Niall:
Laugh. A musical laugh. It was odd, but that was all I could hear. I've heard that laugh in everyone of my dreams for about three months. Something triggered it, I heard it on the street; or while I as in a concert or interview. All I knew was that I heard it and no there is no way I can't hear it. It's beautiful, but it scares me. I'll walk down the hallway and the steps underneath my feet giggle. The door's air whizzing by plays the sound. The rustling of tree branches at my window at night echo the musical tune to which it's an unforgettable sound played over and over. I heard it behind me as I was walking down to the music shop on Fifth's Street in the rain, and I chased the sound all the way back down to the park on Third. It was driving me insane, yet I yearned for it more and more.
I strummed the guitar once more, not really thinking about the cords coming off of my fingertips. The door to the soundbooth opened and played the laugh again, and I almost yelled in frustration.
Why won't it leave? Who's is it? Where are you?
Harry my bandmate walked through the opening of the door that made the haunting and sighed.
"Niall what's up with you lately? You aren't ever paying attention. I called your cellphone twice and you didn't pick up. Is there a special lady or something?"
I was a bit taken aback at how straight forward he was with his approach but I guess everyone including myself has seen that I'm not at all around whenever we have discussions. I'm elsewhere. Tracking a sound that belongs to no one; like trying to outrun a treadmill. Sometimes I have fantasises about who the laugh belongs to. It is definitely a girl, but whom? Blond hair? Brown? Short, or tall? Blue eyes or green? And the most haunting question...is she even real?
"NIALL!" I jumped out of my chair and my guitar fell and clanged onto the ground, creating the beautiful sound once more.
"No. It's not a girl, it's no one. I haven't gotten much sleep lately, is all." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and say that yes, Harry had called twice and my ringer volume was all the way up.
He sighed and shook his head, and said that I should go take a nap then.
"Goodbye Harry."
As I walked out the door I couldn't tell if the laugh was inside my head or outside, but all I knew was that I heard it again.
I yelled in frustration and kicked the side of the wall.
Why do I have to be the one who get's a laugh replayed over and over in their head like a catchy jingle on a car commercial? Why me, the one in the band who needs the most work with their singing, be the one distracted? Why not Harry? He has such a beautiful voice he can handle being paranoid, because he wouldn't even have to come to rehearsals honestly. Should I see a therapist? What would I tell them? I hear voices? Ha-ha no, that's pathetic.
I walked further down the hallway and went outside of the building and slid down the wall until my legs were tucked into my chest and my head was on my knees.
"Roses are red
Violets are blue
You're stuck in my head
I can't forget you
Your laugh like music
On a sad rainy day
It echoes in my head
Like a record kept on replay"
I muttered the terrible poem to myself and pulled out my pen and notebook from my back pocket and jotted it down. For now it will do.
I felt a wet spot on my nose and looked up at the sky filled with dark clouds. Oh the joyful weather of London.
I pulled myself up off the ground and walked down the sidewalk home; not missing the sound of the little giggle every time I stepped in a puddle or the rain hit the pavement.
I hummed to myself a bit to keep myself calm as I noticed the sky was turning a bit darker and the rain was only getting heavier. When the first clap of thunder hit and lighting flashed across the sky my walk turned into a full on sprint and I had nothing on but a white t-shirt.
I yelped and slipped on some mud and splashed into a puddle of rain water.
There. The giggle. But this time I was positive I hard it out loud. I opened my mud-covered eyelids and followed the long legs in front of me up to reach a face. A blue eyed face. With the curliest auburn hair I had ever seen, and the cutest freckles just dotting her nose. She let the world hear her beautiful laugh one more time before another clap of thunder cut her off.
"Here let me help you up."
She took a hold of my hand and pulled upward with her tiny petite frame and sure enough I was back on my feet.
"Th-thank you." Curse me and my stutter.
She threw her head back and laughed once more and I watched with a blush as her curls bounced all around.
"My names Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Margarette-Leanne Peters, but you can call me Gwen."
Gwen. I new for a fact that the laugh was now going to be accompanied with the name every time it felt like haunting me again. Gwen.
"Niall James Horan, but I'm Niall. I like your name Gwen."
She blushed a bit and bit the inside of her cheek, and I wondered if it was because she recognized me or because she was cold.
We both jumped at the sound of the thunderclap and her curls stood up from the electricity of the lightning. Now it was my turn to giggle.
"Stop it Horan. It's not funny. Now come with me I have a Starbucks to close down to and you are dripping wet; and well, so am I. Let's go.
And go we went.
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End chapter 1! Due to the fact it is 11:44 pm on a school night, it's not my best. Don't crucify me.
~J
