“Lucilia River Aesbury, what is the meaning of this?” my mother yells as I step into the house. I cringe at my full first name. It is a disgusting name. Hotshot runs straight for his food bowl munching on the dog food.

“Hello, mum.” I snort, opening the cupboards in search of something to eat.

“Lucilia, you cannot keep sneaking out of the house like this without telling me,” my mum sighs. I sigh back. I know she is worried. She always gets worried when I go to my place.

“I’m sorry mum,” I apologize, though I honestly don’t mean it. “And please, my name is Luke.”

Mum scoffs. “There’s pasta in the refrigerator.”

With that, she goes upstairs.

My mum is what most people would call “chill.” Sometime she acts like a teenager, even though it is rather creepy. At least she isn’t the pushy, over protective type mother. However she often worries when I disappear.

Who wouldn’t?

After eating the cold pasta, which I admit tastes very good, I enter my bedroom, and close my door. Hotshot follows me in, and circles a spot on the floor before settling down and closing his eyes. I sit on my bed and sigh, thinking of Niall. He was so nice to me, so friendly. Most do not care to as much as look at me.

Niall is different.

His smile tells me everything. He is sweet, considerate, and genuinely a very good person. Suddenly, I wonder where he lives. It’s a strange, creepy thought, but I do know that he must live on the other side of the woods. I never knew there was another side to the woods.

I have never seen another human being in the woods, so it was like the entire woods was my place. But honestly, just the little area was even more important. It was the only place in the woods where you could touch the water without falling in. It always seemed drawn to that particular area, for what reason I do not know. It feels like I have a history with it, but I can’t remember. I’ve tried, believe my heart.

My phone vibrates and vibrates with endless texts from my only true friend, Callie. She beautiful, loud and adventurous. Everyone loves her. I don’t know how we became friends to be honest, but I guess I can thank the project we were paired together for. I pick up my phone and read her messages.

From: Callie

Luke, want to come over tonight?
Sent three hours ago

Luukkee where are you?
Sent three hours ago

Answer my texts!
Sent two hours ago

Guess you’re not coming then? L
Sent two hours ago

I feel bad for not answering earlier so I go ahead and reply.

To: Callie
I am so sorry. I was busy. Sorry that I can’t make it.

I hope she isn’t too mad at me.

Hotshot sleepily makes his way onto my bed, curling up in my arms. Soon, I fall asleep too.

---

The next morning, I venture out in my long sweats and hoodie, towards my place. I jog along with Hotshot, taking in the fresh morning air. Jogging is a part of my everyday schedule. It has become especially frequent since it is the long summer break. Of course, it’s never quite summer in Ireland. It’s always a bit chilly.

I haven’t always lived in Ireland. My parents and I moved to a house In Dublin, too big for the three of us, when my father got a job transfer about fourteen years ago. I was practically Irish, though I didn’t have the accent. I had managed to keep the English accent resting on my tongue.

I jog through the woods with Hotshot close at my side. When we reached my place, we stop, marking the end of our jog until our way back.

“That was a good jog, wasn’t it Hotshot?” I ask him, stroking his coat of fur. He pants happily, licking my palm. I giggle; he can make me smile any day. I sit down in the fallen leaves and take out my phone, along with ear buds. Once I have my favorite music blasting through my ears, I lean back against the large tree trunk and close my eyes.

Hotshot jumps into my lap and I hug him tight. Poor thing needs a jacket.

The weather isn’t as chilly as usual. In fact, it’s rather nice for a Sunday morning. My parents are probably readying themselves for church at the moment. They tried endless times to get me to go to a service, but I always refused. I simply don’t believe in those things. I believe in freedom and uniqueness. I live my life off those beliefs.

I begin humming along to Poison Heart by Ramones, and soon, I’m singing my heart out. That’s the thing about my place; I can be as loud as I want. Because no one is ever around. It’s perfect.

A leaf falls from a tree and lands on my face. I laugh to myself and open my eyes, brushing in off my face. The weather is extremely beautiful today. Hotshot seems to like it too. He runs up and down the stream, barking softly when a leaf falls on him.

I am fully alerted when I spot movement in the distance. I stand up and get on my tiptoes to see who it is. Of course it’s him.

“Luke!” Niall calls, running towards me. He is waving like a lunatic, and I would definitely embarrassed by him in public.

“Calm down,” I laugh when he reached me. He is it sweats as well, and his face is red from running.

“What are you doing out here so early?” I ask, shoving my hands into my hoodie pockets. I cannot tell if he’s blushing or if he’s just out of breath.

“I just had a feeling you’d be here.”

“Oh,” I smile slyly. Hotshot comes around, sniffing Niall’s shoes before jumping up in front of Niall. Niall picks Hotshot up, holding him in his arms.

“I missed you, buddy,” Niall grins, ruffling Hotshot’s fur. Hotshot’s little tail is wagging faster than ever. He’s happy.

Niall sets Hotshot down to run around and turns back to me. “So, did you have a good night sleep?”

