Forever Young Chapter 10
Niall'sPOV
As I watched her long legs carry her away, I ran my hand though my tousled hair again. I took a moment to reflect on what just happened. It was all so quick, but it seemed as though it was etched into my mind. One moment, I'm slicing bananas, the next moment I'm lifting her up onto the counter, trailing my hands along her almost naked thighs. I was almost embarrassed that I had made such a bold move. It could have easily turned disastrous which could have led to us being intensely awkward but her reaction had been the best part. She had quickly moulded herself against me, tugging at my hair with slender fingers. And then Louis had to ruin it… again.
One thing I couldn't get out of my mind was something that she had mumbled against my lips; "What are we doing?"
I leaned against the counter and scratched at my head. I had absolutely no answer to that. I did however know for a fact that I liked her more than I should and it was painfully obvious, as Harry liked to remind me often. But then again, how could I not? She was beautiful in every way, inside and out. She was funny without even trying. She had a lot of attention from boys, but I don't think she realized the effect she had on them. Several times I caught boys ogling her at the mall and I casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She thought nothing of it and noticed nothing. Man, I had it bad.
I've never felt such at ease around a girl before. I was always afraid of slipping up and doing something immature that would make them think twice about me, but being around her was as easy as breathing. For a long time, I was beginning to think that I wouldn't find someone who would like me as Niall, but rather as Niall Horan from One Direction, but I was beginning to think that maybe she was different than others. I mean, there was no doubting that she had caught my attention with her external beauty, but often girls don't have the right personality to capture me like she had. The more I thought of it, the more I pictured her as the perfect girl.
I really wanted to talk to her about it. I wanted her to know that I loved being around her. I wanted to tell her that when she smiled, so did I because seeing her happy made me happy. I wanted to tell her that I didn't want to have to get nervous about whether it was ok to kiss her or not.
Running my fingers through my hair once more, I decided a group meeting with the boys was long overdue.
I picked up Melissa's knife and finished cutting up the strawberries. As I was finishing, I heard a loud thud followed by Louis hollering loudly and a cry of victory from Melissa.' Get him good, Melissa', I thought with a chuckle.
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Melissa's POV
I trotted down the hall while flattening my hair and rounded the corner just as Louis' feet disappeared up the last step, most likely on his way to wake Harry.
"Louis!" I hissed, darting up the stairs after him.
I chased him through the halls as he skipped towards my room. As he reached out for the door handle my arm shot out and yanked him back. He spun around clutching his phone protectively to his chest. He let out a giggle.
"Hand it over," I said, narrowing his eyes.
"Why would I do that?" He asked happily, holding the phone over his head when I lunged for it. "We don't keep things from each other, you know."
"But that's a total invasion of my privacy! It isn't fair!" I protested, my eyebrows pinched together.
"Well you shouldn't be doing private things in the kitchen. Quite an interesting place the pair of you chose to make out," He pondered happily.
I lunged for the phone again and wrapped my fingers around it. I then proceeded to tug it from Louis' strong grasp but he held onto it tightly.
"I'm going to post it on twitter," He grinned maniacally.
With much effort, I tripped him to the ground and with one knee on his chest I yanked the phone from his clutch.
"NO!" He cried, lunging for it, but I held it over my head and cried out in victory.
Suddenly my bedroom door opened and Louis and I froze mid fight. Melanie appeared in the doorway rubbing her eyes tiredly. Harry peeked over the arm of the couch curiously, his hair a messy halo on his head.
"What on earth are the pair of you doing out here?" She yawned. Across the hall, Michael's door opened and Liam emerged shirtless.
"She stole my phone!" Louis accused.
"What'd she do that for?" Michael asked, emerging behind Liam.
"Because I caught her doing naughty-"
My hand shot out and I clamped it over Louis' mouth, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
"What?" Liam asked, looking at me and then down to my hand.
