Serendipitous: Niall's Story

Friends & Confidence

“Hey there,” Bradley said coming up behind her followed by Summer.  “How was practice?” He asked out of courtesy more than interest but Ara didn’t care. 

“It was great! We ran the stairs and…”She trailed off as Summer took a cookie and ate it right in front of her.  “That was evil.” She said as she gave her friend a look. 

“I made them, I can eat them!” Summer laughed. 

“She’s got you there,” Bradley chimed before taking a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie himself. 

Ara’s jaw dropped before she closed her mouth once more to give them both her best quivering pout.  Both ignored her however as they heated up more popcorn. 

“Go finish homework and once you do we can get you ready for your date!” Summer smiled before heading back with Bradley.

“But, but, Summer!”

~~~

Ara couldn’t help but grumble as she turned on her computer.  While waiting for it to turn on, she continued to grumble the unfairness of the world as she took her homework out.  Eventually she got the rhythm started of completing her homework that she was able to temporarily forget how unhappy she was about her family and Summer depriving her of both X-Men and cookies.

After finishing her science assignment she put her pen back down and stretched in her seat.  In the midst of doing so, her computer began to ring signaling that she was getting a skype call.  She blinked and stared when Niall’s name flashed across her screen as well as to accept of decline.  She looked at her clock.  But, shouldn’t he be well asleep by now… then again her sleeping schedule as Summer called it was that of a seventy year old woman, going to bed before ten, nine if she could achieve that. 

“Hi Niall.” She responded quickly. 

“Aye Ara,” Niall’s face appeared on her computer screen. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just wanted to check on you.  Landmark today isn’t it?” He grinned. 

Ara blushed.  “Ugh. Well, yea, yes, sort of,” She stuttered. 

“Well just make sure to drink water only.”

“Hey! I only spilled my drink once!” Ara defended as Niall’s laughter filled the room.  She smiled as she rolled her eyes at her Irish blonde friend who was relentless in teasing her. She knew that she never should have told him about her managing to somehow trip and her sports drink had landed all over Nate when he’d been there to see her.  “But I’m so nervous.  With my luck, something’s bound to go wrong.” Ara admitted as she hung her head. 

“Ah,” Niall tried to muffle his laughter.  “Don’t be Ara.  I bet it will be great. You just need confidence in yourself.”

“Oh yeah?” Ara gave him a skeptical expression. 

“I have faith in your abilities, after all the most important thing is to have fun and laugh. And those are two things that you are very good at providing Ara Astor. Any bloke would be lucky to be with you.” Niall smiled widely at her. 

Ara initially bit her lip but seeing Niall’s smile, she couldn’t help but return it with one of her own.  

~~~

“Stop being so nervous!” Summer cried as she looked up from doing Ara’s nails.  “You’re going to make me mess up.”

“Sorry.” 

“Relax.”

“How?”

“Jump, sing, dance…” Summer ticked off.  As she said dance the radio ironically began to play Dancing in the Street duet with Jagger and Bowie, causing the two to laugh. 

“All we need is music! Sweet music!” The two sang along before jumping off the bed to dance along to the music video that they’d probably seen too many times. 

The two began to jump along not caring in the slightest the noise that they were making. 

They’ll be dancing.  Dancing in the street.

“All we need is Niall, oh sweet Niall and there will be clumsy Ara everywhere!” Summer adlibbed very loudly above the music, stopping Ara in her tracks. 

“Summer!” Ara exclaimed, whirling around to face her friend, however in her haste, she tripped, sprawling on the rug. 

Summer couldn’t hold it in anymore as she fell back on the bed, laughing hysterically.  Even the simple saying of Niall’s name made Ara go from fine to gravity being her enemy. 

Bradley backed away slowly from the door.  He had come up to ask if either of them wanted a cookie as he’d managed to snag three as their mother hilariously thought that he needed to gain weight.  But seeing the two dance much like idiots in his opinion, he decided otherwise.  “I can’t believe those two memorized that dance.  Weirdos.” He shook his head before taking a large bite out of one of the cookies.

 ~~~

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!