Caged (One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter Five

Niall had invited me to lunch.

Niall Horan wanted to go out to lunch with me.

And I really didn't want to go.

Forget that he was "in the neighborhood" or that he made it clear it was "just a lunch" or that I really, actually wanted to go.

For the food, of course.

But the cocky kid expected me to say yes-- he'd probably never been turned down in his life. But then again, I really wanted a chocolate muffin and coffee, which I certainly didn't have at home.

Socialization.... food.... socialization.... food.

And so the promise of food is what caused me to wind up in a little cafe with Niall Horan. Who was wearing sunglasses. Inside.

"It's always sunny in doucheville," I mutter under my breath as I stared at his sunglasses. My hair was pulled into a side ponytail, the wavy curls unable to cooperate at all today. I'd barely been able to get myself out of sweatpants and into jeans; there was no way I'd find the time and patience to control my hair.

"Hey Cadence!" Niall exclaimed when I walked in, "C'mon, let's order! You want a coffee?"

"Are fans going to mob us at any moment?" I ask sarcastically, "Or does the power of sunglasses and a hat keep them at bay?"

Niall, surprisingly, laughs. "You know, we don't get attacked by fans as often as you'd think. The bigger problem is the paparazzi, but even that isn't such a big deal half the time."

"So no pictures of me splashed across magazine covers?" I raise an eyebrow expectantly.

"No photos," Niall reassures before turning to the cashier to order.

We sat down at our table, me sipping at a coffee and picking at a chocolate muffin. "So, why'd you want me to come out?" I ask curiously.

He shrugs. "I was in the neighborhood. And the person I was going to hang out with cancelled, so..."

Huh. So now I went from his pet project of teaching me how to play with "spirit" and "life" to a substitute for a friend who didn't show up. Classy.

"So you don't have any concerts or anything coming up?" I ask.

"Why? Thinking of coming?" He smirks.

I throw up my hands. "You're impossible," I mumble, "I was just wondering why you were still still around. And y'know, I live half an hour away form here, so there must be a reason you had me come all the way out."

"Well, we're not on tour at the moment. I'm gonna be going home in four days actually! And I just wanted to hang out with someone. No power-play or ulterior motive," he promised.

"Oh. Alright," I trail off slowly.

The silence between us was just becoming awkward when the first notes of a familiar tune began to play.

I swivel my head, immediately spotting the piano pushed into the corner. A little girl was sitting on the bench, playing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'.

"You took me here because there's a piano?" I hiss.

"What? No! I had no idea, promise," Niall insisted. "But, y'know, while we're here, you might as well...."

"Uh, no way," I refused, shaking my head even as I ignored the small tugging in my gut that begged me to play in favor of the larger feeling that dreaded that piano.

"C'mon, look at it! It's such a happy little piano!" He wheedled.

"It's not happy," I mutter, "It's an inanimate object: it doesn't have feelings. And you shouldn't have water by pianos, but there are several glasses and flowers on top of it. Not to mention that a piano should be pulled away from the wall to allow for a fuller sound, while that one is pressed against the wall," I snipe. "Anyways, there's a little kid playing. I'm not about to kick her off!"

Before I know it Niall is out of his seat and next to the kid, chatting to the girl with a grin on his face. I watch from the corner of my eye, sipping my coffee as he talks and I pretend I'm not associated with him.

"That's Mozart, yeah?" He asks, cocking his head slightly.

"Yeah!" The girl exclaims, "I learned 'Twinkle Twinkle" from my teacher the other day, but I'm still not very good."

"Oh?" Niall drawls teasingly, "Well, see that girl over there? She's a really, really good pianist!"

I choke on my coffee and begin to cough as the girl exclaims in delight, rushing towards me. I look up with a glare towards Niall who deliberately ignored me.

"Hey, hey!" The girl practically bounced on her feet beside me, the grin stretching across her face, "Play for me?"

I look towards Niall who had a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Don't embarrass me in front of the kid," he warned tightly, the smile never leaving his face.

I turn my gaze back towards the begging girl before giving in. "Fine," I sigh, "One song."

We arrange ourselves at the piano, me standing while the girl took the bench. "One, two," Niall counts us off teasingly.

I began the right hand melody as the girl played the left. Soon Niall joined in, humming softly.

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."

I find myself lost in the music, lost in this simple melody, and as the beginning ends I move right into the next variation, fingers flying over the keys as the girl continued with her simple notes.

"See? It's a happy piano, after all," Niall smiles softly.

Then I suddenly cut myself off, pulling my hand back sharply. The silence is deafening, ringing around us as a testimony to my cowardice.

"Why'd you stop?" The girl whines, tugging my arm, "You were so cool!"

"Sorry," I mutter, staring at the keys, "I'm sorry."

He just didn't understand. I couldn't. I simply couldn't play how he wanted me to. To give myself completely to the music, to submerge myself and sacrifice everything...

I couldn't.

___________________________

I know.

Ridiculously short.

But hey, no one is really reading this right now >.< so I guess it doesn't matter.

I'll try to update soon!

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See ya!

Joey_Jagel