The Perks of Being a Wintergirl

Good Craic & Skype

*** Later that afternoon at the creek***

"So....." Niall said, his voice trailing of as he tossed a few pebbles into the flowing water.

"What?" Alison asked. Looking down at her hands. She was not good with awkward conversations.

They were sat on the bank, just about a foot from the edge. It was a lovely day out and the air felt warm and the occasional cool breeze was nice.

She picked the little white fuzzy bits off a dandelion and let them fall from her fingers, the air carring them off towards the creek.

"What's going on with you?" he asked, his head hanging down to look her in the face, and he brushed a stray strand of hairs back from her face. "And tell me the truth, because if you tell me nothing, I'm going to know that's a lie."

It was then, that she could feel it coming but couldn't stop it. The feeling of finally breaking down when you've held so much in for so long that it becomes too much and you can't bear the weight any longer. She tried to speak but no words would come, instead heavy sobbs began to shake her to the core and she fell to pieces right there in front of the one person she never wanted to see her  pain.

At first he was confused. This was not what he expected. She always acted happy and like nothing could ever get to her or bring her down. Immediately he put his arms around her and pulled her in close. 

"They h-hate me, Niall!! I just can't do this anymore." She barely choked out, her voice catching at the end.

"Shhhhh." He soothed, brushing her hair back. 

Once she was able to stop the violent sobbs, she rubbed her swollend eyes.

"Who could possibly hate you, babe" He asked quitely, his sincerity showing in is eyes.

"My dad and that evil woman he married and my sister.. she tells me everyday that she hates me and that i'm disgusting and she hopes I'll just kill myself one day so that she doesnt have to look at me anymore." She said, tearing up again. "I don't understand what I've done wrong for them to hate me so much. I mean I go to school, I dont argue with them and I've basically their personal Cinderlla. And yet... I'm worthelss."

"Don't ever say that." He said shaking his head. "You're worth more than you know." 

"I don't feel like I am." She said, wipping another tear from her cheek.

There was a few momments silence and then Niall's breath caught as he spoke.

"Is that why you did that to your arms?" he asked, afraid that it was true and that his best friend ( besides the lads) was hurting and that somehow he's missed all the signals and instantly he felt like he should have known this all along, she should have been there for her.

She nodded. He was already in tears but, now, he was crying pretty hard.

"I'm sorry, I never wanted you to find this out. I never wanted you to be sad..for me... please don't cry." She begged him.

"You just told me how much you hate yourself and you expect me not to be effected by that?!" He shouted. "Do you remember when we were kids and we made a promise to never never keeps secrets, that we would ALWAYS tell eachother everything - " He spoke 

" -No matter how bad it was." She finished, cutting him off.

"No more secrets." He pleaded, looking her in the face.

"No more secrets." She agreed.

***2 weeks later at the airport***