Niall Horan Imagines 2

Lonely (Request)

Opening my eyes, I saw Mel smiling down at me.

"Are you gonna get in or not?" she whined, and I closed my eyes again, slipping my sunglasses back on my head.

"I'm tanning," I reminded her, and she scoffed.

"Whatever," she chuckled, and I heard her splash back into the pool. I settled back in my chair, wondering if I was burning or not.

As the summer came to a close, I found myself getting more and more stressed about school and all my upcoming obligations. Even though I knew I would get to spend even more time with Mel and all my friends, I felt loneliest during the colder months. And yet I chose to sit alone, only warmed by the sun, during the last week of summer vacation. I guess I was preparing myself. 

"Hey!" I heard Ollie shout, and I opened my eyes once more, putting on my sunglasses to shield myself from the warmth of my only company. I sat up to meet him, expecting his grin but not receiving it. 

"Mel said you're being a buzz-kill," he said sternly. I chuckled, shrugging. 

"I'd just rather tan than swim at the moment," I told him, and he squatted down in front of me, squinting. 

"Are you in there? Hello?" he teased, waving his hand in front of my face. "Usually you're the first one in." I nodded, knowing he was right. I wasn't quite being myself. 

"That's true," I sighed, seeing his smile pop back up. 

"C'mon then," he spoke, holding out his hand and looking at me in a way my brain wanted to mistake for something I hadn't felt in a long time. Ollie was just my friend, nothing more. But as he stared at me, I felt the loneliness in my heart deepen, remembering that the more-than-friends aspect of my life had fallen to ruins a long time before that.

I took his hand anyway, pushing away false thoughts of fondness, chuckling lightly as he pulled me quickly towards the others. He jumped in with them, and I watched him splash around with Mel, and the rest of our friends followed suit. It was a slow day at the pool, so I was about to get in near an emptier, shallower space when Mel stopped me. 

"How about the diving board?" she spoke up, pushing her hair out of her face. I shook my head quickly.

"I'm fine with just this," I smiled, looking away quickly. I wanted to push the subject away, as I always managed to do when they brought it up, but they were persistent that time. 

"Ah, c'mon, it's so much fun, and it's almost the end of the summer," she sighed again, swimming in front of me so I couldn't jump in. I folded my arms over my chest, sighing out. 

"I got up to get in the pool for you. Don't make me do more than that," I spoke up, playing around but desperate, too.

"Fine." I smiled at her defeated smirk. A little distracted and about to jump in, my feet left the ground, but then I felt arms wrap around my waist. I flipped around to tell off who'd done that, seeing Ollie's smirk.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, throwing me over his shoulder. Hanging partly upside down, I tried to wiggle out of his grip, seeing that we were headed to the diving board.

Dread filled my veins, and I felt lonely in that moment, too. No one was listening to the protests of a girl who couldn't swim in water deep enough to be under a diving board. 

He put me down, and I shook my head immediately, partly to shake off the anxious dizziness, partly to protest anyway.

"I don't want to," I told him, seeing everyone else trailing after us, my breath becoming rushed. He pouted.

"Scared of the deep end?" he teased, and I struggled to think of what to say.

"Ollie," I sighed, lowering my eyebrows at him. He nudged me a little with a somewhat threatening hand. I pushed it off.

"Why are you getting so defensive?" Mel laughed, actually wondering. I furrowed my eyebrows, seeing the lifeguard eyeing us under the shadow of the umbrella that hid his face. 

"It's just water," Ollie reminded me, and I nodded to myself, mostly. 

It's just water, I said once again in my head. But that didn't change what talent I lacked.

I walked up one little step to the diving board, realizing how my fear would seem irrational to them. The diving board was only a foot above the water. But that was the problem. The water. 

I turned to look at them, and Ollie's eyes lit up. 

"Big jump now," he nodded, and I stuck my tongue out. Turning back to what seemed like utter doom, I continued on.

As my feet met the end of the last stair, I felt the cold board meet my toes. Looking out over the water and seeing how calm it was, seeing how deep it was, really reassured me that I really couldn't do it. But maybe drowning was better than telling them I was scared anyway.

I hesitated near the edge, not knowing if they were saying anything to me from the pure volume of the blood pumping in my ears. 

I turned around, expecting to seeing them laughing at me, but I only saw the color of Ollie's hair smashing into me and then feeling my body hit the water. 

I sunk down, immediately feeling my lungs intake water. I struggled to find the surface, not sure what to do with my legs. The bubbles from my impact tickled my skin, alarming me further. I started to panic when I really couldn't find the surface, feeling that pit of loneliness deepen in my stomach again. 

But then, a hand grabbed mine, pulling me to the long awaited surface. I inhaled quickly, immediately coughing when I could breathe just a little bit. I hacked up nothing, held by someone who didn't feel familiar. 

"Are you okay?" they seemed to be saying. I opened my eyes, sure that they were very red, staring at the guy who'd saved me. With his face so close to mine, I guess I didn't feel lonely anymore. He looked like he was actually sorry for me. I hadn't experienced that in a long time. 

"Are you okay?" he asked again, and his ocean blue eyes almost frightened me at how intently they looked into mine. I nodded barely, turning to cough again and the arm wrapped around my waist made me start to heat up.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he exclaimed, and I quickly flipped to look at him. For a second, I'd thought he'd begun to go off on me, but when I saw the water in his eyes lighting on fire as he glared at the group of people that I called my friends, water didn't scare me as much. 

"What kind of person would do that? Even from where I was sitting I could see she was afraid? Are you actually that dense?" he shouted, his voice echoing off the water and their guilt. My heart raced at the emotion he was putting in. He breathed out loudly, extinguishing the fire inside of him just a little as he looked back at me. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" he wondered lightly, and I felt completely relieved for a few reasons. One, I found something beautiful to look at. Two, I wasn't going to drown and didn't want to anymore. 

And three, I'd found someone who didn't make me feel lonely. 

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thanks to NIALLERSPRINCESS1123 for requesting! i hope you liked it! 

I love you all so much sigh

i'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long. i'm gonna try to post everyday over this break from school I have, okay? kill me if i don't

i hope you all have a merry christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays! can you believe it's almost 2016? holy crap

more to come! 

Mel x