Second Snapshot (Picture This Sequel: Niall Horan)

-Force yourself through, just keep on running. [Chapter 22]

I think she knew, knew that our relationship wasn’t completely innocent. There was never anything spoken directly aloud to her that I was no longer the innocent intelligent little girl she had raised to be nothing but the best but somehow I just had this feeling, by the way she looked at me, at us, that she knew, or had a hint even, that maybe Niall had taken away my innocence and I loved it. My sister knew for a fact, not by my choice, Niall or I never exactly confirmed it, everyone just kind of knew, we were that much of an open and in love couple that everyone just knew and wrote us off as being like that with each other for the definite. Of course Mallory had sucked it out of me, no details, just a simple yes conformation, but even this was enough for Mallory to get excited about and I didn’t doubt that she had spilled to my sister and most probably Chanel. I couldn’t say I minded, it wasn’t like I was ashamed, and neither was Niall. My Mother was though, of course it was never discussed, I just knew, somehow, that she was unhappy with mine and Niall’s relationship and the lack of innocence it conveyed but it was already too late to restore that innocence so what better than to just put a stop to it all pretend it never happened? Yeah, of course.

“I wasn’t rebellious, Dad. I was fine, I was…Happy.”

He was surprised by this, and to be honest, so was I. I told the truth, I had always never really said aloud how happy I was with Niall to my family, aside from Ellie, but maybe I didn’t mind this. This new half honesty policy with my Father, never with my Mother, but my Dad, maybe, to an extent. Like most things, kept at arm’s length, it was tolerable.

“Of course you were love. I never intended to suggest otherwise. You’re an intelligent girl, I know all the decisions you made last year were for the best in your perspective and I’m proud of you for following your heart. Just know that.”

“I know I was and I know I did Dad. Maybe one or two of them the wrong one, but that’s the past now…”

I was surprised that I was even minorly hinting at the fact that ending it with Niall was the wrong decision for me but I already had, and it was too late to take it back now, I’m already halfway down my freshly dug hole.

“Yes, yes it is love...Now come along and have some breakfast, people who eat breakfast are more likely to do well in exams, it’s proven.”

He gushed busying himself with packing some clean glasses into the cupboard and then he set one on the counter and I picked it up filling it with some orange juice. I had to refrain from running upstairs to find some Vitamin water, that stuff is addictive. I bit down on my tongue as I scanned the cupboard for what I would force down purely because my Father was watching for breakfast. Granola bar…No, too much fat. Nutri-grain bar? 133 Calories? No thanks. My eyes settled on an apple and although it was not totally sugar free I chose it anyway, deciding it’d be the easiest thing to get away with not eating all of.

Deciding that I probably needed a bit of a top-up on warding my Father and his threatens to bring back in therapy again off I forced down the apple with him there, watching me out of the corner of his eyes I swallowed each bite with a mouthful of orange juice and by the time I had gotten to a considerable thickness of the core I had almost drunk a whole carton. I was feeling particularly bloated from this. But if it meant I could put off addressing my eating issues for a bit longer than what was a bit of a bloated stomach every now and then?

“Do you not want anything else love? Like I said, eating a good breakfast always improves your chances of a pass, not that you need any aids anyway, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

My Father prompted as I disregarded my almost finished apple core into the food bin and retreated to the stool by the island downing the rest of the orange juice carton.