Hii, here's a new weekly chapter! But the thing is, I love writing so much now and I'm on semester break, so I'll update whenever I can :)

Also, please watch the trailer of Cold Water I linked because I am absolutely in awe to discover that so many people bothered to make videos about my stories x I also shared more on Twitter for those interested :D that's why I will post the 'chapter summary' here:

Also, I wanted to say that I have so many ideas about this book and it will end up being at least 30 chapters long because I want to go through everything from springtime ball to graduation :D

Happy reading, and don't forget to leave comments throughout and at the end of the chapter because they make my day x

P.s. You can also share posts about the story and quotes with the tag #coldwaterff on Twitter and I will like and reblog them because I can't get enough of them! I LOVE YOU GUYS I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING AND I WILL NEVER STOP WRITING BECAUSE SEEING YOU HAPPY MAKES ME MORE HAPPY THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD

----

Previously on chapter 19:

The next day, on Friday afternoon after practice, Luke approaches me just as the cheerleaders and I are planning on going back to the lockerooms.

"Hey Rey!" he says and jogs over to me. I never really noticed how good he looked in his football gear.

"Hi. What's up?"

"Well, I won't be in London next weekend so I thought Niall, you, and I should meet up at his place in a couple of hours and get started on the project."

I don't like the idea at all, because I haven't talked to Niall since the game yesterday, nor did I plan on doing it ever again. But the project had to be done, and I would have rather done it sooner with Luke by my side, than just with Niall.

Then, just as I am about to suggest my house, I remember that they are practically neighbors so I should be the one to drive there.

"Alright, I'll see you around six?" I ask and he nods.

I smile at him before I walk towards the girls' lockerooms, knowing very well that he's watching me walk away, so I put some extra effort into swinging my hips in my tiny cheerleader skirt.

When I get home I do some work in Algebra, before I see it's time to get going. I pack my laptop in one of my bags and put on the first pair of sneakers I find in my closet. I don't bother changing out of my sweatpants and sweatshirt, so I grab my keys from my desk and head downstairs.

Rey+Niall+Luke: https://www.polyvore.com/19.4/set?id=236646010

On my way to Niall's house, I think about all the fucked up ways this whole group assignment could go, but before I can even figure out how I'm supposed to behave around the two of them, I already reach their neighborhood and spot them in the park.

They're both wearing sweatpants because it's sunny outside, and Niall is smoking while talking to Luke, who is standing on his skateboard without even moving.

I sigh as I grab my bag from the passengers' seat.

This should be interesting.

---

Rey's POV

I get out of my car and double check it's locked before I walk towards them. Even though it's almost February, it's not as cold as usual, but it's still not the weather to be wearing short-sleeved shirt, like the ones they're wearing right now.

"Hi guys." I say, looking at Luke mostly.

He greets me back with a hug, while Niall just nods and pretends to be focused on his cigarette.

"I've got my laptop, let's go." I tell them, and because they both stand up soon enough, I'm actually positive that they're going to get work done.

Fifteen minutes later, after we've toed off our shoes and are sitting in Niall's living room, it becomes obvious to me that they're not thinking of doing any type of work. Maybe because the TV is turned on, maybe because they've opened a couple of beers, or maybe it's because Niall is currently rolling a spliff.

"So we're not going to get any work done today huh?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back into the couch.

Niall looks up at me from where he's kneeled down next to the coffee table, but doesn't say anything. Luke, however, looks back and forth between us.

"Okay, let's start then. But I'm not sure there's that much we can write about that tea party anyway. Three thousand words? That's impossible." He says.

"Maybe there's a documentary about it and we can get inspired from there." I suggest, before I open YouTube on my laptop and search 'boston tea party documentary'.

"That's an hour and fifteen minutes long." Luke groans as he looks over my shoulder at the laptop screen.

"So? We've got time don't we?" I ask. I'm kind of starting to get annoyed at the fact that they don't even seem to care that this project is actually pretty easy and it's a big percentage of our final grade.

"I'll just play it, and each one of us needs to take notes and then we'll combine them and write it up." I suggest, and neither of them argues.