I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before. In a way, it is a sweet gesture. “Quite well,” I answer. “And you?”

“I slept great.” Niall smiles. His blue eyes seem bright in the morning sun, which seeped through the trees. “Do you always jog in the morning?”

“I do,” I nod, rocking back and forth on my heels. “It’s a habit I guess.”

“A good habit, too.” Niall laughs lightly. “Reminds me I need to get in better shape. Did you see how hard I was breathing when I got to you?”

I giggle.

“Want to talk a walk?” Niall asks. I notice his eyes shifting back and forth nervously. The cocky, annoying boy I met only yesterday doesn’t seem to be present.

“I guess,” I shrug. I call for Hotshot and he trails behind Niall and I as we follow the stream further into the woods.
Niall and I talk about different song artists, and we both agree that we like the Ramones. They have very inspiring music. At one point, I give one of my ear buds to Niall so he and I can both listen to music as we walk. Niall tells me about his family. He explains that his parents are divorced, and that he has a brother who just recently got married and had a baby. I see the love and affection for his nephew as he speaks of him. He seems very passionate about his family, something I never really felt.

Something I do truly want to feel.

“I think I’ve done enough talking,” Niall retorts, glancing at me. “Your turn.”

And so I tell Niall about my own family. I tell him about my parents and how they are very free and caring. I tell him that they trust me and know that I am a responsible person. I think he understands that there isn’t much to tell about my family. We are an average family. I hesitate, but then tell him of how much I wanted a sibling, brother or sister. Niall assures me that a brother would have made my life a living hell, but I honestly don’t care. I tell him how lonely I become sometimes, and that sometimes, I feel like all I have is Hotshot.

I don’t know why I am telling him all this, but I trust him.

“You have me now,” Niall smiles, shy once again. “I mean, if you want.”

I realize that even though I have only known him for barely a day, I already feel much more open to him than I am with Callie. It feels right being friends with Niall.

So right.

Niall’s eyes light up suddenly, and he is grabbing my hand.

“I almost forgot,” he says, pulling me along with him. “The stream leads to something even bigger. Come on.”

He seems excited, like a little child, and I find it cute. I don’t know why, because I don’t find anything cute except Hotshot. Now Niall, as well.

Niall pulls me along the stream edge, and I notice the stream starting to get wider and bigger. Niall stops me and looks dead into my eyes.

“I’m going to cover your eyes now,” he says. “Do you trust me?”

I nod.

He covers my eyes and leads me over tree roots and tree stumps. It feels live half an hour before I hear the sound of water rushing. Niall’s drops his hands from my eyes.

It is so beautiful.

The water is nearly blue, with a tad tint of brown. It’s a mini waterfall, spreading into a large pond. How had I not noticed this before? I quickly realized the answer to my question. I had never gone further than my place. I had never seen where the stream of water leads to. If I had known it lead to this, I most definitely would have gone further than my place.

“Do you like it?” Niall grins beside me, speaking a little louder than normal. It is a bit hard to hear him over the rushing water.

“Yes,” I exhale, nodding fast. “How did you find it?”

“Last night,” he admits sheepishly, “I took a wrong turn while heading back to my neighborhood. I came across this waterfall.”

“It’s so amazing.” I smile, pulling out my phone. I take a few pictures of it and make a picture my lock screen. I still can’t believe I missed something like this for so long.

It makes me feel blind.

Niall and I find a fallen tree trunk and sit on it. We continue to talk about ourselves, and share information on our personalities. All the while, the waterfalls rush water down towards the pond. Hotshot splashes around near the shallow end of the pond, panting happily.

“Where do you go to school?” Niall asks randomly.

“Willow Bend.” I tell him. He nods, and I see a flash of recognition in his eyes, though I don’t question it.

“What about you?”

“I guess you could say I dropped out.” Niall’s face flushes. “I got a chance to do something even bigger.”

“What was that?”

He looks at me, and clearly he is worried. I don’t want to feel like I’m pushing him, so I shake my head. “Never mind.”
An uncomfortable silence takes over, making me fidget. The sound of the water rushing down the tall rocks becomes louder. The wind becomes stronger, making me pull my hoodie tighter to my body. A line of birds flies over us silently, and I watch until they disappear over the trees.

“What if I told you that I knew you from somewhere?” Niall speaks up, turning on the tree trunk so he faces me.

“Niall, you’ve told me that, like five times.” I giggle. Damn, I can never stop giggling around him. Niall sighs and looks away shaking his head. The wind makes his gelled hair droop down a bit.

“I just know this isn’t the first time we met.” He says, running his fingers through his hair. It looks soft. I feel like a creep because I want to touch it.

“Trust me, Niall,” I say. “We haven’t met before. Maybe you’re just thinking of someone who looks like me.”

“But I remember your voice,” he exhales, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. “And your eyes.”

