Loving Niall Horan

Chapter 4

STILL SEPTEMBER 13 (2014)

PASADENA CA

Niall Fact #4: these Niall facts are stupid the end.

Maddie's eyes bulge out of her head.

"HE WHAT?" She screams.

"He just gave me his number Maddie it's not that big of a deal." I flush, "And be quiet. You know these walls are made of paper." I gesture towards the grey and mint walls of my room

"OMG OMG you have to call him right now!" She ignores me, screeching and groping me, trying to take my phone. I slap her hand away and laugh.

"Are you crazy? No way am I calling him!" I try to talk sense into her.

"Ah. Trying to play the whole 'hard to get' thing I see." She smirks.

"No I-are you crazy? I'm not trying to play anything I just... I don't know him Maddie! I'm not going to just call some random guy I met at a concert."

"He's not some 'random guy' Ems. HE'S NIALL FUCKING HORAN!" She takes another dive for my phone and I dodge her, falling off my bed and onto the floor. I let out a loud yell as I hit the ground and she jumps on top if me, a huge smile on her face as she starts to tickle my sides. I burst out laughing and thrashing. If she, or anyone really, tries tickling me, they are responsible for their own injuries.

"Stop Maddie I can't breathe! I CAN'T BREATHE GET OFF ME!" I manage to choke out between laughs.

"Stop being a little hoe and give me the goddamn phone!"

"NEVER!" I yell back.

Suddenly my phone rings. Maddie stops tickling me and I fling her off, leaping up and yanking my phone out of my pocket.

You guessed it. It's Niall. I press the small "Ignore" button and Maddie gapes at me in astonishment.

"What... What are... You just ignored a phone call from one of the most famous people in the world!"

"I don't give two shits whether he's famous or not. I don't know if I can trust him."

"But... But... Gah!"

"Chill out Maddie." I scold her lightly, sitting back down on my bed.

"You know the words 'calm' and 'One Direction' just don't co-exist with me."

"Let's start with 'calm' and 'phone call from a stranger'."

"God I can NOT believe you! I'm going home. Text me babe." She sighs, grabbing her phone and running up my stairs. I hear her yell goodbye to my mom before slamming our back door and running over to her house, that's just two down from mine. I sit down on my bed, staring at the phone screen. I wonder if I should have answered. I would have if Maddie wasn't there, I mean, I was trying to prove a point. Maybe I should call him back.

"Emma! Come load the dishwasher!" I hear my mom call up the stairs. I take the stairs two at a time.

"Mom. It's..." I glance at the clock, "almost midnight and you're calling me up to do dishes?"

"Well you might as well do dishes while you tell me about the concert?" She chuckles and sits at the counter. I sigh and open up the dishwasher.

"So how was it?" She presses.

"Fun." I say shortly.

"Were the seats good?"

"Yeah they were amazing."

"Did you meet any boys?" She teases and I devote all my attention to the dishwasher.

"No Mom, are you crazy? It's a One Direction concert, there were probably a total of twenty boys in that stadium." I don't look at her and try to avoid blushing.

"Whatever you say." She chuckles.

"Can I go to bed now? I'm seriously really tired." I complain. She sighs and nods her head. I abandon the dishes and run down the stairs, free of my mother.

-----

SEPTEMBER 14 (2014)

GARFIELD PARK, PASADENA CA

"Aye I'm going I'm going!" I yell at my mom, closing the door. My creme tank top with braided straps flows around me as the wind blows lightly. My curly black hair is in a bride down my shoulder, sort-of Elsa style, but not nearly as neat. My worn jean short shorts hang loosely off my lean, smooth legs. I opted not to wear shoes.

"Come on." I urge Gretel. She doesn't need any more encouragement and soon I'm using all my strength to keep the hundred fifty pound German Shepherd with boundless energy in my control. I lean against the leash and take choppy steps forward. We walk a short ways to the nearby park, Garfield. I walk her there every day then have a great time wearing her out. The walk home is a lot easier.

The park is busy today, though not as busy as a Saturday. Lots of dogs and people and little children and a couple teenagers trying to act sketchy but they've come to the wrong place. Garfield Park is totally safe and family friendly. Now I sound like a commercial.

I bend down and unbuckle Gretel's collar, where she awaits eagerly for me to throw the tennis ball. I grab it with my right hand and fling it ferociously, with all the strength I have (which isn't that much let me tell you that). Gretel's doesn't wait a second, and bounds off.

"Emma?" I hear a curious Irish accent sing out to me. I freeze as I recognize it, and turn around to see none other than Niall Horan. What the hell is he doing here?

"Niall?" I say.

"Hey, long time no see right?" He jokes, chuckling and coming up to me.

"Yeah it's been forever." I laugh. I almost fall over as Gretel's practically body slams me, so excited to play. I yelp I'm surprise then laugh and crouch down, taking the tennis ball out of her jaws. It's wet and gross.

"Who's this?" He asks, excited.

"Oh this is my dog, Gretel." I say, smiling up at him.

"She's beautiful, can I?" He asks. I nod and he crouches down by me and starts scratching her ears and petting her.

"I've always wanted a dog," he says with that beautiful accent of his, "but I'm too busy with the band to be able to take care of one. I have a cat though, her name is Jess." He smiles at me.

"I've had Gretel for about six years now, she's seven." I say.

"Is she a purebred German Shepherd?" He asks and I nod.

"But what brings you out here? I'd have though you'd be caught up in the hotel room with a hangover." I raise my eyebrow and laugh.

"Nope, just out here and maybe slightly hung over." He admits, "I always like to walk around and see the city I'm in before we leave, and this park is the closest to our hotel." He says.

"Well, you chose a good park." I laugh.

"I Certainly did." He says seriously, staring at me. I laugh after a second of staring, breaking the seriousness and intimacy of the moment. I stand up and throw the tennis ball. Gretel is gone within moments. Niall watches the tennis ball and notices how far it (not really) goes. He raises his eyebrows at me and stands up.

"Let me throw it next time love, that didn't go far at all." He teases me, and I couldn't help but notice he called me love.

"Oh yeah? If you're so much cooler, you throw it." I challenge him. When Gretel comes back, he takes the tennis ball and throws it the way a pitcher would throw a baseball. It soars through the sky, and goes so far. That is, until it smacks into a tree. The tree halts its progress, and it doesn't go as far as mine.

"Ha! Take that!" I yell happily, throwing my hands into the air.

"Oh come on! If that stupid tree wasn't there I totally would've won!"

"Awh I'm sorry. Can't little baby aim?" I pout then laugh again.

" I can aim I just-" he stutters.

"Mhm yeah, that's what I thought." I laugh.

"You are so mean." He laughs and shakes his head, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"I know." I smirk.