Little Shy Ariel (ft. Harry Styles)

Chapter 8 - A Love Story

Harry mentioned today that he came before and Niall also said something like that the first time I saw them. I still don’t understand why they are back and whom they are looking for, but I assume the last time they came Niall created a bonding with the black horse.

“I hope everyone is treating you right, Ares. I’ve missed you,” he says and I smile. I like the name of the horse.

Niall then looks at the right and smiles at another horse with chestnut coat. “I’ve missed you, too, Persephone. My lovely girl,” he adds next and I can’t help the smile from coming to my lips. There’s something so special about the way he’s treating the horses. “And I’ve missed her. I bet you have missed her, too. She’s quite the girl, isn’t she?”

Once again, I don’t know whom he’s talking about, but I’m sure it’s the same girl they were referring to before.

“I know she’s okay and I was okay, you know? I had accepted Ella’s decision, but coming here has just… re-opened some wounds. That’s all. Harry doesn’t understand because I don’t think he’s ever felt like I did, and I’ve tried but I can’t make him understand.”

“Ella?” I whisper to myself, so lowly that I barely hear myself.

Ella. Ella. Ella… why does that name ring a bell?

“I am happy for her, you know, Ares? I bet you’re happy for her, too. She’s doing what she always wanted and finally left this place. It was never going to be the same for her without her dad.”

Ella… Ella Drennan? As is Ella the daughter of Carl Drennan, the former owner of this place? The man that came so many times to talk to my dad when I was a kid? The man that once brought his daughter with him, a girl about my age with blond curls and big green eyes? He introduced her as Arabella and she said ‘just call me Ella.’ I hid behind my dad. I remember that.

Can Niall be talking about that girl?

“I still miss her but when I’m here, I miss her even more. I think it was a really bad choice to come here. I know she’s not here and she won’t come back,” he keeps talking to the horse, Ares.

For what Rhonda told my Dad —and then he reported to me—, Ella is studying in Oxford, medicine, and she never comes back. Apparently, she never accepted Mrs Drennan as her mother. I wonder why.

“But you know what? At the same time it’s great to be back, to be able to disconnect myself from everything and everyone. I needed a break from everything. It’s been a hectic year,” he laughs. “Lesson learnt. Never disappear for three months without a press conference to explain things beforehand.”

Three months? Were they here for that long? And for how long are they staying now?

“Anyways, wanna go take a ride? I know you always rode with Ella but maybe we can make each other company this time,” he offers and the horse snorts, as if he really understands what Niall is saying and agrees.

Then Niall steps back and gathers everything he needs to tack Ares up and then leave. Before he gets on the horse I leave, as well. It’s been enough overhearing his conversation. I was just so curious as to find out more about this mystery. At least now I know that the girl he’s looking for is Ella, but he doesn’t really expect to find her here. He knows she’s not around.

For the way he talked about her and the way he said his name I’m assuming they had something during summer. Maybe they fell in love and had a lovely story, but that’s over now. However, his feelings are not over just yet, that’s for sure.

I wonder why that didn’t work out. Maybe the pressure? I don’t think it can be easy to date someone as Niall Horan, not because he’s a bad boy or something, but because you don’t only date Niall Horan if you pick him, you date a popstar, someone who’s always under the spotlight. You date an image, a product.

It must be really hard.

No wonder why all couples in the entertainment business seem to last less long than my conversation with Timmy.

Still, in my head I imagine what might have happened last year, how Ella and Niall met and fell for each other. I didn’t really get to know her, I just saw her once with her Dad, but she seemed so full of life and easy-going. Not like me. She was smiling all the time, and talking, giving her opinion and even making the adults laugh. She was comfortable whilst I was hiding. When I met her she gave me that vibe of strong and independent girl and I guess that was also scary for me.

As a fan of love stories and sappy fairy tales, I’d like very much to know exactly what happened but I can’t just ask Niall about that, even if I want to. Plus, it seems he has it hard enough without having to tell the full story to a stranger.

I wish I could help him. I don’t know why, but I wish I could do something. To give him an advice or even to tell him something about Ella, but we weren’t friends. We never really talked. At least, I never told her anything.

He says she won’t come back and even if she does it’s not like I can tell her that Niall is looking for her, hoping to see her one more time. If I get to see her I’m not even sure I would recognise her. We were like eleven when we met. Don’t even mention talking to her.

Even if I want to help Niall somehow, it’s pointless. I’m useless. And I don’t even know why I feel like I should help him. I guess I just like the idea of doing something nice for him, he looks like a good boy and like he could use some support. Harry clearly can’t understand and I don’t think I do, but maybe it’s not understanding what he needs but someone to listen to him.

Still, I’m not his friend and even if I can listen to him whilst he speaks for hours, he would never tell me how he really feels or anything.

I put those thoughts aside because I can’t really do anything about it and just focus on making my way, unnoticed, to the music room. Once in there, I start working but I still have in my head the story of Niall and Ella —at least the story I’m making up— so whilst I clean and maintain the instruments I start to hum a melody and some lyrics. I start making a new song for them, for a couple that doesn’t exist anymore but that gives me a feeling that it was a powerful love story. A song that maybe doesn’t resemble in anything to what really happened, but that keeps me entertained.

I don’t even realise when I’m sat in front of the piano, playing the melody that I had in my head and singing the lyrics, bringing the song to life.

It wasn’t mean to be
It wasn’t right for you and me
But it was unique
It was magic and sublime
For as long as you stayed with me

I sing, changing the lyrics from time to time to make it fit the melody more accuraretly and I’m so into the song that I don’t realise when the door opens and someone walks in.

-:-:-:-

Teehee :B

Dedication to @Em_in_Neverland because you really understand how hard is to face your fears. Well way to put it.

Bel, xx