courage {Niall Horan}

XXIX

I was sitting backstage and looking at Niall on the tv screen. Talking about his music and how he found his inspiration. But most of all, the question of who the girl was. I knew but neither of us was supposed to say that. Being away from eachother, didn't give us the effect we were hoping for. Atleast it didn't for me.

I looked at them talk about the album that was getting released two weeks after the release of seeing blind. This was just daily life for him, the interviews and talk shows, it was all pretty new and weird for me. I've done a few interviews now but they were almost always about the foundation, not the music. It was also top secret that we were releasing a song together untill a few weeks ago.

It was time for the break which just meant everyone had a few minutes to go to the toilet. I saw everyone get up and Niall walked straight over to me.

"Are you ready?" He asked me with a smile as he leaned against the table I was sitting at.

"I strangely don't feel nervous so I'm not sure what's happening but I'm ready I guess." I said with a smile as I looked at him.

"So we got 5 more minutes, so how was your flight?"

"Actually terrible. I was sitting next to some bussines guy and he was explaining so many things about the market these days. So I sat there, the whole flight, listening to him and barely slept." I explained and he laughed a little. "This was also my very first long flight and that was pretty cool. So when he fell asleep, I was more fascinated with the sky and looking outside."

"I'm not even slightly surprised by that, I did however expect you to be annoying the other person about the sky and universe instead of the other way around."

"Are you both ready?" Ellen asked us with a small grin on her face as she watched us. I took a last sip of my bottle of water before getting up and walking to the stage behind him. I looked at him with a smile and he squeezed my hand softly to reassure me it would be fine before the countdown ended and we started filming again. I talked about the project that turned into a foundation with Ellen while Niall added some comments now and then. Just like we were supposed to.

"So you still live in Mullingar, right?" She asked me and I nodded with a smile, "but Niall you live here in LA. That's a long distance. You wrote the new single, Seeing Blind, together while you live across the world. How?"

"When Niall was in Mullingar for christmas there was already a small beginning to the song and he told me he wanted to make that song a duet so the last weekend before he left we worked on the song. And then we finished it over skype calls but most of the song was already written that weekend." I explained.

"I was supposed to record the song with someone else in the end, she was going to help me with writing it but didn't want to record it. It took me a few months to convince her to record it with me. So I ended up flying to England and met her there as she was working in the facility there that week and we spend every free hour that she had to record it, which weren't a lot."

"As it's a romantic song, is there any romance going on between the both of you?" She asked and I shook my head, knowing Niall was the better one to answer this.

"We both had this idea for the song to be romantic but nothing is or has happened between us." He said with a smile.

"Then why not? I mean you're both young, gorgeous and available. I think any girl and boy watching this would love to date you."

"We're great friends, and we didn't want to put our friendship at risk. Besides, I'm in Mullingar about two-three weeks a year and it's hard for Charlotte to come over here due to a busy shedule too. A relationship like that would never work."

"So there are also no plans for you to move to the USA if a facility would open here?" Ellen asked directly to me.

"Even with it's bad weather and everything, I love Ireland. Ireland is also much closer to the other facilities. It would be too much traveling if I would move here." I explained. It was true, but I wish it was a lie.

"So nothing has ever happened between you both? Not even a kiss? Because I see sparks flying all around when you look at eachother."

"Nothing has happened" I replied with a smile.

"Alright, then I think it's time to let you both do your thing on the stage." She said with a happy smile. I saw Niall nod before getting up and sitting down on the stage. They had decided to put me into a simple dress so I had to be carefull on how I would sit down on the chair. I put my guitar strap around my neck and sat down infront of Niall. He looked at me with a smile and I felt all the nerves I had for this fade away.

Just imagine we are just in my kitchen, writing and laughing and having the time of our lifes. It was going to be a guitar only cover because I am not good in playing with a band yet.

So it's just us and my guitar. My hands started playing the song as it has been the only thing I've done over the past days, the lyrics came out without a problem and it was like we were the only ones here again. But this time I couldn't help but smile as we sang. And neither could he. We just sat there singing with stupid smiles on our faces. Electricity going through my body as I realised what we were doing.

My heart was always on the run, but you make loving fun.

When we were done the crowd gave us a loud applause and so did Ellen. We both got off the chairs and he hugged me softly before we went to Ellen. I left my guitar against the chair. And we sat down again on our earlier places. Ellen was telling us how amazing the song was while I was still high on adrenaline.

"We, and by we I mean everyone here that is responsible for making this show, still have a present for you." Ellen said to me before getting up. I looked a little confused at Niall and he just looked back at me with a smile. "We would like to make a big donation to the foundation so we can help with the education and care taking of every kid you have in all the facilities." She said before taking one of those huge checks and I was about to cry when I saw the number on it. I got up and went over to her to hug her thightly.

"Thank you so much" I said to her as I held onto her. When I let go I looked at the number again, still not believing my eyes. Since the TED talk, I have been getting a lot of donations, but this donation is enough for running all the facilities for 6 months. So that means the foundation is currently safe for 2 years and that every donation we get from now is, is for the future.

My one month project that suddenly lasted three months, is almost having it's first birthday, owns 6 facilities now and a full working team that include management, lawyers, therapists and everything you need and is expanding to a 7th facility in the USA in the next six months.

My one month project, has gotten independent of the money I put aside for it.

My one month project is slowly turning into a life long project.