Second Star (Niall Horan)

Chapter One

When you wake from a dream that is so close you think you can touch it, you find yourself wondering whether or not it was real, or where it starts and where it ends. Reality can set in quickly, or a few deep breaths away. In any situation, the smallest question of whether something is imaginary or factual can lead you into places you never thought you would ever see.

There are places of history, and places formed through the mind of a creative, but what about the environments where the fantastic meet the pragmatic? When the places you stop believing in come back to haunt you, and the only way to protect yourself is by separation? What then?

You close your eyes, and hope that the dream you find yourself in is over before you open them again. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

The second star to the right. And straight on til morning.

We begin our story in London, which in the year 2019, has become a hub of artists, intellectuals, blue collar workers, and nobility. Not to say that for the two thousand years it has existed it has stopped being that, but now has entered an age of modern media and activities. The West End thrives, Queen Elizabeth continues to reign even though her powers are simply for show and Parliament instead builds the legislation, and hundreds of businesses thrive. Restaurants, shoppes, and the music business being a few of these.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, London has produced the largest boyband on the planet, with its members ranging from different corners of England, and one blond-blue eyed darling from Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland. Since 2016 however, these members have gone on their separate ways, each building their own personal careers after the success of One Direction, and continued to grow as individuals. The Irish darling grew out his bleach blond hair to expose his luscious brown locks, released his first solo album, went on a world tour, and began dating a brown eyed girl as far out of the public eye as they could manage. They met through a member of his backing band while he was in process of recording the album. For this band member's birthday, he invited a few friends to his flat, including Niall and Becca for drinks and dinner, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

His iPhone began vibrating on the white marbled bathroom counter mere moments after he got out of the shower, and wrapping a towel around his hips, reached over to answer it. His damp finger slid across the screen with an image of Becca and her name coming up, and tapping the "Speaker" icon before answering with a raspy,

"Goooood afternoon, sugar."

She giggled before responding, "Well hello to you, too. What are you up to right now?" her posh accent rang through the phone as he picked up a second towel, rubbing the droplets off his face before moving up to his hair as the excess shower water dripped down his muscular back.

"Just got out of the shower, just finished my workout. I'm not running late am I? What time is it?"

"It's only two-thirty, and no not at all! I just wanted to see if you could bring back my copy of As Good As It Gets when you come over later? I completely forgot I left it there last week and Gran has just asked me about it and she would like to watch it later tonight." Becca had lived with her grandmother, named Wendy, for as long as she could remember. Her mum and dad had tragically passed in a car accident one winter when she was three-years old, where during this night her parents had left her to the care of her grandmother as they went to a dinner party. Her Gran has raised her, put her through a proper education, and turned her into the kind-hearted, lovely twenty-four-year-old she is today. In return of Wendy raising her, Becca now continues to care for her in grandmother in her elderly state.

"Yeah, of course, love. Gran will get her movie as soon as I can get over there." Niall replied, picking up a brush and running it through his hair, watching how it fell after each pull through in the mirror. "Do you need me to pick up anything for dinner?"