Canon
sixty three.
‘Niall, please, think about what you’re about do.’ I plead, reaching out to grab a hold of his tattooed arm. He effortlessly tugs away from me, not bothering to look back. ‘Niall.’
‘What the hell did you just say?’ Niall repeats his words from a few moments ago. ‘Say it again. I swear to God one of you better start talking before I-…’
‘Niall,’ Greg starts shakily, running nervous hands through his dark hair, ‘he’s drunk. Don’t listen to him.’
Denise attempts to pull Greg away but his heavily-worn Converse were planted firmly against the hardwood floor. Bobby throws his head back with laughter laced with arrogance. What was left of his family was about to crash and burn right in front him yet he was loving every second of it. I wondered how he’d feel once he’s sober again. I study Greg as he avoids eyes contact from every angle. From me, from Niall, and even from Denise. He couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere but the floor. It had to be true. Didn’t it? Greg and Tara? Jack was actually Greg’s son – not Niall’s.
‘Don’t be all shy now,’ Bobby sloppily chimes back in to the conversation, ‘Go ahead, tell your brother how you knocked up his little girlfriend on your trip to Mullingar. Go ahead, tell him how you begged to keep it a secret when you found out.’
‘Niall, it was not like that.’ Greg defends, shaking his head rapidly.
‘Then what was it like?’ Niall questions, dropping his arms to his sides with tight fists. ‘Either it’s true or it’s not.’
‘I didn’t know until-…’ Greg starts but is quickly cut off by Niall’s fist connecting his jaw.
Greg falls back into Denise nearly knocking her over just before Niall grabs the collar of his shirt to hold him in place. His fist collides with Greg’s face a solid five or six times. I stumble as I try to pull Niall off of his older brother. Denise is in the background, screaming like she was starring in a horror movie. Bobby leans against the counter as happy as a kid on Christmas. Everything was happening so quickly I couldn’t process it all. Denise pleads with Niall trying to pull Greg from under him. The blood from Greg’s nose made my stomach turn with the irony smell. It was like someone filled the room with thousands of sweaty pennies. Niall’s lamp is knocked over, sending shards of glass all over the floor. Empty beer cans were being trampled by their bodies as the two rolled around on the floor.
‘Lizette, help me! Please!’ Denise cries out, crashing into my thoughts. I look down at my hands which were shaking uneasily. My mouth felt uncomfortably dry as I attempt to call out to Niall. I rip his shirt in the process of trying to separate the two brothers.
‘Get the fuck out! All of you.’ Niall nearly fall as his stands to his feet, grabbing the back of his dad’s jacket. I watch wordlessly as he throws Bobby nearly onto his face in the hallway before slamming the door causing the walls to shake.
I wondered if this meant me too. I debated on leaving, to give Niall time to process what just happened. I glance down the dark hallway to see Jack standing there with a horrified expression on his face. Niall’s phone and headphones slowly drop from his small hands. I look back in the living room at the glass and small specks of Greg’s blood on the floor. I’m guessing he saw most of what just happened. His bottom lip pops out as he furrows his eyebrows. I knew this look all too well from being around Elijah. There it is. Throwing his head back, he breaks out into a full on, loud sob. As I try to comfort him, he repeatedly begs for his mom. Niall looks at me before letting his eyes fall on Jack. He takes one more glance before grabbing his hoodie and storming out of the apartment.
‘Shh, Jack, it’s okay. I’ll get your mom.’ I promise as I wrap my arms around him, ‘Let’s call her now.’
I grab a hold of Niall’s phone to find Tara’s number and call her. Jack still cries in the background causing her to frantically ask what’s going on. After talking to her for about five minutes, she decides it’d be best for Jack to leave tonight. I avoid all of her questions about what happened, not wanting to say it over the phone and especially next to Jack. I text her Niall’s address before sitting Jack down in the living room while attempting to clean up the aftermath. Tara sends a reply almost instantly saying that they would be on the highway within the hour. Jack finally stops crying as he stares at the Good Dinosaur movie, I thankfully found on Netflix. A little after two in the morning, Tara sends a text saying she’s downstairs in the lobby.
‘C’mon Jack, mommy’s here.’ I grab a hold of his hand while throwing his duffle bag over my shoulder and pulling his small suitcase.
