Vanessa sits in the car beside her cousin, Josh, who has happily invited her to stay for two weeks at his before university starts up again and she can move in onto college grounds again.
"How are you feeling?" Josh asks with a soft smile. He can honestly feel the nerves radiating off her. Vanessa isn't good around new people, she used to struggle with their other cousins sometimes, when they only saw each other twice a year at family gathering. She can't help the bundle of social anxiety she has within her.
But Josh is different. As children they saw each other weekly because of their fathers. It was only once Josh headed off to college when she didn't see him much anymore.
"Nervous" She mumbles. It's the obvious answer for her to say and Josh sends her a reassuring smile, "I mean, I'm sure they are great people but you know, new people are not a real strong point for me" She rambles then sighs. She considers herself a very boring person, the possibility of people liking her, in her opinion, is much less than her liking them.
"You'll be okay, these boys are approachable and will like you. I promise, okay?" He puts out his pinky for the promise. Vanessa takes his pinky in hers and she's hit with a wave of nostalgia. "You'll be okay."
Vanessa nods and smiles a hopeful closed-mouth smile after taking a deep breath. She can't help but feel the usual sickness in the stomach and soon enough her throat will tighten as they get closer and closer to the destination.
Just calm down Vee, breathe.
They finally make it and Josh grins, "we're home" He announces and the two of them hop out of the taxi. Josh pays the driver whist Vanessa grabs her bags from the trunk.
She throws her backpack onto her back and slings her duffle bag over her shoulder. She huffs at how heavy her gear is but doesn't allow Josh to take a single thing when asked, "do you need any help?" If anything Vanessa is rather independent when she needs to be; no matter how hard it is.
Josh opens the door up for her and she makes her way inside, Josh closing the door behind them, "welcome to your home for two weeks" He grins at her.
Vanessa smiles, her eyes wander all over the place, "it's huge" she comments which causes Josh to chuckle.
"Yeah, how about I take you to your room, sorry, there is a lot of stairs" He quickly apologies.
"You're trying to kill me aren't you" she jokes.
"Well you are the favourite child out of the family" He shrugs. It's true though, Vanessa is the favourite. She's the innocent nerdy girl with the really good grades, "too bad you decided to do a design major rather than the law major your parents wanted you to do."
And once again that's also true, though she had the grades to clearly make it into one of the highest courses, she picked her passion of design and art. This disappointed her parents but after a year of being in the course the understood that she wanted to do this and she was good at it, by second year they were actually proud to have a design student of a daughter.
"Yeah, I blew it there didn't I?" She cringes. They head up the second set of stairs to the top level. "Really, top floor Joshua?" She groans, "this is going to be a nightmare in the evenings" she complains.
"Shh you" Josh shakes his head at her and opens the door to the room, "welcome to your humble abode" he throws his arms out. Vanessa completely dismisses it, dropping her things and falling face first on to the bed.
She hears Josh laugh, "don't laugh at me Joshua, it was a long trip and throw in those fucking stairs, it's been a hard day" Her voice is slightly muffled by her face being in the duvet but Josh manages to comprehend. She flips her body over onto her back "Can I sleep now?" She whines.
"Sleep now, meet others later" Josh agrees, "sleep well buttercup" He coos as makes his way out.
"Stop being a dick knob Joshua" She replies as she slips under the duvet and sheet, snuggling into them.
"Just trying to be nice, Veegina" He scrunches up his face and glares at the tired girl.
"Call me a vagina all you want Joshua, I'm too tired to care" Her eyes close and she hears the door close.
"Did you just call your cousin a vagina!?" An unknown voice exclaims. Vanessa just chuckles to herself before drifting off.
+++
Vanessa wakes up and slips out of bed not too gracefully. She gets her foot caught in one of the sheets and falls to the floor with a thud, "fuck sake" she grumbles and pulls herself up.
Vanessa decides to change into more comfortable clothes, she gets out of her skinny jeans and changes to tights, she pulls off her long sleeve and clips off her bra. She changes into a random t-shirt and throws on an oversized adidas hoodie that she stole from her younger but taller brother before leaving. She slips some black with blue polka dots socks on her feet before deciding to head out. She grabs her phone and quickly decides to put her hair up into a loose messy bun.
If anything, she is totally forgetting that this place is filled with people she doesn't know. She walks down the two sets of stairs and guesses her way towards the kitchen, not knowing really where anything is. She manages whist also bumping into a unfamiliar face.
"Hello you must be Vanessa, I'm Vik" This boy introduces himself with confidence. Vanessa can barely get a word out, her mouth opening but closing seconds later. Vik chuckles, "Josh told me you have a little stage fright when it comes to new people... I thought he was kinda ridic--"
"Sorry, Hi" She manages to breathe out, "it is quite ridiculous" She mutter and wanders over towards the sink, "where are the glasses?"
"Top cupboard over to your left" Vik navigates.
She manages to open the cupboard door but struggles to reach an actual glass, "far out" she mumbles, reaching up with all her might.
"I've got it" An unfamiliar figure that isn't Vik comes close to her, reaching up and grabbing the cup with ease. The boy places it down on the bench and backs away.
Vanessa manages to turn around to find Josh and another two taller boys. "Vee, you've met Vik" He motions to the boy who spoke before, sitting on a stool by the island bench, "now this is JJ and Simon."