I place the laptop on the coffee table, in a way that each of us can watch it, before I start the documentary.

Five minutes in, and I notice that Niall isn't even bothered with it.

"You're not even fucking watching. I'm not going to fail this class just because you want to roll a joint." I tell him and he looks up.

"Look who's complaining. A day ago you were gagging for some weed from Bryan." He retorts and it makes me so angry I want to flip the coffee table on him.

The documentary is still rolling when Niall finally lights it up and the smell fills the room.

"When's your mum getting home?" Luke asks and Niall shrugs.

"She's almost never home, we're fine."

"What about your brother?"

"Lilly's picking him up in an hour."

I eventually give in and we end up smoking two spliffs, and, to my surprise, the weed actually makes us focus more on the documentary. Therefor, an hour later, we've all written down different bullet points and ideas, which we can write down in a document.

Niall brings down his laptop and Luke pulls out his from his backpack, and we decide on what each one of us is going to write about in a thousand words.

"I want a break." Niall says and bursts out laughing, which causes Luke to laugh, which eventually causes me to laugh as well. But then I remember why we're here, and I get serious. I know I'm the party pooper or whatever, but if I want to get into a good university, I need to make sure I get good grades.

"We need to work on this if we want to finish it today." I bitterly say.

"Today? We're not going to do the whole thing in a day." Luke says and Niall agrees.

Great. My plan was to come here, spend a couple of hours working on it, and then be done with it as quick as we possibly can. But apparently, they're somewhat serious about it.

"Are you serious? You guys don't even want to work right now, but you want to work on it more times than just one?" I ask, still in disbelief.

"This is the easiest way to get a good grade, so we're doing it right." Niall tells me but doesn't look at me because he's busy rolling yet another joint.

"We've got one month. Let's smoke this one outside. It's sunny." Luke suggests and before I know it, they're both outside and I'm on the couch, cursing our teacher for putting me in a group with the worst students ever.

I look out the window to see them laughing in the street while sharing a joint, and before I know it, I snap a photo of them to let everyone know that I'm third wheeling.

Finally, after it's pretty clear to me that they're not planning on coming back to work any time soon, I decide to join them.

And here we are now, the three of us, sharing weed and smoking it in broad daylight.

"Bro, don't you have a birthday in January?" Niall asks out of a sudden.

"Yeah, it's on the 26th." Luke says.

"That's next Friday! Are you having a party?"

Luke nods at Niall. "'m thinking of having one at home. A few friends, that's all."

"It's never just 'a few friends'." Niall laughs and Luke shrugs, then turns to me.

"Do you want to come?" he asks me, and Niall bursts out laughing.

"Yeah right, her? At your party? I don't think so."

I frown. "Yeah, of course I'll come. You're my friend right?" I say and Luke smirks at me, and I smirk back, because we kind of understand each other without saying anything.

"Why wouldn't I come?" I ask Niall, after I realize that he just laughed at the thought of me coming to Luke's birthday.

"Because no one's rich and no one drinks champagne. We're not your snobby friends." He answers, and hurts me without even realizing it. I hate it. I hate the fact that he can still say things that hurt and that I still haven't gotten over him completely.

After we finish smoking the third joint, we see Lilly coming up the street, holding Eddie's hand as they're talking about something.

"Just in time." Niall says and puts the joint out on the pavement, before he stands up and wipes his hands off on his pants.

"Niall!" Eddie screams and runs towards him. Niall picks him up and Eddie hugs his neck.

Lilly reaches us ten second later and smiles when she sees me.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asks as we walk into the house. I know she can smell the weed but she doesn't say anything.

"We've got a project in History." I tell her and she snorts.

"Good luck." She tells me and I make a face, which makes her laugh.

Eddie goes up to his room to play with his toys, so the three of us go back to the living room to finally start with the project.

"Does anyone want something to drink?" Lilly asks, poking her head into the living room.

Niall and Luke ask for beer, while I say that I'm fine and that I don't need anything.

"Yeah, you need to go to the store and get some of that expensive shit if you want her to drink it." Niall says and Lilly scolds him for being a 'dick', before she disappears.

