Canon

I hadn’t seen or heard from Niall in over a week. The silence was deafening. I sent a couple of texts over the last few days but I never got a response. The news about Jack was hitting him hard. I reach out to Greg, who still hasn’t heard from him since the brawl in the kitchen. Greg had been laying low at Denise’s apartment, still sporting his black eye and red nose. Bobby wasn’t much help, he could barely remember who Niall was. He was drunk, again, when I stopped by his house after gym the other day. I sit in home room, starting to wonder about something Bobby said right when we made it back to Niall’s apartment. He insisted that he didn’t buy the beer, it was just outside of Niall’s door. Almost like it was waiting for him. It wasn’t Greg and it definitely wasn’t Niall. Damon? Damon knows all about Bobby’s trouble with alcohol, he basically reminded me outside the school a few weeks back.

‘So, are you in?’ Rose questions, crashing into my thoughts, ‘I need all the hands I can get Lizzie.’

‘What were we talking about again?’ I shamelessly ask, ‘Sorry, I sort of tuned out.’

‘Prom!’ Rose speaks, exasperated. ‘I’m heading the prom committee this year and I need to make this year better than any prom this school has ever seen!’ She snaps her thin fingers at me, ‘I need you on this. Maybe, I could put in a good word to get you and Niall as this year’s king and queen. I’m not making any promises but I will see what I can do.’

‘Alright, alright.’ I nod, giving in, ‘I will definitely put in the man-hours. Will you please calm her down?’ I direct my attention over to Zayn. Since Niall’s absence I had been spending a lot of time with Rose and Zayn.

‘Hey, don’t look at me. I’ve been trying to get her to chill out ever since she’s started this. From sun up to sun down it’s prom for her.’

‘I am so glad I have such supportive people in my life,’ Rose chimes in sarcastically, ‘Do you think Niall could offer up some time after school to help Zayn out with the backdrops? They have some sort of weird relationship that I don’t get but Zayn doesn’t seem to mind working with him.’

‘Um, I honestly wouldn’t know. Niall’s sort of been MIA for the last week. I don’t think he’d commit to anything like that right now.’

‘Yeah, where has he been? I haven’t seen him in Chemistry all week.’ Rose glances up from her phone curiously, ‘You two good?’

‘Yeah, we’re good. I just think he doesn’t want to be bothered right now.’ I offer a shrug looking down, suddenly so interested in my Trigonometry notes. The more I thought about, the more I wondered if Damon was behind Bobby’s drunken outburst. ‘Hey, Zayn. Can I ask you something?’

‘Sure, you can ask but I can’t guarantee you’ll get an answer or even like the answer.’ Zayn takes his dark eyes off of Rose as she ties her smock around her waist in Art.

‘Do you know anything about Niall’s dad? Have you heard anything from Louis or Damon, possibly mentioning him at all?’

‘Bobby? All I know is 99% of the time he’s drunk and the other 1% he’s out buying more beer to get drunk. I haven’t seen him in ages actually. As for Damon and them, ever since I sort of “turned a new leaf”, I’m not exactly in their inner circle. Damon says they can’t trust me like they used to, I’ve gone rogue apparently.’ Zayn sighs, twirling his art brush around with his fingers, ‘But I’ll see if I can find out anything from Louis.’

‘Thank you!’ I breathe, feeling more at ease. I definitely didn’t want another run in with Damon, especially after our parking lot encounter.

During lunch, I slip away from the prom committee to try to call Niall. Of course, it goes straight to voice mail for the umpteenth time. I didn’t know whether he had it off completely or just my number blocked.

‘Hey,’ I speak lowly after the beep, ‘I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. I also want to remind you that I’m always here for you. Dr. Werner came in late and dropped her coffee all over her papers, I’m sure you would’ve just loved that. It’s not the same here with you. I miss you. Call me, if you feel like. I love you, Niall.’ With that I hang up and head back to help Rose before she explodes.

‘So, I may have heard something.’ Zayn speaks coyly after gym. ‘Don’t get too excited because it’s not much. I told you they don’t trust me.’

‘What’d you hear?’

‘Well I asked about Niall, you know, just wondering if he knows where he’s been hiding at lately. I told him that you were bugging me about it. Louis slips up and says something about how some people just can’t hold their liquor. I’m guessing he’s talking about Bobby, I’m not sure. That’s all I could get out of him before John’s SUV pulled up.’

