Look To The Stars

The One and Only Irish One

Suddenly the crowds started running towards me with arms extended yelling swear words and I panicked. I felt a strong arm grab my waist and pull me forward and I heard a strange accent in my ear that instructed me saying “I need you to run.”

I started running where the strong arm was guiding me, not paying attention to any of my surroundings. I cradled my dog in my arms to keep her safe as we ran in and out of traffic and made sharp turns onto busy streets. The sounds of footsteps behind me grew distant and I took that to mean that I was now safe. I slowed down enough to catch my breath as his hand slipped down away from my waist. I turned to look at the face of my savior and it was the boy from before, the one whose dog almost killed mine. I was too exhausted to confront him and he saw that so he guided me to a coffee shop across the street from where we were standing. I sat down in silence and just as I did, a man came over to me and started yelling at me to take my dogs outside. I begged him to just let me sit and rest for a second and he replied saying “NO! You and your boyfriend take your dogs out NOW.” I looked at him questioningly but then realized that the strong arm was once again wrapped around my waist and leading me out. I slapped his arm off of me and stormed out of the building.

I slouched down on the sidewalk leaning up against a random brick wall and he sat down with me. “I’m sorry about all of this.” He said. “Is there any way that I could make it up to you love? I really am sorry…My fans are just defensive I guess.” I looked up at him with exhausted eyes and asked, “Who are you? I don’t even know your name.” He smiled and gladly answered, “I’m Niall. Niall Horan. And this is Nando!” he said while rubbing the pit bull’s back. “What is your name love?” His eyes were mesmerizing. They looked like calm blue waters that had fallen into a pale blue sky to make the most beautiful and vivid shades I had ever seen. They were so very beautiful…”Hello? Are you alright?” he said chuckling. “Oh! I’m so sorry. My name is Em..” Oh my gosh his eyes…so amazing. How is that even humanly possible? “Just Em?” He looked confused now as I was still gawking at him and responding unreasonably slow. “No. No, sorry. My name is Emelia Lewis” I should probably stop staring at his face now. “That is a beautiful name. Almost as beautiful as you! Not quite though.”

He smiled down at me casually and I suddenly realized how strange this all was. “I have to get home. I don’t even know where I am right now. I need to go, I’m sorry. Thanks for not letting me die I guess…” He looked disappointed and said “Oh, any time. Do you have to go right now though? My friends are coming to pick me up in a little while from the park. We could give you a ride home.” I shook my head and started walking in the direction we came from. “No thanks. I’d rather not get chased by a bunch of screaming teenage girls. That scares me a bit.” “It scares me too but I’m not going to let you walk home alone. I want to make sure you get back safely.” He smiled at me and I swear the skies parted and angels started singing in the background. But wait, why would he be talking to someone like me? Beautiful people stick with beautiful people, right? “I’ll be fine. Thanks though.”

I turned away and kept walking with my dog still in my arms. He walked behind me for a couple blocks and then I turned around and asked “Why are you following me?” “I told you I needed to make sure you got home safely.” He said ever so confidently as he continued to trail inches behind me. “This would be considered close range stalking in most societies, you know!” “In Ireland, this would be considered courteous and gentlemanly.” I stopped in the middle of the street and pivoted to face him. “You’re from Ireland?” Cars started honking at me and I waved to them with my middle finger. “HAHA! You are hysterical! Yes, I am an Irishman; the one and only Irish one.” “What do you mean one and only iri-“ *honk* “AYE! SCREW YOU MAN!” Niall loudly busted out laughing again clutching his stomach as if it were the funniest thing he had ever seen. “HAHA! I think we should move out of the street Emelia!” I grimaced at the man who honked at me as I walked by which made Niall laugh even more.

 Once safely on the sidewalk I turned and attempted to ask the same question again. “What do you mean the one and only Irish one?” He smiled his charming smile again and looked at me with his gorgeous blue eyes and said “I’m the only Irish member of One Direction” I looked at him and my jaw dropped. Everything suddenly made sense now; the screaming girls, the mobbing, the chasing. “Oh my God. I had no idea. I really need to go Niall” I stumbled over my words as I quickly turned back around and continued heading back towards the park. “Wait! Slow down Emelia! I wanted to ask you something!” I wasn’t paying attention to the words he was yelling at me. I just kept going. Buildings started to look familiar and I could see my apartment building off in the distance. Although I was still exhausted and dehydrated from running for so long, I kept pushing myself forward. “Emelia! Will you please just slow down?”

 I reached the doors to my apartment building and I went in quickly moving past Charlie. I started climbing the stairs and heard steps echoing behind me and I knew it was him. I kept going and I got to my door and struggled to find my keys. “There you are!” he said equally out of breath as I was. “Why did you run away from me Emilia?” “Look Niall, you’re a nice guy and I appreciate what you did but let’s be honest. Guys like you with money and fame and everything good the world has to offer don’t go for girls like me. I’m not some California girl with blond hair and big blue eyes and a bikini body. I don’t fit your image. So before people start taking pictures of you in my apartment or God knows what else, I think you should leave.”

He started laughing and I stared at him confused. “It’s always the prettiest girls with the lowest confidence. This has nothing to do with my image and even if it did, you would definitely fit the part. I think you’re cute and that’s why I wanted to invite you out to dinner tonight.” What he just said took a few seconds to process. He couldn’t possibly be serious. A part of me was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell me I’d been Punk’d. “So is that a yes then?” He stood there waiting for an answer while analyzing my expression. “I can’t Niall…I just-“ “Great! Pick you up at 7:30 love! Come on Nando!” He leaned in and kissed my cheek gently before turning and walking back down the hall towards the stairs. I stood at my doorway completely dumbfounded. “What the hell just happened?”