𝙫.𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪

MEET ME HALFWAY - BLACK EYED PEAS 

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mid-term break 

@saorisedaviss09 posted a story ! 

caption: london trip with my fav @elizacollins19

@saoirsedaviss09 added to their story! 

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@elizacollins19 posted a story!

caption: 2 days left before back to warrington 💔

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@elizacollins19

♪ladbroke grove - aj tracy  

caption:  london trip (thanks mum hehe) 🤍🤍

liked by owencooper, saoirsedaviss09, harryjmoore and  1,120 others 

tagged: saorisedaviss09

comments

| saoirsedaviss09: hottie hottie 🔥🔥

↳ elizacollins19: says uuu

| sophieebrian:  it was so fun having u over !!

↳ elizacollins19: miss my cousin already🥲

| julesaks: BODY TEAAA

(liked by creator) 

| isabelle.col7: teddy being a cutie as always 

(liked by creator)

|  mason11arkins: not tuff 

↳ elizacollins19: go back to watching cocomelon lil bro

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—MIDTERM BREAK ENDED  before he even realised it had started.one day he was sleeping in till noon, ignoring every group chat, and the next he was back at school, wearing a uniform that didn't quite feel like his anymore.

everything felt... different.people who'd barely looked at him before adolescence came out were now calling his name in corridors, asking for selfies, talking about scenes they'd "loved."

it was weird.

flattering, maybe  but mostly weird.

he'd thought he'd like it, being noticed. but after a while, it just got tiring.everywhere he went, it felt like someone was looking.and none of them really saw him.

not like she used to.

owen hadn't spoken to liz properly in months. not since that awkward-but-not meeting in the shopping centre. she'd looked different, lighter somehow. happy. not the kind of happy you fake either.he'd told himself he was fine with that. he'd told himself that he was fine, full stop.

but lately, she'd been showing up in his head again.when he was walking to class.                                    when he was supposed to be revising.

even when he was scrolling through his phone before bed, trying not to think about anything too hard.

he didn't know what he wanted. he just knew he missed how simple things used to be — before fame, before filming, before all the noise.

funny thing was, he wasn't slick about it. harry had noticed something when owen was telling him that he ran into saoirse and liz a few times — harry noticed how owens cheeks grew at the mention of liz, he was giddy. the type of look harry never saw when owen was with mia.

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training was the same as always. cold wind, shouting, boots hitting the grass. he loved football — it was one of the only things that still felt normal but even there, people had started treating him differently.

the lads would joke about adolescence, ask about the actors, tease him about the interview clips. he laughed it off, but part of him wanted to disappear sometimes.

"oi, cooper," one of the boys shouted. "you bringin' netflix cameras today or what?" "shut up," owen called back, smiling anyway.

he sat down on the bench after drills, phone in hand, thumbs scrolling. he wasn't even sure why he opened messages. his brain just kind of... wandered to her.

her name sat there, right near the bottom of the chat list. months since they'd talked.

harry dropped down next to him, still breathing heavy. "well. you've been quiet today," he said, untying his laces. "just tired," owen said. harry glanced at owens phone, grinning. "no you're not. you're thinkin' about her again."owen paused . "what— who?" he said, his cheeks heating up  "liz," harry said, smirking. "don't even try denyin' it." "i'm not thinkin' about her.""you always say that when you are." owen rolled his eyes. "you're annoying."harry laughed. "yeah, but i'm right though."

owen didn't answer. he just pocketed his phone and went back to training, trying not to think about how right harry probably was.

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the next afternoon, liz and saoirse were in morrisons, pretending to shop but mostly just wandering around gossiping.saoirse was pushing the trolley even though they only had a bag of crisps and a meal deal in it.

liz scrolled through her phone, frowning. "you're gonna think i'm crazy," she said. "you are crazy," saoirse replied, snickering. "what now?" liz lowered her voice. "i think owen's been stalking my socials." saoirse nearly choked laughing. "what?"

