My Mystery Girl Chapter 15

We get off of the plane and almost immediately we are surrounded by bodyguards.

        “Don’t want another New York accident now do we, Liam?” Marshall, a super tall and burly black man says. He looks like Will Smith from Men In Black; black suit, earpiece and some dark sunglasses.

        “Let’s move, boys!” Someone behind me pauses and then says, “and girls.” He must have just noticed that Alyx and Jenny are with us.

        We all head out to the limo parked outside. We don’t bother to get our luggage because Paul will pick it up for us like he always does.

        Some more bodyguards open the front doors for us. As usual, Marshall and his crew go before us to block the screaming girls from getting to us.

        “Oh my god, HARRY!” Some girls to our left shout. Their screams are so loud that my eardrums start to hurt but I don’t dare cover my ears.

        Harry walks over to the girls and signs some things before one of the guards pull him away.

        Hundreds of girls are calling our names as we try to make it through the crowd and to the parking lot. It’s hot and muggy so I can’t wait to get to the chilled limo.

        Lights start to flash as the paparazzi come in. I take Alyx’s hand protectively and hold her close to me. Several cameras turn toward us.

        “Smile.” I whisper in her ear. We both smile at the cameras as we continue to walk forward. They’re going crazy.

        “Liam! Is this your new girlfriend, Alyx?” A lady with a microphone asks me. I feel my shy and sweet smile come onto my face. My cheeks start to burn. I thought I was used to this. The questions and the interrogation. But now it seems like I just got famous, that this was all new to me. I smile down at Alyx who is staring at her feet, blushing.

        “Yes she is.” We finally get to the limo but before we get in, we hear another reporter trying to get our attention. Or, that is, Louis’ attention.

        “Louis! Introduce us to your new girlfriend as well!” Louis’ eyes pop open and he starts to stammer, obviously unprepared for the question. He’s probably feeling what I was just feeling. At least I’m not the only one now.

        “Jenny Waldman.” Jenny smiles and waves to the press. She looks up at Louis. A weird expression over takes her face as she takes his hand, pulls down on his arms and gives him a big kiss on the lips. Camera lights start to flash madly.

        Jenny pulls away with a huge smile on her face and she drags a still stammering Louis into the limo. Harry claps Louis on the shoulder in approval. Louis eyes are vacant but become clear when he looks at Jenny. He’s fallen for her. Everyone is smiling, the day has started off beautifully. Hopefully that will continue.

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Niall’s Point of View

My stomach knots as we step up on stage. ‘Just breathe.’ I tell myself. Remember what Alyx said to you before you went onstage.

        ‘If you start to get nervous, look back at me. I’ll be backstage cheering you on. You’ve been doing this for awhile now, Niall. You can do it again. Don’t let the crowds get to you.’

        A smile comes to my face as the words of advice bounce around in my head. Even though I’ve only known Alyx for a few days, we’ve gotten super close. On the plane over here, we both woke up when all of the others were asleep so we stayed up and talked for the whole rest of the trip.

Niall’s Flashback

        “Well, what do you want to talk about?” I ask Alyx. Liam’s head is resting on her shoulder as he soundly sleeps. Alyx looks over at me and smiles.

        “I have no idea. What is there to talk about?” She pauses and looks down at Liam. Her face brightens up and then she looks back at me.

        “Tell me what he was like when you first met him at the X-Factor.” I smile as a few memories come to mind.

        “Well,” I begin. “He was really shy, hardly said a word. I never really talked to him before we were put into a group. We all got to spend four weeks with each other before we actually had to perform as a group. He slowly started to open up to us. I wasn’t afraid to be myself and I think that helped him,” A smile spreads on her face as she starts to play with Liam’s hair. I smile at this too.

        “Soon enough, he was completely at home with all of us. We joked around, talked and did everything together. We became instant friends.” That’s really all I can explain to her.

        For a few minutes there is just silence. I look around the plane and everyone is still asleep. My brain is racing just to think of something to ask her.

        “Do you look more like your mum or your dad?” Start of with the basics. She stiffens and her back straightens. She stares at the back of the seat that’s in front of her before shaking her head and turning to look at me.

        “Some say I look like my mum, but she says I look like my.....my dad.” She looks down at Liam again and once again, plays with his hair.

        “Is that a bad thing?” I can feel my eyebrows knit together. She’s acting strange. Her head snaps up at my question.

        “Kind of. I haven’t seen my dad since I was twelve.” I reach my arm around Liam and rest it on her shoulders.

        “Come over here,” I point to the back of the cabin where no one else is sitting. She looks down at Liam and then back at me. “He’ll be fine. C’mon.” I stand up and hold Liam’s head as she slowly maneuvers out of his grasp. She puts up the armrest and I put a pillow under his head. Liam moans at Alyx’s absence.

        We walk to the back and sit down. She sets her head back and closes her eyes. I shift my weight and turn towards her.

        “Where’s your dad?” Her head slowly turns toward me. She blinks several times, obviously holding back tears. What have I gotten myself into?

        “Jail.” She croaks. My eyes pop open. I just can’t see her having a relative in jail. She seems like the girl who would have a perfect family; A mother who cooks dinner every night, a dad who would come home in a suit with a briefcase....that’s just what I had pictured.

        “Do you want to talk about it?” I whisper. I don’t know what it’s like without having a parent there. She’s had to live without her dad ever since she was twelve. I couldn’t imagine not having my dad around.

        She looks into my eyes and starts sobbing. Shock runs through my body.

        ‘What to do...what to do?” I think. How do you cheer up a girl in this situation? My mind is telling me that she doesn’t need that right now, that she just needs someone to care.