The moment Jack spots Tara he runs full speed, leaping into her arms. I take a second to look out into the dark parking lot, Niall’s black Mustang was missing from his usual spot. Tara’s mom quickly grabs up Jack’s things walking them off to the car waiting. ‘What happened? Where’s Niall?’ Tara finally acknowledges my presence.
‘Niall’s scary.’ Jack frowns shielding himself in Tara’s collarbone. Hearing Jack say that broke my heart. I knew if Niall was here to see it, he’d never forgive himself.
‘Niall left. Bobby told everyone the truth about Greg being Jack’s F-A-T-H-E-R.’ I take the time to spell it out, not wanting to traumatize Jack any more tonight.
I watch as Tara’s realization sets in as she places a hand over her mouth. I couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or going to be sick. Probably a combination of the two if I had to guess.
‘How could you?’ I whisper as her mom returns to take Jack to the car, ‘You let him think that Jack was his. You let him get close to him when you knew the truth. How long did you think it would be some dark family secret?’
‘You don’t get to judge me,’ She hisses back, ‘I panicked! I didn’t expect Niall to be at my uncle’s house that day. What was I supposed to say when he looked just like a Horan?’
‘Well you’ve ruined a family because of it.’ I mutter walking back towards the elevator.
I was stuck in Niall’s apartment all alone without a car. I wouldn’t dare ask my dad to pick me up from my boyfriend’s apartment at two in the morning when he thinks I’m at Rose’s. I would be grounded until I left for college this summer. I had never been at Niall’s apartment alone, especially at night. It was eerie. It seemed much darker than it usually did. I curl up on the sofa with the blanket from Niall’s bed, waiting for him to walk through the door. I fall asleep watching a door that never opened. The next morning, I decide to get a ride from Rose before my dad sent out a search party of his police buddies.
‘So, are you going to tell me where you were this weekend and why I had to cover for you?’ Rose questions curiously taking her eyes off the road with an oncoming smile, ‘a little getaway with Niall?’
‘Something that like that.’ I stifle out a laugh, shaking my head at her.
‘Bye, see you tomorrow!’ She cheers as I slide out of her shiny, red convertible.
‘See ya!’ I wave hurrying into the house.
My dad was at the table reading his paper as he did every Sunday while my mom was making breakfast. I lift Elijah in my arms as I sit down at the table. Somehow, he had gotten so big in such a short amount of time. I smile at how pure and small he was. He hadn’t yet been tainted by lies or the troubles of life. I wish that he could stay this perfect and innocent forever. I think about Jack and how his face was burned in my mind. I can’t shake how scared he looked.
‘Someone’s quiet this morning,’ My dad comments as my mom sets down the plate of pancakes in the center of the table, ‘too much fun at Rose’s last night?’
‘Yeah, I’m just really tired.’ I shrug attempting to eat without an appetite.
I send Niall a text, just one. I wanted him to get the space and time he deserved. I told him how Jack was hone and how I left the apartment. I knew he wouldn’t respond, mainly because his phone was on the dresser in his room. Maybe if he came back he’d bother to look at his phone, or at least that’s what I told myself. I spent my Sunday going through the list of requirements from Georgetown and tackling the rest of my Trigonometry homework. Of course, this pleased my dad. I lost count of the amount of times I checked my phone hoping for a response from Niall. It didn’t come. As I walk down the hall heading to homeroom, I wondered if Niall would bother to show. He didn’t. For majority of the day, I was Rose and Zayn’s third wheel – during homeroom, during art, during lunch, and during gym. Before, heading home I decide to stop by his apartment to see if he came back this morning. I hesitantly pull out the key he gave me and slowly press it into the door. I twist it but the door doesn’t open. The deadbolt.
‘Niall?’ I call out, lightly tapping on the door. ‘It’s Lizette.’
Niall’s Point of View
I hold my breath as Lizette repeatedly taps on the door, trying to get in. She calls me as she relentlessly twists the doorknob. I couldn’t see her, not right now. That annoying ass lump rests in my throat as I see the dinosaur I bought Jack on the floor in my room. I should’ve did a lot worse to Greg when I had the chance. The fucking nerve. I felt like the biggest dumbass in the world. Like all of them secretly laughed behind my back.
‘Niall, please.’ Lizette knocks again, I hate the feeling of disappointment that rested in her voice. ‘Alright, I’m going to go now, but I want you to know that whenever you need to talk or not talk I’m here, okay? I love you.’ She speaks one last time before her footsteps disappear down the hall.