Simon looks to Vanessa, his eyes flicker Vanessa up and down with a smile small on his face and she can't help but avoid his gaze. JJ however grins and shouts, "Hi! It's nice to finally meet you" He is stopped from walking over to hug her by Josh, who sends him a warning look. Vanessa mentally sighs in relief, the boy coming over to grab the cup was even too close for comfort.
"Hi, you too" She manages to get out. She closes her eyes in complete frustration with herself and her anxiety. She understands how ridiculous it can be and get. She hates the current sickness in her stomach and her throat that feels like it has closed in.
Come on Vee, you're going to be living with these boys for two weeks. Grow up! Act your age! You're 20 for crying out loud..
"Vee, are you okay?" She is snapped back into reality, it is Josh who has placed his hand on her shoulder carefully.
"Yeah sorry, just..." Her words drift off, she doesn't know what to say. She glances around to find the other three boys looking at her with the same sincere concern Josh expresses. She sighs and turns, picking up the glass to fill it with water, "I'm okay" She presses her lips into a thin line "I'm okay" She repeats but quieter, a tiny mutter to herself.
Josh rest both hands on her shoulder and props his head on one of them, "If you're not, just tell me. I can sort something out" He quietly replies before lifting his head and giving her shoulders a squeeze.
Vanessa is left by three boys, leaving her back with Vik once again. She sighs again but her hand shakes as she slowly brings the glass up to her lips. She feels it slip down her throat which is slowly getting better.
"Vanessa" She looks to her right to Vik, "or Vee, if that's okay.." She nods sending the boy a small smile as to confirm he can call her that, if anything she prefers that. "I would just like to welcome you to the Sidemen house and I... Well we all hope you enjoy these next two weeks" He smiles.
Vee tends to relax and walks over to take a stool across from him at the island bench, "Thank you."
"Would you like something to eat? Dinner won't probably be for another few hours" Vik stands and walks to the fridge.
Vee shrugs, "Uhh, surprise me" She replies. Slowly but surely she is managing to become comfortable. Maybe it just needs to be one boy at a time.
+++
JJ orders pizza for dinner. Vee sits on the couch in the lounge room reading a book beside Josh who is watching some football game; Manchester United verses Tottenham.
"So, how are you feeling?" Josh pats Vee's knee to grab her attention, because if he didn't she would have totally ignored the question.
She looks up and smiles, "you don't always have to ask that, I'm fine."
Vik had been kind enough to talk about himself and do all the speaking between the two of them in the afternoon. Vee got to know about the boys as Youtubers as well as what goes on around the house and a few general "rules" that aren't really "rules". Overall she was grateful Vik didn't push her to talk about herself, because she believe that there nothing really to tell.
"Hey, just making sure" Josh raises his eyebrows at her, "I want you comfortable here. No one would like living in a household that is uncomfortable for them."
Vee looks down at herself and her attire, "don't I look comfortable?" She smirks.
"You know what I mean" Josh rolls his eyes but with a smile.
"I'm just mucking around" She chuckles whist her eyes revert back to her novel in hand.
"And that's a good sign" He replies, Vee glances to see he has a small but warm smile on his bearded face. Josh is the older brother Vee never had.
The door bell rings and they hear a shout from above, "I'LL GET IT!" It's JJ and together Josh and Vee laugh as they hear his running footsteps making their way quickly towards the front door.
"He's ridiculous" Vee chuckles. She finds JJ amusing as anyone would. His loud and confident persona is so different to her own quiet and shy self. It's the contrast that she finds so great; they are ridiculous in their own special ways.
"That's Jide for you" Josh smiles. Vee looks to Josh who's eyes are glued to the television in front of them. He sits there quite still, the only movement is his eyes and the tap of a finger on the arm of the couch.
Vee always noticed this with Josh -- the finger tap. It's been a habit he's always had, like Vee's ability to fiddle with anything and inability to sit comfortably in one position for a long period of time; a long period being only around twenty minutes at most.
The other three boys flood into the lounge room with pizza boxes, bottles of soft drink, glasses and plates in their hands. It looks like they are having a pizza party.
"We didn't know what soft drink you liked so we brought out all we had" Vik smiles dumping himself next to Vee.
Simon and JJ open the boxes and help themselves to a piece of everything. Vee look at them in bewilderment; how could they eat so much?
Vee manages to grab three pieces of pizza, one being Hawaiian, another being barbecue chicken and the final one being meatlovers. She pours herself a cup of lemonade but not only that, she mixes the lemonade with Pepsi and the boys now look at her in complete bewilderment, all but Josh, who chuckles lightly.
"Mixing drinks I see" JJ snickers jokingly.
"She struggles with decisions and commitment" Josh explains, seriously but with a small smile.
"Is this true?" This time it is Simon that speaks. This is true in so many shapes and forms. Vee struggles with decision making on her own and can never seem to fully commit to something or for long. Vee brings her glass up to her lips, glancing at Simon for only a simple moment before she looks to the television screen and answers with a singular nod. "You can speak, we don't bite" He says softly, Vee glances over to see a small smile on his face, a comforting smile. Vee looks to her lap and just shrugs.
"Sorry" She mutters.
Simon doesn't understand the constant apologising, she has no reason to be. He hopes it's not like this the whole time, none of the boys do.
Thankfully it's only day one.
-- Thirteen more to go.
A/N: this is a new book and I'm skyping my main gal pal and I felt bad for saying she had to wait two week but hey echoboo here is your first chapter (;