Here's Hoping
Chapter 1
“Is that everything?”
Niall peeked inside his room one last time to ease his mom’s mind. I leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest.
“Looks like it,” he said, sighing.
As Maura listed off things to Niall, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. Today was the day my best friend went off to the X-Factor. It seemed like yesterday he told me the news of his bold move. I always knew Niall had a melodic, beautiful voice. I remembered how proud I was of him, but yet a little heartbroken too. The thought of losing my best friend to fame never left my mind. It was like an incessant itch that couldn’t be scratched no matter how hard you tried. And there was always the little crush I had developed over the years. But I knew Niall would never feel the same way.
“Taylor? Where’s Sabra?” Maura asked me. I blinked a couple times to free myself from the daze I was lost in.
“She had to watch Shaylee. We couldn’t get a babysitter.” But she thankfully let me come and see Niall off. I was grateful for that.
“Oh. I’ll call her later then.”
I nodded. “I’ll let her know.”
My mom and Niall’s mom had been friends for several years. Niall and I practically grew up together. We’ve seen each other at our best and our worst. I was there for his parents divorce when he was five and I was four. I remembered him not wanting to play with me and I never understood why.
“Well, we must be going. It takes an hour to get to Dublin and we’re behind schedule enough as it is.”
Niall hefted his luggage onto his broad shoulder while I held the door open for him and his mother. We ambled down his front porch steps and to the car. Niall sat his luggage inside the trunk and closed it while his mother piled into the drivers seat.
We looked at each other. Tears were threatening to spill down my face at any second. I tried to hold them back. Niall didn’t need to see me so weak.
“Keep an eye on Carlee for me, will ya?” He asked with a smile, nudging my arm with his fist.
I nodded, smiling. Niall was always a big fan with my three little sisters, Carlee in particular. She practically worshipped the ground he walked on.
“Promise me you’ll always keep in touch once you’re big and famous?” I leaned against the car.
“Promise.”
Niall pulled me in for a hug, squeezing tightly. I rested my head on his shoulder and clutched the back of his shirt in my hand. A stray tear ran down my cheek, leaving a small trail.
“Don’t ever change, Niall.”
“No matter what, I’ll always be that same little boy you’ve come to know and love.”
I crossed my fingers and held them up for him to see. With a smile, I said, “Here’s hoping.”
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
“Table 17! Order up!”
I grabbed the full plate of food from the drop off window and watched as a fry fell off the edge. Sighing, I swung around from behind the counter and sat the meal in front of the man that ordered it. His hair was white and thinning, along with the mustache and beard adorning his face.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, nodding my way. I watched as he adjusted his napkin across his lap with shaky hands. His age was clearly shown by the way he moved and spoke.
“You’re very welcome. Just take your time.”
I returned to the counter and sat on one of the stools there. The sun was setting outside, giving the sky an orange glow. My shift was about to end in five minutes, but I couldn’t leave until the old man was finished. I stared down at myself, examining the damage that had been done from a hard days work at Delilah’s Diner. My white apron was blotted with yellowing grease stains and there was a bruise forming on my shin from where I had hit it earlier.
I rested my head on the counter and Zoe rolled up, setting some dishes inside the sink. “Go home, Taylor,” she said. I looked up to find her staring at me, hands on her hips. “I’ll take care of the old man.”
I shook my heat. “I can’t let you do that, Zoe.”
“You can and you will. Now go home and get some rest. You need it,” she popped her gum in her mouth.
I inwardly sighed. “I can’t thank you enough.”
She winked. “It’s no problem.”
I scooted the stool back so that I was able to get down. Stretching, I headed for the door, grabbing my bag on the way out. My feet throbbed with a dull ache as I walked back home. I was glad that it wasn’t dark yet.
Once I walked through the door, a series of shrill giggles erupted throughout the house. I jumped, startled. As if on cue, Sydnee, Carlee, and Shaylee all came running through the living room, chasing after one another. I playfully rolled my eyes at them, dodging the kids as I went to my room.
My apron was discarded into the dirty clothes pile and I plopped down on my bed, closing my eyes. My TV blared with sound from where I hadn’t turned it off before leaving for work. As I listened to it, something that was said made my heart beat in excitement.
“It seems that beloved boy band One Direction has finally made up for their loss in the X-Factor. The British babes have released their first single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and it is now available worldwide. Simon Cowell says the boys worked very hard on this track and made it the best for the fans. The band is made up of Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan.”
My eyes shot open and my attention was turned to the TV.
Niall. It had been a total of two years since I had last seen him. We had lost contact once he made it into the X-Factor finals.
“Well boys, we wish the best for you! If you want to support them, purchase their single in stores now!”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Niall Horan, my best friend, was in a famous boy band. I wanted to call him terribly and tell him how happy I was, but along the way, he got a new number and forgot to tell me.
Sighing, I slipped my uniform off and changed into something more comfortable, grabbing my bag again. My dad was in the living room now, reclined in his chair.
“I’ll be back,” I told him, closing the door behind me before he could say anything.
I ventured down the sidewalk; turning right once I reached a jumble of trees. Inside was a tree house, perched securely between two Oaks. A smile tugged at my lips once I saw it. It brought back many memories I had shared with Niall. When we were kids, we practically lived up there.
I clambered up the ladder, making sure my foot caught each rung securely before climbing to the next. My limbs were aching from a weeks worth of work, but I didn’t let that stop me. Finally, I reached the top and looked out over the rail. The height never bothered me.
“Hi,” a voice said behind me.
Startled, I turned around, only to see someone who I never thought I’d see in person again. Niall Horan stood before me, smiling.
I gasped, backing up. But I backed up a little too far. Before I knew what was happening, I was wobbling to stay on my feet, gravity threatening to throw me over the side of the tree house to the hard ground below.
