Lightweight
Tonight was the night where I hoped all my dreams would come true. I'm not going to lie, I had many but there was one I wanted to come true the most. I wanted a boyfriend and not just any boy to be him. I wanted to be with my best friend, Niall Horan. For quite some time, I'd waited for him to ask the question since I'd always been too shy to ask. Honestly, I was also afraid of rejection. I never took well too it and I was terrified it would ruin our friendship we'd built up over the past 6 years. We'd been friend since High School and ever since the day we'd first met, I knew he was the one. As cliché as it sounds, there was always just something so special about him and there always would be.
This night meant more to me than any night; it was my 18th birthday party. I'd been waiting to have this huge party for so long, as nervous and shy as I was. Everybody else in my year had one and now it was my turn. It was almost going to be like a second prom in a sense. Well, that's the way I hoped it would turn out. On the party invites the dress code was 'Dresses and Suits'. I didn't usually like attempting to boss people around and telling them what to do but this was a special night and I wanted everything to go perfectly.
For the final time, before leaving the house, I checked how I looked in the mirror. I was wearing the most stunning, red mermaid dress that looked perfect! My hair was styled beautifully in loose blond curls. Since I was only small, around 5'1', I decided to boost my height a little by putting some beautiful, glittery red heels on. My make-up was done lovely as well, not too much but not too little either. After all, I had somebody I wanted to impress! Once I was positive I was happy with how I looked, I told my mum it was time to go.
An hour later, we arrived at the venue. I could feel my nerves slowly rising but I knew this was going to be a good night, or I prayed it would be. I didn't want to let my shyness get the better of me!
We spent a full hour after that preparing the tables with party food and waited for the guests to arrive. The waiting for people to come was definitely the worst part. The first person to arrive was Niall, he'd came 20 minutes early and my heart did backflips when I saw him. He was wearing a tight-fitting tux with his hair styled in its usual spiky way. I even had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't just imagining this beautiful boy standing in front of me. Not that he wasn't usually beautiful, just tonight he looked beyond even that.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS!" He shouted at me, even though he was quite literally a few centimetres away from me. Trust me, I was trying with all my might to not just kiss him right there and then. Oh boy, how I wanted to.
"Thank you! You're looking very dapper yourself!" I winked slyly at him and he just grinned at me. He handed me the card and present he'd brought for me.
"Open them!" He seemed so overjoyed and he was just the most adorable person on the entire planet. I did as he told me and tore the wrapping paper off the presents. In my hand, I was holding a Swarovski box. Swarovski is a brand that makes beautiful jewellery and I'd always admired it. Also, it isn't cheap jewellery. In fact, that's the last thing it is.
"Are you serious?" I was quite surprised my jaw hadn't hit the floor.
"Colleen, you haven't even opened the box properly yet! Come on, you're making me nervous!" Just by the look in his eyes, I could see how excited he was for me to open it. Slowly, I flipped open the lid on the box. When I saw what it contained, I nearly dropped it. It contained the most beautiful pendant. (.com/Web_GB/en/992701/product/Ties_of_Love_Pendant_.html?CatalogCategoryName=0109) "So do you like it?" Did he even have to ask?
"Niall, this is unbelievable. It's so beautiful." I couldn't even hide how stunned I was by it.
"Would you like me too put it on for you?" He had the cutest smile on his face and I could feel my legs turning to jelly.
"Yes, please." I could feel my heart racing. He lifted the necklace out of the box, unclipped it and wrapped it gently around my neck. As his fingers made slight contact with my neck, I felt a rush of heat flood over me. The effect he was having on me was crazy.
"Done. You look really beautiful tonight." I spun round to face him and he lightly kissed my forehead. Seriously, was I dreaming? Had he actually just kissed me? Oh my god. After that, he walked off towards the food, typical Niall behaviour.
Not long after the guests started to arrive and before long the dance floor was like a river of bodies. The music was blaring from the speakers and everybody was going crazy. I never expected this many people to turn up but it was incredible. I was having such an amazing night. Even my nerves and shyness has disappeared and I couldn't be happier if I tried. I stepped out of the crowd for a few minutes, just to get some air. My mum came over to me.
