liar liar ➵ 5sos

2

⠀Be Careful What You Wish For

"But doesn't hypnosis make you say stuff you don't want to say?" Michael asked.

"Is there something you can't tell us?" Niall responded, tilting his head.

Michael looked down and shook his head.

"Good. Let's start."

Niall stood up and shut off all the lights with a snap and lit several sweetly scented vanilla candles that were on the table. Then he stood back and hummed.

"I'm going to count down from one hundred, and as soon as I touch all of you, you'll be in my control." He said.

Niall began."One hundred. . . Ninety-nine. . .Ninety-eight. . ."

Five . . .

Four . . .

Three . .

He touched Michael's forehead. Luke unncrossed his leg.

"Two . . ." He slowly touched Calum, then Ashton, and then moved to Luke. "One."

Luke's eyes sprang open before Niall could reach him. He jumped and ran to the window.

"What the f-" Niall whispered. "Sit down Luke, you're ruining the moment!"

"It-it's too dark in here" Luke reached up and opened the curtains.

"No. It has to be dark. That's how it works."

"No it doesn't.." Luke trying to wrench the stucked blind free.

"No, it does."

Luke frowned. "I want it lighter. Maybe everyone does."

Niall looked at the others. Their eyes still shut.

Luke wouldn't give in. "It doesn't always have to be the way you want it, you know, Niall."

"Fucking close them."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Take a pill."

"You should take a pill."

Luke and Niall stared at each other for a few moments.

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know what, just-just leave."

"Fine." Niall strode outside.

But after a few minutes passed, Luke followed him. The evening air was still, and there weren't any lights on in his house. It was quiet-too quiet.

"Wait!" Luke cried. "Niall!"

But Niall was gone.

.

.

Calum, Michael and Ashton rubbed their eyes. "I just had like, the weirdest dream-shortest dream." Calum said. "Niall fell into this deep well."

"That was my dream too!" Michael and Ashton said in sync. They looked at each other.

"It was?" Calum asked.

Ashton nodded, "Well, there was this big ass plant. It might've been a shadow, but it was definitely Niall."

"Wow," Calum whispered.

Michael looked around. "Where's Luke?"

Just then, Luke burst into the room.

"Where's Niall?" Michael asked.

"I don't know.." Luke whispered.

The boys fell silent.

.

.

.

The next morning, they still hadn't heard from Niall. The boys called one another to talk.

"Do you think he's mad at us?" Michael asked.

"Nah, I'm sure he's somewhere having fun," Calum said quietly.

One by one, they got calls from Mrs. Horan, asking whether they've heard from Niall. At first all the boys covered from him.

That afternoon, Mrs. Horan called again, this time in panic. By that evening, the Horans had called the police, and the next morning there were cop cars and news vans outside the house.

The summer turned into the school year, which turned into the next summer. Still no Niall. The police continued to search quietly. The media lost interest too. Even the Horans moved out of Sydney almost two and a half year after Niall disappeared. As for Luke, Calum, Michael and Ashton, something shifted in them too. Now when they walk pass Niall's house and glanced at the house, they didnt go insta-cry mode. Instead they felt something else.

Relief.

That was what they wished for. Sure, Niall was Niall. He was the shoulder to cry on, hang out with, somebody who could cheer you up instantly.

But the boys were afraid of him. Niall knew more about them than anyone else did, including the bad stuff they wanted to hide. It was horrible to think Niall was dead, but if he was, atleast their secrets would be safe.

And they were, for three years, anyway.