Louis spoke again, knowing fully well that no one would understand his muffled words beneath my hand. Then, his tongue darted out and licked my hand. Obviously, he expected me to pull my hand back in disgust but I left it planted firmly over his mouth.
"Nothing," I said sweetly, "right, Louis?"
I gave him a hard look, but at the same time, I gave him a pleading look with my eyes. I really didn't need any more teasing from everyone and it was a little too personal to be sharing. Louis stopped licking my hand, and with a sigh, he nodded. I carefully removed my saliva covered hand from his mouth.
"We're just messing around," Louis said, reaching up to ruffle my hair.
I reached out and wiped my hand across his striped shirt before pushing myself off the ground with a sigh of relief. With a shrug, Melanie retreated back into my room while Harry threw a questioning look at Louis who winked back. Harry then rolled over on the couch and pulled the covers over his head. Liam was already half way down the hall heading towards the bathroom and with a roll of his eyes, Michael headed towards the stairs. I held a hand out to Louis and pulled him off the carpet.
"Can you delete it please?" I asked sheepishly.
"Of course. I'm just teasing you guys, you know?" He said with a soft smile. "But really, the kitchen counters?" He winked. He gave me a gentle nudge on my shoulder and with a smirk he headed into Michael's room. With a sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair, dragging them through the mess Niall had created. I padded into my room to find Melanie running a brush through her hair.
"What was that all about?" She asked, reaching for the elastic around my wrist. I gave it to her and shrugged, picking up the brush.
"Just Louis being silly," I replied.
"But he was saying something about catching you being naughty?" She said, wrinkling her nose.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said slowly, nodding towards the lump of blankets on the couch. Her face fell into an 'Oh' and she nodded.
"After," I mouthed silently. She nodded again.
I ran the brush through my hair a couple times and pulled it back into a ponytail, holding it in place while I scanned the room for a stray elastic.
"Is that a hickey on your neck?" Melanie gasped loudly.
"Melanie!" I hissed, smacking her arm when Harry poked his head out from beneath the covers.
"Let me see," He said, his voice low and scratchy yet full of amusement. He tumbled off the couch and picked himself off the ground.
"Have you and Niall been going at it again?" He smirked when I dropped my hair. "No, come on, let me see,"
I backed away and tugged my hood around my neck.
"Harry, stop," I said weakly.
He paused and his grin slowly slid off his face.
"What's wrong?" He asked, taking a step forward.
Suddenly, I felt angry. Why was everyone so intent on shoving their noses in my business? Why should everyone know every little detail of every little moment Niall and I spend together? I gritted my teeth and brushed past him, ignoring Melanie who had called out my name.
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I left the room and paused in the hallway, unsure of where to flee. I was angry. I needed to be on my own, but with everyone downstairs and Harry and Melanie in my room made it difficult. I took a few steps towards my parent's room, considering the thought of curling up on their bed. A pang of sadness suddenly washed over me. I missed my mom. It was at times like this when I really needed to talk to her. With her having been on vacation for over a week, I decided to not bother them and wait for them to come home to talk to them. With a strained sigh, I turned the other way and made my way quietly down the stairs. Instead of turning towards the kitchen, I took another turn and headed towards my father's office. I closed the door behind me and padded over to his desk. I lowered myself onto the cold leather chair and brought my bare legs up to my chest, hugging them tightly.
I reached forward for the phone and began dialing my mother's cellphone number, but pressed 'end' before I finished. I could wait until tonight, when they were coming home. With a sigh, I placed the phone back and sank further into the chair.