Niall peeked inside his room one last time to ease his mom’s mind. I leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest.
“Looks like it,” he said, sighing.
As Maura listed off things to Niall, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. Today was the day my best friend went off to the X-Factor. It seemed like yesterday he told me the news of his bold move. I always knew Niall had a melodic, beautiful voice. I remembered how proud I was of him, but yet a little heartbroken too. The thought of losing my best friend to fame never left my mind. It was like an incessant itch that couldn’t be scratched no matter how hard you tried. And there was always the little crush I had developed over the years. But I knew Niall would never feel the same way.
“Taylor? Where’s Sabra?” Maura asked me. I blinked a couple times to free myself from the daze I was lost in.
“She had to watch Shaylee. We couldn’t get a babysitter.” But she thankfully let me come and see Niall off. I was grateful for that.
“Oh. I’ll call her later then.”
I nodded. “I’ll let her know.”
My mom and Niall’s mom had been friends for several years. Niall and I practically grew up together. We’ve seen each other at our best and our worst. I was there for his parents divorce when he was five and I was four. I remembered him not wanting to play with me and I never understood why.
“Well, we must be going. It takes an hour to get to Dublin and we’re behind schedule enough as it is.”
Niall hefted his luggage onto his broad shoulder while I held the door open for him and his mother. We ambled down his front porch steps and to the car. Niall sat his luggage inside the trunk and closed it while his mother piled into the drivers seat.
We looked at each other. Tears were threatening to spill down my face at any second. I tried to hold them back. Niall didn’t need to see me so weak.
“Keep an eye on Carlee for me, will ya?” He asked with a smile, nudging my arm with his fist.
I nodded, smiling. Niall was always a big fan with my three little sisters, Carlee in particular. She practically worshipped the ground he walked on.
“Promise me you’ll always keep in touch once you’re big and famous?” I leaned against the car.
“Promise.”
Niall pulled me in for a hug, squeezing tightly. I rested my head on his shoulder and clutched the back of his shirt in my hand. A stray tear ran down my cheek, leaving a small trail.
“Don’t ever change, Niall.”
“No matter what, I’ll always be that same little boy you’ve come to know and love.”
I crossed my fingers and held them up for him to see. With a smile, I said, “Here’s hoping.”
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
“Table 17! Order up!”
I grabbed the full plate of food from the drop off window and watched as a fry fell off the edge. Sighing, I swung around from behind the counter and sat the meal in front of the man that ordered it. His hair was white and thinning, along with the mustache and beard adorning his face.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, nodding my way. I watched as he adjusted his napkin across his lap with shaky hands. His age was clearly shown by the way he moved and spoke.
“You’re very welcome. Just take your time.”
I returned to the counter and sat on one of the stools there. The sun was setting outside, giving the sky an orange glow. My shift was about to end in five minutes, but I couldn’t leave until the old man was finished. I stared down at myself, examining the damage that had been done from a hard days work at Delilah’s Diner. My white apron was blotted with yellowing grease stains and there was a bruise forming on my shin from where I had hit it earlier.
I rested my head on the counter and Zoe rolled up, setting some dishes inside the sink. “Go home, Taylor,” she said. I looked up to find her staring at me, hands on her hips. “I’ll take care of the old man.”
I shook my heat. “I can’t let you do that, Zoe.”
“You can and you will. Now go home and get some rest. You need it,” she popped her gum in her mouth.
I inwardly sighed. “I can’t thank you enough.”
She winked. “It’s no problem.”
I scooted the stool back so that I was able to get down. Stretching, I headed for the door, grabbing my bag on the way out. My feet throbbed with a dull ache as I walked back home. I was glad that it wasn’t dark yet.
Once I walked through the door, a series of shrill giggles erupted throughout the house. I jumped, startled. As if on cue, Sydnee, Carlee, and Shaylee all came running through the living room, chasing after one another. I playfully rolled my eyes at them, dodging the kids as I went to my room.
My apron was discarded into the dirty clothes pile and I plopped down on my bed, closing my eyes. My TV blared with sound from where I hadn’t turned it off before leaving for work. As I listened to it, something that was said made my heart beat in excitement.
“It seems that beloved boy band One Direction has finally made up for their loss in the X-Factor. The British babes have released their first single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and it is now available worldwide. Simon Cowell says the boys worked very hard on this track and made it the best for the fans. The band is made up of Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan.”
My eyes shot open and my attention was turned to the TV.
Niall. It had been a total of two years since I had last seen him. We had lost contact once he made it into the X-Factor finals.
“Well boys, we wish the best for you! If you want to support them, purchase their single in stores now!”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Niall Horan, my best friend, was in a famous boy band. I wanted to call him terribly and tell him how happy I was, but along the way, he got a new number and forgot to tell me.
Sighing, I slipped my uniform off and changed into something more comfortable, grabbing my bag again. My dad was in the living room now, reclined in his chair.
“I’ll be back,” I told him, closing the door behind me before he could say anything.
I ventured down the sidewalk; turning right once I reached a jumble of trees. Inside was a tree house, perched securely between two Oaks. A smile tugged at my lips once I saw it. It brought back many memories I had shared with Niall. When we were kids, we practically lived up there.
I clambered up the ladder, making sure my foot caught each rung securely before climbing to the next. My limbs were aching from a weeks worth of work, but I didn’t let that stop me. Finally, I reached the top and looked out over the rail. The height never bothered me.
“Hi,” a voice said behind me.
Startled, I turned around, only to see someone who I never thought I’d see in person again. Niall Horan stood before me, smiling.
I gasped, backing up. But I backed up a little too far. Before I knew what was happening, I was wobbling to stay on my feet, gravity threatening to throw me over the side of the tree house to the hard ground below.
8/18/13