        I put my arms around her and pull her into me like a big brother would do to his broken hearted baby sister. I press my cheek against her head and rock her slowly back and forth. She wraps her arms around my waist, accepting the comfort.

        “It’ll be alright.” I murmur into her hair. I move my head down so that my face rests on her neck. I rub her back to try to calm her down. She’s shaking but her sobs are slowly dying down.

        She pulls her head up and wipes her eyes.

        “Thank you, Niall. You have no idea how much I needed a hug.” I keep one of my arms over her shoulders. One thing I learned from my mum is that girls like the attention to stay on them when they’re upset, and that they always need and open shoulder to cry on.

        “That’s what I’m here for. You and me, we’re gonna be best friends now, okay?” She smiles and nods her head then leans in for another hug.

        “Forever and ever.” She whispers. I’m still curious about her dad. What did he do? How long is he in for? Where is he exactly? Those questions will have to wait. She can tell me when she wants to.

        “It feels like I’ve known you my whole life,” I whisper. And it does. I feel like there is this force that binds us, this link. I feel like I know her and that she knows me.

        “I was just thinking about that. It’s weird. It’s like I already know you. I know I can trust you with anything.” She smiles and finally the tears stop. She yawns and her eyelids start to droop.

        “You should get to bed. We’re going to land soon.” I stand up and help her stand. She’s a little wobbly so I keep my hand on the small of her back. Soon, she’s back in her seat cuddling against Liam, asleep.

        I sit down in my seat and smile to myself. My brain has a smile on its face.

        “Niall?” I look over in Zayn’s direction. He’s up and looks wide awake. I wonder how long he’s been up.

        “Hm?” Is my response.

        “Be careful.” Is all he says to me. I open my mouth to question him but he just waves me off and goes back to sleep.

        Be careful of what?

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End of Niall’s Flashback

No time to reminisce, right now, my fans need me.

        Liam starts to sing the start of ‘One Thing’ and my stomach lurches forward. I stumble and clutch my stomach. Some fans gasp and the boys look back at me, still singing.

        ‘Not now!’ My brain yells but my stomach has made up its mind. I drop my microphone and run offstage and vomit into a bucket that just happened to be sitting backstage.

        “Oh god...” I moan. A soft hand sits on my back and takes my hat off. But I can’t turn and look before vomiting back into the bucket.

        “It’s okay, Niall. I’m here.” Alyx. Tears spring into my face as my stomach makes another uproar. Alyx’s hand is gone and I can’t feel her there. I start to worry. She just said she was there! She can’t leave.

        I jerk upward as something cold and wet lands on my neck.

        “It’s okay, Niall. It’s a cold washcloth. It’ll help with your fever.” Alyx says as she pats my back. A sudden pain in my throat erupts as I fall to my knees.

        “Alyx, Liam told me you could sing. Will you sing Niall’s solo?” Paul’s voice. He wants her to take my solo? I couldn’t think of anyone better.

        “I..uh....I c-..um...” She stammers.

        “Do it, Alyx. You’ll be great.” I manage a smile through my pain. I don’t get a response from her but soon enough, I hear questioning screams from the fans outside.

        And then she sings.

        My stomach tights in even more knots but this isn’t the knots I got when I felt like throwing up. No, these knots made me want to dance and sing. Her voice is ringing in my ears. All of a sudden, I’m on another world.

        Before I can blink, Louis’ solo comes.

        And people are....booing? No it can’t be. Her singing was amazing. Louis tries to sing through it but all of a sudden he stops.

        “Hey hey hey! That’s not very nice everyone! Niall is sick backstage and she is trying to keep the show going! Her voice is amazing and you should appreciate even getting to hear it!” Silence. I can almost picture Liam going over to Alyx and putting his arm protectively around her waist. I have to do something.

        I stumble upright and clutch my stomach. I wipe away the sick from my face as I stumble out on stage. I find my microphone and bend over to pick it up.

        I take a deep breath before heading up stage to face the crowd.

        “Who do you think you are to boo someone like Alyx? She didn’t want to sing in front of you! But she did to help me and she did it for the boys,” I gesture behind me to the boys. “Alyx has a beautiful voice and she was just trying to make you happy. She was asked to sing in my place. She didn’t volunteer. I can’t believe you guys...I love you all but still.” I throw the microphone down and walk back backstage shaking my head. The silence continues.

        I sit down on a speaker and hold my head in my hands.

        “Thank you, Niall. You’re a true friend.” Alyx says. I feel her lips on my cheek but just as quickly as they appeared on there, they are gone. I feel my face turn red and I look up only to see that she’s not there.

        “Thank you for doing that. I should have said something but I was just in too much shock to even move.” Liam says.

        “No problem. I’ll always stick up for Alyx. She is family now.” Liam smiles and pats me on my back.

        “She’s going back to the flat. You should go with her. She’ll take care of you and you can look out for her.” He’s the type of guy who would never leave any guy alone with his girlfriend even if it is his best friend. This makes me feel even more special that he trusts me this much.

        “Okay. Thanks, Liam.” He smiles and walks back onstage. I can vaguely hear him mention Alyx’s name. Either he’s introducing her or saying something about what just happened.

        Paul comes over to me and helps me up.

        “I’ll escort you to your limo. Alyx is in there waiting.” I slowly walk with him out the doors, the thoughts of today still going through my head.

        The driver opens the door for me and my heart leaps inside my chest when I see Alyx sitting in there. She smiles at me and pats the seat that is right next to her. I try to calm down my breathing as I get in and sit next to her. Me being sick sure is making me act funny.