..." She stared at the fish as they went by, he staring at her. "I've never been here either." She locked eyes with him and smiled softly.
"So it seems that I'm taking your aquarium virginity as well?" He nudged her again, his grin growing larger. They walked next to each other, quietly chatting with one another about the things that they loved most: hobbies, life, family, friends, school, and future. The more that they were together the more that they felt connected to one another. Elena shared her dream of going to Carroll College in Montana, focusing her degree on science. Niall told her bluntly that he was part of a band; he admired her dreams and ambitions. They walked past the sea otters and up the small flight of stairs, sitting on a small bench looking out toward the Sound.
"How long are you staying?" she sat up on the railing looking towards him, her feet straddling on either side of his legs. He slouched back, tracing his fingertips on her knee caps.
He was pausing, "We got in two days ago, so I think we are staying for a while longer." He cleared his throat, "We just wanted to see some of the places we were hoping to stop on our tour. We are coming here in the summer of 2013 I believe." He was thinking, closing one eye and making a face.
"Cute thinking face." She stuck her tongue out and chuckled, "Yeah... I hope it's for a little while." She looked off toward the otters.
"Why do you hope that, Elena?" He stared at her, examining her face carefully.
"I want to hang out again." She looked back at him, smiling softly, "If that's ok with you I mean." She laughed cutely.
"Let me think about that for a second..." He held his chin and made another thinking face. "Hangout with a beautiful girl? Hmm that is a very hard one."
Elena blushed deeply, shoving his shoulder playfully, "I'm serious, Niall!" She cupped her hands over her cheeks.
"And I as well." He looked up in her ocean blue eyes. "I have a deal for you." He reached up and grabbed her hands, holding them in his. She was shaking. "I will hang-out with you every chance I get, ok? Until I leave, and once I leave... I promise you I will keep in touch with you."
"Pinky swear?" Elena held up her pinky.
Niall held up his pinky, hooked his with hers, "Pinky swear."
"Cross your heart?" She pointed her finger at him.
"Hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!" They smiled at one another and laughed softly. The rest of the evening was spent out to dinner, Elena kept it classy choosing the Old Spaghetti Factory which was relatively close to the Aquarium..
The lighting was dim and they sat across from each other at a booth, their hearts pounded and skipped with joy and bliss. Elena pulled out her phone because it kept vibrating with updates, "Excuse me for a moment." She exhaled, "I know it's rude but if it's Mara I need to take it... she seems a little creped out by Louis." She laughed and checked her twitter update, which was unusually off the hook. Her eyes widened as she saw a picture snapped of Mara and Louis holding hands together. "I take that back, I guess she's mighty smitten' with this guy." She showed her phone to Niall, his eyes widened as well.
"Shit..." Niall shook his head, "That's nuts how girls are..." He checked his phone as well, messages from Louis. "It seemed they were having a fun time though, right?"
"She is just so uptight." Elena whispered, "This is going to embarrass the crap out of her." Elena laughed. "I feel so bad!"
Niall looked around carefully, "Better look out, you might be next." He winked.
Elena looked at the time, "I have school tomorrow, and I have to get you back to your hotel dude." They finished the dinner and Niall insisted that he paid for the meal, he did.
Elena drove Niall up to the Hyatt and parked, "Come up to my room with me?" Niall paused after he took off his seatbelt, looking at her.
"No no no I'm not that kind of girl!" Elena unlocked the car, "Get out."
"I didn't mean that." Niall sighed and went to open the door.
"Wait..." Elena grabbed his hand, he turned to her. "Keep up your promise." She smiled softly. He smiled back and moved his head closer to Elena.
His voice was hushed; "Of course..." his lips was inches from the lips of her.
"Good night, Niall." She smiled and pulled away tucking some hair behind ear.
Niall grabbed her and pulled her back; he locked his lips softly with Elena's, he pulled away. "Good night." He smiled at her stunned face.
Elena shook as she drove off, her heart racing.
Mara walked up the stairs to her brother's; she paused half way up to check her phone which was buzzing off the hook, "The hell..." Mara leaned against the railing. [20 text messages][30 Facebook messages] "I don't even know that many people, personally." Her phone started buzzing more: [Incoming Call: Elena]. "Hello?" Mara continued to walk.
"Don't go on twitter." Elena spoke fast.
"What? Why?" Mara chuckled nervously.
"Or Facebook." Elena's voice was serious, "Don't do it."
"O.k.? Does it have to do with my 50 messages in my phone?" Mara stood outside the apartment.
"Probably. Turn your phone off."
"But then I have to hang up."