"You enjoying your party love?" She had to scream above the music.
"Yeah, thank you so much mum, without you, I wouldn't have been able to have had this party. It's definitely one of the best nights of my life." I replied with a huge smile on my face. I could that she was incredibly relieved that I was enjoying myself. After all, all a mother wants is for her child to be happy.
"Anytime, sweetie!" She looked down briefly. "We've got a surprise for you." It wasn't the fact my mum told me they had surprise for me that I was a little taken a back, it's the fact she said 'we'. Who was we supposed to apply to?
"Who exactly do you mean by 'we'?" I yelled at her.
"Wait and see! Not long until you find out now! Now go back out there and enjoy your party!" She pushed me until I was back in the crowd and then went back over to the food. I caught sight of Niall slowly slipping through the crowd. I tried to keep watching him but even with heels on, my height still didn't help me out. I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. What was going on? I tried to keep my mind off it by dancing with some of my other friends. Even though I'd tried so hard to just leave it and not think about it too much, I couldn't help it.
A few minutes later, spotlights were hitting the stage and Niall came wandering on. What was going on? He had his guitar in his hand and somebody rushed on stage behind him with a stool. Thanking them, he took his seat and moved the mic down to his height.
"Evenin' everyone!" His rich Irish accent flooded through the speakers. We all cheered for him. "So, as you all know, we're all here tonight to celebrate a very special girl's birthday… Colleen!" Everybody screamed, which was a little surreal, he had a natural stage presence. "Anyway, I decided that I wanted to give her a little surprise, so I'm going to sing. This is for you, Colleen, Happy Birthday." He looked so small under the spotlight but then I knew as soon as he began to sing, he'd shine just as bright as it. He started strumming away on the guitar. It didn't take me long to realise what he was playing, 'Wrapped in your arms' by Fireflight. Everybody started swaying but I was too shell-shocked to do anything. The even more amazing part, was when he begun to sing.
'Is this the whole picture?
Or is it just the start?
Is this the way you love me?
You're capturing my heart
I used to try and walk alone
But I've begun to grow
And when you tell me just to rest
I'm finally letting go
I let go
And I'm here to stay
Nothing can separate us
And I know, I'm ok
You cradle me gently
Wrapped in your arms... I'm home
I'm seeing so much clearer
Looking through your eyes
I could never find a safer place
Even if I tried
All the times I've needed you
You've never left my side
I'm clinging to your every word
Don't ever let me go
Don't let go.'
When he finished everybody literally went wild. It was an amazing performance.
"Thank you. Colleen there's something else I need to tell you…" The guests went silent in anticipation for what he was about to say. "The necklace I gave you earlier, I gave you it for what it symbolises. The description of the necklace was, 'Ties of Love Pendant - The heart signifies love and the wrap lends it a touch of warmth. The pendant reflects a special bond - strong yet delicate.' I thought of you when I read it and I knew there was nothing else I wanted to give you." All of the party-goers 'aw'd', I was beginning to well up. "Actually, I'd like you to come on stage because there's something I have to ask you." I was in quite a daze when he asked me, all of the crowd started to push me forward. I made it to the stage stairs and climbed up them. Before long, we were standing face to face, I couldn't help but smile. "Colleen, for a while now, well, actually, since we first met, I've always thought you were incredible and so special. There's always been something about you that has made me love you more than any other girl. I never thought you wanted me, so I tried to keep all these feelings to myself… But now, I can't hide how I feel any longer and I want to ask you… Will you be my girlfriend?" He and the rest of the crowd were completely silent. Never would I refuse him, not in a trillion years.
"Yes." As soon as I said it, Niall's lips met mine and I felt like we were the only two people on the planet. It was magical and so precious that I never wanted it too end. I felt like a lightweight, so unsteady and unable to think straight. Yet, I felt like all my dreams had finally come true. This was my night to remember.