Looking Through Stain Glass Hearts || Nial Horan Fic

Chapter 21

I don't know how long I had been sitting there balling but soon Sadie, Bonnie, Samantha, and Lila found me. They tried to get me to stand up but I was just too cried out I suppose, every move was like a million bricks on my shoulders, I felt down. I knew I had betrayed Hallie's confidence and gotten a little too close to Niall but revealing my audition tape and then cutting out the important part and lying, knowingly, just wore me down.

"You have to get up, Keigan. Hallie is making up all these lies about you and she is telling them to Niall and he doesn't seem like he is disagreeing. You need to get out there and prove all of it wrong," Lila protested to my dead weight approach, pulling my arms upward.

"I have no proof. I don't have my audition tape. I can't prove that I got here on pure talent and after watching the only part she showed, I not going to lie, even I would believe her story," I told her through teary eyes. I puled my arms back down to my knees and buried my head in them.

"You can't give up, these past few weeks, you and Niall have been brewing something! I can see it, if you would just somehow talk to him you could prove you're telling the truth," Sadie explained, always formulating a plan.

"You could perform for him! Play him a song on your violin to prove that you have talent," Bonnie suggested getting excited agreements form all the girls looking to me encouragingly.

"No, no, no. I'm not going to go back in that room. Everyone already thinks I'm some slut, I am in no way going to back inhere and make an even bigger embarrassment of myself," I muffled through my arms feeling completely defeated and mentally exhausted. I just needed to go home.

"Well, what are you going to do hon. Avoid them forever?" Samantha asked. And I raised my head and felt the cool air wash over my heated cheeks form all the salty tears.

"That's exactly what I am going to do. And the best way to do that is go home," I replied slowly feeling a tear at my heart strings.

"No!" they all protested at once and got down to my level all kneeling around me. Then I realized that it wasn't just Sadie, Lila, Bonnie, and Samantha. It was even proclaimed by Louis, Harry, Zayn, and Liam. I looked at them shocked and confused, I know I like to say they are my friends, but to know that they also didn't want me to go, made my heart swell.

"You can't go, that is just what she wants," Louis said quickly looking more serious than I had ever seen him.

"Yeah, babe, you've got to stick this one out," Zayn exclaimed looking desperate for me to stay as well.

After Liam tripped over some cables breaking the tension with his stunt, he always was really clumsy, but he sat next to me and side hugged me and said, "Niall does like you, and sadly he likes Hallie too. But I assure you if you stick it out and show him the real you, he will definitely warm up to you." Then I saw Sam put her hand on Liam's shoulder to thank him and he smiled up at her.

"This isn't something you take lightly, you know. Throwing away your dream because, that girl like, made a fake tape is just silly," Harry added in and smiled at me.

All these comments for me to stay were great, but talk is cheap. Just because they all y that things will get better once I stick it out doesn't really mean they will. And I don't want to wait around for them too, but Harry has a point. This is my dream and to throw it all away because of a boy, even if it is Niall Horan, is a silly reason.

"Okay, I'll stick it out. I wouldn't want to look back on this and regret not following my dream because of a boy," I said and I was attacked by hugs from everyone and I started laughing from how dramatic they were making this, but I guess that is how you show you care about someone.

Then I stood and brush myself off while Lila brushed off my back and butt because the corner I picked happen to be probably the dustiest one. Then, I stopped. I really didn't want to go back in that room and face all this people.

"You can do this," Bonnie encouraged and everyone else patted me on the back. The boys went in first and I assume get back on the stage because as I entered the door I saw crowds whispering and all of One Direction on the stage, and then I saw Niall staring right at me. I turned right around but Sam and Sadie flipped me back and I was now facing the stares of the whole room and it was completely silent. I could the crowds of girls outside waiting for One Direction. I took a deep breath and headed back to my seat with Lila, Sam, Bonnie, and Sadie behind me. I avoided eye contact with everyone and sat down hoping this would alleviate the pressure the stares were putting on me, but it didn't, they were waiting for me to do something as well. I remembered Bonnie's suggestion, and I slowly picked up my violin.

My heart was pounding, I know that the first time I had impressed everyone, Hallie had made it known that even though I had talent that didn't mean I wasn't a slut. This time I needed to prove not only did I have talent, I had passion. I rested my violin under my chin. I glanced at the room. Taking a mental picture, my girls were smiling. The dancers were whispering amongst each other. The band was still and staring at me directly, waiting to analyze me. Louis, Zayn, Harry, and Liam looked expectantly and hopefully. I didn't see Niall because I was avoiding his gaze. I raised my bow and played. I was wistfully running everything through my fingertips, plucking and playing with everything I had. I felt like this was my chance to prove myself. Soon, at what I felt to be the climax of my solo I stood up rapidly and could feel I had grabbed everyone's attention. And finished with some simple chords.

The room was silent and no one moved. Then our director and the manger walked in and the whole room went in a rush as all the people hurried to get back to where they were supposed to be for rehearsal. I'll never know the reaction, but I do know that was all I had. I looked about the band and noticed now everyone was avoiding my gaze except Sadie who gave me the biggest smiles when we caught each other's eye.