Deepest Thoughts [Narry]

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Realization, again

Niall Horan

The day ended sooner than I expected. Usually it took the school day so long to reach its end but today just happened to be the one day where it sped by while I was trying to mentally prepare myself for what was coming next.

"You are so pale I almost mistook you for a piece of blank paper."

"Shut up Louis," I mumbled as my hand clenched the strap of my bag. Louis walked by my side. He stared at me for a moment.

"Listen, you'll be fine. What's the worse that can happen?"

"A lot, Louis. A. Lot."

"Well, yeah, I guess so. But who cares if something does go horribly wrong? There are plenty of guys out there. Trust me. Look, there comes one right now," Louis snickered as he pointed at the figure approaching us.

"Did I do something?" Harry asked when he reached Louis and I.

"No. Louis is just being stupid," I sighed. I ignored Louis' 'hey' as all three of us continued to walk through the emptying hallway. My eyes gazed intensely at the doors. Once I was out those doors, I would have to handle myself and it seemed like an impossible task at the moment.

I can't ditch again, I already did that last week.

Stupid project.

Harry sighed heavily at my side. A moment later he placed a hand on my tense shoulder which I hadn't noticed had been tense in the first place. I let my shoulders slump. I looked up at Harry and he gave me a small smile.

"You'll be fine," Harry repeated Louis' words but in a much more reassuring tone. Slightly nodding, I turned my sight back towards the doors which we were getting closer to. Louis was on his phone again and I wouldn't be surprised if he walked straight into the doors.

Surprisingly, he didn't. I, on the other hand, almost did if it weren't for Harry who opened the door in time before I walked into it. Louis said goodbye to Harry and I before he left to go find Liam in the school's parking lot. I looked around the front part of the school before I heard my name being called. Harry turned to the person calling my name the same time I did.

"Niall!" Elliot waved his hand. He was off to the side, leaning against the stair's railing.

"Okay, well," I said. Harry turned to look at me. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Harry cleared his throat, nodding. "Text me if you need anything."

"Will do," I painfully smiled. I walked past Harry and made my way to Elliot, avoiding any sort of eye contact longer than three seconds.

I'm already awkward and nothing has happened yet.

"Hey. Are you ready?" Elliot asked when I finally reached him.

"Yeah. Let's go," I said, flickering my eyes anywhere but his face. From the corner of my eye I saw Elliot nod and start walking down the stairs. I followed him with a safe distance between us. We walked through the parking lot until he reached his car. As I got in his car, I couldn't help but experience that foreign feeling people got when entering a whole different car they weren't used to.

I wonder how long I can make it before wanting to jump out of the car when it's moving.

"You can put your bag in the back if you want," Elliot offered. I quietly nodded again as I lifted up my bag from in between my feet. Elliot helped me by grabbing my bag and placing it in the back seat. He started his car and I buckled my seat belt.

"Do you want anything on the way? My parents won't be home for a while and I don't know if you'll get hungry," Elliot asked.

Did he say his parents won't be home?!