Tattooed Heart [Ziall] (Very Slow Updates)

Chapter 6

"Niall?" Maura shook Niall's shoulders. Niall groaned and tried to roll over, but Maura pinned his shoulder down. "Niall, sweetie, you slept through your alarm. You're late for school- really late. School's already started."

Niall's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. Fuck! I'm late, I'm late. He got up and began to rush around, grabbing clothes and his book-bag, but Maura put a hand on his shoulder when he went to grab his iPod. He stopped, looking at her.

"Take a shower." Maura said. "I'll make you some breakfast, and then I'll drive you to school, okay? We can say you were feeling sick this morning, and they'll give you a late pass. Go on."

"Thanks mum." Niall said, relieved. He dropped his clothes and book-bag on his bed and kissed his mother on the cheek. He hugged her, too, then shuffled into his bathroom. He turned on the shower water, stripped, and got in. The water was almost too hot, but Niall didn't care. Maybe that would ease the tension in his body.

Niall hadn't been able to sleep last night. Whether it was Zayn, his family, or the bitter loneliness he was feeling, it kept him awake. He tossed and turned and cried, but he just couldn't. He fell asleep after his alarm went off. He pressed the button to turn it off, and he was out like that. He hadn't even meant to fall asleep. He doesn't even remember laying back down on the pillow.

Niall ran his hands over his face. This was just perfect. The day he was supposed to go over to Zayn's house, he's late to school. He doesn't even know what time it is. He'd probably late for music, too. Wonderful.

Niall got out of the shower about two minutes later. He rushed getting ready, throwing on whatever he'd picked out, putting on deodorant and cologne, drying and brushing his hair, and brushing his teeth. He remembered a moment later that he was going to eat breakfast, so he spit the toothpaste from his mouth and went downstairs.

"Pancakes," Maura said, setting a plate in front of Niall almost as soon as he sat down. "I bought some this morning. I didn't even realize you were home until I got a call from your school. I thought you ditched, but- you'd never do that."

"Thanks." Niall said, ignoring Maura's last comments. He took the fork from Maura's hand and began eating, trying to ignore his mother staring at him. Maura was worried, and Niall knew that. But Niall was fine. He was perfectly fine.

"I'm sorry." Maura whispered, reaching out to place her hand on Niall's shoulder. Niall looked at her, his mouth half-stuffed with pancake. Maura had tears in her eyes. "You don't have to go to school today, baby. It's okay if you want to stay home."

"No, I want to go to school." Niall said, picking up a napkin and wiping his face. He swallowed before he continued. "I'm okay, I promise. I just couldn't fall asleep last night. I was still awake when my alarm went off and I guess... I guess I just fell asleep after that. I don't even remember."

"Okay." Maura said. She placed her hand on Niall's cheek for a moment, a gentle touch, then pulled away. She sniffled again and sat down next to Niall, grabbing the newspaper and busying herself with that. Niall continued eating, though he couldn't ignore the sniffling sounds coming from beside him.

"I promise I'm okay." Niall said. He put his fork down and went to say something else, but he realized that maybe all of this wasn't about him. Maura was hurting, too. She lost her husband in that fire- her husband and her son. Niall lost his father and his brother. There was a difference there- two of the same people but such different meanings. "Are you okay, mum?"

"What?" Maura said, snapping out of a sort of trance. She glanced at Niall then back at her newspaper, clearing her throat, sitting up, and rushing out her next words. "Oh, yes, sweetie, I'm okay."