The Guitar Girl

Written by:

13ISMYNUMBER

Chapter 11

The Worst Day Ev—Maybe Not

"We believe so little that we like to take things in our own hands instead of leaving it to fate to do its job."

Tuesday morning and Riley stayed for a couple of minutes on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. The conversation that has happened between her and Niall kept making her feel stupid. It wasn't because she thought what she said was stupid but because somehow, she knew that just by speaking like a complete love guru when she just said she wasn't, could've given away her secret completely.

Or just made Niall think of her as a closet gay.

She groaned as she placed a pillow on her face, muffling her scream.

"Woke up at the wrong side of the bed?" Ryan says, knocking on her door as he opened it.

Riley removes the pillow from her face to look at Ryan and answer, "More like made myself look like a girl again yesterday."

Ryan scowls as he sits down on the edge of the bed. "Why, what did you do?"

Riley pushes herself up from the bed to be in a sitting position. "I just practically made myself sound like a girl talking about love and all to Niall Horan." She says tiredly as she looks at Ryan.

"Why were you talking about love?" Ryan says, suddenly angry at Riley.

Riley was taken aback by Ryan's reaction. "It's a long story." She says, trying to get out of the current situation.

Ryan was sadly not letting it go that easily. "Have you forgotten the rules?" Ryan says to her, his tone angry. "Have you forgotten rule number two? No attachments? Rule number five? No falling in love?"

Riley glares at Ryan. "Okay, I get it that I may have bended rule number two but what does rule number five have to do with all this?" Riley says, her tone meeting Ryan's.

Ryan stands up from Riley's bed a looks down at her. "I don't know, you tell me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley says as she tries to stand up from her bed.

"I think you're being too close to a specific member!" Ryan shouts at her.

"Who? Niall?" Riley says, shouting as well. She just couldn't help it. Ryan wasn't making any sense to her.

"Well, yes! Seeing that he's the one who came here when you got sick and then now, he's the one who got your mind all preoccupied!" Ryan says, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I am not in love with him." Riley says, her tone lowering a little but she said it firmly.

"I didn't say you were." Ryan counters, his seething with anger eyes meet Riley's. He turns and opens the door of Riley's bedroom. He doesn't turn but he says, "Get your priorities straight, Riley. Remember why you're doing this in the first place."

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

Riley yanked the beanie on her hair as she walked through the hallways leading to the music studio. Aside from having a big fight with Ryan, she also ended up not having breakfast because Ryan was eating just when she was about to. And since she was very much angry, she went with her pride and just swallowed her hunger and walked out of the house without even a bite of breakfast.

So to assume that her day was starting out as worst as possible would be a very good and exact one.

Before she could get lost and curse mentally her brother yet again, loud footsteps from behind her caught her ears but before she could turn, she was shoved to the wall on her right, making her leg slight slant on the way and the one who was after the person who pushed her ended up tripping and on the floor.

Riley's eyes looked at the victim of her leg to see Harry Styles ruffling his hair on the floor. He groaned. Louis Tomlinson came behind Harry helping him up.

"Watch it next time, Tomlinson." Riley says, knowing full well that it was him who pushed her on the wall.

Harry was now on his feet. He glared at Riley, "Psh," He mocks, "What are you on your period or something?"

At first Riley thought it was a mocking way that boys usually say to make another boy pissed off but when Liam and Zayn who were both a few feet behind Riley made themselves known with Liam saying, "Harry!" Riley knew that Harry didn't mean it to piss her off as a boy…but as a girl.

Her head snapped towards the two boys who were glaring down at Harry. Her eyes widened at her realization as Zayn slowly met her gaze…

And that's when Zayn knew that prolonging the inevitable was never a good idea.

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

In the studio, Zayn and Liam, hand and hand, explained to Riley what happened last Saturday that made Harry find out and made Louis' suspicions be brought true. The whole time Riley kept silent, head in her hands.

Riley looked up at them when they finished explaining. "Before I go asking you anything else, where's Niall?"

"Niall's brother came this morning and wanted to have breakfast with him so he's running a little late." Liam explains. "And before you ask, no, Niall has still no idea."

Riley sighs loudly. She didn't know what to say.

What was she really supposed to say?

That she was mad when she was not really?

She was more disappointed really, disappointed at herself for trusting Zayn's words that he and Liam would help her keep her secret, and disappointed at Zayn and Liam for breaking her hopes.

"Say something." Zayn whispers beside her, noticing her silence for a few minutes now.

