"Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes...?"

___

Mikey: where are U guyz

Calum looks from his phone to Donkey Kong, racing through Yoshi's Island.

"You're gonna lose, Ash."

"Wow. That's helpful. Thanks, mate. Thanks a lot."

Calum snorts, responding to his texts as Luke and Ashton race each other on the island.

Cal: you with emma?

He knows the answer before he receives it.

Mikey: yeah

"Fuck," Calum hisses, head back against Ashton's couch as he and Luke and Ash all lounge around, XBOX controllers in hand. "He's always with that fucking--"

"Who is it?" Luke asks, laughing as Ashton gets hit by a rocket on screen. "Ha! Loser."

"Fuck you, Luke!"

"You'd have to actually beat me first."

"Don't answer," Ashton says over Luke's laughter, his eyes glued to the screen as he drifts through Mario Kart. "Just don't fucking--" He reaches blindly for Calum's phone. "Don't text him back."

Mikey: where are you?

Mikey: DONT INGORE ME CALUM

Mikey: TELL ME WHERE TEH FUCK YOU ARE

Ashton holds out his hand. "Nobody. Cave."

Luke snorts. "He's officially not invited to everything."

"Yeah, when he's got the beast with him," Calum snorts, and he shakes his head as Ashton laughs, pausing the game and staring at the stream of texts.

"Dude, I was fucking winning."

"No, but wait," Ashton laughs, staring at the texts, "Luke, this is fucking hilarious."

And Calum turns back to his phone. "Shit," he exclaims, jumping up from the couch. "It's seven-thirty already!"

Luke pulls a face. "Where're you going?"

"I dunno," he sighs. "What's a place a stupid, rich, jock might take a girl on a date?"

Ashton snorts, shaking his head. "What the fuck..."

Luke's blue eyes widen. "Is this...is this about Royce?"

Ashton giggles. "And her date you're obviously not invited to."

"What?" Calum scoffs. "No. Fuck no. Of course not. I just wanna take my best mates out for a night like one a rich, dumb jock might take his girl. Obviously."

Luke's teeth tug at his lip ring. "Didn't know you were rich, mate," he grins. "Or athletic."

Calum flips him off.

Luke laughs hard and loud.

"I'm down to crash a date," Ashton says, nodding. "I could use an adventure or some shit."

Luke snorts, eyes blazing with amusement. "How? None of us can drive."

Calum groans loudly, hands on his face. "Holy mother fuck..."

"Psh," Ashton exclaims. "I can get us a ride."

Calum and Luke both turn to him.

"From who?"

__

"Okay, so not that date crashing isn't fun, but really?" Lola exclaims, as the boys all pile into her Range Rover. "Really? You guys had no one else to call?"

Ashton pouts as he climbs into the passenger seat, Luke and Calum following behind. "Thought we could hang out, Lols."

"By doing what, Ashton?" She exclaims. "Sabotaging my best friend's date?"

"We aren't sabotaging it," Calum replies.

She turns in her seat, staring at him with disbelief and more disbelief.

"What? We aren't!"

She stares at her nails. "Then what are we doing, Hood?"

He shrugs. "Just wanted to go out tonight, s'all."

She lifts her eyes to his, staring at him with pursed lips. "So you call me?"

He nods. "Yup."

"Even though we met yesterday?"

"Thought we had some pretty kick-ass chemistry in jail."

And Lola snorts. "I'll give it to you," she says, turning in her seat, "that was actually funny."

Calum smiles, resting his head against his hand. "I try."

Lola groans. "I feel like such a shit friend for doing this..."

"Then don't," says Ashton. He jerks his thumb towards his friends in the backseat, "Let's ditch the losers. You can take me out, instead."

Lola rolls her eyes. "Charming. Do you say that to all the girls, Ashton?"

"Only the ones I'm interested in, Lols."

"So, not that flirting isn't fun," Calum interjects, "but I've got places to be, remember?"