I throw my head back against the door, sliding down as I bring the bottle to my lips once again.
‘What the hell did you just say?’ Niall repeats his words from a few moments ago. ‘Say it again. I swear to God one of you better start talking before I-…’
‘Niall,’ Greg starts shakily, running nervous hands through his dark hair, ‘he’s drunk. Don’t listen to him.’
Denise attempts to pull Greg away but his heavily-worn Converse were planted firmly against the hardwood floor. Bobby throws his head back with laughter laced with arrogance. What was left of his family was about to crash and burn right in front him yet he was loving every second of it. I wondered how he’d feel once he’s sober again. I study Greg as he avoids eyes contact from every angle. From me, from Niall, and even from Denise. He couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere but the floor. It had to be true. Didn’t it? Greg and Tara? Jack was actually Greg’s son – not Niall’s.
‘Don’t be all shy now,’ Bobby sloppily chimes back in to the conversation, ‘Go ahead, tell your brother how you knocked up his little girlfriend on your trip to Mullingar. Go ahead, tell him how you begged to keep it a secret when you found out.’
‘Niall, it was not like that.’ Greg defends, shaking his head rapidly.
‘Then what was it like?’ Niall questions, dropping his arms to his sides with tight fists. ‘Either it’s true or it’s not.’
‘I didn’t know until-…’ Greg starts but is quickly cut off by Niall’s fist connecting his jaw.
Greg falls back into Denise nearly knocking her over just before Niall grabs the collar of his shirt to hold him in place. His fist collides with Greg’s face a solid five or six times. I stumble as I try to pull Niall off of his older brother. Denise is in the background, screaming like she was starring in a horror movie. Bobby leans against the counter as happy as a kid on Christmas. Everything was happening so quickly I couldn’t process it all. Denise pleads with Niall trying to pull Greg from under him. The blood from Greg’s nose made my stomach turn with the irony smell. It was like someone filled the room with thousands of sweaty pennies. Niall’s lamp is knocked over, sending shards of glass all over the floor. Empty beer cans were being trampled by their bodies as the two rolled around on the floor.
‘Lizette, help me! Please!’ Denise cries out, crashing into my thoughts. I look down at my hands which were shaking uneasily. My mouth felt uncomfortably dry as I attempt to call out to Niall. I rip his shirt in the process of trying to separate the two brothers.
‘Get the fuck out! All of you.’ Niall nearly fall as his stands to his feet, grabbing the back of his dad’s jacket. I watch wordlessly as he throws Bobby nearly onto his face in the hallway before slamming the door causing the walls to shake.
I wondered if this meant me too. I debated on leaving, to give Niall time to process what just happened. I glance down the dark hallway to see Jack standing there with a horrified expression on his face. Niall’s phone and headphones slowly drop from his small hands. I look back in the living room at the glass and small specks of Greg’s blood on the floor. I’m guessing he saw most of what just happened. His bottom lip pops out as he furrows his eyebrows. I knew this look all too well from being around Elijah. There it is. Throwing his head back, he breaks out into a full on, loud sob. As I try to comfort him, he repeatedly begs for his mom. Niall looks at me before letting his eyes fall on Jack. He takes one more glance before grabbing his hoodie and storming out of the apartment.
‘Shh, Jack, it’s okay. I’ll get your mom.’ I promise as I wrap my arms around him, ‘Let’s call her now.’
I grab a hold of Niall’s phone to find Tara’s number and call her. Jack still cries in the background causing her to frantically ask what’s going on. After talking to her for about five minutes, she decides it’d be best for Jack to leave tonight. I avoid all of her questions about what happened, not wanting to say it over the phone and especially next to Jack. I text her Niall’s address before sitting Jack down in the living room while attempting to clean up the aftermath. Tara sends a reply almost instantly saying that they would be on the highway within the hour. Jack finally stops crying as he stares at the Good Dinosaur movie, I thankfully found on Netflix. A little after two in the morning, Tara sends a text saying she’s downstairs in the lobby.
‘C’mon Jack, mommy’s here.’ I grab a hold of his hand while throwing his duffle bag over my shoulder and pulling his small suitcase.
The moment Jack spots Tara he runs full speed, leaping into her arms. I take a second to look out into the dark parking lot, Niall’s black Mustang was missing from his usual spot. Tara’s mom quickly grabs up Jack’s things walking them off to the car waiting. ‘What happened? Where’s Niall?’ Tara finally acknowledges my presence.
