Church Boy ♱ nh

Chapter 2

Niall followed Winter all the way back to her house, which was just next to his. She invited him inside, but he refused, and instead said he'd rather wait at the door. He couldn't bring himself to actually enter her house, since he knew so little about her – how could he trust her?

Winter returned moments later with a wet towel and a roll of tape. She used the towel to dab at his nose, collecting as much blood as she could. Then she used the tape to fix Niall's glasses to the best of her ability, and even fit them on his face for him. "Good as new," She smiled, but Niall knew that wasn't true. He'd seen them – they'd been shattered. The tape would only hold for a short amount of time. Nonetheless, Niall gave her his thanks before scurrying home. He didn't stay long, because he was starting to feel overwhelmed.

Winter Conaway was invading his mind, and when her fingers brushed his face as she placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, Niall felt his heart racing. He was frozen, feeling her so close to him. So when she finally stepped back, Niall made a quick and awkward escape.

When Niall burst through his front door, he only acknowledged his father with a quiet "hello" before he hurried up the stairs to the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and frantically turned the faucet on, splashing his face with cold tap water. He shook his head, his face dripping in water. But regular tap water wouldn't be enough. Niall growled in frustration and ripped the door open again, ran down the stairs, and made a mad dash for the font of holy water that was positioned beside his front door. He cupped the holy water in his shaky hands and rinsed his face with it, his breaths quick and irregular.

"Niall!" His father shouted, soon appearing in the doorway. Niall stared up at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving. His father's eyes wandered to Niall's hands, which dripped with holy water. "What have you done?!" Father Horan was quick to panic. "Niall!" He cried, "What's happened?!"

Niall straightened his posture and let his arms fall limp at his sides. "Father, I'm-" Niall cut himself off, groaning in frustration. He didn't know how to say what he was feeling. He had a girl on his mind. How do you put that, when speaking to your father, who also happens to be a priest in a very strict Catholic church? Do you say it at all? But you can't lie. So you have to say something, right? "I have been thinking about someone and it's driving me mad," Niall admitted, deciding that he wasn't fully lying if he kept his words to a minimum.

"Who?" His father asked, leaning against the doorway.

Niall let his eyes trail up to the sky. The sun was blinding but he dared himself to bear it. He then blinked and brought his eyes back to his father. "Just someone I don't really know," Niall said, trying his hardest to swerve around this. He didn't want to lie. And, no, he wouldn't. God would never forgive him if he were to blatantly lie to his own father. Plus, he hardly knew how. Surely his lies would be too obvious.

"Are you thinking about that new family at church?" Father Horan questioned, "I can tell you a little about them, if you'd like to know."

Niall let out a sigh, "N-" And then he stopped. You could get yourself out of this mess right now, Niall, if you wanted to. No, no. Stop thinking that way. God trusts you to be honest. God knows you aren't a liar, Niall, you're above that. He shook his head, trying to clear away his own conscience. "Yes!" He finally spat, his eyes widening as soon as the word fell from his lips. And then to make it worse, he proceeded to mumble, "Uh, y-yes, I've been... thinking about that new family at church."

∾

Niall went to bed that night, confused and upset with himself. He was confused about Winter Conaway because Niall never thought about anyone like he'd begun to think about her. He was upset because he told his first lie that day, and it seemed to slip from his mouth without even a second to spare. He'd already prayed – asked the Lord for his guidance. No guidance had come his way yet, and for a moment, Niall began to question the theory behind even praying at all. And then he mentally slapped himself. What had gotten into him? Prayers are the connection to God. Prayers bring answers. He knew this. He'd spent his whole life hearing it. So why was he questioning it now?