'Till The Stars Stop Shining (Niall Horan)

Chapter 1: The Note

Bella's POV 

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June 8th, 2013

Today is moving day. The day I move back to Mullingar. I get to see Niall again, for the first time in six years. We haven't talked to each other since the kiss, maybe he has forgotten about me.

"'Till the stars stop shining.... I'll always be your best friend."

 Or at least we were supposed to. What if he's changed? What if he hates me? We were so young. Maybe he's moved on. The lady calls for us to board the plane over the intercom, and I get on the plane. Once I get to my seat, I put in my earphones and listen to Ed Sheeran as I slowly drift off into sleep.

********* 

Mullingar is just the way it was when I left, with beautiful scenery. When we drive past Niall's flat, I get butterflies in my stomach. The tree fort is still there, and I remember the kiss. I'm scared things won't be the same as they were before. Maybe he has a girlfriend. But it's not like I want to be his girlfriend anyway. My aunt and uncles flat is huge! They're already waiting out front to help us unpack. They've already put the boxes in our room, and There's a blonde boy standing out front. Niall. I just want to run and hug him! I open the door and Niall's eyes go wide. He runs to me and picks me up In a big embrace.

"Bella!" He says. Niall's taller and his hair is up in a quiff. He's also a lot stronger, I used to beat him in arm wrestles all the time, now he can pick me up. He notices the ring on my finger, and looks at me with his bright blue eyes.

"You still have the ring?" He speaks quietly as if he wants no one to hear him. "We were 13..." He trails off.

"'Till the stars stop shining.... Remember?" I ask. Of coarse he remembers. His eyes sparkle when I say that. I am forced into conversation with my aunt, and after I play with my cousins. They're so cute. I cant find Niall. I didn't see him leave, maybe he went inside. That's where all the food is, anyway. I go inside to find Niall sitting at the table eating alone. I decide to make myself a plate and take a seat next to him.

"Hey princess!" He says with a smile. He takes another bite of his chicken. "So, how've ya been?"

"Pretty good. You?" Niall has barbecue sauce all over his face.

"Good. C'mon, I have to show you something." Niall leads me out back by the tree fort, where most of my childhood has taken place. It's still the same, everything in its normal place. The two bean bags Greg lugged up there for us, and the pictures we drew. There's the one I drew of me and Niall, jumping on the trampoline at my house. There were also several pictures of Greg and my siblings, and also pictures of me with Niall. I miss those days. I find a little note in the corner and I reach for it.

"What's this?" I take the note and am about to open it when he snatches it out of my hand and stuffs it in his back pocket.

"It's.. It's nothing.." Niall walks over and sits In a chair, pulling out a giant book. Oh god...

"Please don't tell me that's the book!" Niall laughs, I love his laugh. It's deeper than it was before, but it still makes me smile. Whenever I was sad, his laugh would instantly make my day. It still does.

"Oh it is!" He opens it up to the first page. It's the scrapbook I made for him when we were eleven. I got him it for his birthday. It was full of pictures, and my descriptions of what was going on. It was full of memories, like when we would stay in a cabin for two weeks by a lake. Birthday parties, Christmas's, holidays, everything. I loved spending time with him, and we never got sick of each other, I can't even remember the last time we fought.

"Ha, this is from when we went to that water park, and you didn't want to go down that slide, so I went down with you.. And we held hands. When it was over, I had scrapes all over my arm from your nails." I loved how I wasn't afraid of embarrassing myself in front of him. He's seen me in so many situations, I don't think he cares, honestly. He'd tell me everyday that I was beautiful, and I would say that he was too. But he never believed me. He'd blush and then change the subject. We look through the book , laughing at ourselves. It almost feels like the old days. After, we talked about what's been going on lately. It gets dark out and we go to lay on the grass.

"It's beautiful outside." I say. Niall smiles to himself, looking up at the sky.

"Not as beautiful as you." He whispers to himself.

"Niall... Can I ask you something?" He sits up, taking a seat next to me.  

"Anything."

"Why do you always tell me that I'm beautiful, and when I tell you, you don't believe it?" He scratches his forehead, and then blushes.

"I don't know...." He walks over to a bench, picking up his guitar. I remember him saying he wanted to be a famous singer when he grew up, he's always had the most beautiful voice. We used to sit at campfires and his voice would put he to sleep. It made me feel safe and sound.

"I thought I saw a girl brought to life, 

She was warm, she came around, she was dignified 

She showed me what it was to cry  

You couldn't be that girl I adored, 

You don't seem to know, or seem to care

What your heart is for,

But I don't know her anymore, 

There's nothing left, I used to cry,

My conversation has run dry

That's what's going on, nothing's fine in torn,

I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel 

I'm cold and I am Shamed, lying naked on the floor

Illusion never changed into something real

I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn

You're a little late, I'm already torn.."

The song continued on, Niall's perfect voice echoing through the night. I stare into his eyes as he plays. He catches me staring at him, and I look down at the ground. The song ends, and Niall puts the guitar down and walks over to kiss me on the cheek.

"It's getting late, you should go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, bye princess." Niall walks to his house, the piece of paper falling out of his pocket. I wait until Niall is gone until I walk over to pick it up. It's a fairly old note, and I start to read it,

"Bella, I don't know how to say this to you, but I love you. I have since day one. You are the most beautiful girl in the universe. You're funny, witty, cute, and perfect in every possible way. I want you to know. I don't care if you believe it for just one second. When you'd talk about the boy in your class that you liked, I didn't know what to say. That's why I never told you who I liked. I like you, Bella. I don't need anyone else. I can't hold it in any longer. Your laugh instantly makes my day a little brighter. Whenever I asked you to sing, you'd always say you couldn't. But I've heard you. You have an amazing voice, don't hide it. I love you Bella, and I don't know if you feel the same way, but I just couldn't hold it in any longer,

-Niall, July 6th, 2007"

Niall likes me.