Little Shy Ariel (ft. Harry Styles)

Chapter 31 - Birthday Presents

Chapter 31 - Birthday Presents

Scared, trembling and with a giant lump in my throat I leave the backstage and go willing to join the party. I think I’ll only last three seconds before I die of a panic attack.

No need to remind me you can’t die from a panic attack, but let me tell you, it doesn’t feel like that when you’re having one.

There are so many people around and I can’t breathe. I hug myself and I try to make my way without bumping into anyone. My eyes always looking for Harry, for that person who can make me feel safe in this sea of people. But I don’t see him around and I start thinking that maybe I should go. It’s getting out of hand for me, I honestly think my heart is going to jump out of my chest any minute now.

I decide there are too many people and I won’t find Harry. I should’ve told him to meet me somewhere. I was naïve to think I would just found him among all these people. So I turn around, ready to go back home. I did what I had to do, it worked amazingly, now I’ll go home, lie in bed and just remember what it felt to hear all those people clapping because they liked the song. They liked our work with Mare.

But as I turn on my heels to head back home I actually bump into someone. I react by instinct: I step back, I hug myself, I look down and try to get smaller, I try to disappear.

“Ariel, are you okay?” the person asks and only then I look up, still hugging myself. This person knows me.

My eyes widen when I see Niall with a concerned expression and his hands trying to reach me. I stand straight and blink away the anxiety. I know Niall, I’m okay here.

“H-hi, Niall. I’m… I’m okay,” I reply trying to smile and fighting to make my heart calm down. The anxiety that took over me when I realised I had bumped into someone is hard to push back, so I have to work hard on this.

“I… Harry told me you weren’t coming. Does he know you’re here?” he asks me and I shake my head.

“It… it was gonna be a surprise,” I say and he smiles, his hands falling to his sides and his expression softening.

“I would go after him but he disappeared after the presentation. It was amazing. Did you see it? The song was amazing and that girl, wow, the energy of that girl is so contagious,” he compliments and my smile is so wide. Niall liked the song!

“She’s amazing,” I say, proud of saying she’s my friend. “She’s Mare, my friend.”

“You have a very talented friend, Ariel,” he says smiling and I don’t even mind if he doesn’t know I wrote the song and that it’s our work, not just hers. I’m just so happy that he liked the song.

“I do,” I reply feeling more like myself by now. It’s good that I bumped into Niall, someone I know and I’ve talked to before. It makes things easier.

“Can I make you company until Harry appears? To be honest I don’t want to be here but I’ll gladly stay for you,” he offers and my smile widens even more. “Unless you were leaving,” Niall hurries to add and I shake my head.

“I want to see Harry before leaving,” I reply and he nods.

“Let’s go for something to eat, then. The snacks are amazing, believe me,” he adds laughing so I go with him.

It’s really nice to have Niall with me right now, having someone kind of familiar to face the crowd. I realise that if I focus only on his presence it’s easier to block out the rest and it’s not that overwhelming. It’s actually bearable and I’m glad I actually came. In my mind this party scenario was so much terrible and I have to admit that whilst I was alone I was drowning in my own anxiety, but now I’m handling it.