Plain Pain: A Niall Horan Fan Fiction

Chapter 31

(A/N): Dedication to: @LisanneOneDirection!

Everyone please read the A/N at the end of this chapter. Thank you, enjoy!

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"Can you at least tell me what happened?" Penelope pleaded.

"Can you just leave me alone?" I cried out and shoved my face further into the pillow, "and turn the lights off while you're at it," I mumbled.

"Rachel, did you meet Niall?" she slowly and carefully asked, her voice laced with hesitation.

I sobbed at the sound of his name, "Yes."

"Did you guys fight again?" she asked.

What kind of question is that? Why else would I be crying if we haven't fought?

"You think?" I asked sarcastically.

She sighed, "What did he do this time?"

"Long story," I sniffled.

"I've got time."

~*~

"And that's everything," I shrugged. I'd run out of tears to shed by now, but my eyes were still bloodshot.

"Oh, I'm gonna kill him," she shook her head and squinted her eyes in anger.

I chuckled, "It's fine, what he said was all I needed to hear to know that being friends with him again was out of the question. It's over. I don't want anything to do with him anymore," I shook my head.

"You work with him, Rachel." Penelope pointed out and I shook my head again.

"I'm gonna quit. Go home, back to my old life. I mean, let's face it, this was all a dream. It had to end at some point."

"What? No! You can't do that," Penelope gasped.

"I have to. I can't stand being around him anymore," I argued.

"This isn't the Rachel I know." she shook her head in disappointment.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you're stronger than that. Are you seriously gonna throw away your future because of a boy?"

"I'm not throwing away my future. I still have my studio back in New York," I rolled my eyes.

"Can't you see that you're practically showing Niall how weak you are?"

"I am not weak!" I argued.

"Oh, so a strong person runs away from their problems?" she challenged and I looked away, thinking about what she'd just said.

I knew running away from my problems wasn't the right thing to do, but I also knew that by just looking at Niall, I'd be constantly reminded of the reason he left me. I'd be reminded of how I wasn't good enough for him, to the extent where he had to choose a girl who stood him up on a date and hurt him over me. He said that wasn't the case, but what other explanation could he had given me?

"Rachel," Penelope called my name, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you seriously gonna quit?"

I heaved a sigh, "I'll- I'll think about it," Penelope gave me a small smile and an understanding nod.

~*~

I caught Harry staring at me for the tenth time today. It was really creepy. I didn't really know what to think since I was almost sure he hated my guts.

Ever since I'd come back from Ireland with Penelope and Niall, I'd been a tad distant and a little on edge. I got upset over the tiniest things so much that one of the male dancers actually went as far as asking me if I was Pmsing during rehearsals.