Unwonted (Niall Horan)

Chapter 1 ~ Eating Contest

Unwonted: unusual; not often experienced or shown. ―from Cambridge Dictionary. 

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Chapter 1 ― Eating Contest

Sometimes the lads and I just wanna forget about everything and be, you know, normal teenagers. Forget responsibilities, forget we have millions of fans around the world, forget that we have jobs and that this is our life. Sometimes we just wake up and wish to go back to those easier times when we could go out and enjoy the day without bodyguards following us or without a mob trying to tear us apart. Those times when we could just blend in. Yeah, this doesn’t happen every day, we love what we do. I mean, it’s our dream! This is what I always wanted and it’s crazy that it’s my life now, but sometimes it gets too exhausting.

Not too often the lads and I escape. I don’t mean like we run away with the intention of never coming back. We just go out and pretend we are regular guys and not five international pop stars. And it’s refreshing, to remember that we don’t have this life for granted. That this is a gift and we have to appreciate it. Going outside and pretend we are no ones make us realise that we’re indeed very lucky.

So today Louis comes back with five costumes. Believe me, there’s no other way to call these. I think if I go around dressed as the pink Power Ranger I would call less attention than by wearing this. We do not look like punk lads from a gang. But Louis hands us leather pants —believe me, they are not nice during summer. Never try that at home—, black tops with some bands that I don’t really know, boots and to his amusement, wigs. Yes, wigs. Although I don’t wear one, I just look too ridiculous for this and there are limits.

I have to accept it’s really funny to dress up like this and we have a blast, as we get ready to go out. I think I kind of like this punk style. After that, we get in the van Louis —he lives for these days when we wear costumes or do other kind of stupid things— got for us. I’m not sure what he did to get this van, but I rather stay silent and just go on with it.

Harry shows him a flyer of a new fair in town and without asking for our opinion, Louis drives in that direction. I didn’t have anything in mind either, so I don’t complain. Fairs are fun. I like fairs. When we arrive we see it’s really massive and with many rides. There are loads of people and they look at us with funny expressions, as I expected they would, but no one seems to recognise us. They probably thing we’re just five weirdoes with wigs, because I’m sure no one believes it’s natural hair.

We go to all the rides we can, we race against each other and we run like crazy people. We’re definitely having fun, which is what we wanted, and we don’t have to worry about fans or anything. We’re just normal people today. I’m sure everyone will yell at us for escaping today, but it’s worth it. We don’t get to do this very often.

Later that afternoon when I’m with Liam trying to beat him on a strength attraction we found Louis and Harry come running to us. “Niall, Niall, Niall, Niall, Niall!” Louis shouts excitedly, distracting me when I have to punch the bag. Liam laughs at my score and I glare daggers at the Doncaster boy.

“What, what, what, what, what?” I shout back and Louis actually shoves a flyer in my face.

“We found the perfect contest for you, look! You just have to eat like a pig and you can win. This is your shit, Niall!” Louis replies but I can’t see the flyer as he has it on my face. Literally.

I pull back and grab the piece of paper in my hands to see. It’s an eating contest, of burgers and it takes place in ten minutes. This could be fun and whether I win or not, I get to eat loads of burgers.  It’s a win-win situation, so I smile at the two boys and they cheer.