Climbing the Walls (a Niall Horan love story)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was a weird feeling, hope. A very foreign one for me. But it was a good one. I hadn't felt this wonderful in such a long time. Niall really was my light at the end of the dark, cold, lonely tunnel, all of the boys were. With everything that had happened with my parents and moving to England, leaving Julez, Meggy, and Dani, still afraid of love due to Chase's betrayal... It was such a nice thing to be past that. Well, of course I wasn't past my parents' death, but the boys got me to genuinely smile, something I didn't do very often.

I decided to go to my room and listen to music, maybe Skype if anyone was on. I didn't want to bother Niall, he was song writing. Not to mention how awkward that could potentially be, thanks to good old Lou. Well, we quickly got past the bra thing... Hopefully we could just forget Louis' comment. But now he probably had a good idea that I liked him, and if he didn't like me back (which he probably didn't) things would most likely be awkward. But Louis and Liam had both said they thought I had an amazing chance of Niall liking me back... Or fancying me, or however Irish people showed affection. And they both sounded positive, as if they knew something I didn't... Did Niall like me back? Ah, the power of hope. I started having day dreams of Niall and me as a couple. Was this normal...?

I was shaken out of my thoughts by the annoying ring of a Skype video call drumming in my ears. I had my headphones in just in case they called, the boys needn't be bothered by my conversation with my friends. The screen flashed the name "Julia Tomlinson♥" and a picture of Louis appeared above it. I smiled to myself, thinking of how much Louis would enjoy seeing that. I was thinking of letting it ring just to show him, but decided against it. Instead I clicked the 'Accept Call' button, and three boxes popped up on my screen; one with Julia's face in it, the others with Megan's and Danielle's. Their names were "Megan Payne♥" and "Dani Styles♥". Gahh, I still found Dani's preference a bit uncomfortable, but oh well. "HALEYYYY!!" three voices screamed into my ears. I laughed a little and lowered the volume.

"Hey guys!" I replied, kind of quietly. No need for the boys to think I was talking to myself. Actually, that'd be hilarious... Eh, whatever, I'd just talk at normal level. "I miss you guys so much, you have no idea." And it was true. Life without them just wasn't the same.

"We miss you too!" They all cried. "But at least you got five hot guys in return; we just have an empty seat at our lunch table!" Julez frowned. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah!" Dani agreed, "You're the lucky one!" As if on cue, Harry waltzed into my room, bearing just pajama pants.

"Haley, I need to talk to you about your confused teenage heart," he said jokingly, walking over to me.

"Is that Harry?" Danielle asked, trying to quell her excitement but failing. Megan and Julia's faces lit up, though they tried to hide it too. I rolled my eyes, at them and Harry.

"Give me a sec, I'm on Skype," I said to Harry.

"Ooh, can I say hi?" he asked, jumping onto my bed. I pulled my headphones out of the computer so that Harry could hear what my friends were saying, but turned the volume way down in case they started screaming. God, all three of them looked like children on Christmas morning when Harry came into view.

"Hi Harry!" they all said, Dani smiling from ear to ear.

"Ello loves," Harry replied, flashing them his million dollar smile. "I like your names, especially yours Dani," he winked. I rolled my eyes and elbowed him as they all blushed and Dani giggled nervously, but I couldn't help but smile.

"No flirting," I scolded him.

"Aww, why not?" he and Dani fake whined at the same time. They both laughed, and, if you could make soul-connecting eye contact through video call, those two did. Slightly weirded out, I interjected.

"Well, Harry has to talk to me. I'll be back in a few," I said. Harry waved and I hung up before they could finish their dreamy, "Bye, Harryyy!"'s.

"Well they seem nice," he smiled. "Too bad about Sydney for Megan, but think we should set up Julia and Louis?" I rolled my eyes, knowing where he was really going with this.

"I'm not setting my cousin up with my best friend, that would be weird," I replied. He smiled at me.

"Ironic how that's what I'm here to do." I thought about that. I did have a crush on my cousin's best friend, didn't I? Wow, I was a hypocrite.

"Oh yeah. I do like my cousin's best friend. Fine, you can flirt with Dani all you want. But don't embarrass me in front of Niall!" I bargained. He smiled victoriously at me, the way older siblings do when they find out who you like. I blushed indignantly. "I'm serious! I can handle my own love life." I thought about how untrue that was, how my last relationship turned out, but then I remembered that I was hoping now. Chase was just a horrible memory that meant nothing to me anymore. One Direction was my world now. And not in a fangirl way, like I spent my free time Googling every irrelevant little fact about them, but because they were who I loved, who I lived with, who were there for me, who I had.

"Okay, okay, I won't do anything. But you two really need to notice how in love you are with each other." And with that, he left the room. I reopened my computer and called Dani back. This time it was only her, Julez and Meggy were offline. I plugged my headphones back in as she picked up.

"Hey!" she seemed slightly disappointed that Harry wasn't with me, but I brushed that off. I mean it was still weird, but if Harry was fine with his cousin and his best friend having a... connection, I guess you'd say, then so was I.

"Hiya!" I smiled back. Thinking about it, I was actually kind of sorry that Julez and Meggy didn't get to say hi to Louis and Liam, but oh well. Some other time.

"Oh my god, so guess what?" Dani asked excitedly. I went along and asked what her news was as she explained. "Okay, so I really have to talk to you. Because Chase got that blonde whore he cheated on you with pregnant! Like, can you believe that?" My jaw dropped in disgust. That sleazy douche! And slutty mess. I felt a tiny bit bad for her; I mean Chase didn't have to carry a human being in his stomach for nine months. "And another thing; now that Derek's eighteen, we're running away. I honestly can't stand my dad anymore."

"Oh god, Dani. You're not serious. Are you serious?" I asked, not believing it. Dani's mother was murdered when she was just eleven, and after that her father had resorted to alcohol. He was a hopeless drunk, and an abusive one at that. He beat her brother, Derek and raped Dani when he was angry or just plain bored. When Dani told me, I told her my family could adopt her, completely seriously. But she pointed out that her father would likely murder her, Derek, and my entire family if we did that. I always worried for her; I don't even know how she held up so well all of these years.

"Yes, I'm completely serious. In exactly six days, my 'dad' will never be able to touch me ever again." She practically spat the word 'dad', and spoke in a whisper, no doubt making sure her dad wouldn't hear. "And get this: I convinced Derek to move us to a house near where you are!" she whispered excitedly. My heart jumped with joy at this statement.

"How close?" I asked urgently, sharing her excitement.

"Where do you guys live?" she asked. I gave her the address, and she smiled. "Well, it seems I'll be living on the same street," she replied smugly. I remembered the house with the FOR SALE sign in front of it. It had said SOLD across it, hadn't it?

"OH MY GOD, NOW FUCKING WAY! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME!" I screamed in disbelief. This was all too good to be true; me giving into hope, having a new crush and new best friends, and now my best friend moving right across the street from me, getting away from her horrible father? Something wonderful was happening in the universe for whatever reason. I didn't even need a reason, I was ecstatic!

"No, I am not shitting you!" she whisper-shouted back. "Danielle! Get your ugly ass down here right now! Derek's out and the Devils just lost, and I need to blow off steam!" I heard the horrible voice coming from the background of Dani's window. She rolled her mocha-colored eyes, but the fear was clear on her face. "Six more days," she sighed. "Danielle!" "I'm coming!" she squeaked. "See ya in about a week."

"I love you." She smiled weakly as I blew a kiss to her, and blew one back before logging off and heading downstairs to be abused. My heart tightened in revulsion at the thought of a father doing that to his own daughter. Six more days, I thought, six more days and she's free.