I've known Niall for a total of 5 days now, 5 days of joking around, playing silly games, talking, getting to know each other. I always assumed that famous people let the fame get to their head. I always expected a group of 5 teen boys to be stuck up, cocky, rude, full of themselves, but the boys were anything but that. Sure, everyone has their moments, their days, but these boys have amazing, warm personalities. I also had to count in the fact that they were still immature, silly, and loud but I knew that Harry, Louis or any of them had no intention of upsetting me.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed silly to be angry at them. My anger slowly subsided into sadness. I didn't know what to do. I was horribly confused. I still didn't even fully understand what was going on. Am I here simply for his entertainment? If so, then we were on completely different pages, different books even. I didn't want to admit it, but I was beginning to feel different feelings towards Niall. They were hard to explain, and I didn't have the right words for it. If I had to throw one out, I'd said I was getting attached, and that was the last thing I needed. This made everything worse. With a frustrated sigh, I ran my fingers through my tamed hair and dug into my pocked for my phone. I dialed up someone I should have called days ago.
"Hello?"
"Laura? Do you have a few minutes? I need your advice on something…"
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Melanie's POV
Melissa left the room with a frown on her face.
"Melissa!" I called out. She ignored me.
There was definitely something on her mind. I can't remember the last time she walked away from me. I decided not to follow her. Perhaps a few minutes with her thoughts could help her solve whatever has been bothering her.
Harry's eyebrows pinched together and he turned to me slowly.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked. I sighed heavily.
"I don't think it's you, or me. I mean, I could be wrong, but I think she just has a lot on her mind at the moment. I've known her for years and I know for a fact that she's been coping with a lot for a while. Just give her some slack; she just needs some time to think some things over. So until then, try not to take anything personally- unless she socks you in the face, then I would assume it's pretty personal," I offered. Harry nodded slowly, taking in what I just told him.
"Do you know what's upsetting her?"
"I have a vague idea," I said, pursing my lips.
"What is it?"
"I don't think I can tell you. You'd have to ask her yourself. Whether she wants you to know or not is up to her," After a pause, I looked away from Harry, "A few things have happened in the past and I guess it just really messed her up. It would mess anyone up. She's doing loads better, but the usual stressful things add onto it. Plus, I actually think that all the teasing towards her and Niall is really bugging her. She's just too nice to say anything,"
I had chosen my words carefully to not reveal anything too personal.
"Was it a boyfriend?" Harry asked suddenly, plopping down in the fluffy carpet.
"What do you mean?" I asked, lowering myself next to his shirtless frame. I couldn't help but think that I'd much rather see Zayn shirtless…
"Well, I mean, did she have a boyfriend and did he… erm… break her heart?" Harry asked.
"Well, no! See, that's the thing. She doesn't want one. She's never had one in years,"
"What? Why not? What about Niall?" He frowned.
I paused, unsure if what to say. I was sure that she liked Niall. She wasn't the type to play games.
"If you go back and tell the boys anything I am about to tell you, I WILL castrate you, Harry Styles," I threatened.
"I promise," He rushed out.
"I shouldn't even be telling you anything," I murmured, checking the door for any signs of Melissa. I knew I shouldn't say anything, but maybe it would help Harry understand Melissa a little more.
"I won't say anything to anyone. I swear," He reassured me.
With one last glance at the door, I sighed heavily and leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear. He pulled back, his face in shock.
"No!" He whispered in horror.
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Melissa's POV
After I told Laura everything that had been bothering me, I waited patiently for her answer.
"Ok, so let me get this straight, you, Melissa Neil, like Niall Horan? Like, like like him?" She said in awe.
"I didn't say that! Were you listening to anything I said earlier?" I said in exasperation.
"Sure I did," She said.
"Then you'd realize how messed up this is, and I hate it!"
"Melissa," She deadpanned, "Go ahead and explain to me how this could possibly be complicated. Other than him living on a completely different continent and being famous and having about a million lady fans…" I frowned. This was not helpful. "The point I'm trying to make is that you like a boy and he likes you! Don't let this slip away!"
"No! You see, it's not that easy! I don't know if he likes me like that. Plus," I took a deep breath, "I don't know I'd be able to deal with it if something went wrong."
"I know you, Melissa, you're very determined when you want something. You guys could make something work," She said.
"Just tell me what to do, Laura. I don't know what to do." I sniffed.
