Roses

Chapter 11

It's him.

The guy that I saw on the street.

It's him.

Niall.

The guy that seemed so familiar to me before.

He's here.

At Nandos.

Hanging out with my friend.

He's in disguise.

Just like he was on the street.

Where he grabbed me.

And walked with me.

As he avoided a group of ..... Girls.

Ohmygosh.

All of a sudden the realization hit me like a Speeding train and knocked the air from my lungs.

I couldn't breathe.

Couldn't think.

Couldn't do anything besides sit there like a sack of potatoes and stare dumbfoundedly at him.

At Niall.

At all of them.

As the pieces from the puzzle fit together and began to create a big picture that my brain could not comprehend.

Tori and the rest of the boys were all still staring at me oddly..... Me and Niall.

They couldn't know.

Abruptly I stood, breaking eye contact with Niall and shoving past them all towards the girls bathroom... My mind a buzz of chaos.

"Allie! Wait!" I could hear Tori calling my name from behind me but I didn't stop. I continued on towards the bathroom, trying to sort through my conflicting emotions.

I couldn't think straight.

My mind was a jumbled mess of scribbles and colors, Of sounds and smells.

Somewhere, hiding behind the chaos: a small voice in my head was reminding me to breathe.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Repeat.

It seemed as if no matter how big of gulps I took, It was never enough to fill my body.

I elbowed my way past crowds of people, struggling to get to the bathroom where I could sort everything out.

"Sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me!"

Eventually I reached the girls room.

Quickly, I did a scan under the stalls- checking to see if anyone else was in here with me.

Than, once I had ruled out that I was alone, I slammed the door shut, finding the dead bolt and locking it, making it so that nobody could come in after me and slumping to the ground. (my back against the door)

I leaned my head against the hard wood of the door and closed my eyes.

It took a while but I forced myself to continue taking deep breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Eventually, the beating of my heart gradually slowed and I was breathing regularly now, not having to focus on getting air.

My mind however: was still a complete wreck.