I don't even bother asking him why he's being an idiot. Instead, I decide on focusing on the project, so we'll have to see each other as little as possible.

Around seven in the evening, we have all written three hundred words each, so we decide on meeting up on Wednesday again to finish it. Until then, each one of us needs to finish the 1000 words and do some research so we can put some important facts about it in a PowerPoint.

I pack my stuff and decide to stay a bit longer so the weed can completely wear off before I sit behind the wheel.

"Rey."

The fact that my nickname comes out of Niall's mouth surprises me tremendously, so I look up at him standing in front of me.

"What?" I ask and then the flash goes off on his phone.

"What are you doing?" I ask, raising my voice when I see him typing away on the screen.

"Niall!" I exclaim when he doesn't respond, so I get up from the couch and try to grab his phone, but he holds his arm straight up so I can't reach the phone.

"Check my Insta." He says and I start cursing around as I pull my phone out.

"Are you serious?" I yell when I see the photo he posted on his story, and asked people to vote whether I'm hot or not. "Take it down." I warn and he shakes his head, before he drops down on the couch with a satisfied smirk.

"Fine. Fuck you."

"Hmm, you did." He says and looks down at his phone.

I don't say anything as I click on my Instagram app. Then, without warning, I sit down next to him and take a photo of his reaction. Then, I get away from his grasp just in time to post an 'Ugly or ugly' poll and lock my phone.

"Revenge is sweet, isn't it?" I say and stick my tongue out at him.

"Is this how you want to play it?" he asks as he stands up and takes a few steps towards me.

"You started it, therefore, you should be able to finish it." I smirk, and it's weird. It's weird, because this whole thing that we're doing right now to anger each other seems to be the only way the two of us interact. And I know that be both know it, but neither of us is saying anything.

"Mom's going to be home in ten minutes. She's bringing KFC." Lilly says and Eddie happily screams from upstairs when he hears about fast food.

"I better go. See you on Monday." I say to Niall before I grab my bag from the armchair and slip into my shoes.

Then, after saying goodbye to his siblings, I exit his house.

Niall's POV

Lilly and I watch Rey close the door behind her, before she turns to me and throws me a look.

"What?" I ask, knowing that that's her lecture look.

"She's amazing." She tells me and I follow her into the kitchen.

"What?" I laugh. "Renee?"

"Yeah, she's amazing."

She takes out a mug from the cupboard and pours hot water over the teabag she just put in it.

I light up a cigarette and lean against the open window.

"Why is she so amazing?"

"Because she's not afraid to tell you how it is." She says.

"So?"

"So? I've never seen your girlfriend tell you off. Maybe because she doesn't care that much about other people than herself."

"Shut up Lilly, you don't know her." I say.

"That's right, because you're too afraid to invite her over to dinner and let her see that you're not like the rich guys she's used to dating?"

I don't say anything, but I pull my phone out and text Zoe to come over for dinner. She texts back in seconds, saying she'll be here in ten minutes.

"There, I invited her."

Lilly rolls her eyes at me as she sips her tea.

"What now?" I ask.

"You only invited her because I told you to. Honestly, everything is pointless." She says and I don't bother asking what she means, because I'm way too tired to argue with her psychological bullshit.

When my mom comes home, I tell her that someone else will be joining us, and she smiles at me before she pulls the three of us into a hug.

We don't deserve her, I think as I help her set the table for five people, the first time in so many years.

***

Rey's POV

On Sunday morning, my mother wakes me up to tell me that my therapy sessions have been pushed to Sunday afternoons, because the therapist apparently overbooked.

I curse under my breath the entire day until I have to dress up properly and get on with it.

Rey: https://www.polyvore.com/20.1/set?id=236795237

On my way to the hospital, I think about telling her about my mixed feelings about Niall and Luke and Bryan and the thing I did with the drugs and everything, really. But then again, what if she tells my mother? Isn't there that thing with the privacy and her being obligated to keep her mouth shut?

That's the first thing I ask her when I enter her office thirty minutes later.

"Yes, I am not allowed to speak to anyone about what you tell me. It's between you and I." she lets me know, so I sink further into the couch and cross my arms over my chest, and then uncross them and let them by sides.

