The Bucket List (A Niall Horan Fanfic)

Chapter 22: Scares, Stars, Not So Far.

I had never really cared much about being picked up from airports until the day that I was picked up from the airport in Dallas, Texas. Even though I was exhausted from the long flight and jet leg, I couldn’t help but smile when I spotted the back of Niall’s signature green snapback. He was busy signing a girl’s notebook when I was about to scream his name, but decided that that might be a bad idea considering the amount of people that were around. As soon as he was done he handed the book back and turned around, instantly letting a set of perfectly straight teeth spread into a smile. Before I could get a chance to put my luggage down, Niall had run up to me. I laughed as he picked me up and twirled me around. My hair whipped into my face until I dug my cheeks into his should. I felt so invincible. He gently set my feet back on the ground, giddily smiling down at me. All I could do was look up into his beautiful blue eyes and giggle uncontrollably.

“How was your performance?” he asked, grabbing my luggage for me.

“I think it went well,” I said, nodding as we began to walk down the airport.

“You’re going to do so amazing there,” he confidently told me.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I said, jokingly, but Niall didn’t smile his usual smile that he always cracks at my terrible jokes. “What’s wrong?” I asked, looking back at him.

“I don’t want you to go,” he said quietly and even though the thought of leaving ached my heart, I couldn’t help but smile that he felt he needed me as much as I needed him. “I’m going to be flying you out to London all the time. You know that right?” he said, looking quite serious.

“Every weekend?” I asked, smirking.

“Maybe more.”

That night, after I had finished getting my makeup and wardrobe done I went to my dressing room to wait for the stage manager to let us know that I was needed back stage. I adjusted my perfectly curled hair so that it was sitting just right as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I could never make my hair look as flawless as the stylists did. I thought of every person who was also anxiously waiting for the concert to begin and for the first time in a while, I felt my stomach turn to knots. What I really wanted was to hang out with the boys. They always made every worry disappear, but they were doing the meet and greet, so I was abandoned to my dressing room. I took my laptop out of my bag and smiled at it. Louis had recently gotten it bedazzled as a surprise for me just because he had once heard that I always wanted a bedazzled something or other. The five boys went to get it done, but it was Louis’ idea. They all made sure that it was as pink and sparkly as possible and even though they deny it, I am quite convinced that all of them thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I opened it up as I sat down in one of those uncomfortable makeup chairs that feel like you’re sitting on someone’s boney lap and laid my hands against the keys. Letting my mind begin to run, I cringed when I realized what I should’ve written a while ago. I knew that any normal journalist, if given the information that I had, would’ve already had a good copy of an article ready to send off. I bit my lip as I typed the word cancer on the screen and almost choked on the sudden rise of a sob. I covered my mouth in fear as I backspaced six characters until I was once again staring at a blank screen. I couldn’t even look at the word without breaking, there was no way that I could write a whole article. There was no way I could betray Louis. He meant so much to me. I thought of how disappointed Mrs. Carol would be is she found out what I refused to write down and bit my lip again. I couldn't disconnect myself. I just couldn't do it. As I let my mind fight this internal war, I slowly closed the computer shut, realizing for the first time in a while that this was my job. I was being paid to be there. That was really the only reason why I was there. But I knew that was not the reason, if given the opportunity to leave, I would stay.