Rock Me || Niall Horan

one.

Dawn unfurled its golden tendrils, weaving light through the gap in the curtains and resting on my face. I groaned, lifting an arm to rub my eye, still entangled in the remnants of my sleep. I stared at my blank wall, the cream paint catching the soft light of the sun and glistening like a canvas waiting to be painted. The warmth of the sun comforted me, making it much more difficult to heave myself out of bed.
As I lay there, cocooned in my sheets, my mind wandered to school. The thought of another week full of social awkwardness, boredom, and the stress of exams was enough for me to sink deeper into my mattress. I sighed, stretching my arms out in front of me till I felt a satisfying crack in my bones.
Pushing my covers aside, I swung my legs over my bed. The chilly surface of my wooden floor jolted me awake, although one yawn still managed to slip through. My feet slid into my duck slippers. I was never the kind of person to wear slippers around the house, but when my friend Kaz gifted me a pair, it was only right to put them to use. 

Living alone during uni was both a blessing and a curse, the first blessing being that I had the place all to myself. The curse, the fact no one made me breakfast. Waking up to the smell of fresh eggs or the sound of a rustling bag of cereal in the morning was always a sign of a great day ahead of me. Nowadays, I heard these sounds and smelt these scents way after I had woken up. 
I opened the cupboard above my oven and pulled out a bag of 'Krave' cereal. The chocolate in the middle was great and changed the taste of the milk.

Once I was done preparing my breakfast, I sat down at the table and turned my TV on. The usual morning talk shows appeared on the screen. I flicked through the channels, putting my remote down when I reached ITV1. The usual hosts of the show smiled at the camera as they interviewed someone about current pop culture. A man who seemed to be in his early 30s, motioned enthusiastically with his hands.

"I've got to give it to them, John; this boyband is really taking over the UK charts." The man raved. A picture of One Direction appeared on the show's monitor. On the far left of the group photo stood Zayn, my best friend since diapers. A smile crept up my face, satisfaction burning in my chest. I had gone with Zayn when he first auditioned for the X Factor, and screamed with his family when he had been accepted. Now, he's a rising star along with 4 other equally handsome men. Although, I wouldn't say that all of them are as kind as he is. Seeing Zayn shine on the stage made me immensely proud of him, you could see it in his eyes that he loved what he was doing.
"These boys have young girls wrapped around their fingers!" The man exclaimed. Well, thats a rude way to put it. I thought. "So much so that these boys are currently on their way to perform at the highly acclaimed Wembley Arena!" I gasped, a hand raising to cover my mouth. I quickly swallowed my mouthful of cereal before I choked and in a motion filled with adrenaline, rushed to text Zayn.

You: You're performing at WEMBLEY and you didn't think to tell me?!

I pressed 'send' and awaited a reply. The conversation regarding boybands continued on the tv as I got up from the table to wash my bowl. For all artists, the Wembley Arena was a dream venue. Selling out the arena, let alone being able to perform there, was no small feat. If an artist failed to sell most of the arena out, not only would it leave their pockets empty with all the arena fees, but also pose them as a laughing stock for others in the musician space.

As I rinsed my bowl, my thoughts swirled with a sense of pride and envy. Even though Zayn had worked so hard, I couldn't help but feel exhilarated at seeing him achieve this level of success at our age, it was an unpleasant reminder of my own dreams. I was still navigating the uncertain waters of university classes and assignments, as well as the occasional reading that left me feeling anxious about the day ending and made it feel like I was struggling more than I was.

My phone buzzed, and I quickly dried my hands on the towel hanging from the oven doors. Glancing down at my screen, I watched as a notification from 'Zayday' popped up on the screen.