The Bucket List (A Niall Horan Fanfic)

Chapter 37: Rejections and Refusals

"Dog pile on Hope!" I heard a scream as my mind snapped from sound asleep to wide awake. But it was too late. seconds later I had five 150 lb boys dog piled on top of me... again!

"Get off!" I screamed, trying to get out from under the pile of boys. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, I turned my head to see Louis jumping on the bed right next to my head, causing my body to bounce around with him and everyone else sprawled out on the bed. "Why?" I whined.

"Because Niall was supposed to tell you that we were leaving early this morning for New York," Zayn said grinning as he rolled right off the bed and land with a thud, causing me to break out in giggles.

"But he got a bit ... distracted," Harry said, making a kissy face at Niall who plunged at him in a play boy fight at the foot of my bed.

"The point is that you need to get ready because we're leaving for the airport in forty-five minutes," Liam said, rummaging through my suit case and throwing a flower patterned skirt and a laced white top at me. I caught them as I climbed out of bed, rubbing the left over eyeliner from last night away from my eyes.

"Oh gosh," I said glancing at myself in the mirror, "I'm surprised you didn't take one look at me and run out."

"Don't be silly," Niall said, deciding he was done with his play fight with Harry and getting up. "You look beautiful as always," he said, laying a kiss on my nose.

"Now I know you're lying," I said, pointing at him, before I headed to the bathroom. Half way through pulling my skirt up I realized what leaving in forty-five minutes meant. I was supposed to go in to the office to talk to Mss. Carol. "Guys do we have to leave early?" I asked, emerging from the bathroom as soon I had changed.

"Yeah," Liam said, with his gaze hidden in his phone.

"Fine" I said, grabbing my own phone and rushing the boys out of my room.

"Mss. Carol?" I asked after dialing her number. I needed to explain to her that I didn't want my articles published.

"Yes?" she asked. "It's Summer. I would've come in and talked to you in person, but my flight to New York got rescheduled. I just wanted to talk to you about the articles. I-"

"Oh, Don't worry," she cut me off, "Annabelle came in this morning and explained everything to me."

"Oh," I said, surprised with how calm she sounded and that Annabelle had gone in and explained that I didn't want my articles published when she was dead against it, "Okay. Well I have to run. I'll talk to you later." I wasn't going to tell her that I didn't want to work for tTeens over the phone.

I craned my neck to get a better look at the bustling city through the tinted windows of the SUV. It was just like in all the movies and songs. New York. Streets crawling with yellow cabs and buildings climbing so high that it feels like they'd never end. Advertisements that hang in all their glory, sucking in every glance that happens to pass by. And of course the bright flashing lights, ready to capture any passerby. Yes. This was New York.

"Look it's you!" I practically screamed, grabbing Niall's arm as we past a cab that had a picture of the boys on the top of it.

I looked back at Niall who was smirking at me like I was some nube... yeah... I get that a lot.

He took my hand off of his arm and laced his fingers in mine.

"Where are we going away?" I asked, playing with a strand of my hair. I watched intently as Niall got something out of his back pocket. It was my list. He unfolded the faded paper and pointed at number fourteen. Take a picture with someone I love in Time Square. "I don't know," I said, jokingly hesitant, "Liam's not here. Who am I going to take the picture with?" "Yeah okay," Niall said, giving me a light push. It ended up sending my upper body flying across the car. "You know I have the worst balance combined with absolutely no strength," I said, straightening up and Niall chuckled an evil laugh, letting me know that he knew very well and would use it to his advantage. I shook my head at him, playful scolding.