I proceed to tell her everything that happened in a week; from me arguing with Niall to taking the drugs when I didn't need to, to 48 hours ago when Niall and I interacted. She asks questions in-between; about my childhood and about my friends; things I don't think are relevant at all, but to her, they apparently are.

"What do you want me to start with?" she asks, but then answers her own question. "It's pretty clear to me that you and Niall can't stay too long without actually interacting with each other. Maybe the universe knows what it's doing."

She looks down at her notes. "And about the drug thing you told me about...maybe that's a way for you to ask for attention, isn't it? You already know he notices when you're high, maybe your subconscious knows that and therefor tries to get his attention."

"That's bullshit." I argue. "I do it because I want to. And it's not like I've got an addiction or anything. It was just for fun."

She doesn't say anything for a while, just looks down at her notes. Then, she looks back up.

"What's the relationship between your parents like?"

I shrug, not really getting how this could be relevant. "I don't know. They go out together, they watch movies together at night...it's fine. They never fight, I mean, I've never heard them fight."

She nods. "When you get married, do you want a relationship just like theirs?"

I frown. "I don't-I don't think so."

"And why not?"

"Because...I don't know. I just don't want that."

She looks at the clock over her desk. "The time is up and I've got another client waiting, but I'd ask you to think about why you don't want a relationship like your parents until next time."

Is she actually giving me homework? What the actual fuck?

I nod though, and then I shake her hand before I walk out of her office, feeling like therapy is just money thrown away.

***

It's Monday, and I want to die.

It was fucking sunny when I woke up around seven, and therefor I put on my Valentino pumps, and now it's barely noon and it's snowing and raining and it's fucking cold.

Rey: https://www.polyvore.com/20.2/set?id=236795062

"They're announcing a huge storm today until tomorrow morning. With a bit of luck, school is going to be cancelled tomorrow." Jake debates at lunch. It is cold actually, even in the cafeteria, with the radiators set to the maximum warmth, it's still cold and I'm wearing my green parka.

Liam walks over to our table with a smirk on his face and gives Jake and Sophia a knowing look, before he sits down and pulls out some tickets.

"My dad got us really good seats for the Raiders game tomorrow night." He starts.

"I love ice hockey!" Jake says and I frown, because like hell he does. Not.

"I've got two left." Liam continues and Jake takes them and gives one to me.

"Who else is coming?" I ask.

"Luke, Niall, Jason and Zayn." Liam tells me.

"Then give my ticket to Zoe." I dryly say and push the ticket over the table to him.

"She's got Math's tutoring tomorrow night, Niall says she can't come." Liam tells me and pushes the ticket back to me.

I look over to the windows, just to see it's heavily snowing. Ugh. Even the weather doesn't like the situation I'm in right now.

"Fine." I say.

They all smirk and I want to ask them why, but I don't bother with it.

After lunch, we head back to the last two classes of the day, and by the time school is finished, practice is cancelled because of the bad weather. The coach tells us that a big storm is coming and that we should get home as soon as possible because they're thinking of closing down the roads until tomorrow.

"Yaas bitch, that means no school tomorrow!" Jake says as he gets into Sophia's car in the parking lot.

"So no one wants a ride from me?" I ask and Jake tells me that Sophia's house is close to his and it's more logical that way.

So I get into my car, turn the heating up to a maximum because I can see my own breath, and check my phone for a few minutes.

When the car is finally heated the way I like it, I take off my parka and start the engine. As I pull out of the parking lot and drive down the road, I pass the bus station. Then I see Niall, waiting on the bench for the bus in the heavy rain/snow, heavily shivering, but I turn my head and pass him by.

Ugh, why do I have to be so niceee, I whine to myself, before I put the car in reverse and back up until I reach him. I pull the window down.

"Do you need a ride home?" I ask.

He looks up at me and I see that his lips are nearly blue from the cold. Without saying anything, he stands up from the bench and gets into the passengers' seat.

I drive him home and we don't even speak for the whole twenty minutes it takes us to get there.

"Thank you." He says once we're in front of his house, before he gets out and closes the door.