"Actually, you really don't," Lola says. "You aren't invited out with Royce and Paige, and therefore, you can chill with that impatient shit."

Ashton covers his mouth with his hand. "Ooooh...."

Luke laughs.

Calum scowls. "C'mon, Lola. Can we go? Please, best friend?"

"Miss me with the best-friend shit. Besides," she lifts a perfectly arched brow, "I literally just said the words: you're not invited."

"Lola," Ashton interjects with a quick glance at Calum, "that's the definition of date-crashing, babe."

She rolls her eyes. "From what Royce has said, you guys only hang out to do calc," she lifts a brow. "Right?"

Calum gulps. "Right."

"Then why're you doing this?"

Luke sinks in his seat. "Here we go..."

Calum shoots him a quick glare. "What am I doing? It's Friday night. It's a free country. I can do what I want."

Lola groans. "Okay, seriously. Do I have to spell this out for you three?"

She sighs at the sight of their collective, blank stares. "Why, then," she purses her lips, "are you trying to crash Royce's date?"

The car falls silent.

"Well..." Ashton rubs the back of his neck.

She holds up a hand, silencing him. "Actually, Ashton," she says, "I'm asking Calum."

Luke turns and stares out the window.

Calum shrugs nonchalantly. "Just wanna fuck with her s'all."

Lola pulls the key from the ignition, turning off the car.

At this rate, they're not going anywhere.

She drums her nails against the center console. "That's not a good enough reason."
___
"Oh my god, this is adorable," grins Paige.

And Royce's face lights up. "Ice skating?" She exclaims. "Oh my god...We haven't done this since we were kids!"

Zayn hooks his arm around Paige's waist. "Was all Li's idea, honestly."

Royce turns to Liam with big, wide eyes. "A's, then," she says. "A's all around for effort."

He laughs aloud. "I was hoping you'd like it," he grins. "Obviously."

"Well," Royce replies, tapping his chest, "you have succeeded," and she starts for the ice. "Now c'mon, Payne," she laughs. "Show me how well you can skate."

Zayn takes Paige's hand. "We're gonna get coffee, yeah?"

"Yep," Paige exclaims. "Coffee. Good. Right," and she flashes her sister a smile.

Royce's face falls. "You're not gonna skate?" She pouts as Zayn leads her sister from the ice.

Paige shakes her head. "Have fun, though," she sings, before Zayn chuckles, taking her hand, now and moving away from the rink.

Royce turns to Liam.

"Well, then."

"We don't need 'em, anyway," Liam smiles, holding out his arm. "After you."

And Royce can't help but smile because that was the thing about Liam.

He sure knew how to make a girl feel special.

He was just so nice.

Like, painfully.

And he didn't have the bad boy exterior like Zayn, either. He was an attractive, clean-cut, straight-A, athlete and Royce literally could not find one flaw in the boy. He was, essentially, perfect, and he wasn't like Royce. Royce knew that no matter how hard she tried, she found herself to be far far from actually being perfect, despite what everyone thought about her.

Liam Payne, on the other hand, was without flaw.

And it was just not natural.

He was the ultimate gentleman.

But, at the same time, it was nice. Like, it was so nice to be able to enjoy someone who had clear-cut intentions. Liam was interested in Royce. He asked her out. While they were out, he only had eyes for her. Those things were incredibly flattering, especially to Royce, who really, truly asked for only one thing out of every single relationship.

Honesty.

And dammit, Liam Payne sure was honest.

Calum? Honest?

Sometimes.

And, Royce didn't want just sometimes. Royce has dealt with enough temporary situations to know that there is no way she wants to be in a sometimey relationship.

Royce also doesn't know why she's on this date with Liam thinking about Calum...the boy who sings in the shower and lies to her and then asks her to ask him the truth and holds her hand and opens her car door...

"I take it you've ice skated before?"

Royce looks up from her skates, shaking her head.