“What about my eyes?” I demand, scooting a tad bit away from him. He is starting to scare me. I don’t know him. I just met him yesterday. I have never seen him before in my life. Niall sighs and runs his hand through his hair again. It must be a habit of his.

“Don’t know,” he says honestly. “But they’re just…different.”

“They are blue.” I say with no emotion. Suddenly, he laughs. And I smile, because his laugh is so very contagious. He laughs and laughs, and soon, I’m laughing with him. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop. He won’t stop either. It’s like we’re in a trance, even though we really aren’t. His eyes glisten when he laughs. I wonder if mine do the same. I don’t think I’ve ever laugh so hard in my life, but I understand now how wonderful it feels.

Finally, we manage to calm down, and Hotshot begins barking. Talking with Niall, I hadn’t realized how far Hotshot ventured off. I stand up, suddenly worried.

“Where is he?” I ask Niall, begging for Hotshot to bark again so I can get an idea of where he is. Thank god, Hotshot barks again and again.

Niall and I run, following the direction of the barking. I wonder if Hotshot is in trouble. I can’t imagine my life without him.

“There he is!” Niall exclaims, pointing to Hotshot. I gasp.

Poor Hotshot is standing terrified on a tree trunk that has fallen over the deeper end of a stream. The current is strong, from how fast the water is moving. If Hotshot falls…I don’t even want to think about it.

I feel tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Don’t cry,” Niall pleads, his eyes begging. I try to hold it in and my eyes widen when Niall runs for the tree trunk. Is he crazy? Niall steps onto the tree trunk, the water rushing underneath, and approaches Hotshot.

“Don’t move, Hotshot!” I yell. Hotshot stays frozen in fear. Niall is only two feet away from Hotshot, one foot away.

And then he slips.

It’s all so quick, him losing balance, falling into the water. The water starts to carry Niall away but he manages to stand up and move back through the water. I can tell the water is freezing by how much Niall and shivering. My heart is beating so fast. Niall makes his way back to Hotshot and picks him up off the tree trunk. Hotshot barks in fear as Niall carries him through the water. I run to the side of the stream and hold out my hand for Niall. He grabs on and I pull him up with all my strength.

As soon as Niall is on the ground, he falls to his knees, shivering. Hotshot shakes the water off his fur, but my little dog is shivering as well. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I kneel beside Niall and wrap my arms around him so tightly, feeling the guilt that would have come if he had been carried away by the current.

“I-It’s s-so c-cold,” he stammers, trying to maintain body heat. I take off my hoodie and sprawl it over his back in attempt to make him warmer.

“I’m so sorry,” I cry, hugging him again. I don’t even know him too well, but it’s the least I can do. He saved Hotshot. Niall is shivering uncontrollably in my arms. He’s too cold to even reach up and hug me back. The strong winds only make everything worse. How was it such a beautiful day just two hours ago, and suddenly so cold at the worst possible time?

“I-Is H-Hots-shot-t a-alright?” he asks. I laugh through my tears. He is freezing to death and still asks questions.

“He’s fine,” I answer, my arms till wrapped around him. I pull away when Niall’s shivering stops. His lips are slightly blue, and his nose and cheeks are pink as a cherry.

I feel terrible.

“Do you think you can make it back to your place?” I ask. Niall’s lips are still chattering. He shakes his head, signaling no. I bet it’s a decently long walk from his house to here, and I honestly don’t even know where we are anymore. We had blindly been running through the woods, not keeping track of where we were going.

Great. We were lost.

“C-Can you h-hug me?” Niall shivers again. I nod and wrap my arms around him. Hotshot stands beside us, watching. I can tell he feels left out so I call for him. He barks happily and jumps in between Niall and I. Niall laughs and pets Hotshot who curls up between us.

It must be nearing noon, because the sun is starting to shine. Niall is warming up slowly, but he isn’t shivering anymore. I sit beside him and watch the water crash over the rocks.

“Thank you, Niall.” I say quietly, looking up at his eyes. He smiles down at me and his eyes twinkle.

“Anything for a friend, Luke.”

Friend? Is that really what I am to him? Is that what he is to me? I guess so.

The three of us sit in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest. Hotshot has fallen asleep in my arms. Niall drapes an arm around my shoulder. The friendly gesture surprises me, but I let it be. His clothes have dried off, and he’s warm again.

“It’s probably nearing lunch time,” Niall says after a while, looking at me. I look at him too, and realize how close we are. I smile and pull away from his grasp, bending over to wake Hotshot. Hotshot lets out a long yawn before stretching and standing upright.

“I guess I should be heading back as well,” I tell him. He nods and we stand awkwardly in front of each other until I suddenly feel him wrap his arms around my body. When he pulls away, he’s blushing.

“Um, sorry,” he says, biting his lip.

I laugh and pull him in, hugging him even tighter. He laughs, and his breath tickles my shoulder. He backs away and walks away from me.

Now then, how am I to get back home? Ah, yes.

Follow the stream.

Notes

Second chapter in two days :D i really cant wait for some comment!