Intrepid » n.h. au

Chapter 7

"God fucking dammit," I mutter to myself, as I press the green button on the screen of my phone with my elbow, and put Seth on speaker. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Niall! Long time no see!" He shouts, voice completely opposite of mine. Something great must have happened to him, then. "You going clubbing with us tonight? Well, it's just me actually, because-"

"I told you fifty times today, and I'm gonna say it again," I cut him off, and lean down to my phone while washing my hands, "No."

"Come on," He drags the word out, sounding like a toddler that wants ice cream. Then again, he is just one giant child. "You haven't used your ID once since you came here!"

As I remember what I've gotten as a present when I pledged his fraternity – a fake ID that says I'm 21 – a smile appears on my face for the first time in hours. "And I don't plan to, either," I say through a small sigh, "I'm meeting Leanne when my shift's over."

"You know, I can just throw you out of the frat house if I want to," He warns me, and I can't help but chuckle at that. He wouldn't do it, I know he wouldn't. "Seriously, mate, all you do all day is think about Leanne and cut meat."

"Did you just say mate?" I ignore his teasing, even though it's 100% accurate. I do cut meat in a supermarket as a part-time job, and I do spend most of my time thinking about Leanne while I do it. Mostly so I wouldn't think about anyone else.

"Yes, see, that is how much time I spend with you. It's embarrassing." Seth's bluntness never fails to amaze me. "I'm becoming British."

"But I'm not British," I frown as I finally pick my phone up and turn the speaker off, placing it against my ear.

"Same thing." Well that is definitely not the same thing. "So, clubbing, yay or nay?"

"You just asked thirty seconds ago," I say loudly so he would hear me over the sound of the meat cutter; good thing I got a ten minute break from work. "And my answer is the same from thirty seconds ago. No."

"You're no fun," He almost whines, "Look, if you wanna see Leanne, you can just bring her with us. She doesn't even need a fake ID, that's one of the up sides of dating her anyway."

I nod in agreement, although I know he can't see me; even though I've never used her to buy me alcohol or anything – since I'm trying to live like an American and all – it's quite convenient that she's 21. I used to find dating older girls a little uncomfortable, and now I've got two of them in my head. Things were so much simpler in Ireland.

Come to think of it, every friend of mine and everyone I'm close to here, is over 21 – Seth being 22 – and then you have me. And that's depressing.

"Nope, still no." I sit on one of the chairs in the stockroom, "You're gonna get me to drink alcohol and I'm gonna kill you for it in the morning. I know it's gonna happen."

"Just ask her," He groans, ignoring, well, pretty much everything I'd told him. "For some reason no one wants to go out tonight, and I don't want to go clubbing alone."

"What do you mean no one wants to go out?" I laugh, "It's Friday."

"Yeah, but it's, and I quote, cold and rainy out, and we wanna watch the game."

"Damn, I wanted to watch the game," I mutter, even though I've no idea what game he's talking about – just to get on his nerves. "Wait, why are you even forcing me to go with you? Aren't you friends with like, everyone from every frat house in Chicago?"

"Yeah, but you're the easiest to force into something." I can literally hear the smug smile growing on his face as he speaks. "You'd make a terrible girl, like, you wouldn't be even capable of defending yourself if-"