She grins, because she's on a date, dammit, as Liam offers her a hand. "A lot when I was little," she admits, taking Liam's hand and allowing his to guide her to the rink. "When my parents started dating, they used to take me, Paige and Chris to the rink so we could bond," she laughs. "We were so small."

Liam sends her a soft smile. "I didn't know you two were step-sisters."

Royce nods, stepping onto the ice, gliding effortlessly around him. "Most people don't."

"I probably wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me," he chuckles, skating beside her. "You two're so--"

"If you say we look alike, I swear to you, Liam, I'm going to leave you right here on this ice."

He chuckles. "No, no," he says, "I was gonna say, you two're so close. I had no idea you weren't biologically related."

Royce laughs. "Not all step-siblings hate each other."

"Not all real siblings love each other, either," he grins. "So, I'd say you're pretty lucky."

Royce nods, skating in small circles around him.

She smirks. "I'd say you were right about that, Payne."

Liam stares at her as she skates. "You're really good at that."

"Years of practice, Payne."

"Yeah?" He grins. "Well, teach me, then."

And as Royce slips her hand into his, a snowball splats against the back of Liam's head.

And Royce simply cannot help the laugh that erupts from the pit of her stomach.

"Wow, Royce," Liam nods, wiping the snow from his hair, "Funny, eh?"

Royce can't catch her breath. "Where did that even come from?"

And the snow begins to fly.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" Exclaims a voice Royce swears is way too damn familiar.

But, she doesn't have time to decipher the familiarity because Royce is screaming and laughing as Liam attempts to shield her from the balls, him tripping on his skates and only causing Royce to laugh harder.

Until she looks up.

And it's as if the world moves in slow motion.

She stares through the snow, laughing and screaming as everyone in the rink takes part of the fight. Snow is raining from the sky and crossing ice and people are getting pelted left and right. And Royce is laughing, becuase this has somehow made this date ten times more entertaining, when she catches sight of a blonde boy in a hoodie with a snapback, leaning against the divider of the rink. His arms are folded across his chest and he's laughing.

He's laughing.

Luke Hemmings is laughing.

And Royce stares at him, before Liam grabs her hand and slides her out of the friendly fire.

"C'mon," he exclaims, cheeks rosy and cold, and Royce obliges, but she is looking for Luke and can no longer find him.

What the fuck is Luke doing here?

Was he with Kennedy? Was he here by himself?

Luke? An ice skater? Since when...?

And that's when it happens.

Royce can literally see the snowball. It's giant. It's massive. It looks like it's packed as full as a snowball could be packed, and while she doesn't see who made and threw it, she can see that its trajectory is Liam's car, parked not far enough from the ice.

She gasps, tugging his arm. "Li--"

But, the word doesn't get out fully.

The snow hits the windshied and she cringes, as Liam's eyes follow her own and he lets out a curse because, "What the fuck?"

And to this day, Royce is convinced that there were rocks or some shit in the snowballs that seemed to rain like hail on the windshield of Liam's perfect BMW.

And the alarm of the car goes off.

"I'll--" He begins slipping away from her, "I'll be right back, Royce!"

"Want me to come!?" She calls after him.

But, Liam can't hear over the commotion and the sound of his heart in his ears and his car alarm going off as he skates his fastest to the edge of the rink and steps, in his skates, towards his car and the window that better not be fucking cracked.

And that's when Royce hears the laughter.

She turns, expecting to find Luke when she does not find Luke.

Royce locks eyes with...

"No fucking way."

Royce begins to skate towards the edge of the rink, just as Calum smirks, walking her way and leaning against the divider.

"Having fun?" He asks.

Royce stares in shock at Calum, and looks back and forth between him and Liam's retreating figure.

She pinches the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay," she exhales slowly, "when you said my date would be shit earlier, I definitely didn't expect you to--"

"To show up?" Calum asks. "Didn't really expect that either. But," he holds out his arms, grinning, "would'ya look at this here."

"Calum."