Just as I'm about to drive out of his street, a police car stops me. Ugh.

"I'm sorry Miss, but the road is closed due to the weather."

"But I need to get home." I tell the policeman standing by my window.

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to wait out the bad weather." He says and I groan before I pull the window back up and reverse the car until I reach Niall's house.

I'll guess I'll have to wait in the car then.

Ten minutes later, after the guy on the radio says that the roads will be closed down for another three hours at least, I sigh and grab my bag and parka from the backseat.

Then I get out of the car, lock it, and walk up to Niall's door. It's fucking raining and snowing all at once, and by the time Lilly opens the door, I'm soaked wet and freezing my ass off.

"Oh, hi Rey."

"I drove Niall home but the road is closed down right now and they won't let me drive." I tell her and she smiles from ear to ear as she invites me in.

I toe off my shoes in the hallway and put my parka up on the rack.

"Do you want some hot tea?" she asks and I nod, thanking her.

Then I walk upstairs to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is sticking to my face so I try to comb it better with my fingers, when Niall appears in the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

I explain the situation to him and he nods, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans against the doorframe.

"Aren't you cold?" he asks when he sees me shivering in my wet clothes.

"No shit."

"I can borrow you some clothes if you want." Lilly says, appearing right next to her brother.

"I've got some socks and a jacket I needed for practice, but I don't have a shirt or pants." I tell her as I follow her to her room. Eddie is sleeping in his bed, so we have to whisper.

When she takes out a pair of pants, it's clear to me that they're way too small for me.

"You can ask Niall then." She smiles and I hate this. I hate the situation I'm in right now. But at least I'm not alone with him.

I knock on Niall's door and he opens it.

"I need clothes." Is all I say and he doesn't say anything else before he goes to his closet and takes out some sweatpants and a black shirt with the Nike logo on it.

Then, after I take my things out of my bag, I walk over to the bathroom and change.

Rey+Niall: https://www.polyvore.com/20.3/set?id=236795174

I put my soaked clothes on the radiator in the bathroom and walk back downstairs five minutes later.

"Here you go." Lilly tells me and hands me a mug of tea after I've sat down on the coach with my phone in my hand. "Do you need anything else?"

I shake my head. "You're so nice to me, why?"

"Because I like you." She says and takes my question as an invite for her to sit down next to me on the couch. "And because I think you'd be good for Niall."

"What? No, that's-"

"I know. But Zoe came by on Friday to have dinner with us."

"Oh." I say.

"And she was...ugh. I don't know how to describe it. She wasn't rude, but the way she behaved made my mom and I think she was way too superficial and close minded."

"What did she do?"

Lilly shrugs. "Nothing, she was really nice. But the way she talked...I don't know why Niall-"

"What the fuck are you doing Lilly." Niall says as he steps into the living room, startling us both.

"I'm just talking to Rey." She innocently tells him and gets up from the couch.

"Mind your own business." He tells her before he leaves to go into the kitchen.

"He loves me." she says and winks at me. "Oh, and one more thing. I've never seen him be himself with her. But with you, it's the closest thing he'll ever get to be himself."

Then she leaves me there, staring into the dark red mug of tea. After I drink it, I get up and go to the window to take a selfie. It's not a good lighting, but my makeup is going to fail soon enough.

"Amazing." Niall's sarcastic voice says from behind me and I turn around to face him.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks for letting me stay here until the roads open." Is everything I can think of saying. It's all too familiar; this situation. It's almost as if we're a few months in the past, when he came into my hotel room and we were fighting but he still stayed.

"Thanks for driving me home." He then says, and it almost feels like nothing has ever happened between us, like we're just two friends. But as he said before, it's never going to be 'okay' between us.

"My sister usually talks when there's no need for her to talk." He continues and sits down on the couch.

"I like her."

Niall makes a face. "Why?"

"Because she reminds me of me."

We stay silent because we hear her going up the stairs and then close the door to her room.

"So you're going to the game tomorrow." I say, trying to make conversation in order to avoid the awkward silence.

"Yeah."

I sit down on the couch, not really next to him, but close, and we watch whatever is on TV. We both know very well that he doesn't have to be in the living room with me; just as well as we both know that I could've sat on the armchair if I didn't want to be this close to him.

