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.
After that, we meet with Zayn and go and sign in with my name and then the bloke in charge of everything leads me to my spot at the long table. The lads take seat close, cheering for me already. As we till have some time, they come to wish me luck.
I know this contest is lads-only, it was stated on the flyer, but I feel someone staring at me and this contestant is certainly not a boy. She’s a girl and what a girl. She has this black and rebel hair with red locks here and there. She wears a black combat boots, jean shorts and a top with a band I love: The Script. She is very curvy but she is not exactly skinny, yet she looks incredible. She is fit, but not only that, she is beautiful. With one look at her, she takes my breath away and I’ve met countless girls since I’m in One Direction, but this has never happened to me before.
Unusual…
I don’t normally feel attracted with such a punk look, I mean she has tattoos and piercings and she looks tougher than the five of us together, but she is so… I don’t know, I don’t have words to describe her.
And then she looks at me I can see her eyes. They are green, the most beautiful green I’ve ever seen. Like a forest in the middle of winter and when I meet her gaze I can’t stop smiling. I’ve always loved green eyes in a girl. “Hi there,” I say without losing my smile. “Good luck,” I wish her. I don’t know why a girl would be in an eating contest like this one, so I guess she really needs luck.
“You too,” is all what she says right before the bloke who signed me in brings a bowl filled with burgers. Yummy! Time to eat.
I start to shove burgers in my mouth but I try not to choke in the food. I don’t wanna pass out and humiliate myself in front of this girl, although I’m not sure if winning would impress her either. I take a quick glance at her and see her eating happily without a rush, enjoying every single burger. Some blokes have passed out already and others just gave up. Quickly the number of contestants lowers and lowers until there’s only the girl and I.
I can’t believe she is still eating burgers and she looks so fine, like this is nothing to her. How is that even possible? I’m about to throw up and the world knows I’m a bottomless pit. The actual fuck?
At the end I can’t eat anymore but I keep trying because she is still eating… but it doesn’t matter anyways, because she wins. She actually wins! “Congratulation to Alex, our new Pig Champion!” The bloke who brought the burgers cheers and the girl, Alex, smiles sarcastically.
I am beyond impressed. I think everyone is impressed that a girl won. Where did she put all those burgers? Seriously? She is not even tall! She is quite short, to be honest.
When she leaves to meet with her friends —I guess they are her friends— I stop her. I’m not sure of what I’m doing, but this girl is something amazing. She looks at me like she is ready to fight me and I see her squeezing her grip on her trophy.
“I just wanted to say wow. That was incredible! You kicked our bloody arses! I’m impressed,” I clarify so she won’t think I actually wanna steal her trophy. “Congrats. I’m Niall, by the way,” I add later offering her my hand.
“Alex,” she replies although I already know that. “You did well, too.” I smile a bit shyly. “Um, well, my friends are waiting. I gotta go. Nice to meet you, Niall,” she points at the two girls that I assumed were her friends. I was right.
“Oh, sure…” I’m not sure of what I’m doing, I just know I don’t want her to just walk away. She is impressive, I just can’t get over the fact she won. She ate all those burgers and she looks totally fine. I feel sick myself! “Um, Alex… I was wondering, maybe you would like, I don’t know, go and grab something with me.”
“You mean eating?” She asks with eyes wide open and I realise that I didn’t utter that question in the cleverest way. “Sorry, but I think I had my dose for the rest of the week.”
“Yeah, me too, but I meant another day. If you like,” I try to fix my mistake.
She looks really taken aback by my question and I think maybe I went too far, but I dunno, I just know Alex is a very different and unique girl and I would hate myself if I don’t even try to see her again.
But she says, “I… I’m sorry, Niall, you look like a very nice lad and I bet you’re great, but I can’t,” and I swear I feel like someone has punched me in the middle of the stomach and I’m sure it’s not due to all the burgers I ate.
“I understand. It’s okay. I’m… I’m gonna go to my mates. Bye, Alex,” I try to say offhandedly, as if the fact she turned me down doesn’t mean anything, but it kind of hurts. It’s a pity because Alex is the first girl in a long time that really, really catches my eye in this way.
What a pity indeed.
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So here's the first chapter. You already know the whole story so I guess it's gonna be a quite boring. I don't advise you to re-read Backfire or you'll die of boredom. Most of the dialogues are the exact same (I copy them). Also, as you won't see much of the other characters in the series, I plan on write some Moni's Adventures, so keep that book in your library to have a good laugh.
I'll try to post this story every other day, so this book shall end quite soon. It has fewer chapters and they are shorter, as you can see.
The first dedication goes to @TheWorldOfBooks. I hope you do enjoy this story.
Bel, xx