He grins, leaning towards her. "Yep?"

"Calum, please leave."

"Leave? Leave? Oh, but I just got here."

She shakes her head. "How'd you even know where I was?"

Calum grins. "That's for me to know and you to find out," he laughs, and as she scowls he shakes his head. "I'm fuckin' with you, Royce. It was Lola."

Royce stares at him in disbelief. "Lola?"

He folds his arms, nodding smugly. "Lola."

"But--" She shoots him a glare. "You're lying."

"Oh, am I?" And Calum takes her elbow, tugging her towards him and turning her around.

He points across the ice.

"Am I, really?"

"Oh my god..." Royce's mouth falls open, because no she is not fucking ice skating and no she is not out there laughing with fucking Ashton Irwin as he stumbles and falls on the rink.

This is not a thing.

Royce scowls. "I'm gonna kill her..."

"Aw, c'mon, Poppy," Calum grins, tugging gently on her hair.

She slaps his hand away.

He laughs. "You're so cute when you're mad."

Royce glares at him. "Calum, go away."

"And you're so hot when you're angry."

Royce catches a quick breath, and as he chuckles she rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "Why?" She whines. "Why, God?"

"Because it's a free country. I do what I want."

"You don't have anything else better to do?"

"Surprisingly," he bites his bottom lip and shakes his head, "not with a suspended license."

"Calum," Royce groans, and she brings her hands together, "this is silly. You should go. Okay? Great," she smiles, shooting him a quick thumbs-up, "Good talk."

He pouts again. "Why you don't want me to stay?"

That makes her laugh.

Unfortunately.

She replaces her smile with a scowl. "Because this is a date," and she throws up her hands, "Why am I even explaining this shit, I cannot..."

Calum's expression instantly changes, as he catches sight of Liam fumbling with his keys. "Do you actually like him?"

"I--" She stops herself, folding her arms across her chest. "He's a really good guy."

"Pshh," Calum rolls his eyes and pushes himself from the divider. "That's bullshit girls say when they don't wanna hurt someone's feelings," he narrows his eyes, staring at her. "Do you like him, Royce?"

"I..." She falters. And she inhales sharply, puffing out her chest. "I'm getting to know him, Calum."

And he laughs. "Yeah. Okay."

"Hey!" She pokes him in his arm. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to come here and fuck up my date with a nice guy who--"

"Who, what?"

"I mean," she shakes her head, "Just shut up, and leave."

"No," he says. "I won't. You were saying something and I wanna hear the end of it."

He crosses his arms and cocks his head. "Payne's a nice guy who...? What's he do, huh? What's he do besides live off money from mommy and daddy."

"Oh my god, Calum! It's not about wealth, okay? Rich or not, Liam's sweet. Not everyone with a BMW's a dick."

"Yeah, and not every guy who's nice is right for you," he snaps. "That's a bunch'a fucking shit."

"Yeah?" She challenges. "Who's right for me, then? Because newsflash," she exclaims, "I'm not looking for a fuckboy to break my heart."

"Who says nice guys aren't fuckboys?"

"I'm saying Liam isn't!"

"Please," he scoffs. "Look at his fucking friends! How can he be the only saint when all his friends fuck around and--" He purses his lips, "Look at fucking Jesse Fisher!"

"Why does--" She clicks her teeth. "I'm not best friends with Jesse!"

"And you like Liam?"

"They're not the same person, Calum. That's like me saying you're the same as that friend of yours with the...the hair. That, that Michael, kid."

"Whatever," Calum narrows his eyes. "'Cause, I bet we have more fun together in AP Calc."

And Royce pauses, halting her thought because is she hearing him correctly?

Does he mean what she thinks he means, or is this just her, jumping to conclusions?

She sucks in another breath.

Now isn't the time to deal with this.

"Calum, can we just not with this, tonight?"

"Sure," he shrugs. "Ditch the loser and let's have some real fun."