‘Niall’s scary.’ Jack frowns shielding himself in Tara’s collarbone. Hearing Jack say that broke my heart. I knew if Niall was here to see it, he’d never forgive himself.
‘Niall left. Bobby told everyone the truth about Greg being Jack’s F-A-T-H-E-R.’ I take the time to spell it out, not wanting to traumatize Jack any more tonight.
I watch as Tara’s realization sets in as she places a hand over her mouth. I couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or going to be sick. Probably a combination of the two if I had to guess.
‘How could you?’ I whisper as her mom returns to take Jack to the car, ‘You let him think that Jack was his. You let him get close to him when you knew the truth. How long did you think it would be some dark family secret?’
‘You don’t get to judge me,’ She hisses back, ‘I panicked! I didn’t expect Niall to be at my uncle’s house that day. What was I supposed to say when he looked just like a Horan?’
‘Well you’ve ruined a family because of it.’ I mutter walking back towards the elevator.
I was stuck in Niall’s apartment all alone without a car. I wouldn’t dare ask my dad to pick me up from my boyfriend’s apartment at two in the morning when he thinks I’m at Rose’s. I would be grounded until I left for college this summer. I had never been at Niall’s apartment alone, especially at night. It was eerie. It seemed much darker than it usually did. I curl up on the sofa with the blanket from Niall’s bed, waiting for him to walk through the door. I fall asleep watching a door that never opened. The next morning, I decide to get a ride from Rose before my dad sent out a search party of his police buddies.
‘So, are you going to tell me where you were this weekend and why I had to cover for you?’ Rose questions curiously taking her eyes off the road with an oncoming smile, ‘a little getaway with Niall?’
‘Something that like that.’ I stifle out a laugh, shaking my head at her.
‘Bye, see you tomorrow!’ She cheers as I slide out of her shiny, red convertible.
‘See ya!’ I wave hurrying into the house.
My dad was at the table reading his paper as he did every Sunday while my mom was making breakfast. I lift Elijah in my arms as I sit down at the table. Somehow, he had gotten so big in such a short amount of time. I smile at how pure and small he was. He hadn’t yet been tainted by lies or the troubles of life. I wish that he could stay this perfect and innocent forever. I think about Jack and how his face was burned in my mind. I can’t shake how scared he looked.
‘Someone’s quiet this morning,’ My dad comments as my mom sets down the plate of pancakes in the center of the table, ‘too much fun at Rose’s last night?’
‘Yeah, I’m just really tired.’ I shrug attempting to eat without an appetite.
I send Niall a text, just one. I wanted him to get the space and time he deserved. I told him how Jack was hone and how I left the apartment. I knew he wouldn’t respond, mainly because his phone was on the dresser in his room. Maybe if he came back he’d bother to look at his phone, or at least that’s what I told myself. I spent my Sunday going through the list of requirements from Georgetown and tackling the rest of my Trigonometry homework. Of course, this pleased my dad. I lost count of the amount of times I checked my phone hoping for a response from Niall. It didn’t come. As I walk down the hall heading to homeroom, I wondered if Niall would bother to show. He didn’t. For majority of the day, I was Rose and Zayn’s third wheel – during homeroom, during art, during lunch, and during gym. Before, heading home I decide to stop by his apartment to see if he came back this morning. I hesitantly pull out the key he gave me and slowly press it into the door. I twist it but the door doesn’t open. The deadbolt.
‘Niall?’ I call out, lightly tapping on the door. ‘It’s Lizette.’
Niall’s Point of View
I hold my breath as Lizette repeatedly taps on the door, trying to get in. She calls me as she relentlessly twists the doorknob. I couldn’t see her, not right now. That annoying ass lump rests in my throat as I see the dinosaur I bought Jack on the floor in my room. I should’ve did a lot worse to Greg when I had the chance. The fucking nerve. I felt like the biggest dumbass in the world. Like all of them secretly laughed behind my back.
‘Niall, please.’ Lizette knocks again, I hate the feeling of disappointment that rested in her voice. ‘Alright, I’m going to go now, but I want you to know that whenever you need to talk or not talk I’m here, okay? I love you.’ She speaks one last time before her footsteps disappear down the hall.
I throw my head back against the door, sliding down as I bring the bottle to my lips once again.