Falling - A Niall Horan Fanfic

Chapter 2

He walks over and drops his backpack on the floor and sits in the empty chair next to me. I can smell his cologne, it's not overpowering at all. It actually smells kind of nice.

He pays attention for the entire class, something I didn't actually expect out of him, considering that he looks like the type of boy who would try to sneak texts without the teacher seeing or talk to his friends while the teacher's back is turned.

•••

My next three classes went smoothly, I didn't have that blonde boy in any of them. I was worried I might have almost all of my classes with him. I don't know why, but he sort of distracts me. I can't help but think of him.

I meet up with Mandy for lunch, the only time during the day we get to see each other. We pick a table tucked in the back, we've always been the shy type. She tells me about her classes, how there's no one good in them. She asks about mine, but I tell her the same. I wish I had at least one class with her.

"Oh, wait. There's this boy in two of my classes so far," I tell her. "He's Irish, I'm pretty sure he's new here. Mr. Jones made him sit next to me in band."

"Ooh, an Irish boy! Is he cute?" she asks.

I nod, slightly embarrassed that I even thought of him as cute. I try to keep myself from finding boys attractive, I know none of them will ever like me. I don't want to get my hopes up. That's something not even Mandy knows.

Mandy is the kind of girl who doesn't have to be popular to get all the boys, in fact she practically has to beat them off with a stick. She's drop dead gorgeous without even trying, a quality some girls would kill for. She really hasn't had too many relationships, maybe three the entire time we've been in high school. She always asks why I don't date much, I don't think she understands it's because boys don't like me.

From the corner of my eye I see a group of boys sit down at a table across the lunchroom. Before I even see his face I know it's him from his perfectly quiffed hair. I decide not to point him out to Mandy, I don't want to become more interested in him myself, let alone drag Mandy in too.

He eats his lunch with most of the boys he sat with during our first period English class. They're all laughing and joking around, but he's just sitting there eating. I wonder why he isn't talking to them.

At last the bell rings, and I say goodbye to Mandy before I hurry off to my Spanish class.

Of course he's in there. I choose to sit on the opposite side of the room, away from him and the other boys who are laughing and talking. He doesn't seem to want to be talking to them though. His eyes seem to wander and he mostly just nods instead of giving full answers.

•••

I walk out to my car, glad my first day is finally done. It didn't go horribly, in fact it was nice. That boy though, I don't know what it was about him.

I throw my bag into the backseat and open the driver's door to get in. I lean my forehead against the steering wheel, absolutely exhausted.

I pull out of the lot and start on my way home. I don't live too far from the school, only about five minutes. I take the time to clear my head and breathe easily.

I pull into the driveway, but my mother's car isn't here like it usually is, but then I remembered that she'll be working the night shifts for a while.

I'll be taking care of Melissa, my little sister, for now I guess. She's always busy though, the popular girl at school. She's twelve, in the seventh grade now. She's always out with her friends, it gets quite annoying sometimes. Even today, the first day of school, she's out with a group of friends going to a movie.

I decide to take a nap. I collapse down onto the couch in a heap, letting out a sigh as I let sleep take over.

•••

The next day, I drive into the school parking lot and park in my spot. The first-day madness has calmed down a bit, allowing for a much easier commute.

I walk into English, and I'm the first one there. I like being early, I'm not sure why, I just enjoy it.

A few minutes later, the blonde Irish boy walks in surrounded by a group of girls giggling at him and flipping their overly shiny hair. Of course.

I roll my eyes and write today's homework down in my book, trying to ignore them. It becomes difficult, though, when the blonde boy comes and sits down next to me.

"Um, excuse me, Avery, I think?" He asks.

Wait, is he talking to me?

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it would be alright if I sat here?" He leans in closer. "Those girls are driving me mad."

I laugh a little and nod.

"Wait, I'm sorry, what's your name?" I ask him, slightly embarrassed I didn't already know.

"Niall," he says, "Niall Horan. I'm new here, from Ireland."

"Wow, that's a long way. How do you like it here so far?"

"It's wonderful. I've always loved America."

We chat for several minutes until Ms. Dobbs finally comes hobbling into the room and begins her lecture.

We both take notes, making sure to write down all the important parts of what she said, though most of it was incredibly repetitive.

When the bell rings, we both stand up, but I trip on the leg of my chair, falling onto the ground and spilling all of my books and writing utensils.

I fully expected him to just walk straight out of there, but instead he stopped and got down to his knees, extending a hand to help me up from my sprawled position on the carpet and then collecting my things with me.

"Thanks," I say embarrassedly.

"Not a problem. See you later!" He says and jogs off to meet his friends.