[ chapter ten ♡ ]

.

Harry : hey natalie natalie natalie

NAT!

Me : yes bby

Harry : did you check your mail yet

Me : no why

Harry : jUST DO IT GO CHECK THE MAIL!

Me : ok ok wait a second

Harry : did u check it

Me : i havent even got up wait a second

.

I end up getting off the couch and sighing since I had to leave such a comfortable position.

Walking across the lawn and to our white yet dented and slightly dirty mailbox, I lazily opened it and felt through it.

My hand immediately lands on a small box, and my eyes widened.

I smile slightly, biting my lip to keep from grinning so wide.

I pull it put, not really caring for the other letters in the box up to this point, but I got them anyway.

I was just about to walk back inside until I hear someone call my name.

"Nat!"

I turn around, the Irish accent immediately familiar to me.

He seemed to be in a jogging attire, slightly sweaty and out of breath as he sets his hands on his knees.

"Hey, Niall."

"What you got there?"

"None of your beeswax leprechaun."

"Excuse me." He playfully gasped, setting a hand on his chest. "I happen to be flying back to Mullingar in a few weeks, these are probably the last moments you'll ever see me."

I frowned at him. Niall has always been my friend, ever since freshmen year actually. Everyone wanted to be friends with him actually, but he didn't like the people who talked to him. It was.. Weird how we met.

.

{ f l a s h b a c k }

Being a freshmen sucked ass.

I was scheduled to get my braces off next week, and honestly I was celebrating and practically dancing mentally in this head of mine.

"Yo yo Nat!" Alex does a weird hand sign and sits down next to me. Today was the second day of high school and I kind of hated it already, but you know.

"Yeah, sorry guys." A thick Irish accent filled my ears as Alex and I turned around curiously.

Ugh. There was Ava and Elizabeth, the two wannabe populars. They were popular in middle school I guess, but it was honestly stupid how they still seeked the same attention in high school. It was harder, seeing that there was shitloads of other people they had to compete with.

"Come on, Niall you can come sit with us." Ava hummed, making Alex roll her eyes for a long time.

"If he doesn't want to, you probably should give up the thotiness." I say out loud, even though I didn't even mean to.

What the hell is thotiness? I've always had a problem with biting down on my tongue.

"What? Natalie Rose speaking up to me? Who would have known?" Ava makes a snarky comment and I'm about to pounce on her until Alex immaturely throws a nugget at her.

I laugh, Niall laughing a little too.

She rolls her eyes.

"I think Niall would rather sit with us, right?" Alex smirked. "I mean, anyone than you or Elizabeth would be twenty times less torture."

"World staaaar!" I say in my announcer voice, really loudly as some people had turned the scene making Alex snicker.

"Come on Niall." Elizabeth glared at both of us, about to drag him away.

"Uh, no I think I'll just hang out here." He says, a smirk growing on my face.

Ava huffed. "I hate Irish people anyway."

"Yeah." Elizabeth stupidly agreed with her as they strutted away.

"Thank God." Niall breathed out. ''They were all over me ever since Algebra."

I laughed, popping a fry into my mouth. "Yup, well that's Ava and Elizabeth."

"Alex and Natalie right?" He pointed, both of us nodding.

"That's right. Niall?" I pointed as he nods, sitting down across from us.

Alex curiously reaches over, tugging at his hair. "Is this natural or dyed?"

"Dyed."

"Wow I wouldn't have noticed. Well, I have red hair right now, but I just want to re-dye it to blue but--"

"Alex! Babe!" Max was walking past us, winking at her. I nearly spat my food in disgust.

"Fuck off Max." She flipped him off as he smirked triumphantly.

Idiot.

"That's Max, he's a dick don't associate with him whatsoever." I say.

"Ah." Niall shrugged. "Well it's kind of hard going to a completely different school now that I think of it. I only have like one friend right now."

"Really? Who?"

.