She looked at Louis and Harry. As much as she hates to talk to them right now, she still had to know. "Would you be keeping it?"

Louis and Harry looked at each other, both knowing that she was referring to keeping her secret. They looked at her and then Louis spoke up for both of them, "Of course."

Riley stands up, grabbing her back pack that was lying next to her on the couch. "Then there's nothing left I can do or say." She says under her breath but the boys still heard her.

She started heading for the door when Zayn stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Aren't you mad?" He asks.

Riley closes her eyes as she turns to Zayn and Liam who were sitting beside each other. "I'm not."

"Really?" Liam asks, confirming, and looking straight to her eyes to see if she was lying in any way.

"I'm not." Riley says, "I'm disappointed."

The look on Riley's eyes pierced Liam instead. The way she said those words reflected through her eyes and Liam felt guilty. Zayn looked at Riley's eyes as well, and he felt very much embarrassed.

"I'm disappointed at you because you broke your promise of helping me keep it but instead you ended up," Riley gestured to the Louis and Harry sharing a single couch, "technically, telling two morons. One who acts like a child," Louis smiles thinking he was the one Riley was referring to, "And one who's not supposed to act like a child but does so despite being 20 years old." Riley gestures towards Louis, making Louis' smile disappear.

Riley turns back at Zayn and Liam, her gaze filled more with the piercing emotion. "But I'm more disappointed in myself for trusting your words."

Riley yanks her wrist from Zayn's hold and started heading for the door. Everybody's eyes lingered on her back and they knew that Riley wasn't really mad and she was honest when she said that…but she was also very much honest when she said she was disappointed. Liam and Zayn don't know if they would rather her have her angry at them more than anything right now.

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

Riley pulled the door open and turned on her heel.

"Oof!" Riley says under her breath. Someone bumped into her and when she looked up glaring she said, "What is it piss Riley off day?"

Niall's head snapped up at Riley's tone and he smiled apologetically at her, "Sorry, Riles."

Riley sighed, knowing she shouldn't have snapped like that. "Sorry for snapping at you like that."

Niall grins at her. "You seem to be having a bad day today."

Riley rolls her eyes, she was about to retort when her eyes ended up trailing down on the first floor, beyond the glass railings. Men in black surrounding a girl, who walked like she owned the place, and despite not really being up to date when it comes to celebrity life, she does know Bree Sommers.

"Looks like yours is just about to start." Riley says, still having her eyes glued below.

Niall follows her gaze and realizes that Bree has just literally arrived in the building. He groaned. Riley chuckles and removes her gaze from below. She placed her back pack that was being held by her hand behind and her and started to pass Niall by.

"Where are you going?" Niall says, stopping her from her tracks. Riley turns slowly to him. "Anywhere, maybe go catch some breakfast. Won't be back till I actually got my head cleared up."

Niall pushed his hands inside his pockets. "Can I come?"

Riley's eyes trailed from his face to the person entering the lift below. She smiled. She grabbed her beanie from inside her bag and her non-graded glasses that she just randomly brings. She hands them to Niall with a grin. He looks down at them but slowly takes them from her. "Well, you better put a disguise on, I don't want to have my morning filled with screaming girls."

Niall grins, putting the beanie on his head, hiding his golden locks and placing the glasses on as well. Riley gives him two thumbs up with a grin, before heading for the stairs, fully avoiding crossing paths with a bratty a-lister in the building.

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

The waitress left with their orders, living Niall and Riley to themselves. Riley rummaged through her backpack bringing out a pouch and a fineliner tip black sharpie.

Niall raised a brow at her. "What are those?"

Riley grinned at him as she untied the rope around the opening of the pouch, taking out a white guitar pick. "I have a friend in a guitar store and he provides me with plain white guitar picks all the time." Riley explains, removing the cap of the sharpie.

"What are you going to do with it?" Niall asks, looking over as she wrote on one side of the guitar pick. "Secrets." He read.

"When my mom died, I went under depression and somehow, I ensued a habit of reminding myself that music could somehow get me out of it by writing of guitar picks and collecting them on a jar. The jar with the guitar picks became a constant reminder to me of the survival I have gotten because of music." Riley explains, lifting the guitar pick and showing it fully to Niall.

She doesn't really know why but somehow, with Niall everything seems easier, everything is a lot better. And despite not really knowing so much about him, she somehow felt that telling him things was somewhat comforting and right.

