Call Me Ella (ft. Niall Horan)

Chapter 23 - Under Control

Chapter 23 - Under Control

I’ve been thinking of what Harry told me, or to be precise, I’ve been thinking of our conversation. It’s stupid to keep denying that I do fancy Niall, and I fancy him a lot. However, he is obsessed with Cinderella. But there’s something I can do, it is still very cliché, but it’s not what Harry suggested. I don’t know if this will make him suddenly realise it’s me who he’s been waiting for his whole life —yes, I’m being a sarcastic and dramatic idiot—, but at least it will give me some peace of mind, knowing that he won’t go looking for Cinderella anymore.

So this is my plan: I’ll write him a letter as Cinderella, asking him to stop looking for me. That what happened at the ball was a huge mistake from my part and from his. I’ll tell him that I don’t want to be found and that instead of searching for someone who is hiding from him, he should use this time to relax and forget about all his problems.

And if that doesn’t make him stop, then I just quit. I’m asking him to stop very politely and without breaking his heart or anything like that. I’m being nice!  I could easily write him a letter telling him that I really don’t like him, that it was the worst kiss of my life and begging him to please leave me alone. That would be mean.

So when I’m cleaning Niall’s room in the morning, I make sure to leave the letter on his bed, a spot where he’ll surely find it. And then I leave, smiling, sure that this will work. I even run into Harry later and he notices the difference in my mood.

“Hey, you look a lot happier. Tell me that my idiot friend opened his eyes,” Harry says and I chuckle, shaking my head.

“No, but I’ve taken control of the situation, so I hope things will stop soon.”

“Stop?” He asks and I wave my hand dismissively. “What did you do, Ella?”

“Shh, everything is under control. Now go and seduce women with your moth tattoo by the pool, Moth Guy,” I tell him, making him laugh, before I walk past him, with the smile still on my lips.

I’m sure I did the right thing.

But then, before dinner, I’m helping in the laundry room when Cami comes in running, her long brown hair in a tight ponytail bouncing behind her as she smiles widely at me. Once she is next to me, she stops and takes my hands and I can feel her excitement.

“A guest is looking for you! He asked me if I had seen you and I told him yes and I came for you! He’s outside, waiting for you,” she tells me excitedly, her smile so wide that I don’t understand why that would make her happy.

If a guest is looking for me it’s probably to complain. Maybe something got lost in their room and he or she will blame me. Oh joy, time to live another humiliating moment in my life.

Groaning, I let go of Cami and walk out of the laundry room, getting ready for a lecture and all the insults I’ve already heard before. But when I walk outside I find Niall waiting, with a big smile. My heart stops for a second before it races dangerously in my chest, making me shiver. Why is he here? Looking for me? Smiling like that? I start to get really nervous because I really don’t know what to expect. I feel Cami at my back and I feel her bubbling excitement before she just runs away, giggling? I’m not sure.

“Niall, do you need me for something?” I ask, forcing my voice to sound calm.

“I just couldn’t wait until night to tell you this. Sorry, I hope I won’t cause you any trouble with this,” he says and I shake my head. If Cami is the only one who knows about this, then I’ll be fine. She’s a great girl and hates Rhonda, too. All employees hate Rhonda at some level.