"Ok, well, tell me, why do you like him?"
I pulled at my hair frustrated. "I don't know, I just do! He's nice, funny, charming, and he thinks of others. He makes me smile a lot. And it scares the crap out of me. I feel like my heart is going to pound out of my chest whenever he's near me."
"Alright, not think of what you just said. Does that sound familiar?"
I pinched my eyebrows together. Laura had said similar words to me ages ago about Samuel. She had been in a somewhat similar situation as me but I told her quite clearly that he liked her and she was head over heels in love with him and that there was nothing but themselves holding each other back.
"Yeah," I mumbled.
"Now what did you tell me?" I could practically hear her smile through the phone.
"I told you not to be scared," I said with a sigh.
"That's right, and you also told me to stop worrying about what could go wrong and instead focus on what could go right," She said wisely. "It's about time you started taking your own advice, Melissa."
"Fine," I said eventually.
"Promise you'll get around to talking to him?" She pressed.
"I promise,"
"Alright, now is there anything else you need?"
I shook my head, and then remembered she couldn't see me and answered 'no'.
"Ok, because Samuel has been waiting for me for a while now. We're supposed to be going somewhere,"
"Alright, have a good time, and thanks loads for the advice,"
We said goodbye and hung up.
I don't know exactly how long I sat there for while everything mulled over in my head. First I thought of how big the possibility was that Niall was actually interested in me, then I managed to brush that thought away with the fact that he was famous and most likely got the attention of loads of girls prettier than me. By the time Michael found me moping, I was worse than I had been when I started. At least the anger was gone. The guilt of having been rude to Harry finally sunk in, but I had felt even worse for ignoring Melanie.
I guess it was no news that I had gotten mad at Harry and Melanie because Michael entered the office with a look of concern on his face.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked, leaning against the side of the desk.
"Thinking," I shrugged.
"About Niall," He said knowingly. I didn't reply.
"Well go on then, rant about your boy problems to me,"
I scoffed. "I'm not telling you anything,"
"And why not? I might be able to give you some brotherly advice," He said, his mouth quirked in a grin.
"No thanks, I think I'll survive without them," I said with a small smile.
"I'm hurt," He gasped, clutching his heart with both hands.
"Oh, poor you," I chuckled.
We sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or so before Michael spoke again.
"What happened this morning? With Louis, I mean. And Niall for that matter. He seems bothered by the fact that you were angry,"
My cheeks turned pink. "Erm… well… Niall and I sorta… kissed a bit… and Louis might have seen,"
Awkward.
I half expected Michael to be angry or something but he only nodded thoughtfully. No brotherly protection from boys? This was unlike Michael.
"Ok, so why are you angry?"
I made a face. "Louis got some pictures or a video or something and he was going to show the other boys. I mean, I guess they're all used to it- having people prod into their personal lives, but I'm not. It's embarrassing," I admitted.
"But that's not everything. I know you better than that. There's definitely more to it," He said, eyeing me.
I shifted uncomfortably in the oversized chair.
"I sent an application to the Royal Academy of Music," I said slowly.
"Really? That's great!" He exclaimed. He obviously hadn't expected it.
Ever since I was young, I've always wanted to move far and study music, and one day when we were 11, Melanie had brought up a school in London while my parents were around. Ever since then, everyone had been encouraging me to apply, even though I had to wait years. But as the time came closer, something happened and I had cut off music entirely. My reason to make music was no longer there. I felt lost, and I decided that the RAM was not where I wanted to go. I know that I had disappointed my parents who fully expected me to apply there and get in, but I couldn't do it. For a few years, I steered clear of any musical instruments, even those in my own house. Then, after nearly 2 and a half years, I sat down at the piano at the back of my house and played and while I played, I cried the hardest I've cried in years. But I knew that I could do this, and so when the time came, it was harder than I expected, but I sent in an application to the school. I figured that even if I didn't get in, I could say that I had tried.