"I'll see you at school tomorrow. Just don't look on Twitter, ok love you!" Elena hung up.
Mara blinked and grabbed her keys to unlock the door. Before she could open the door, it swung open and her 5 foot nothing sister-in-law at the door, her mouth open in shock. Her face was covered with avocado mask and her hair was wrapped up in a towel. "Come in come in." She seemed nervous or maybe she was excited, her mind was somewhere else.
"Hi Daniela," Mara went to hug her and she quickly embraced back after she closed and locked the door.
"You know where the guest room is, right?" Daniela went into the kitchen, "Want anything to eat? Drink?"
David came in the door way of the guest room, "Howdy Stranger." He leaned against the side of the door hinge. "Do I not get a hug?" Mara quickly threw her stuff on the guest bed and jumped up into David's arms, she hugged him tight. "Mom's pretty pissed that you've been out this long without talking to her."
"I'm not a little kid anymore, David." Mara rolled her eyes and turned to Daniela, "I'll just have some water."
"Alright I'll make you some pasta." Daniela smiled brightly at Mara, "Please come sit, we need to chat missy."
David walked back into the small sitting area which was also the kitchen, he sat at the table and Mara sat up at the bar. Mara nervously shook her leg as she checked all of her text messages, her cheeks started to flush and her heart started pounding. They all said relatively the same thing; they asked if Mara knew Louis Tomlinson from One Direction and if it was true that he and she were on a date today. The more she read, the more upset she got. Everyone knew. She wasn't breathing, she wasn't moving; her eyes were racing past each facebook message from people she didn't even know wanting to chat and be friends with her. She inhaled deeply and muffled underneath her breath.
"So..." David started as he played with his phone. Mara jumped slightly. "I was on Twitter today..." Mara swallowed hard and looked over to her brother, leaving her phone on the counter.
"Let me talk to her about this," Daniela put the bowl of pasta in front of Mara; she leaned over and rest against the counter on the kitchen side. Mara looked over to her and leaned forward as well. "So my friend Kristen right? She's David's friend Marc's girlfriend and she was talking to her friend Meagan who has a sister Diana who happened to be at Green Lake today. So, she tweeted a photo of this guy from the band One Direction because he happened to be there and her sister Meagan saw this photo and re-tweeted it and David follows Meagan on twitter and he saw it and he showed me and there is a girl in the photo. She looks like you—actually, she is you."
Mara blinked and blushed, "I don't know what you're talking about." She twirled a fork full of pasta and ate it. "I didn't even know who One Direction was until today when Elena made me listen to them." She continued to eat.
David stood up and coughed, "Well I won't tell mom about this, ok?" He walked into his room and closed the door behind him.
Mara sighed and looked at her phone as it vibrated again: [Text Message: Louis]. She ignored it. "Can I see the photo?" Mara looked up at Daniela who nodded and got out her phone and pulled up the photo of Louis and Mara holding hands together. Mara's heart sank. "I guess that really is me."
"Well," Daniela went over and hugged Mara tightly, "at least he is cute! See you in the morning, kid-o."
Mara washed her bowl in the small sink and stood in the kitchen, she checked her text message from Louis:
I had an amazing time. I hope we can do it again.
She swallowed hard and walked into her guest room and prepared herself for bed. She sat awake though, sleep didn't come to her, she couldn't think about sleeping at all. She was scared about tomorrow, how people were going to treat her. Mara has always been a quiet girl; she mostly focused on horseback riding and her studies. She tried to anticipate herself for the unwanted attention that was to come. She looked over to her phone; it vibrated again, another facebook update. She grabbed her phone and ignored it then dialed Elena's number. It was around 11 o'clock now. Mara prayed that she'd pick up her phone, it kept ringing.
"Hello?" A tired voice spoke out.
"Elena?" Mara's voice cracked, "I'm scared."
"You went on facebook didn't you?" Elena yawned.
Mara nodded then replied, "Well, yes, but also my brother and sister in law found out and well they showed me the picture!" There was a pause. "I don't like attention—this kind of attention. Remember Stacy Liner?"
"Yeah? How could I not know that bitch? She has hated you sine like the 3rd grade..." Elena laughed slightly, "Why?"
"She chatted me on facebook, she wanted to hangout sometime and put gross little smiley faces and x's and o's..." Mara's voice rose, "I don't even know her! We're not friends!" She shushed down again.
"Go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning alright? Push come to shove, I'll drive you home if you happen to feel 'sick'." Elena yawned.
"I love you Elena..." Mara sighed, "Hey, and I want to hear about your little date!" She giggled slightly.
"Tomorrow!" Elena squealed with excitement. "Good night." They both hung up.