Fame High

Let Me Down Gently

Avril POV:

3pm.

It's time. I've calmed down abit from earlier. I still can't believe dad wants me to use Niall to 'kickstart' my career. Niall has been nothing but sweet- yes, also annoying- to me and manipulating him to make me more popular seems wrong and uncool of me. I-

"Hi."

I looked to Niall who joined next to me on the fountain seats. He looked like he wanted to say something. I took a deep breath.

"Look Niall, I know this maybe sudden but..."

"Avril." He takes my hand. I freeze. "I know you like me."

My jaw drops. What in the-

"I know you don't like to be open anout your emotions, and that night when you kissed me on the cheek, you're embarrased and have been overthinking..."

"Wait, hold on-" My cheeks go red.

"Don't worry," he shushes me. " I've been thinking hard too. I like you-"

Woah, woah woah. I pushed myself away from him quickly. I shook my head. "C-can you just shut up for a moment?"

Hurt and confusion are the expressions I see on his face. I stand up. The time leading up to 3pm had been so slow it was almost torturous and now the conversation has taken such a quick nose dive.

"I wasn't going to talk about that." I stated.

The tip of his ears go red. I turned my back to him. Ugh, awkward. He clears his throat. "Oh?"

"Maybe now is not such a good time to talk." I shrugged, laughing awkwardly. Silence.

"No, no... no." He says firmly after probably thinking it through. "I want to know what's wrong now."

"Sure," I started to walk away. "I think we need to talk somewhere more private. Follow me."

-------------------

"Umm. I feel like i'm violating your privacy." He stares at his repeatedly clenching and unclenching hands. He hasn't looked at me in the eyes since earlier. He was sitting on my workdesk chair facing my bed I was sitting on.

"Nah. I have nothing to hide. Anyway," I sighed. Nothing to hide except the one I was about to confess. I tried to look at him in the eyes but he refused my gaze. "Niall?"

He looks up at me and blushes the moment our eyes meet. He looks back down again. I felt my own cheeks heat up.

"My father is the head of the school and-"

"Really?" His head pops up, eyebrows raised.

"That's not the important part," I waved my hand. "He wanted me to-"

"I'd say that is very bloody important." He mused to himself. I gave him a solid glare. He straightens. "Sorry, continue."

"He wanted me to write a song with you for my final year project." I let the truth out. "He wants me to become more famous."

Silence.

"Niall?"

"And?" He says.

"What do you mean 'and' ?" I was baffled.

"What's the big secret?" He scratched his head.

"That was it. Me writing a song with you. That was the secret." I put my hands out.

"Sure." He shrugs.

"Sure, what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, i'll write a song with you." He smirks, leaning back on the chair. "I'm flattered, really. Famous and everything."

I gaped.

"It's how the industry works, I know how the game is played." He tilted his head as if examining me. All shyness from before was gone. "Plus, there's no shame in collaborating with people you admire."

Oh my goodness. This boy is seriously in and over his head! But a strange sense of relief washes over me nonetheless. I suddenly felt embarrased with myself. Haf I been overreacting this whole time?

"Who said I admired you?" I blushed.

He stands from the chair, seemingly more confident.

Winking, he grinned. "Well, who said anything about you doing the admiring."

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Hey anyone who is actually reading this. Hello to no one if no one is reading this HAHA. Sorry for such a late update (late being an understatement). I had O levels last year and its was stress ttm. Early this year I took a break from everything. AND NOW I'M BACK!

-Beastbane