I'm Already Taken (Sequel to I'm Already Torn)

I sat silently in the back of the black car driving me home with the guys and Maggie. Home. Whose home was that anyways? Liam’s? I had cheated on him when I kissed Zayn. Liam didn’t know but I would know, every time we slept next to each other in the same bed. Every time we laughed, held hands, kissed. I would know that it was all a big fat McDondonals lie. Zayn’s house? I was still technically dating Liam even though it felt wrong. I had kissed Zayn in the rain, I had kissed him goodnight, and still his house didn’t feel like ‘home’. Home with Maggie? And Louis? And Harry? In one house, yeah, I was surprised it hadn’t exploded yet. I remembered how I used to tease Maggie for living with her current and ex-boyfriend but they all seemed really cool and calm about it. If it had been me, Zayn, and Liam in a single house together, the cops would be looking for a body within the first 24 hours.

The only place that really felt like home to me in this country was my small little dingy dorm room I shared with Maggie. Neither of us had been there in a while even when we had classes. Oh shit! How many classes had I missed while I was in the hospital? I did the math quickly in my head and realized it was already October. Or was it November? I looked down and checked my phone quickly. November 3rd 2012. Midyears began on November 15th so I still had some time to play catch up.

            “Lis!” Maggie snapped her pink and black nail polished fingers at me. I shook my head out of my wandering thoughts

            “Sorry,” I apologized, “My thought are all over the map.” I gave a shy little half-smile and bowed my head. I swore I had ADHD at some points; I could never keep my thoughts on straight.

            “Any of them in Paris?” Harry asked with his trademark smug expression. I wondered if he wore that smile when he was sleeping. Maybe I should ask Maggie. Ok, thoughts again, I coached myself.

            “Oui oui,” I smiled back at him and he nudged my knee with his.

            “So Lis, do you remember what the doctors told you?” Liam asked with concern written across his facial features.

            “Yes,” I sighed like I was talking with an overprotective parent. “he suggested that I should not get into any more quarrels or try to break up you masculine men from fights.” I recalled during my hospital stay that I had once tried to break up Harry and Louis whilst they were having a dick off over Maggie. Ok maybe “Dick Off” isn’t the best word choice because in their house I had no idea whether or not they had actually done that. I shuttered at the idea, but I really don’t need to implant that in all your brains right now. Believe you me; it is not the best picture to have burned into the back of your eyes.

            “Yeah, sorry about that,” Zayn spoke up for the first time that morning but still hadn’t made eye contact with myself, rather anybody else in the car.

            “Don’t worry about it.” I shrugged it off, trying to sound nonchalant. “Niall, I think you are the only person in this car right now who has never physically hurt me.” I said with a smile to the Irish bloke who looked up from his breakfast burrito to give me an egg-sausage-cheese filled smile in return.

            “Hey!” Maggie piped up. “When have I ever physically hurt you?” She used air quotes to heighten her statement and I rolled my eyes.

            “Um, how about the bloody nose incident of ’07?” I asked. Everyone looked towards me, except Zayn of course who was on his phone, for an explanation. “I got a bloody nose when we went to Colorado to ski. Maggie had learned that tampons are great for stopping nose bleeds so she…” I began and she slapped a hand over my mouth. I but her pinky finger but she held fast.