The Bet // Niall Horan

9 - Just Keep Swimming

Niall.

I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was the way that she kicked Louis' arse at football. Or maybe it was the determination in her eyes to beat him. Whatever it was, it sucked me in. There was just somthing about her that made me want to know her better, know everything about her. Like why there was that determination in her eyes, or why she disliked us so much. That's why I chose to walk with her to the beach instead of the boys. "How could I forget?" She asked, looking straight into my eyes. Her eyes were another thing that made me want to learn more about her.They were piercing blue with a light green around their edges that faded back into their normal blue color. They sparkled with every emotion and darkened with every argument. When I watched her fighting with Louis about who won, I watched her. Well not like a stalker kind of 'watch' but more of an observant watch. She wasn't giving up, and she had made that clear. That determination that was in her eyes while playing was back when the two were in their tussle. I found it kind of funny, she was kind of like a mix between Louis and Liam, with her sass and refusing to give up. Maybe that's why Louis seemed aggravated with her. I don't think we've ever met someone that was as sassy as him, but yet, he still seemed to enjoy arguing with her. My thoughts were interrupted by Carter calling me, "Niall. Niall! Niall Horan!"

"Huh? What?" I stuttered. Well that was smooth.

"I asked you if Louis is always like that," she restated.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Hmm, maybe how he practically attacked me when I beat him," she said, smirking at the end.

"Kinda. He's not used to girls beating him at his own game," I said, now realizing that Louis has never been beaten at football. Let alone, by a girl.

"Ha! Guess he wasn't expecting it then, huh?" She laughed. Her laugh was contagious, it wasn't loud and obnoxious but it wasn't silent and awkward. It was one of those laughs where you could hear the 'haha' in it.

"No. Probably not. Before he went over to you, Harry and I said that you were pretty good but he claimed that he would be able to beat you in a game," I said, chuckling along beside her. I guess Louis really wasn't expecting Carter to be as good as she was. She quite literally kicked his butt. They ended up playing three games because the first time Louis didn't even have a chance to touch the ball.

"Eh, he's not as bad as I thought he would be. He came off kinda cocky so I figured he would kinda suck," she admitted.

"Yeah, he and I are the players of the group," I said and she turned to look up at me. "You play too?"

"Yeah. Well kinda, we always have games against each other. Harry's awful at it and Liam's not too bad either. Zayn's always too busy with something else to care," I said and she laughed again. God, I love her laugh.

"Well remind me to play you sometime, kay?" Carter asked, eyes still sparkling their crystal blue color.

"Sounds like a good plan," I replied, smiling and she smiled back. Even her smile was perfect. I've told myself plenty of times not to get involved with a girl if I didn't think it would work out. After Louis and Eleanor broke up, (A/N- I'm going to have Louis be single in this story. I have nothing against them being together, I ship them and I love El! I just want it for the plot) the boys and I vowed to ourselves and one another that we wouldn't let any girl get hurt because of us. Lou and El's break up wasn't the prettiest, but it was for the best. She was getting too much hate and she came to her breaking point, deciding it would be best to just be friends with Louis. It literally broke Lou into two and it took a lot for him to get over it. The day that El walked away from him was the day I swore to myself that I will never go after a girl unless I know I can protect her and that she's worth all the hard things we're probably going to end up going through.

I think that's the worst thing about our fans: they rip apart everyone you love. Danielle's hate was the next worst next to El. Her and Liam were practically ripped apart by fans. Zayn and Perrie almost broke up because of the fans saying that Zayn was cheating on her (A/N- totally wrote this before the whole Zerrie drama, sorry for the flashbacks). Don't even get me started with Harry. If the fans find out who you are, you're not coming out of the hole they dig you until you disappear. Of course, there are plenty of fans that are 'true fans'. The fans that don't hate on the things we do and people we love. Whatever we love, they love. Those fans are the reason we enjoy what we do. Haters gonna hate, but sometimes it's just too much for one to handle.

"Niall?" A faint voice asked to my right.

"Hmm?" I said, snapping out of my day dream.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Not much. Life and moments," I answered truthfully.

"You know, I always thought that life is based off of moments," Carter said, and I could see her drifting off into thought.

"It's true," I said as I got her full attention again, "without memories we'd be...nothing."

"Funny, isn't it? Going into deep thought about life," she said.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I said.

"Race ya to the beach?" She asked, her voice cutting into the silence we had fallen into.

"You're on. Ready?"

"If you are," she said and winked.

"I'm ready for anything," I said, winking back at her.

"Cocky much?"

"Nah, just determined to kick your arse at something," I replied, smirking at her.

"Well good luck, Goldilocks," she said.

"Goldilocks?" I questioned.

"Yeah. 'Cos of your hair," she answered as she pointed to my hair. Oooh.

"Haha! Good one, Anderson," I sarcastically laughed as she actually laughed at my 'blonde moment'.

"How 'bout that race now?" She asked. I got into my starting position and said, "three...two..go!" Hoping she would be fazed by the missing 'one'.

But she wasn't fazed one bit.