Blind date (n.s)

14

The doctor had sent me on a one week break because of my nose. From the medical perspective that was a good thing, but for my mental health it was torture. Sitting home all day with nothing you can do, because you're not even allowed to clean is pure horror. My thoughts were constantly chasing each other around my head and there was nothing I could do to make my brain stop thinking.

Janet had decided to stay at mine. I knew, she only wanted to help me, care for me and be a good big sister. But it made me feel like a baby. Like I was someone you couldn't leave alone even just for one second.

Julia phoned me every evening. She had told me she did that because she wanted to know how I get on and how my nose is doing. But I knew that she did that because she felt bad and like she had let me down. She wanted to clear her own conscience.

Shawn had stopped by one time after his shift was finished. We hadn't talked much. He only apologised and told me that Louis nose was broken. Not a surprise.

Louis and me hadn't talked nor texted or telephoned. I had a little nagging feeling inside of me that told me I should say sorry for breaking his nose, but my honour was in the way. I was always the one who apologised just to make everything okay again even if that meant that I would hurt my own feelings by doing that. I didn't want to give in this time. Louis fucked up, so it was his job to apologise first. Not only apologise, he had to admit he had been the one who had been mistaken.

The weekend had been bare able. I had told Alice that it only had been a little fight and even though she hadn't believed me, she hadn't bothered me by asking more questions. Most of the time I had slept. Always not more that two hours at once.

Now it was Thursday. The flat was empty, the only things that were on tv were cooking shows and soap operas, and my brain wanted to know if dying my hair blue would help my mental health to recover.

Blue would suit me and bring out my eyes even more. But I'm probably too old to be doing fancy things like this.

The door bell rang.

It couldn't be Alice nor Janet and I didn't want to open.

But the person outside my door wasn't giving up that easily. The tone of the bell got annoying and my unwanted visitor didn't seem to stop ringing it anytime soon.

I groaned and got up from the couch.

"Hi Niall"

"El? What are you doing here?" Of all people I wouldn't have expected Eleanor in front of my door. "Come in"

After she got rid of her shoes and jacket we sat down at the kitchen table.

"What happened to your nose?" She asked me, observing my face.

"Long Story" I sighed and smiled a little.

"Uhm, okay. You don't have to tell"

"Do you want anything? Coffee, water, juice?" I offered to get the subject away from my nose.

"No, thanks I'm fine." She said fiddling with her fingers. "I came here to talk about Louis. We broke up."

"I know"

"Of course you do" she nodded. "You're his best friend so yeah, that was to be expected."

"El, why do you want to talk to me about Louis?" I could tell that things were serious and I didn't want to be held up with unnecessary stuff. "If you think I'd judge you because of the break up, I don't. I don't judge or hate or blame you for anything."

"No, no I know you would never do that. But..." she looked up from the table and looked at me like she was scared I would kill her. "Niall, I'm pregnant."

Harry POV 

"Good thing you kicked him out" Liam said taking a sip of his soda.

"I thought I couldn't hold it anymore. When I saw him punching Niall, I just wanted to smash the shit out of this bastard" I said through gritted teeth.

"You have such a crush on this Niall" Liam wiggled his eyebrows.

I shook my head. "No"

Liam laughed and patted my back. "You answered way too quickly, mate"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, yes I do like him."

"Have you seen him since Friday?" Liam asked, waving the waitress over to pay.

"No, unfortunately not. I'm worried, though. His nose looked real bad and he was also quite shocked. And I don't even have his number."

"You'll have to wait until he turns up at the KIWI again, I guess" Liam gave the waitress some money before slipping his coat on and getting up. "And he should come in within the next five weeks otherwise you'll be off to Japan and since you don't even have his number it'll be hard to stay in touch with him."

I nodded.

Niall had to turn up before I had to leave. I couldn't stand the thought of flying away without knowing how he is. Liam might call it a simple crush, but I knew for a long time now that Niall wasn't only my crush. When he met this stupid bloke on Friday, I could have bursted because of jealousy. That was crazy. I didn't know much about Niall and we had only talked twice or so. Like a real conversation. Fridays were my favourites because I knew he would be there until one o'clock and I could see him dance and laugh and maybe even speak a bit with him.

I wanted to ask him out but somehow I never found the words to do so when I had the chance. Normally, I'm not the kind of guy who gets so nervous around people. I'm a barkeeper, it's basically my job to flirt and laugh with my guests, but around Niall everything of this seemed to fade away. He was so different. But in a good way.

Every time Niall told the whole pub on Fridays with which hopeless types of strangers he had been on a date with, it made me feel so unsure. He seemed to think that all those dates were only jokes and as bad as I wanted to ask him out I didn't want to be next joke.

I told myself every time I was too shy to ask him out that I'd have plenty of chances. That I'd ask him next time. But now the time seemed to be slipping through my fingers. I liked a guy I only had a name of. And soon I'd be gone and the only thing I'd take with me was his name and the images in front of my inner eye of him dancing, laughing, drinking and talking. Just because I was too afraid to ask. Damn, I was a joke. Maybe he wouldn't come within the next five weeks and then it was really too late.

Thanks a million