Prologue
“Niall stop it” I began to laugh it was odd I barely saw him. We only saw each other when we were preforming in the now vacant Mullingar Arts Centre. On occasion we would see each other at family events with his mother Maura. Yet it feels as if sometimes in these brief moments he’s the only person who understands me. It’s something I struggle with even explaining. I wish I could have him with me all the time, in these moments he brings out the best of me. Niall loudly bursts into another Irish song. I can’t even tell you the title since he sings so many. He’s on the vacant stage as the light hits his long blonde hair. He dances along the black stage and I simply smile from the red chair in the front row. He looks straight into my eyes and for a moment I felt as if I just wanted to freeze it all to just enjoy it. My life wasn’t easy it was always hard and Niall knew that he knew everything about me yet he was barely there. “ you know their going to kill us for being here late” I smile up at him as he stops singing “ you know it just so happens that I want to stay a little longer , I can’t bare the thought of having to see you a month later”. I laugh and I simply say “ why is that?”. He sits on the edge of the stage flicking his blonde hair and he smiled “ I’m auditioning for the x factor and I don’t know if I’m going to see you for a really long time”. I knew that the blonde boy was destined for great things and I smile at him “ you know promise me that when you make it big you won’t forget me…. I know it’s cheesy but I know I won’t forget you” I said as my cheeks turned a flush pink. “ I could never do that Elise” he said and he looked at me" You always have me don’t forget that “ his blue eyes pierced into my brown eyes. I hoped he was right because being the outcast in the school was hard and having him around made it so much easier. “ I won’t “ I replied as he looked serious which was odd because the blonde haired boy always had a cheeky smile upon his face and his icy blue eyes held a playful expression but he looked at me with all seriousness in his eyes and for a second the laughing ceased I could only hear my heartbeat. My thin lips were pursed into a serious expression matching his own. Even though he stood on the stage and I was on the red seat in the front row it felt as if his face was inches apart. It was impossible that the goofy kid like him who had many friends and things to laugh about could like a sad girl such as myself. I shook the thought out and interrupted not only mine but both our thoughts “ So … we should go before our solo’s get taken away” I joked and he smiled losing the seriousness upon his pale face he flicked his dyed blonde hair and jumped off the stage but he did something.. something I never quite expected at least not from him he hugged me and his arms were around my waist I was taken aback but I returned the motion and hugged him back. It seemed like we both didn’t want to let go as if some sort of unseen force were to pry us apart soon so we held each other for the longest time. It was odd for a duo like us to ever share a hug. We shared jokes , smiles , laughs and even sugared drinks (even though were not allowed) but never long hugs it was as if this were the last time I’d ever lay eyes on him. I wish I could compare that hug to something perhaps when you say goodbye to a loved one and you know you’re not going to see them in the longest time perhaps years and that’s what his embrace felt like and he refused to let go and I allowed him and our unspoken silence seemed to be loud for us to never let go but at some point and time going back to my analogy you have to let the loved one go and venture off into the world make their own discoveries and hopefully one day they’ll return and you can welcome them with those same open arms. Its sad to say that’s exactly what I did but I could never ensure that after this event of being in his arms that’d I’d never see that blonde boy who made rehearsals worthwhile, who poked at my dimples and made me laugh. I watched the x-factor when he had told me too and in that moment he shone brighter than anyone I’d ever know it was needless to say that was the last and first time I ever felt his arms around me.