‘Thanks anyway.’ I sigh, heading off to the parking lot to try with Niall one more time.

The moment I pull into his parking lot, he’s already peeling off through the exit. He’s going so fast that he doesn’t even look around to see me right behind him. Without thinking, I decide to see where he’s going. I take a page out of my dad’s handbook and stay two or three cars behind at all times. My dad used to take me with him on stakeouts when my mom was working. I promised not to tell in exchange for playing with the lights. Niall finally comes to a stop outside a familiar house. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but I knew that I had been here before. He tiredly drags himself to the door and bangs on it loudly. No answer. He bangs again with his foot. I get out the car to wordlessly watch as his thin leg repeatedly collides with the wood. Finally, it comes down. He disappears inside without glancing around.

‘Niall, what the hell are you doing? Whose place is this?’

He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t bother look up at me. He walks throughout the house, tossing aside things as he went. By the time, the two of us had been in there for over five minutes it all started to look familiar. This must be John’s house. I remember coming here with Greg and Rose when we were looking for Niall months ago. He opens dozens of cans of beers just to throw them on the floor.

‘Niall, we really need to get out of here before they come back. They will kill you.’

‘No, you need to get out of here.’ He speaks harshly finally directing his attention to me. His usual deep blue eyes, were sunk in with the weight of the world. His dark hair was sloppily over his head, like he had been laying on it for days. His shirt was dirty and his jeans were stained. ‘If it’s a goddamn war they want, it’s a war they’re going to get. Tear up my life, I’ll tear up yours.’

‘Please, come with me.’ I plead, carefully stepping over the pile of liquid and cans. ‘Please. They were at the school with Louis earlier so they’re probably on their way here. You need to go.’

‘I want them to come – so I can end this shit once and for all.’

‘Niall,’ I repeat hastily, ‘If you have ever loved me, for even a second, you will leave this house with me, right now.’ I was playing the love card, I was desperate. I would say anything to get him out of this house. ‘I am begging you to leave with me. Please.’

Niall sighs as he walks out the front door, allowing me to pull him through the grass to his car. He opens his door and slides inside tiredly. ‘Can I come over?’

‘I’m not feeling company right now.’ Niall stares blankly at the empty, gravel road in front of him, ‘Lizette, do not follow me again.’ With that his car roars to life as he disappears off the street.

I decide to get off the street before John and Damon return. Niall was broken and I didn’t know if anything could make his pain go away. Nothing I did or said was working. Back at home, I twirl the spaghetti in front of me, not feeling so hungry. ‘What’s the matter?’ My dad finally questions, ‘Having boy trouble or do I not make it as good as mom?’

‘It’s fine,’ I stifle out a laugh, ‘I’m having some trouble with Niall.’ I confess, turning to my dad about issues with Niall was something I would have never imagined. ‘He found out some bad news and he’s sort of checked out on me. I gave him a week but it’s not helping. I think that he needs to be around someone who cares about him at a time like this.’

‘I think that you should tell him that but I also think that people need time to process their thoughts on their own time. You’re in a tough spot right now, where you want to respect his privacy but you always want to help. Just be open and honest with the guy, maybe he’ll surprise you.’

‘Thanks.’ I smile before slipping away from the table to clear my plate. ‘I’ll be back before curfew!’ I call rushing out the door.

Niall’s Point of View

I sit on the floor, once again staring at my gift to Jack. He didn’t want it. Tara still isn’t talking to me so I guess that’s over. I tried to throw it away but I couldn’t. As someone knocks on the door, I pull the bottle from my lips.

‘What are you doing here?’ I question, as Lizette pushes her way into my apartment. She glances around at the empty beer bottles and back at me. Disappointment. I knew that look all too well. ‘I’m pretty sure that I told you I didn’t want company.’

‘I’m not company,’ she clarifies sitting down on the sofa as she makes herself comfortable, ‘I think we’ve been through way too much for me just to be seen as something as generic as “company” – don’t you?’

I press my tongue against my cheek, at a loss of words. She doesn’t say anything else as she kicks off her shoes and turns on the TV. I sit down silently beside her with yet another bottle wrapped in my hand.

‘What do you want to watch?’ Lizette inquires taking her eyes off the TV to look at me, ‘I think I’m in the mood for a rom-com.’

Stubborn as always.