Silence And Sound

Chapter 22.

Niall's POV:

"Be my girlfriend"

The words had left my mouth before I had thought them through. And I couldn't take them back. I waited for Alex to speak, but she just stared at me with wide eyes. Why did I say that? I had ruined it. She was scared now, that's for sure. 

"Girlfriend? Like a couple?" she asked. I nodded and looked down. I knew what was coming now. That one word I feared more than anything right now. I knew what the answer was: No. 

"Niall why are you doing this? You know me! I can't be in a relationship!" she groaned. I nodded and stepped away from her.

"You're right. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have asked you" I said. I knew I had ruined everything. And I knew that I had to stop feeling this way about her. She would never return my feelings. 

"Let's go. It's getting late" I said and started walking back.

"It's only 6!" Alex said. She was running behind me, trying to reach me. And after a moment she grabbed my arm. I turned around, but didn't look at her. I was way too embarrassed. I just wanted to go home and watch TV or something. Everything that didn't remind me of her would be fine.

"Niall stop acting like this! Can't we just pretend this didn't happen?" Alex suggested. 

"Okay. I'll drive you home now then"  I said and walked away from her. I had no idea why I was so upset about being rejected. It's not like I didn't expect it. 

"Niall! God dammit! Stop walking away from me!" Alex yelled behind me. I stopped and waited for her, but I didn't say a word.

"You're acting like a chick. Like a bitch who just got rejected" she said, exhausted from running after me. 

"C'mon Niall. Don't be that guy. No one wants a cissy" she said.

"Then find someone else to hang out with. Zayn seems like a great friend, maybe you should ask him out" I said and unlocked my car. I sat in the driver's seat and waited for Alex to get in. She sighed when I started the car.

"If you can't take a no, then stop asking" she mumbled.

"Fine. I won't do that again then. Ever" 

"This was supposed to be a fun date. Not like this"

"I ruined it, I get it" I huffed. None of us said a word until I stopped outside her house. What a crappy night. I had planned everything out to make it funny and casual, but instead it ended up like this. 

"I'll be your girlfriend then" she suddenly said.

"What?!" I asked, not sure if I'd heard right.

"If this is how you're gonna be in the future, then I'll be your girlfriend. If I have to" she said. My heart sank. Not exactly how I wanted it to be.

"I'm not a charity. I don't want a girlfriend who's only dating me because she feels like she has to" I said. She sighed again and rolled her eyes.

"Niall I can't be anyone's girlfriend! Don't you get it?! I just can't! I have a reputation! I can't ruin that, okay?"

"So being a slut is better than being someone's girlfriend?"

"What did you just call me?" she whispered. I immediately regretted saying that. Her face was red with anger and her breaths were short. I shouldn't have said that.

"I knew you were just like everyone else. You believe everything you hear and assume you know me! But you know what? You're all wrong! And if you ever thought you had a chance with me, then you're even more wrong! I'll never date someone like you!" she yelled.

"Alex I'm sorry. Please forgive me"

"And you think you're so much better than me, right?! Well guess what. Fucking my best friend is not gonna make me like you!"

"I didn't fuck Debby!" I yelled.

"That's only because I stopped it! If I hadn't showed up you would have fucked her! You couldn't care less about my feelings! So stop acting like you're the angel in this! Because you're not the only one with feelings! Fuck you Niall!"

"I guess you're right. Asking you to be my girlfriend was a horrible idea! We would be a terrible couple! Forget I ever asked, I didn't mean a single thing I said out there!" I said and got back in my car again. And then I drove away. 

Alex' POV:

"He asked you to be his girlfriend?!" Debby whined. It was Sunday and we were sitting in her garden. She had called me all Saturday to hear how the date went, but I didn't want to talk to her or anyone. I hated myself. I hated Niall. I hated everything. But when I woke up this morning I felt like I needed to talk to someone. So I called her. And now I was sitting on the grass in her garden, telling her how awful my Friday had been.

"How can you say no to that?!" she asked. 

"He's Niall. I'm me. We can't be a couple! We're too different" I mumbled.

"Alex! Pull yourself together! You clearly like him! Call him and apologize! Say you do want to be his girlfriend! Make it work! I can't stand watching this!"

"He took his words back and called me a slut, so I'm not really feeling it right now" 

"He called you a slut?"

"Yes! He asked if I would rather be a slut than someone's girlfriend! I never thought Niall, of all people, would say that!" 

"He was probably just mad. You have to talk to him! Clear things out! I know you like him and I know he likes you! You're different, yes, but you would be such a cute couple! Talk to him Alex!" Debby said. Why didn't she understand that I was mad at him?! And that I was hurt. He thought I was a slut. Just like everyone else did.

"Can we change the subject please! I don't want to talk about Niall... How was your date?" I asked.

"Amazing! Zayn is so funny and really sweet! He keep making sure I'm okay and that I got everything I need. He's so romantic" she said and smiled. I couldn't imagine Zayn being romantic. At all. I laid down on the grass and looked up at the sky. God I didn't look forward to tomorrow. I was gonna face Niall in school. It could only go wrong. 

"Debby?"

"Yeah"

"Can I ask you something? And you have to be honest" I said. She nodded and looked at me with a serious face.

"Did you and Niall fuck?" 

"Alex I already told you that we didn't! We were drunk and almost naked, but we didn't do it! Niall stopped it!" she sighed.

"Do you think you would have done it if I hadn't showed up?"

"Yes. But we would have regretted it so much afterwards! I would hate myself if I had slept with my best friend's boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend" I pointed out. She just smiled at me.

"Yet" she said and laughed. I rolled my eyes at her. I couldn't imagine Niall and I being a couple. He would be "the girl" in the relationship, and I would be the annoying person who didn't show feelings in public. No way that would ever work out. But the sex would probably be great. He's the kind of guy who's dominating in the bedroom. I can tell that. Wait, why am I imagining sex with Niall?! What is wrong with me?! I need help, oh god. 

"You kissed, didn't you?" Debby suddenly asked. I giggled and looked down.

"Oh my god you did!" she whined when she saw me blushing.

"How is he?" she asked. 

"Not bad" I admitted. Actually he was amazing. But I didn't have to mention that.

"But I still hate him" I said.

"Of course you do" Debby said and winked. I couldn't stop smiling. Damn. Even though I was mad at him, he made me smile. 

(A/N: Yay over 13k reads! Tysm! I love you! Please tell people about it if you like it! And keep voting and commenting, it means a lot to me!)