Always & Forever (A Niall Horan Love Story)

1. I'll Praise You in This Storm

I apologize: the chapter is a tad shorter than I wanted it. SUBJECT TO CHANGE!

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 1- I’ll Praise You in This Storm

            The greasy smell and stuffy air in this restaurant never ceased to amaze me. I still had another hour of work to go. Benshire’s BBQ was the most popular joint in town, for reasons beyond me. The food was always great, but the restaurant itself was rather shabby; a simple counter with a blue top and pale green paneling on the walls were the only real color. It was a horrible match, but the owner, Rose Benshire, either couldn’t afford to remodel or was colorblind.

            I shuffled around to my table, feeling horribly bored. I still had probably an hour’s worth of homework to do after my shift, and I had really been hoping for some time to myself today. My Bible still sat unopened on my dresser, when normally I would have read at least a chapter from it this morning. Time constraints (like this job) had become increasingly rough on me. I was really looking forward to our spring break.

            My best friend, Lizzy Hannold, had planned a tiny summer vacation for the two of us. It was going to be a simple trip to the coast of Texas… only about a two hour drive from home. The beach there, as I remembered, was inviting. Sudden elation about the upcoming trip filled me as I carried plates back to the kitchen. The rest of the hour passed by in a strange blur.

            After my shift was over, I texted my mom and told her I was on my way home. I tossed my phone and purse into the back seat and backed out of my usual parking spot. My car had never faired very well as eye candy at school. It was a simple gray Dodge Neon, something that I had been dying for when my parents bought it last year.

            During my drive, I turned on the radio in my car. ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction, the most overplayed song in the world, was blasting through the speakers suddenly. I quickly turned the volume dial down, smiling to myself as I imagined the five boys singing this song in person. There was no doubt in my mind that going to one of their concerts would be my ultimate dream. But money was an issue, as well as family values.

            My parents didn’t really allow me to go to concerts, and in a way I couldn’t blame them. As a Christian, my moral values and purity were important to me. Rock music symbolized impurity in my parents’ minds, and the more I’d thought about it, the more I understood where they were coming from.

            It wasn’t really just the music they were concerned about. My parents’ had an idea of things that I should and shouldn’t be involved with. Being around all the screaming fans and their impure desires, that wasn’t something I should be subject to for a long amount of time. Basically, it wasn’t about the music, just the people that would be around that they were cautious about.

            But this new band, One Direction? I wasn’t so sure. Their music was hardly immoral, and the boys had been away from trouble, for the most part. While I hadn’t exactly asked my parents’ permission to attend one of their concerts, I simply already understood their answer.

            I envisioned my meeting with the guys. Liam, with his kind smile and wide arms, would most certainly be the first to hug me, patting my back softly as he did. Harry would be the flirt, probably cracking some jokes about my presence in general. Zayn, known to be vain, would be just as welcoming, spreading his arms wide to hug me as well. Louis would be hilarious, as per usual. He would probably be making some crazy face or doing some insane dance. A careful laugh escaped me as I pulled up to a stoplight. Louis… always a catch.