But neither of us says anything.

"Did you tell her?" I ask after a while, because apparently my mouth cannot be closed for more than ten minutes.

"About what?"

"All the things you told me that day."

He doesn't reply for a few seconds. "What day?"

We both know what day. But he wants me to say it, so I remind him of that day I got into the cold water for him.

But he doesn't reply, so we continue to sit there and watch TV. Coincidentally, it's a re-run of Skins, and it's the episode with Cook and Effy, when Cook tells her that 'it's always going to be you and me'.

"I didn't tell her." Niall says out of a sudden, and every single feeling I've tried to overcome comes rushing back to me.

"I could never tell her." He adds.

"Why not?"

"Because she wouldn't understand."

I turn to face him. "Then why would you tell me? I mean, you tell me that I'm spoiled and snobby, but you told me those things."

He doesn't answer. Of course he doesn't.

But then he does.

"I don't know why."

And it's weird, but I understand him. I don't know why I care about him either, and I can't explain why I still allow myself to talk to him when I know it will never go anywhere. But then I remember everything I told myself these past few days, weeks even.

"You just like playing with me, don't you?" I ask.

"What?"

"You do."

Then, the front door opening interrupts us and I look at the clock. Two hours have gone by already since I came here.

"I brought you guys dinner. The roads have opened-oh." His mother says as she appears in the doorframe of the living room.

"Hello, I'm Renee." I say and stand up from the couch to go shake her hand.

"Would you like to stay for dinner love?" she asks, and my heart melts. She's obviously had a hard day and after everything she's been through, she's still nice and smiles.

"No, she needs to leave." Niall says and I don't even bother to argue. He probably only wants Zoe to meet his mother. Oh well.

His mother busies herself in the kitchen as I put on my shoes and grab my bag. Then, just before I leave, I turn to Niall.

"You don't deserve her." I say, referring to his mother.

And then I leave, closing the door behind me.

***

Much to Jake's disappointment, the roads are open on Tuesday morning, which means that we can and have to go to school.

But after school comes the hockey game, and we already talked that we'd meet each other in front of the arena. And as usual, Niall and I are the only ones who don't hug or greet each other.

Rey+Niall: https://www.polyvore.com/20.4/set?id=236795321

After we wait in line with our tickets, we finally take our seats, and due to some really poor planning, I end up sitting next to Niall. But it's only for two and maybe a half hours, so I can fucking do this.

"I'm so excited." Jake tells Sophia next to me and I frown. Since when does he like ice hockey?

The match eventually starts and I start to feel comfortable because the atmosphere at a hockey game is way better than the one at a footie match. Everyone's screaming and players are fighting, everything is great.

Twenty minutes later comes the first break, and on the big screen some funny scenes from previous matches are being played.

Then, a heart appears on the screen with the words 'kiss cam' under it, and an old couple appears in the heart. They smile and kiss each other, before David and Victoria fucking Beckham also appear on the screen.

"Oh my GOD! It's my husband!" Sophia cries when he sees David kiss Victoria. "I didn't even know they'd be here!"

"Oh my fucking God." Jake says looking at the screen and I nod.

"I know right? It's the Beckhams-" I say just as everyone starts chanting 'kiss kiss kiss', even though the Beckhams have already done it.

"Rey, look." Jake says and I look up.

I feel like my whole life has been sucked out of me and I'm weak at the knees.

Because on the big screen, the Beckhams are gone.

And right now I'm looking up at the screen, just to see my own face and Niall's face, both in disbelief.

---

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---

Hope you liked it; let me know what your favorite/least favorite part was :D

Here are some questions I'd like you to answer, because I always look at them and get ideas for the story:

1. which was your favorite part of the chapter and why??

2. what scenes would you like to see during their upcoming 'assignment group' meetings?

3. what would you like to see in the next chapter/chapters?

4. Please give me ideas about scenes and stuff you'd like to see because I always try and put them in the story! 

You guys are amazing!

p.s. Follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Wattpad if you want previews of the upcoming chapters !

xoxo,

Ronnie