Like Water {Niall Centric}

Chapter 4: Adjustments

It was a month since Niall had started at Nobility Prep, and he still had yet to fully adjust to the life changes. He hated that switching schools seemed to affect his whole life. The entire neighborhood gossiped and sweet talked him, ulterior motives clear as day. Niall had somehow gained a new social status, albeit minute, and they wanted part of it.

Ernest didn't mind the extra customers at his restaurant because of the blonde, only because he knew it wouldn't last long. Niall was irritated though because it meant more work for him. He knew people were just curious, but it was only a school. Plus, those rich snobs hated him.

He sighed as he took another order. The only good thing about going to Nobility Prep was that he could start work almost two hours later, courtesy of orchestra and choir afterschool. He had thought about tacking on art club, but he found himself wary of sharing his pieces to the judgmental aristocracy.

Ernest was busy cooking, so Niall remained quiet in between customers, lost in his thoughts. He hated going to school, a foreign feeling to him because he loved learning. He loved being around people, mostly his friends, but those had always been limited. Nicola was the only friendly face in that vile school, and she could barely defend herself, nevertheless, Niall.

Nicola. It brought a small smile to his face. She was different to his perception of the rich - kind, good sense of humor, and normal. Except when she handed him hundreds instead of fives, but he and his co-workers were grateful for the small fortune. Definitely helped pay bills and debts.

The rest of his shift passed in silence, the people slowly trickling out when they realized the blonde would not talk about his experience. Niall didn't want to burst their bubble, despite his dire need to share his harsh opinions on the people they admired. He only held back because he knew why they admired them; they wanted to be like them. Rich, carefree, satisfied. Niall was not as naive or hopeful as most in his neighborhood.

With a wave to his boss, who was quite fond of him and the feeling was mutual, Niall left and headed home. He liked to think that he was doing okay. Before Nobility Prep and right now, but deep down, he knew he wasn't. His family struggled financially as did everyone else in downtown Silas, fueled by their gambling habits and lazy business practices. Then, Niall got accepted to Nobility Prep and whenever his parents decided to open up shop, it was bustling. More talking happened than purchasing, but it was an increase in sales nonetheless. Despite that success, Niall was still lacking security.

He was terrorized in that damn school. The students despised him and that group of boys, who he actively tried to avoid, only made the bullying worse. He shivered at the thought of returning there tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that. He always counted down to the weekend. Those two days were solace, even with Claudia around to annoy him in ways only she could.

Once inside his apartment building, the shivers stopped, warmth flooding his body and thus, lifting his spirits. He walked upstairs and put the key into the doorknob belonging to his home only to find it unlocked. His parents are home. Strangely enough, he thought they might still be at their shop, Horan Designs, since business was doing better. However, upon hearing yet another horse race, he realized why.

He tried not to feel disappointed as he shuffled to the kitchen, going into the fridge to search for leftovers. He grabbed the tub of spaghetti and shoved it into the microwave, grabbing a fork before pouring a glass of milk to down as he waited.

Niall heard a loud creak and crash come from his bedroom, jumping before calming down when he remembered that Claudia refused to use the front door. She walked out of his room, Niall's parents unfazed when she greeted them. The blonde smiled, grabbing a second fork, so he could share with her.

"I bet work was busy again," She small talked.

"Yeah, I'm grateful, but I hate it. I feel that way about a lot of things lately."

The microwave beeped so he took out the container, grabbing a forkful from the middle to test the temperature. He frowned at the cold noodles in his mouth before shoving the spaghetti back into the microwave. Claudia watched silently, as if waiting for Niall to explain his feelings.

The blonde sighed; he did that too much. "I'm fine, really."

He wasn't sure he was trying to convince Claudia as much as himself. He could deal with the patronizing comments and defend against physical attacks, but the frequency and intensity was increasing. He wasn't sure how much more he could take until he snapped. It was never pretty when he got into one of his fits of rage.

~.~.~.

Niall hated gym least of all. She got to release her frustration through physical activity, leaving her too exhausted to care about punching the snobs around her. As an added bonus, she got to change in the bathroom, away from the rest of her peers and the prying eyes who wondered what Niall had below the belt.

The shorts she wore were shorter than her uniform skirt, which should have been against school policy, but even the boys had to wear those eighties-esque basketball shorts. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't appreciate the muscles some of her peers possessed, but she'd be damned if she ever got caught looking at their exposed thighs or biceps.

When the exercises were complete, the coach let them have free time, so Niall opted for running around the track. She loved running, her mind going blank as she focused on the burn in her lungs, the sound of her heartbeat in her ears, the sweat dripping down her hairline and back, and the solid ground beneath her feet. Focusing on sensation and not on her surroundings. It was another form of escape she liked to use.

To her dismay, three individuals blocked her path, Niall slowing to a stop a few feet away. Her chest rose and fell, muscles burning in a satisfying way. She said nothing as she made to walk off the track and around them, an arm shooting out to stop her.

Niall smacked the arm away, glaring as she tried again to walk past. The one who had been smacked, Niall recognized the boy from one of her classes, Julian, reached out again, grabbing the blonde's wrist tightly. Niall yelped, quickly tugging her arm back and stepping away.

"What do you want?" Suddenly, Niall wished she hadn't been running. She was tired, too tired to properly fight off three people. She'd have to make a run for it once again if they proved volatile. Which, the students always were.

"For your disgusting presence to disappear," The one in the middle, Niall thinks her name is Diane, spat, looking down her nose at him. "I'm sick of you passing in my line of sight every three minutes. And you're stinking up the entire field with your commoner sweat!"

Niall felt her right eye twitch, arms moving to cross over her chest as she cocked a hip, ready to fire back an insult. Before she could, the third one, who Niall did not recognize, pushed her. The blonde fell on her ass, teeth grinding together and palms slapping against the fine reddish-orange dirt. Her temper flared, eyes narrowing at the unnamed individual.

Niall stood up on trembling limbs, anger seeping into every crevice and projection in her body. Her exhaustion was forgotten, replaced by the desire to connect her fist into the three snobs' noses. It wouldn't turn out in her favor, of course, but the desire still remained.

"I think it's your hot breath and bad attitude that is stinking up this field," Niall finally replied, watching in satisfaction as Diane's eyes widened. "I didn't smell anything disgusting or fishy until you three came along. Now, get out of my way or I'll show you how to properly intimidate someone."

Niall was calm, too calm in her tone when she said it. An icy undertone that suggested she had no qualms with getting dirty. Instead of walking around them, Niall turned around and jogged down the track, hoping by the time she made it back around, they'd be somewhere else.

Luckily, they migrated to the bleachers, opting to glare at the blonde as she passed, Niall sending a cheeky wave whenever she did. Still, despite her outward appearance, Niall was anything but happy and unbothered.