Dead Stars

August 7th - Manchester U.K.

You've always told me that you hated Manchester. You always told me, back when we lived there, that you wanted to move somewhere else. Somewhere with more promise, somewhere different, somewhere new.

I never really believed you hated Manchester because this place played a big part in our lives. This place holds so much meaning, so many memories.

This was where our first real, big adventure began. I remember during senior year, we tried out for so many universities. We probably tried out every single university in the entire U.K. and Ireland-we failed some, we made it to some. Manchester wasn't our first choice, but it sure did sound like an adventure.

We wanted Manchester so much because it was all a mystery. We didn't know what was in Manchester, what it's like here, or what is to come. But that excited us so much. The thrill of not knowing what was next was exhilarating. We didn't prolong the decision anymore and moved to Manchester, which was a big step for us.

And like you said, we did have a hard time. Balancing work with university, saving money, paying for rent, doing our own chores, and so much more. It was worth it in the end because it taught us so much about life. Life was never easy, especially when you're in the real world. It's hard. Sometimes it will even knock you down, but with the right people around you'll be fine.

I had you and you had me. It was what got us through. So much happened in Manchester-a lot of firsts, a lot of lasts, a lot of what ifs. It was one hell of a ride, P, but it sure felt a lot like home.

Which is why I thought I would find you here. I came up to our apartment and found it empty. No sign of you anywhere. I wasn't going to give up though. I figured you were somewhere else. I just had to find you.

As soon as I dropped my things in the apartment, I grabbed my coat and headed out. The first place I looked was your old office, but just like the apartment, you weren't there. I asked the receptionist if you had come by or if they have had any contact with you since we left. She said no.

As if the world wanted to turn against me, I bumped into Lauren.

"Niall? Is that you?" I heard her stuffy accent.

I turned around and smiled, "Hi Lauren."

"I'm surprised to see you here." She said walking closer to me. I just shrugged, "Oh, I was just seeing if Peyton has dropped by."

"Oh Peyton!"

I held her shoulders, "She's been here? You've seen her?"

"No," She shook her head, "She hasn't been here since the day she quit. None of us here has had contact with her. Why? What happened?"

"It's a long story." I said sighing, disappointed. "I just need to find her."

"She's your best friend, you should have contact with her." She said, "What did you do? Why did she run away from you?"

"Okay, so you're just going to automatically assume that I did something wrong?"

"Well, if it was the other way around, you wouldn't be here. So, what did you do? Why did you hurt her?" She asked again, crossing her arms.

"It's none of your business." I tell her. She was so annoying. She acted as if she knew everything. "All I know is I have to find her and tell her I love her."

"It's about time!" She said, which surprised me.

I looked at her shocked, "What do you mean it's about time?"

"It's about time you realized that." Lauren says a little too loudly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. She grabbed my hand and brought me to the coffee place by the reception area. We took our seats in a small table. You looked at me and asked, "Why do you think I broke up with you?"

"Because you were in love with Ian?" I asked.

"Apart from that." You said. You waited for me to answer, but I just shrugged. You sighed, "I cheated and broke up with you because I was jealous. I was jealous of how you were with Peyton. There's so much chemistry between the two of you. It was almost like you were made for each other. The way you are together and the way you looked at each other. The way you looked at her. I knew you loved me, but Peyton? God, Niall. I wanted someone to look at me the way you looked at her. You loved her, Niall. You just didn't know yet."

"I might've been a bitch at that time, but when I found Ian, I wanted you to realize that you should be with Peyton. That's why I broke up with you. You deserved to be with someone who loved you the way she did-the way I never could."

I didn't say anything because I was trying to grasp what she was saying. She held my hand and said, "If we were still together and there was a fire in the office and you could only save one person, who would it be? Me? Or Peyton?"

That's when I started to understand what she was trying to say. She looked up at me and said, "You would choose Peyton."

"I need to find her, Lauren. I need her." I tell her.

She sips on her coffee, "Have you tried looking in Ireland?"

I haven't thought of Ireland and thinking about it now, you could be there. I stood up, thanked Lauren, ran back to the apartment, grabbed all my things, and headed to the airport.

The entire drive to the airport, all that kept running in my mind was, "You would choose Peyton."

And it's true. I would've chosen you. I would've chosen you in a heartbeat.

-N