The Secret Lives of One Direction (A Paranormal Fanfic)

Niall

Chapter Three

"W-What?" Niall stuttered nervously, sitting back slowly, trying to act cool but failing miserably.

"You know what," I snapped, a little too forcefully. "I saw how you were all exchanging looks. You each have something to hide. What's your secret, Niall?" I squinted at the blonde Irish boy, trying to intimidate him. "Tell us."

Niall's watery blue eyes darted over the faces of our clearly interested friends before finally settling on my hopefully unnerving stare. To my surprise, he rolled his eyes. But the next thing he did was by far more shocking.

He lifted his arm, balled his hand into a fist and drove it at my face.

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I was so stunned by Niall's reaction that I didn't have time to duck or even flinch. So, instead, I used my valuable milliseconds to prepare myself for the blow. I closed my eyes, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much.

But I never received that thump.

After a few seconds of having my eyes tightly shut, I raised an eyebrow and slowly lifted my eyelids, expecting to see Niall's rage-covered face and fist ready to knock me out.

It took me a moment to figure out what was going on. I saw Niall's, not angry, but sad face trained on mine; his blue eyes seemed to see right into my soul. But what confused me was his arm. It was oustretched in the direction of my face, just below my eyes. I looked down, and a wave of sheer terror flew over me.

Niall's arm had gone THROUGH my FACE! THROUGH MY FACE!! Panic began to dissipate within me to every part of my body, and my head jolted back, out of Niall's arm width. After I was out of his range, I clumsily stumbled to my feet and threw myself into the bathroom. I studied my face whilst pinching my nose, lips and skin. It was all there. Nothing had been affected.

Baffled, I left the bathroom and returned to the guys. I searched my brown eyes over Louis, Harry and Liam to see their reactions. They seemed mildly surprised, which angered me - how come they can deal with it fine, but I can't?

My train of thought was stopped abruptly by a handful of painful words in Niall's Irish brogue, "I've always wanted to punch you in the face, Zayn. Now you know why I never have before."

I only registered part of what he was saying. I stored the thought of him not liking me in the back of my mind and continued with the task at hand.

"W-What are y-you?" I asked, clearly shaken. Niall rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"Isn't it obvious?" he demanded. I stared at him blankly, so he said very slowly, enunciating every word carefully, "I. Am. A. Ghost."

I looked at him from head to toe, still not fully registering what he meant, so he stood, waved and walked out. At first, I thought he had used some sort of hidden door really quickly. Until he came back once more - through the wall!

"Now do you get it?" he huffed. I nodded blankly and he threw himself down on the couch. Liam slowly took me to my seat and sat me down as Louis began interrogating our ghostly friend.

"What else can you do?" Louis asked eagerly. Like he cares, he can do anything, I thought.

Niall smiled and began listing his phantom traits: "I can turn invisible, become intangible, fly, shoot ectoplasm - but that takes up a lot of energy - and visit the World of the Dead - but that also takes up a lot of energy. I can also will myself to hold things, but I can never feel."

Louis beamed at this new information, but Harry's face was hard and serious. He interjected Louis' next question with one of his own.

"So, you're dead?"

Niall nodded, that haunted look on his face once more.

"May I ask how it happened?" Harry pressed gently.

Niall looked down and didn't look up for a long time. When he looked back up, he nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. He whispered, "OK."

A/N I thought I'd give Niall two chapters - this story is going to be so sad!

I'm not used to writing in the first person, so if I shoot to the third, please tell me. Hope you're enjoying the book! And remember, every vote counts!