Inked Armor (Punk Niall)

Chapter 8

Days and weeks passed without fuss, Zayn and Liam got to know each other better and occasionally did things together like watching football games and other manly lad activities, sometimes I chose to come along and other times I didn’t. Nothing drastic changed except for a new friend for Liam. He even took Zayn up on his opportunity on the art lessons at his flat about once or twice a week, even though he didn’t even take art at his school.

I would have gone with Liam as well but I knew that Niall would most likely be there, and I would probably forget how to speak and the ability to use my fingers much less use my creativity knowing he was in the other room or watching over my work. I wouldn’t be able to take the thought of it, so I said I didn’t need much help in the art department and was more of a photography kind of girl anyway.

There were small art shows here and there that Liam and I would show up to for Zayn, looking at the artwork and mingling about (Liam was the one who did all the talking actually, I usually went solo and walked around or stayed quiet by his side). It was funny; Niall was never present at the shows even though he and Zayn seemed incredibly close. They got on like brothers and Zayn would always mention something funny or amusing Niall did, causing tingles to run up and down my spine thinking about the possibility of having joyful memories with him myself.

Zayn would usually brush off Niall’s absence, having explanations like “Niall was never one to enjoy these kinds of things.” or “He had to stay back at the flat and work on stuff.” Stupid things that got me thinking. And even though I never doubted Zayn’s honesty with his excuses , it just seemed odd that he didn’t even care if Niall was there to support him after all he’s done for him. Taking him in like his own family after who knows what happened to Niall and helping him finish school and what-not. It was always an inevitable thought that kept showing up and formed unanswered questions that I was itching to ask, but I knew that I was overanalyzing the situation like I consistently tend to do and pushed it to the back of my mind with a shake of my head.

It was his life, not mine, and I knew that the least I could do was respect that.

Things at school were normal; I was getting good grades and stayed on the honor roll as usual, pointless rumors about Niall continuing to circle about like a fish in a pond while I stayed quiet and submissive as usual- never causing a stir in the robotic routine of school and life drama.

Track started in the spring but winter was just beginning, only a week before Thanksgiving and I was already freezing my toes off every time I set foot outside. I could no longer study outside in the courtyard so I chose the school library instead, going every day after school when I didn’t have work or had large projects that would take extensive amounts of research. I always liked it when I was in there, quietly doing homework and the soft hum of my music coming from my earphones giving me a relaxed environment. Sometimes I wouldn’t even think about Niall or his Irish charm at all.

Sometimes.

I always felt very odd when I would watch Niall in the hallways and during classes because I wasn’t one to obsess over boys or anything of the sort, yeah I had crushes growing up but I can’t remember the last time I would think of a boy for long periods of time, especially someone like Niall. He was just so intriguing to watch, the way he carried himself and the witty things he would say that would get him in trouble during class, it always made me smile when I thought about it.