Riley places the guitar pick back on the table, before getting out another pouch from her back pack. This one seeming like there was nothing inside. Riley placed the guitar pick she wrote on inside. She closed the cap of the sharpie before turning her gaze back to Niall's.

She pushed the pouch of guitar pick and sharpie towards Niall. "You might be needing some sort of refuge for this coming month." She explained, a genuine smile forming on her lips.

Niall's grin came back to his face as he took the pouch and sharpie in his hands. "Although, I don't have a jar to put them in." Niall commented. Riley laughed. "We can fix that on our way back!" She said.

Niall placed it on the side of their table, trying to also gesture that he wants to put that topic aside. He looked at Riley, remembering how she comforted him yesterday. "Sorry. It looks like instead of me comforting you for having a bad day, you comforted me for the tragedy I'm about to face for the next month again."

Riley laughed. "Don't worry, I'll survive."

Riley, in Niall's eyes, was a very strong person. She was also amazing and filled with so much talent in music with her guitar skills and piercing lyric writing. Somehow, Niall can't help but admire and like the comfort Riley's presence brings him.

Their eyes met again.

Niall's thoughts became occupied by the thoughts he had been telling himself last night to let go of. Riley was…different. Not different like ordinary different but different as in there was something that Niall can't seem to put a name on that always made him feel like there's a bigger picture when it comes to Riley.

Like…somehow, Riley was just not what he always he made out to be.

Riley was different good…

And that somehow, scares him…because he has never felt this way before except a year ago when he met her, Guitar Girl…which brings him back to the nagging feeling that he would meet Guitar Girl soon, as some type of coincidence like the last time.

Another thing he noticed when he's around Riley is that his thoughts seem to go beyond the depth he thought he could. His thoughts start to have a mind of their own and it always starts with him thinking of how he acted or what he said…and always ends up with him thinking about Guitar Girl.

What are their similarities, anyway?

They both play guitar.

They both have the same color of hair.

And they both have the same grey eyes.

Sure, they are alike in many ways but the fact of the matter still stands and makes a world of difference and says that his thoughts are seriously not making any sense at all.

Riley is a boy.

Riley snaps her hand in front of him, bringing him back to reality. Riley chuckles. "What you thinking about, Irishman?"

Niall rolls his eyes and chuckles at the nickname. "Guitar Girl."

Riley leans back on her chair. "You really want to find her, don't you?" A nagging feeling suddenly starts inside her but she ignores them trying to focus on Niall instead.

"Of course!" Niall says, getting a customer beside their table to look at him. He smiles at the old lady and she looks at her with an angry look before looking away and ignoring him.

Riley watched what happened and laughed. "Look, if fate, destiny or whatever it is out there that you Irish people believe in, maybe luck, really wants you to meet then you will." Riley explains. "And besides, it's not like you're looking for her."

Niall leaned back on his chair as well with a sigh. He tiredly explained yet again what he had been explaining to his band mates of why he doesn't look for Guitar Girl, "I'm not looking for her because somehow, I don't want to force things that aren't meant to fall to its place yet. I don't want to make a mistake."

Riley shrugs. "Well, I think sometimes, you gotta give fate or destiny or whatever a hand." She says nonchalantly, trying her best to hide a sudden growing envy towards the guitar girl he always seems to think about.

She has never felt this way about this Guitar Girl but right now, with him talking about her and wanting everything to be perfect, she can't help but think if Niall would ever look at her that way…even a little.

Niall felt a smile tugging on the corner of his lips slowly. He looks at Riley in the eyes and somehow, he found himself thinking that it was Guitar Girl he was speaking to and not Riley. His words were soft and careful, "I guess that's one of the other many flaws of humans," Niall remembers what Riley had told him yesterday before they ended their conversation, "We believe so little that we like to take things in our own hands instead of leaving it to fate to do its job."

Disclaimer: I do not own ONE DIRECTION but I do own the idea and the plot of this story as well as the fictional characters that are used and will be used in this story. So please don't steal it. Thank you.

Yey for another chapter.:)

Anyway, I'm so sorry but I can't reply to any reviews right now, I'm kind of busy with preparation of moving to my dorm and what to bring over there and my sister is breathing down my neck!:))

So yeah, thanks to Saikono-san, its-steffy, ninastylee, Tok. TM, polkadotsandsmileyfaces, ToKToK, and Pat a.k.16 for reviewing last chapter. Sorry I can't reply, loves!

Thank you as well to everyone who reads, alerts and favorites this story and my other stories!:)

So yeah.:)

Stay Safe.

Xoxo,

13ismynumber