"i'm serious! he's been on my tiktok profile views four times this week. and he's liked three of my instagram highlights. three, saoirse. not to mention him liking my instagram post as well"saoirse grinned. "wow, we've got a proper detective on our hands." she crossed her arms "don't take the piss! i'm not imagining it." "what highlights did he like?""just random ones. one of me and you during london, and then a mirror selfie. oh, and the one of that night at the bridge." "yeah, that was a good one. he's definitely lurking." liz rolled her eyes but smiled. "you think?""obviously. no boy likes three stories by accident.""maybe he's just bored.""or maybe he's bored of pretending he doesn't like you anymore." 

liz nudged her. "shut up."

"just saying."

they turned into another aisle — and froze when a familiar voice went,"alright, you two?"

harry. of course. holding a basket, half-smirk already on his face.

liz's heart dropped. saoirse blinked. "erm... oh hey, harry." "you lot talkin' about owen, yeah?"liz's eyes widened. "what? no—" harry laughed. "relax, i heard my boy's name from halfway down the aisle. didn't catch much, but sounds juicy.""we were literally just talking about tiktok," saoirse lied."sure you were." he grinned. "see you around."

he walked off, leaving both of the girls frozen. "you don't think he'll say anything, do you?" she asked. saoirse shrugged. "knowing harry? he definitely will."

harry's not the type to run his mouth around like a broken record but knowing that owen might have reopened feelings for liz, maybe it's not the worst idea if he told, actually scratch that.. confront owen about it.

two days later, training again — sky grey, ground still damp from the rain. owen was tying his boots when harry started grinning at him like an idiot.

"what?" owen raised a brow. "nothing.""no, go on." owen looked up at him properly  "just funny," harry said, kicking a ball lazily. "how you keep thinkin' about liz, and she's thinkin' about you too."owen froze. "what're you on about?""saw her in morrisons the other day. she reckons you've been stalkin' her socials." owen blinked. "what?" "likin' her stories, watchin' her tiktoks... mate, she's clocked you.""you're lying." owen said in a sort of panic  "nah," harry said, grinning wider. "swear down."

owen rubbed his face, half annoyed, half trying not to laugh. "you're so annoying, man." "yeah, but mate. admit it — i'm right." owen shook his head, smiling despite himself. "whatever."

but later, during drills, he couldn't stop grinning to himself. because maybe  just maybe — she'd been thinking about him too.

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that night, the house was quiet. his mum and dad had gone to bed early, and his phone kept lighting up from notifications he didn't care about.

he laid there, staring at the ceiling, scrolling aimlessly. clips from adolescence, edits, messages from people he barely knew.none of it made him feel anything.

and then, out of nowhere, he opened her chat.

the last message from her was from december — "merry christmas"he'd seen it, meant to reply, but never did.

now it felt like a lifetime ago.

he started typing something stupid — "yo" — deleted it. then something else — "you been okay?" — deleted that too.

eventually, he just typed what he actually meant.

owen: what's up?

he didn't expect her to answer.

but she did.

elizabeth 🤎: heyowen: didn't mean to wake uelizabeth 🤎: u didn'towen: oh rightelizabeth 🤎: everything okay?

he paused. stared at the screen. then:

owen: yea jus couldn't sleep thought i'd say hielizabeth 🤎: ohowen: weird innitelizabeth 🤎: what is ?owen: how we just stopped talking for monthselizabeth 🤎: not really? u had a gf 

another pause. he could see her typing, then stopping.

owen: saw that photo saoirse posted earlierelizabeth 🤎: which oneowen: the one of you by the bridge u looked niceelizabeth 🤎: oh thank yu lol it's such a mugowen: nah u looked happy. u deserve that

he didn't even know why he said it. he just meant it.

elizabeth 🤎: you good though?owen: yeah just been thinkinelizabeth 🤎: about whatowen: stuffelizabeth 🤎: be specific cooperowen: you

a long pause.

elizabeth 🤎: it's been a whileowen: i knowelizabeth 🤎:  why text nowowen: idk guess i missed chatting to youelizabeth 🤎: ur so randomowen: ye well random's better than silentelizabeth 🤎: maybeowen: maybe's enough for now

another pause.

elizabeth 🤎: go to sleepowen: you firstelizabeth 🤎: night, owenowen: night, liz

he put his phone down, the screen lighting his face for a few more seconds before it went black. he didn't know what he was doing.he didn't even know what he wanted from her.

the thought of her made him smile.