{ f l a s h b a c k e n d s }

That's all I remembered that day, I practically saved Niall's ass from the two girls. They reminded me of annoying snakes I just wanted to throw off a cliff.

I hug Niall at the memory and he seems clearly surprised, so do I. But we've been friends for a long while now, so I considered hugging him before he left.

"Woah.'' He chuckled but he slowly relaxed and wrapped his arms around me in a tight squeeze. "Wanna join me for the rest of my jog?"

I shrugged, smiling. "Yeah sure why not. Let me just drop this stuff inside."

"Natalie? Agreeing to jog? I never thought I'd see the day when--"

I shush him, making him laugh. "I'm not actually jogging okay, I'm walking."

"But--"

"Walking!" I say, running inside of the house.

I drop the package onto the counter as well as the letters and magazines that came in the mail.

I smile, running my fingers over the imprinted address. Fresh from England, this is.

Once I walk out, Niall is impatiently waiting as I smirked.

"Took you long enough." He grumbled as we both walk down the street.

I collect my dark hair into a ponytail, as I roll up my sleeves. It was pretty hot out, now that I think of it.

.

I felt kind of guilty that I didn't open Harry's little delivery first, but I clearly got distracted by Niall. And plus, he was leaving soon so I had to make the most of the time I spent with him.

"No Alex?" Niall clearly sounds surprised because we would always hang out.

Speaking of that blue haired smurf, where is she?

"Huh, I don't know."

Maybe she texted me and I didn't even realize.

And to (not so) my surprise, she did.

Alexandra : OMG NATALIE NATA FREAKING LIE

Me : lol whats good in the hood

Alexandra : I just scored a date with the surfer brit from the beach the other day ;) omfg

Me : ahhh he's daddy asf

Alexandra : YES YES YES

Me : get some brah

I get interrupted by Niall's laugh, as he reads our texts making me frown at him.

"Cállate niño." I hit him in the arm, making him smirk.

"And I'd just like to say thanks for helping me pass Spanish class for the past few years."

"You are horrible at spanish."

"What do you expect, I'm--"

"Yes I know exactly that you're Irish. But still. Your spanish skills are.. Muy mal."

"Cállate." He tells me this time, making me giggle.

.

After the jog that I seemed to regret going to, I was tired by the time I had gotten back home.

"See you soon, Nat." Niall lastly waved before I wave back and head inside.

I sighed, wiping my clammy skin. He forced me to jog, the few blocks home, threatening me that he'd actually leave me. That little shit.

I realized we had been gone for almost two hours, circling the entire neighborhood and back. Ugh.

I was about to decide on a shower, until I cursed, realizing I haven't opened Harry's package.

What is wrong with me? He might have texted so many times..

And I stand corrected as soon as I check my phone.

14 unread messages.

Harry : natalie did you like ittt

I spent so long filling that thing up with music! Phew.

Hey hey hey

Natalie?

Natttt

Why are you ignoring me?

Natalie omfg

Why did you leave

did i scare you

oh god

Please talk to me

Natalie?

I'm sorry

:(

Me : harry im sorry i got the package though!

Harry : why two hours though

Me : im sorry im sorry im sorry

Harry : what'd you do?

Me : uh well, I ran into Niall and I just got caught up i guess.

Harry : oh.

Well maybe you should just flirt with niall then

Maybe be with him too

You know, since he's PROBABLY got the luck of the irish

Me : srsly

Harry : im upset

Me : i said im sorry harry

Harry : i hate niall

I envy him

Me : envy what?

Harry : he gets to see you, hear you. All i get is reading your thoughts, and barely hearing you.

I groan to myself, feeling my heart fall. I didn't want this, Alex simply thrust this upon me and I didn't know what I'd feel.

I like him. Harry. And it drives me crazy knowing that I can't see him.

So I did what I should have done a long time ago.. I got all my courage, pursing my lips.

I tap the facetime button.

.