Once in a Lifetime (A Niall Horan Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

BOOYAH I'M BACK GUYS! But seriously I'm so so so so SO sorry this took so long! This chapter is pretty short but I have some good ideas so hopefully it won't suck! Thanks for reading! (:

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~*Louis' POV*~

I woke up on the ground without a recollection of what happened earlier that day. I sat up and immediately felt a sharp pain in my shoulders and nose. Everything that had happened that day, and the day before, and the week before all came flooding back and I couldn't stop the hard lump that was forming in my throat. I ruined everything. I ruined my chances of being with Abby, not to mention the chance of ever being friends with her again.

I knew that no matter how hard I tried, my relationship with Abby and the rest of the guys would never be the same. I stood up and walked around. Shake it off, Lou. Shake it off. I thought to myself. But I couldn't shake it off. All of the emotions, the rage and the pain and the fear of what was to come, were stuck to me like paper mâché as if I were a balloon ready to pop.

When my legs couldn't support my weight any more I sat back down, this time on the memory foam hotel bed. Across from me was a mirror, but that's impossible, I thought, because the person looking back was not me. They looked very unwell; hair unkempt, wrinkles under their dead eyes, bruises on their nose and cheeks, and a stone-set frown plastered across their face.

But it was me. Never in my life had I felt more disappointed in anything than in myself. I rubbed my face. There's no way I can face them, any of them. Not now anyway, I thought. My eyes darted to the extra tour bus that the band usually used and an idea sparked in my head before I could take another breath. If I just left, I thought silently, I wouldn't have to deal with the awkward ride with any of them.

I huffed decidedly and tugged my suitcase toward myself. As quickly as I could I began shoving everything in my suitcase, from the sunscreen I'd brought myself, to the hotel soap which I'd admittedly stolen. In the rush to zip my bag a journal fell out. My memory journal.

Ever since I had auditioned for the X-Factor, I'd kept a journal of all of the experiences I'd had. The particular journal that i had was my fourth and final. Final because Zayn found it and laughed at me for keeping a diary. I opened it up and looked inside. It began a few months before I had met Abby.

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"Stop it, Louis!" Azaria giggled. I flexed my chest and made the button pop. "I know I'm your stylist, but do you have to make it so difficult?" I grinned at her and waited for her to button it back up, then I flexed my chest once again. She swatted at my chest playfully but I grabbed her hand before she could touch my skin.

"Not so fast." I smirked. "I can button it myself anyway." I said and buttoned up my shirt the rest of the way. I looked down at her. She barely broke 5 feet but her authority over me was tremendous. She looked back up at me and put on a playful pout. "Hey, Louis! We need you on stage in 60 seconds!" The tour manager said and sprinted back to wherever he had come from.

I looked back at Azaria, and the once fake pout she had presented had become real. "What's wrong?" I asked. She broke her gaze and looked down at her tiny feet. "Louis, there's something I have to tell you." She said sourly and tears began to well up in her eyes. "5 seconds!" The manager shouted. "Azaria, tell me after the show. I promise I'll be here for you." I said, and as I made my way to the stage I saw her nod and wipe tears away.

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I flipped through the pages of my journal, hoping to find what she had to tell me, but I couldn't find it. She never told me what she'd said she would that night, we all went out for food right after the concert. I rummaged through my suitcase, feeling around for other journals.

Right as I looked up I saw the band putting their instruments in the luggage compartments outside of their tour bus. I slammed my suitcase shut and sprinted for the lobby, praying that I made it in time. I got to the bus just as they were closing the compartments and slid in through the slim door. At first the band shot me strange looks, but after flashing a coy smile they shrugged it off. Yes! I thought. All I need to do is board my plane and I'll be home.

~*Azaria's POV*~

I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating loudly on the bedside table next to me. I grabbed the phone groggily and answered it without checking to see who it was. I mumbled something similar to "hello" and peeled my eyes open. "Azaria!" Louis said, his voice more serious than I'd heard in a long time --maybe ever.

"Oh hey Louis." I replied, and remembered that the boys came home today. To be honest, I was excited to see Louis. It'd seemed like they'd all been gone for such a long time, and I'd missed them all, Louis mainly. Before my train of thought could derail too much I snapped out of lala land.

"Hey, I just called to ask you something." He said, and I couldn't help but hope he was asking me out on a date. "Do you remember that night before the concert in Oklahoma City when you were supposed to tell me something important?" He asked. Did I remember? Of course I remembered. I felt the warmth flush from my face and my thoughts rushed back in time.

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The sun was beginning to set, and even though I knew I had to leave for the boys' show in less than three hours I had to lay down. I had felt sick all week and I just wanted to make the horrible nausea go away. Before I could fully get comfortable my stomach churned again. I shot up and raced to the bathroom, barely making the toilet. I

hated being sick, that was the third time in five days. I was starting to worry, my period was four days late, and even though there is always a margin of error four days is a long time. After I was finished being sick I felt better and decided I'd better get ready for the show. At the show I prepared the boys' outfits as usual, but after watching Louis pretend to struggle for the past four minutes, I decided to help him button his shirt.

Every time I would button his shirt, he would flex his chest brilliantly, teasingly, reminding me of the fact that even though we had... hmm... explored our options together... we would never be together. My thoughts rushed and I couldn't help but think I was pregnant. I'd decided I'd tell him then. Even if I wasn't, it was a possibility and I wanted him aware.

"60 seconds!" a bald man called and disappeared. "What's wrong?" He asked, and inside I was trying to work up the courage. I swallowed. "Louis, there's something I have to tell you." I managed to spit out. I looked down at my feet, contemplating all of the possible responses he may give.

"5 seconds!" The tour manager shouted and Louis dashed off after telling me we'd talk about it later. I watched him on stage, laughing, singing, having a great time. I couldn't pin him down at this point in his life, it wouldn't be fair. But the deed had been done, and if necessary he would have to step up and be a father.

I snuck out through the back and drove to the nearest Walgreens. Picking up a pregnancy test was a bit awkward, especially because the cashier was quite attractive, but I sucked it up. I slipped into the drugstore bathroom and did what I had to do. All I had to do was wait. Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... The seconds went by like minutes, but finally the wait was over. I took a deep breath and looked down. The moment of truth.

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"Yeah... I remember." I said and swallowed hard.