Look After You- Niam Horayne

Changes- Chapter 23

Niall's POV

It was a Monday morning, so every kid apart from me was getting ready for school. Obviously, my depression held me back from going, but ever since Liam and I had started officially dating, I felt so much better. It was so weird, kind of wanting to get up every morning instead of staying in bed all day staring at the ceiling and thinking about the wrong kind of stuff. It was like Liam had lifted me up, pulled me into some sort of labyrinth full of more positive attitude.

I was downstairs chewing on some cereal slowly, watching as Ed and Darcy argued about who would sit shotgun in the Home's minivan. It seems that Ed has been more on edge recently since Darcy had begun dating Alex, and I assumed it was because Darcy liked to tease him. He didn't like being reminded of their previous relationship, but she liked to bring it up to embarrass him. Of course, we all didn't take notice. Liam usually punished her, anyway. That didn't help with her liking him, at all. In fact, she loathed Liam. I didn't think that was possible, but she does.

Benjamin and Billy were getting their breakfast made by Liam who was rummaging around the kitchen for the bread to make toast. Much to everyone's disapproval, I had the last bowl of cornflakes, so all they had to eat was toast. But they couldn't moan too much, because Liam had in fact bought us all Chinese last night, even though I'd told him not to waste time.

Ella and Jace were talking amongst themselves, and I caught a glance at Jace blushing nervously when she brushed her hand across his arm. I hid my smirk, knowing that he clearly liked her. Now Liam and I were together, I saw life in a new perspective. I wasn't completely healed, but I was on my way to being fixed.

"No, I called shotgun first!" Ed yelled, his pale blue eyes wide and threatening as he glared at Darcy, running his hands through his light ginger curls, "Liam, tell her! For fu-"

"Hey, hey," Liam hurried towards them after he put the twins' breakfast in front of them, "Darcy, he did ask me first, and since I'm the one driving you all to school, I will be saying who sits where, okay?" He sighed. "Jace, Ella- eat your breakfast. Billy, stop playing with your toast! Ugh, can I even begin to tell you how hard it is looking after seven kids by yourself? Where's Johnny or Harvey?"

"Johnny's sick, Harvey's in a meeting I think..." Ella explained, pulling away from Jace and tearing apart her toast. "I don't know, it seems like you're only ever here recently, Liam. You should be the owner of this place, not Harvey!"

Everyone agreed, murmuring their views apart from Darcy. She huffed and sat next to me, glowering. I met her olive eyes, nervously. Honestly, she was a really hard person to read. She was very unpredictable, and since she knew about me and Liam, I was always terrified that she'd spill the beans about us. Even though she promised not to, her hatred to Liam was nerving. She'd do anything to get him sacked.

I tried to turn away, but she grabbed my shoulder and whispered, "You had better get Liam to be nicer to me, Niall, or you both will regret it. You hear?" I gritted my teeth, but she just continued, "I understand that you love him, but he's pissing me off. He's like Alex to you, but to me?"

"Liam is nothing like Alex!" I growled, shoving her hand off me. I was so sick of her remarks, that somehow I wasn't that much into helping her with Alex. Of course, I didn't think anyone deserved to be used by him, but she made it really difficult to want to help her.

Liam walked over towards us, bending down so he was between us. "What's going on? Is Darcy bothering you again, Ni?"

"Um..." I glanced at her, and she smirked. I groaned, knowing that I couldn't let her get into anymore trouble with Liam or the secrets out. "No, she's okay. Uh, you mind if I ride with you guys? Well, I guess I have to anyway, since I still need parental supervision, and it's just you here, huh?"