𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲: 𝗡.𝗛.

Chapter Twenty One

"Niall, I've never been on TV before." I say quickly and start pacing around the kitchen while Niall is making the pancakes I asked for. 

"Love, you'll do fine." Niall reassures. "You know Caesar Flickerman from the Hunger Games?" He asks. And I nod my head, not really sure where he is going.

"You know how Haymitch says that Caesar does his best to make the tributes look better?" Niall asks. I'm still confused about what he's talking about. I mean, I'm all in for Hunger Games references but I was freaking out a few minutes ago. Still am. 

"James does the same thing. He makes everyone look better."

"Niall, you know you could have just said that in the first place instead of confusing me with all the Hunger Games references." I say. 

"Well I just wanted you to understand and you understand things best when they relate to something you are passionate about." Niall says. Wow he know me so well.

"Ok, so kind of like how my friends at school used to have to start talking in Irish accents just so I'd pay attention to what they were saying?" I ask and Niall laughs.

"They did that?" 

"Yep." I laugh. "All the time." 

***

"Hey, Muffin!" Harry says when I get out of the car I front of the Late Late Show studio. "Excited?"  I nod. 

Harry takes my hand and Niall takes the other. We walk in and I feel intimidated by all of the adults around me. They're all professionals and know what they're doing here. But I don't. I've never been to a studio before, let alone been filmed in one.

James walks in the room and sees Harry and Niall. Then looks at me curiously. 

"Hey, Harry. Glad you could make it. And you brought Niall! Haven't seen him in a while." Harry and Niall both shake his hand and then Niall puts his arm around me.

"James, this is Dahlia." He says and I turn my head into his shoulder. James waves but I only see it from the corner of my eye.

"Dahlia, say hi." Niall says and I shake my head, burying it deeper in his arm. "Sorry, mate. She's shy." Niall explains.

I turn to face James and give him a little wave. I know I probably shouldn't be shy but I am. 

"You weren't this shy when you met me. Or Harry." Niall says and pulls me in a hug. I shrug and I think Niall knows what's going on. 

"I think she's shy after everything that's happened recently. I mean, she's always shy around new  people but this is more than usual." Niall says to Harry and James seems confused. 

"Everything going alright Niall? He asks. Niall looks me in the eye. Asking me a silent question.

Should I tell him what's going on? 

I eventually nod, knowing that James is Niall's good friend and that he's nice. We still have quite a while before the show starts so Niall tells him the story. 

***

Niall and James go on and on for what seems like forever while Niall tells 'The Story' as he likes to call it. Meanwhile, I sit on a sofa with Harry and he puts my hair in little space buns. Harry finishes the buns and finger combs the rest of my hair so it's smooth and untangled.

"Thanks, Harry!" I say, really excited. "I'm keeping my hair like this for the show."

"I'm glad you like it, Muffin. I've got practice with long hair." Harry responds and gives me a hug.

Eventually, its time for the show to start so I take my place in the middle of the couch on the Late Late Show set, in between Niall and Harry.

Right before 'Action' is called, Niall leans closer to me and whispers,

"Remember, act natural, be yourself. Don't try to become someone you're not just for the cameras. The audience can tell when your acting sad. Besides, people with flaws are much more interesting."

The cameras turn on and I sit patiently while Harry and James start their interview. Talking about when new music is going to be expected, Harry's involvement with Gucci and new movies coming out. The two joke a bit and then James looks to me. I haven't had to speak this whole time. Well, not yet.

"So Harry, who is this girl and who is she to you?" He asks and Harry puts his arm around me, pulling me close to him.

"This is Dahlia. Niall adopted her a little while ago and she is the sweetest girl I've ever met. Even though Niall and I aren't brothers, I consider her my niece. She'll always be my little Muffin, even when she gets older and hates it when I call her that." Harry says. I look to Niall and he smiles. I know exactly what his smile is saying.

That introduction couldn't have gone better.

And I agree.

***

"Well, Love, I'm afraid that despite how much we enjoyed our week so far, after going in the Late Late Show and hanging out in Mullingar, we've got to meet up with the lawyer now and that most like,u won't be fun." Niall explains and I nod.

We arrive at a large office building in downtown London.

"Race you!" I yell and then run up the stairs, just in front of Niall. When I reach the eighth floor, which is where Rachel's (our lawyer's) office is.

"That's not fair. You only won because the stairway was too narrow for me to pass you and you started ahead of me." Niall complains.

"Yes, but I started ahead of you because I was faster." I say sassily and Niall shrugs. We walk into the office and I see Rachel. But, she's not who I was expecting. Not at all.

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