Extinguish.

Chapter 13; The Strumming Of Emotions

Niall's POV

Dear somebody,

Today is my first day of school. I'm scared as ever. They are going to make fun of my burned face. What do I do?

-Niall Horan

I wrote in my red notebook, closing it and tossing it into my bag.

I looked in the mirror.

"You can do this." I repeated over to the shaky body.

"You can do it, I know you can." I stared at him in amazement of how shaky this challenge can make him.

And I stared at him thinking how that could even be me.

"Ni, you alright in there?" Liam pounded on the door.

He can be a bit too over protective at times.

"Coming." I stated trying my best to sound calm.

I flushed the toilet making it sound like I was using it, then washed my hands.

I walked out into Louis' upstairs marble hallway with a worried Liam outside the doorway.

"Ni you okay? You have been in there for-"

Ignoring his question completely, I ran up to him and gave him a giant hug never wanting to let go.

"I really don't want to go." I whimpered into his shoulder.

I could tell he was feeling terrible too.

"Ni, we will make it through this together. Me and you! Nobody will hurt you, I'm here." He pulled my tear-streamed face off his shoulder and smiled as he spoke his meaningful words.

My heart beated to an unknown fast song that goes beat after beat after beat, getting faster as the seconds past by.

Liam held a finger up, meaning to wait, as he left me alone in the cold marble hallway.

I felt the beat in my head, through my fingers, and in my heart.

The process repeated over and over getting faster each beat.

It was a never ending rhythm.

Liam came out of the room he had disappeared into and kept his hands behind his back.

"This will make all your stressing go away.." He placed his hands away from his back, holding out a wooden guitar that my grandmother had given me.

The guitar was a light tan color, not too dark. The six strings were all different colors, lowest one being the darkest bronze and the highest being a bright silver. It was decorated in stamps from different places, like Spain and France.

I took the guitar carefully from his hands and strummed cords that I wished would never end. I played a mysterious song, making up each note as I strummed. Liam watched me with a smile, proud of how far I've come with playing it.

Liam was the one who got me interested in playing in the first place. He was in his small obsession with instruments, the obsession he had before his superhero one. He wanted to play an instrument so badly, so he choose piano. And gave up the week afterwards complaining 'I can't reach the keys' 'it's too hard' 'I'm too busy' 'how do you do two hands' he told me that I should play an instrument too so we could play together and I did. Liam, Harry, Louis, and I all went to a music shop in town with money our parents had given us. As Louis, Harry, and Liam were banging on the piano, hoping to get a song out of it, I discovered the most beautiful instrument. The guitar. It was too high for me to reach on the shelve so I starred at it in awe from a distance. Once an employe got it down for me, I knew it was perfect. The string made the most beautiful sounds. Each strum I could feel in my fingers and go through my body. So I bought it. And I practiced. I took lessons. And I practiced some more. Louis picked up piano, learning a few songs. We would play together and I have to admit, we were good. Then, before my Grandmother passed away she gave me her most favorite thing in the world, her guitar. She played a melody before she passed away, that I still have trouble remembering today. I know one day I will find that melody though. And I will play it just like she did.

I strummed my anger out, my sadness, and my fear.

Once I had finished the strumming of emotions Liam adjusted my beanie.

"Ready to go Ni?" He asked me with a smile.

"I'll never be ready." I frowned back but walked down the stairways with him where we met our moms all adoring our outfits.

"Niall! You look better then ever! Are you all packed and everything?" Liam's mom asked me as I gave her a quick nod and patted my backpack.

I was wearing a white tank top with a baby blue jean jacket I paired with dark washed jeans that rolled up at the bottom, blue vans, and a white beanie.

Harry wore a black and white baseball T-shirt that said 'The Hendrix' on it. He paired that with some dark washed jeans and a white beanie.

Louis wore a green hoodie, although Liam and I complained that he would be hot, he got moody and we left him alone about it. He paired the hoodie with dark washed jeans and a green beanie.

Our bags were stuffed with binders, notebooks, and pens making it heavy for us to carry.

"Two minutes until the bus comes Niall, you feeling alright?" My mom hugged me knowing how afraid I was.

Actually no, nobody will ever understand how afraid I am.

"I believe so." I responded with, hugging her back and sighing.

We all waved bye to our tear filled moms and walked outside, waiting for the bus.

And as soon as that bright yellow bus came, I knew I was going to regret getting on it.

_________________

Hiii

I had to post this twice because I closed the app on accident when trying to find the guitar gif

Ugh

Oh well I still really love the way it came out

And I suck at playing instruments.

You should hear my friend Madison though omg she's amazing. So she plays and I sing even though I sound like a cat that got thrown in a garbage bag.

Tomorrow I have school ew

On Tuesday I'm doing a run and all my friends and coming to support me and I'm so excited omg

Yay

-Chloe 🎻🎶