"How's that going to work then? Michael asked, breaking my train of thought.
"Well, they're going to look at my marks first, then they'll send a letter back for an audition if they think I'm good enough."
Michael ran a hand through his hair, still looking at me amazed.
"Have you told mum and dad yet?"
"No," I said guiltily, "Only you."
"So what bothers you? Getting in? The audition? Moving from home?"
"All of it," I answered, looking up at him. "It's just really hard. I really want to make it. It would mean so much to…" My voice threatened to crack.
"I know," He sighed, leaning forward to ruffle my hair.
"She would be proud of you, you know?" He said, offering a small smile.
"I don't want to disappoint anyone," I told him.
"That would never happen. You have an amazing talent. It would only be a waste to hide it,"
"Do you mean it?" I asked.
"Every word of it. You'll do great. They'd be insane not to accept you," He smiled.
I felt a rush of emotion towards my brother. Sure, we got into arguments, disagreed on loads of things, treated each other awfully at times, but it was nice to know that I could count on him to cheer me up.
"Give me a hug," He said, tugging my arm. He pulled me from the chair and wrapped his arms around me.
"Thanks," I said.
"Anytime. Now go talk to your pop star boy toy, or I will. And believe me, I've got loads to say,"
Ahh, there's the protective older brother.
Michael instructed me to go eat after my stomach grumbled loudly and he steered me out of the office. Mike told me that everyone had already eaten the meal I had begun to prepare after much complaining from Nicolas. As I neared the kitchen with Michael, I took a deep breath and planted a smile on my face. Just because I was having a crappy morning, it didn't mean that everyone else should be affected. I didn't want anyone to worry about me at the moment.
"Melissa! Where have you been?" Liam hollered, catching site of me first.
"I was on the phone with Laura. I guess I lost track of time," I smiled.
I glanced at Melanie with worry in my eyes and she smiled. I sighed in relief. It was her form of accepting my unspoken apology. She was after all my best friend for a reason. I smiled back and looked around the kitchen. Louis, Liam, Melanie and Nicolas were seated around the table and Michael joined them. Niall and Harry were currently placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Niall looked up at me with concern clouding his eyes.
"Everything all right?" He asked. I shivered. God, I'd never get used to his strong accent.
"Yeah, of course!" I said quickly. He frowned but seemed to decide against questioning my lie.
"Alright, well there are some fruits left in the fridge, but there aren't any more waffles left," He said.
I thanked him and went to dig through the fridge for a bowl of mixed fruits. Strawberries and bananas. I felt my neck get hot as I remembered our last kiss and I walked over to the counter for a fork. Niall glanced down at the bowl in my hands and then up at me. His face cracked into a grin revealing his braces. I let out an embarrassed laugh and turned away from him.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked. Thankfully he didn't seem fazed by my rudeness earlier and I assumed Melanie most likely told him not to take it personally. I made a mental note to thank her later and another to tell her about my university application.
"Nothing," I replied.
I shared one more shy grin with Niall and sat at the table.
"So what have I missed?" I said, bringing up a fork full of fruit up to my mouth.
"Well," Louis pouted, "Zayn and Lukas won't be home until 5 and Melanie owes me a head massage,"
"Lies!" Melanie said, plucking a strawberry from the tip of my fork and popping it at Louis. Louis glared playfully at Melanie and reached for another fruit to throw back.
"Let me eat in peace!" I cried, swatting Louis' hand away from my bowl and pulling it up to my chest. Everyone laughed.
I could tell that this day had not been ruined by my moping and when Niall sat down next to me and took my hand in his beneath the table cloth, my stomach burst into butterflies. Then it really hit me. I like Niall Horan.
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A/N; Hey! Sorry for the uber long wait on this chapter. A family emergency came up and I had to leave home for a few days. I'm working on the next chapter now so it should be up soon! I'd love to see a review! I want to know how I'm doing! So leave a review!
~GiveMeLovee