The Bucket List (A Niall Horan Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Confessions, Calls And Camels

“If this is about the pictures of Niall and I, then you need to know that nothing even happened and-” I began to ramble.

                “Hope!” Simon Cowell stopped me, “This isn’t about Niall. He called me this morning and explained everything.”

                “He did?” I asked, surprised.

                “Yes,” he said, nodding, “He also spoke very highly of you, your competence and your talent,” he said, letting a slight smile creep onto his face.

                “So then what can I do for you?” I asked, flattered, but confused at the same time.

                “I was told that you were attending Julliard in the fall,” Simon began as I bit down hard on my lip. I knew that this would come back to haunt me. “Of course, I was very impressed. But since I hired you on a whim and was told that there were some problems arising because of your presence, I decided to call Julliard to see why exactly you were chosen, except that when I called, they told me that you weren’t on file.”

                I breathed in heavily as I tried to come up with something to say when the truth came fumbling out. “This is what happened. I got into Julliard last year, but decided not to go. I applied this year again, but I haven’t received a reply yet. I don’t know exactly who told you that I was going there, but I’m assuming that the information got lost in translation,” I explained.

                “Why would you possibly turn down Julliard and then try to get back in of all things?” he asked in disbelief. I could tell he wasn’t buying it. I knew I couldn’t get out of this one without telling the whole story.

                “My parents were music teachers,” I began, “They passed away a month before my graduation. I was asked to conduct the spring concert in their absence,” I said, quoting my principle, trying my hardest not to cry. “I didn't even get to play at my last high school band concert. After that day, those songs that I had grown to love so much, I hated. Those instruments that I had become so skilled in, I never wanted to play again. I went from going to the university of my dreams, to being scared half to death because my whole life had changed and I was no longer a kid who loved to play music, but an adult that had been forced to grow up in a night,” I looked up at him and saw compassion in his eyes, “But now... now I’m beginning to love it all over again. When the rest of the band is eating or hanging out or playing video games, I’ll go and play the songs I used to, and the funny thing is, I love playing them more than I ever did,” I said, smiling to myself.

                “Tell you what,” he said, smiling at me, “I’ll call them and give you a reference.”

                “No!” I said, reaching my arm out to him as he looked at me surprised. Because after all, Hope Carter hadn’t applied to Julliard, Summer Terrace had. “That wouldn’t be fair for everyone else if the most successful talent scout gave me a reference to Julliard,” I said, scratching the back of my head, hoping he would buy it.

                He shook his head to himself and then looked back up to me, “You know Niall was right, you are really something.” I tried to smile as I watched him leave. I had a feeling he was going to give me a reference anyway so I ran to the elevator that would lead to my hotel room.

            “What the heck am I supposed to do?” I screamed at the phone after explaining to Mss. Carol my situation.

                “Just apply as Hope as well,” Mss. Carol said as if it was no big deal