"Newsflash," she hisses, poking him sharply, "I asked you if you had a problem with me going on this date, remember?"

"Yeah," he seethes, "but Liam's so fucking nice, remember?"

"Um..."

And Royce turns at once, because of course Liam is back.

Of course he heard that.

"Liam!"

He stares confusedly between the two of them. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah, actually you were kind of interrupting an argument, mate. Mind if you," Calum flicks his wrist, shooing him away, "y'know, give us some fucking space?"

"Calum," Royce grits, low and menacing.

"What? He asked, didn't he? I know just how much you care about honesty, Royce."

"Calum. I'm on a date, thanks."

"Oh really? Didn't notice."

"Calum!" Royce widens her eyes. "Go!"

Liam is staring between them like he doesn't know how to react. "I--"

"Fine," Calum nods. And he keeps nodding, backing away from the couple, arms raised in surrender. "I should go get skates."

Royce snorts. "For what?"

He smirks, pointing across the ice at Ashton and Lola and Luke.

"My friends, Roycie," he replies smugly. "I have a reason to be here, remember?"

"Calum," she glares. "Calum, I swear to fucking God--"

"Have fun!" He calls with a little wave. "Have fun on your nice little date."

And he leaves the two, turning to do as he says.

Turning to rent his fucking skates.

Royce is internally cursing him when Liam takes her hand gently in his.

"Royce?" He asks, offering a little smile, eyes bright and brown and warm.

Royce offers an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"I mean..." Liam shrugs, chuckling. "S'fine, really. It's just...I didn't know you knew Hood."

"Yeah, uh..." She nods. "We're in classes together."

Liam nods. "Oh."

"Yeah."

And he blurts, "Is there something going on?"

"Going on?"

"Like...with Hood."

"Beside the fact that someone's trying to fuck up this date?" Royce mutters. "...Good question."

Liam laughs. "No, like..." And Liam stops laughing, "Is there something going on here...y'know...between the two of you?"

Royce's eyes widen because what the hell everyone in the school cannot know that she and Calum are fucking around.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

Liam shrugs. "Seems like he's into you."

"Wait, what?"

Liam nods. "Like, he likes you, Royce."

Royce's heart hammers louder. "What?"

Liam frowns. "Unless I'm wrong..."

"Wrong," Royce shakes her head. "Wrong. I think," she can't do this now, "I think you're wrong."

___

Royce can feel Calum's eyes on her for the rest of her date.

She's been trying not to make eye contact with him all night.

That hasn't exactly gone to plan.

Damn him.

She's so pissed, because she'd like to pull Lola from Luke and Ashton so they could talk about this, because now, Liam Payne has planted the seed.

Sure, she initially thought that Calum might actually care for her as more than a fuck buddy, but to have someone else see it, too???

"Well," says Liam, at the end of their date as he assists Royce with the removal of her ice skates, "despite the interruption, I had a great time with you."

"I had a great time, too," Royce replies honestly. "It was fun."

"Yeah," and Liam takes her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "That was kind of the point."

Royce laughs, shoving him lightly. "Shut up, Liam."

"Gladly," he replies, tugging her gently against his chest.

And Liam swiftly and gently places a light kiss upon her lips and grins, and Royce can't help but grin because Liam's grins are contagious...that, plus the fact that this kiss is sweet and cute and nice, but there's nothing else to it. Like, it doesn't set her stomach on fire like kisses do with...

And Royce's eyes dart to her left, because she can feel staring.

No, she can feel glaring.

Calum is standing off to the side, skates slung over his shoulder as his eyes never leave the side of Liam's face because he looks like he's thisclose to committing murder.

His jaw is clenched and his hands are balled into fists as they grip his skates and his hair is tousled and his face is rosy from cold and skating and Royce has to turn away because, dammit, she's smiling.

___

phew.

took ages for me to update.

been busy guys.

butt to make up for it i'm trying to update again real real realllll soon so look out for that!

night changes || one direction