Wanted | Niam AU

Prologue: Niall

Seven years old

I stood crying against the wall. Mommy was acting weird again and it was scaring me. This is how she acts when she drinks the bad stuff that Greg calls beer. I just want to run and get away before she sees me again and yells. She said she was going to make me cookies and that we would go to the park to swing on the swings. I was so happy thinking about how much fun we would have.

Mommy had been mad ever since her friend called. She told me we were not going to the park today because she was feeling sad and needed a drink.

"You would not have fun at the park, Niall, anyway." But I knew I would, especially because I loved the swings at school. I wish Greg was home; my tummy hurts so bad, and I'm so hungry.

Then she screamed out my name: "Niall!"
I jumped and quickly wiped the tears away. If she saw me crying she would just get mad at me again. I walked up to her very slowly.
She was sitting at the kitchen table with her face in her hands. "Y-yes Mommy?" She looked up at me and frowned. I know who she is thinking of when she looks at me that way. She tells me all the time I have his eyes. Greg says my eyes are blue like the sky.

Mommy has pretty blonde hair. My hair is much darker than mommy's. Greg likes to brush my hair and always tells me how handsome I am and that I am a princess. He said some day my prince will come and save me and take me away from this bad place. Mommy never tells me I am pretty, she just tells me I look like my daddy. She hates my daddy.

"Niall, Niall, Niall." She said her l's really funny, like she was having a hard time saying them.

"Do you know that you will never be wanted? No one will ever love you, just like I have never been loved. No man will ever really want you. You need to know that now. I wish someone would have told me that; fuck, it would have saved me a lot of pain."

Mommy was still talking funny. Did she not want me anymore?

"Mommy, I'm sorry for whatever I did. Please don't be mad at me. Please want me mommy!" I cried out. She just started to laugh and then she put her head back in her hands and told me to get out of her sight. I had a funny feeling in my chest and my tummy. Why was it so hard for me to breathe? I walked over to the corner in the kitchen and sat down.

When will Greg get home? I just want Greg...I need Greg.

"You will never be wanted by anyone...remember that Niall darlin', remember that."

Nine years later

Josh had brought me to my favorite pizza shop for my sixteenth birthday, and I was so excited. We'd been dating for four months now and he was just so sweet; he only ever kissed me and never tried to take it further, which was so nice. He said he loved how innocent I was.

While we waited for our pizza, I excused myself and went to the restroom. I was standing at the sink when a boy with brown hair walked in. I instantly recognized him from school. I was pretty sure he was in eleventh grade like Josh.

I smiled as he walked up to me. He returned my smile with a sad smile and seemed nervous.

"Niall Horan, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I recognize you but I can't place your name."

"That's okay; I wouldn't really expect you to know who I am, Niall. My name is Sandy."

Oh, I've heard of this guy. Louis said he was easy and that every guy with a working penis had fucked him.

"Niall, I really like you. I mean, I like how sweet and kind you are to everyone. I wish I could be more like you."

What? Where the hell did that come from?

"Um, thank you Sandy, that's very sweet of you to say that."

"Niall, I'm going to cut to the chase here. Do you know where Josh was last night? I only ask because I think you deserve the truth."

I shook my head yes. I had a very bad feeling about where this was going.

My mother's words popped into my head.

You will never be wanted by anyone...

"Yes, he was um, he was at a study group at Andy's house last night."

Sandy looked sad. His eyes filled with tears and he looked away from me.

"No, he wasn't, Niall."

"How do you know that?"

Sandy lowered his head, and I could see the tears falling from his eyes. Oh holy hell.

"I know because he was fucking me in the backseat of his car last night."

I just stood there...stunned. I couldn't believe it. This was not happening to me. I thought he was different!

Oh my God...I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I didn't want to tell you, but I really like you and you're so innocent, and that fucker does not deserve to have you on his arm like some trophy while he is going behind your back and fucking everything with an asshole. I'm sorry Niall. I didn't mean to hurt you. I hope that you can forgive me someday."

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I looked him right in the eyes and I could see how embarrassed and disgraced he was.

"Thank you Sandy for telling me, I really do appreciate you being honest with me."

I tried to get composed before I turned and walked out of the bathroom. As I walked back up the table where Josh was sitting, he had the nerve to smile and wink at me. He must have seen Sandy come out of the bathroom behind me because his face fell for a second.

I walked up to him and gave him my best smile.

"Hey Niall, is something, um, wrong?"

"Nope...I just realized something though, Josh."

He looked around as if he was looking for Sandy...or maybe he was looking for a way out.

"Ahhh, what's that Ni?"

I reached down and picked up a piece of pizza and took a bite of it and then looked at his nice white t-shirt and smiled.

"I realized that you're nothing but a cheating bastard!" I slammed the pizza right into his chest and then picked up his root beer and dumped it over his head.

As I walked away from Josh I made a mental note to have Greg kick his ass.

I was never going to date again!