salute [h.s]

december 21 - badly singing carols

december 21 - badly singing carols

1D Fanfic

Niall/OFC (Stella)

*

"Okay next up is..."

I crossed my fingers behind my back, hoping and praying that Harry did not say my name. There was no way I was doing stupid Christmas karaoke, not in a million years. I didn't sing in public. I hated the sound of my own voice.

"Stella!"

"Fuck," I hissed under my breath. I swung my head around, looking desperately for an exit. There was no way I was going to be going up on that stage.

"Don't try to run."

I was caught. Turning slightly in my chair, I plastered on a fake smile as I looked up at AJ. She'd come over from where she had been sitting with Harry and was now leaning across the back of the armchair, staring me down with a threatening sort of expression. "You're going up there."

"Listen, AJ, this is great and all but I'm a terrible singer and no one wants to hear that —"

"We're here to have fun," AJ interrupted. "So you're going to go up there and have fun, and everyone is going to have fun, and we're going to have a fun fucking time because that's what we're here to do!"

I stared up at AJ, marvelling at the explosion of emotion that had just burst out of her unimpeded. I'd known her for nearly 8 months and I hadn't seen her get quite so angry in a long time. Harry joked that she used to be that way a lot, jumping to conclusions and losing her temper over little things. He said it was the Scot in her. But she'd mellowed out since she had the baby and now she was pretty good at keeping her cool even in situations where I would be throwing a fit. It surprised me that she'd just let loose on me like that.

It obviously surprised her too because she looked shocked by her own words and then shut her lips tight. "Sorry," she said quietly after she'd let out a long sigh. "I dinnae ken where that came from."

I reached over to give her arm a gentle pat. "You alright, sweetie?"

"I'm so tired," she groaned, sagging against the back of the chair. "When Anne said she'd watch the baby tonight, I was hoping that I could just stay home and catch up on some sleep. Harry was so excited about tonight though. And I really don't know how to say no to him."

No one really knew how to say no to him. It was why all of the One Direction boys were here, plus girlfriends and wives, and half of the crew they used to tour with. It had obviously been a while since they'd all seen each other because there was an energy to the room that sent an electric jolt through me every time I looked around. It made me feel like even more of an impostor here. I didn't belong with this group. I wasn't associated with the band. I wasn't a girlfriend — well, not anymore.

"If you don't want to do it —" AJ said with a sigh, nodding toward Harry who was standing on the small stage, covering his eyes so he could see around the room. He kept saying my name over and over, waiting for me to get on the stage. " — then you don't have to."

I was going to use the out and get myself the fuck away from here but Harry was looking so eager on the stage and Louis had picked up the chant of my name and I knew if I ducked out, I would disappoint people. At heart, I was a people pleaser. I couldn't just walk away.

So I rose to my feet languidly, ignoring AJ's shocked expression, and waved my arm in the air. "I'm here!" I called out as I began to slowly weave through tables and big cozy armchairs toward the stage at the front. "I'm coming!"

"Stella!" Harry called excitedly as he skipped down the first few steps to take my hand and help me up, as if I couldn't handle the three small steps all on my own. It was the dad in him. He couldn't help himself from letting it out even when his precious baby girl wasn't around. He was a natural born father. "Come on, come on. You're going to do great," he added when he saw the apprehension on my face. Was I that obvious?