You Still Run Through My Head

The mouth-watering aroma of pumpkin spice along with various other blends floated around Niall's nose while chatter inside the small building filled his ears. It had been a while since he had stopped by and visited the little cafe; a favorite of his to be honest. In just a few short years after One Direction were able to rise to fame almost overnight, his life was immediately flashing right before his very own eyes.

One minute the group would be rehearsing tracks for a new single, the next minute Niall would find himself in front of thousands of people as the group accepted another new award. The travel from country to country, continent to continent was endless. Being so caught up in work from time to time put a huge weight on his shoulders but then again it was worth it.

With each new visit to America brought joy to his heart in hopes of spending an hour or so at the cafe only a few miles outside of Los Angeles. Whenever he truly desired a homemade brew of delicious mocha mixed with crème he had to settle his cravings with a dull blend of mixture from Starbucks or with a lack buzz from the nearest can of energy drink the guys had left in the refrigerator on the tour bus.

Now that he was back home, he hoped things would've lingered on a bit longer. Gripping the white cup into his frail hands, Niall let the delightful taste of the soothing concoction flow down the back of his throat; maximizing the richness of the flavor. His eyes fell onto the beautiful scenery before him once he placed his now empty cup onto the table.

It was in that very moment where he took in everything around him - the people, the atmosphere, every little thing which crossed his path. Time had definitely changed and he was certain about it for a fact. What time had done to the small cafe he held dearly in his heart had affected him as well, maybe even more.

No longer was he the same boy who appeared in front of four judges on X-Factor simply praying to take the world by storm. Surely, to everyone and before the cameras he seemed to be carefree and eager to see where this whole experience with the group would take him next in terms of happiness and living a wonderful life. Behind the scenes on the other hand was a completely different story.

What he hid behind his gorgeous smile told a tale of misery and unrest. Away from the cameras and millions watching his life unfold, Niall laid restless night after night. There were even days when he couldn't even glimpse at himself in the mirror, the faint image of his dismal reflection haunted him terribly. Relentlessly, memories flooded his head at a steady pace creating even more havoc than before.

But that was only for a few hours to come; now he was at peaceful serenity at the cafe.

The waves crashed calmly against the sand; back and forth. He felt himself glued on how perfectly the early sunrise accompanied the gorgeous beach causing the ends of his lips to curl up. It was the epitome of beauty right then and there. The only thing that bothered Niall the most was knowing it would be all over soon. And he was right at that point.

"We should get going," Paul whispered from across the table. "Management called to remind you about the interview.

Fixing the blue baseball cap on top of his hat, Niall adjusted his gray sweatshirt in the process. The black sunglasses which concealed his royal blue orbs titled a bit at the figure before him. With a frown on his face and his brows furrowed, right away he ushered for Paul to sit back down. A part of him was still hesitant on having to leave a place such as this and heading back into a dull, old boring regime.

"Just give me a second," Niall pleaded as his blue eyes softened at the requesting behind the black frames upon his face.

Easily, Paul could sense the discomfort with the boy while glancing over at his dismal figure. A sigh left his lips while his own colored orbs stared once more at Niall.

"You have no more than five minutes Niall," he explained, "And I mean it."

With the shake of his head, Niall quietly reassured Paul before pulling out his iphone from his coated pocket. After dialing a few numbers, the phone was gently pressed up against his ear awaiting a response on the other line. Anxiously, he hoped for the one person he knew could calm his dreadful nerves even just for a little while.

Despite his wish, he ended up letting himself down yet again. The familiar sound of his girlfriend's voicemail brought him back to reality; a place he despised more than ever before. Then again, he remembered beforehand how much of a letdown trying to stay in touch with her had been ever since their long distance relationship began.

Honestly, there wasn't much he could do at that point in time.

For his current girlfriend, Barbara, was on a plane at the moment to New York. Another day, another additional photo shoot further away from where he was presently at. Even though they had been together for almost a year, they barely were able to spend any time with the other.

Whenever he was away, she'd be at home. He could be finally off from tour and she would already be miles away in a press meeting or preparing for a new show on the runway. Niall simply hated the fact that he only saw her in the tabloids rather than in reality. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going back home to the empty apartment they shared together once the tour made its way to New York.

What was the point if she wasn't there? Two people make up a relationship and he just couldn't stand to be on his own all alone.

"Can we leave now Paul?" He whispered to the security guard, not to loud in an attempt to hold back his tears. Unlike everyone else in the band, Niall had always had a hard time keeping his emotions discreet with others around him.

It didn't take Paul long to understand what was truly going on with him. The sounds of sniffles and sobs coming from Niall's direction gradually increased while Paul got up and instantly rushed to the boy's side in hopes of comforting him to the best of his ability.

With a strong arm draped around his shoulders, Paul escorted out a now teary-eyed Niall. As the pair began to exit the building, Niall felt himself collide with another, smaller figure in the process.

"Sorry," he muttered before he passed the woman. Instead of getting upset, the woman merely uttered back a simple "that's okay" but it wasn't the gesture which through Niall off; it was her striking appearance.

Before he could take another glance at the somewhat memorable persona, he felt himself being carried away back into the sleek, black car Preston, his second security guard, had waited for him in. All he was now left with was depressing memories brought about by the small lady inside the cafe as he sat in the back of the car by himself - alone with his thoughts.