2.

' So then, I don't know about you guys but my stomach is calling out for food and I don't think it wants to be put on hold...' Typical Niall, always thinking of this stomach.

'Okay Niall, where to eat?' Asked liam, I already knew the answer...

'Me thinks NANDOOOS!' Niall shouted standing up and causing me too fall to the floor. 'What you doing on the floor Danni?' He asked. 'Oh you know, debating national debt with Barrack Obama, the usual' I said light-heartedly whist standing, 'well ill see you later then guys' I announced whilst walking towards the door, 'why? You not coming?' 'I was invited?' 'Well duh, I wouldn't go to Nandos without my favourite sister now would I? No come on! My stomach is getting impatient...' 'Well I call shotgun!'

We all climbed out of the car and walked, well in my case got dragged by Niall, into Nandos. We took a seat with Louis, Harry and me on one side and Zayn, Liam and Niall across from us. Me and Louis were still arguing. 'Fair's fair Louis, I called shotgun!' I reasoned, 'that's true mate she did call shotgun' agreed Liam. 'But-' Louis began to protest but Zayn cut him off 'can we just order? I'm hungry to you know!' 'Touche!' Agreed Niall with a lot of enthusiasm causing the people on the closest tables to look at us. I apologised and proceeded to call over a waiter.

After we had all ordered the lads began to tell each other about themselfs. Me and Harry kept glancing over at each other and smiling, his dimples would show each time, making my heart melt. 'So then what are planning on doing when you leave school?' Asked Liam ' well I was planning on either becoming a singer of a stylist to the stars, but Niall beat me to the punch on that one...'

Our conversation ended as a waitress came over with our food, "Here you go guys, oh hey Niall and Danni" she smiled, placed our food on the table and walked away, her high pony tail swaying in time with the rhythm of her hips. Niall had a shy smirk on his face "Now you see, food's not the only reason niall likes to come here" I teased. He kicked me under the table "Now, now nialler. Let the girl talk" harry laughed

"Well she's called steph and she was in the same year as us in school. Niall has liked her since year 10, we were good friends. We only see her here because her dad is really protective and wouldn't let her see any of us after we finished from school" I explained "well I can see why niall likes her, she is fffiiiiitttt" Louis spoke. A chorus of nodding heads and mumbled argreements came from around us.

Jelousy flashed into nialls eyes and just as soon as it came it disappeared. "Guy's let niall have this one" liam said digging into his food. Steph was quickly forgetten about as various banter erupted around the table. Apart from the stolen glances between niall and steph. See that's the thing, Steph was always fun loving and care free. She was everybodys was until her mum died and a car crash, she was an only child so it left her with her dad. He became so protective of her, he would ban her from leaving the house apart from to go to school. She tried to get out but he would just beat her. So she became shy and withdrawn at school. People would ask her if she was ok but she would pass it off and change the subject. We only found out after her dad stormed into school one day and literally dragged her out of the school. Steph never came back. Me and niall went round hers a few times but her dad would always answer the door and tell us to go away

"Earth to Danni" harry's hand waved in front of my face. "What? Yes, hello" "you okay? Your like in another world" out the corner of my eyes I saw niall shoot me warning glances "yeah, I'm fine" I smiled. I spent the rest of the meal in silence but laughed at the odd joke as not to arouse suspicion. Why did niall look at me like that?

"Danni can I have a word with you" Niall pulled me to the side as we were walking out "What?" I hissed, pulling my arm from his grip "Don't even think about ever telling the guys about Steph, she has gone through enough" "Oh so that's why you never asked her out! Because you think she has gone through enough?" I half shouted. "Everything ok over here" Steph skipped up to us, a shy smile on her face. "Yeah, we're totally fine, why would we be" Niall nervously answered, he raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. Steph flinched, a look of terror shot across her face and she ran off "Great going, dumb ass" I scowled and dragged niall out of Nando's. I could see by the look on his face, that he already was horrified by what he had done so I said nothing else. The ride back to our house was deadly silent as the others had sensed the tension and didn't want to interfere.

When we reached back home, niall ran straight upstairs. I made my way into the lounge and buried my head into my hands as I flopped onto the settee. A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me into their chest. The tears started to fall, it was never like this when we saw steph but the agruement and her flinch brought back how it was then. Niall was always constantly worried, he cared so much about her. It would eat him up.

I looked up to see that the embrace belonged to Harry "hey, you okay" he asked "and don't think about lying" something about Harrys caring tone made me want to spill it all out but I wouldn't, couldn't do that to Niall "Its just that we had a bad argument, that's all" I calmed myself down. That when I noticed that Louis, Zayn and Liam were stood in front of us. Worry written on their faces. We had only just met and they cared already, niall was right when he told me that they were like brothers. Niall

I stood up, ready to go to Niall when the same arm that embraced me, pulled me back down. "Don't go up just yet. Wait a bit" I gave harry a how-could-you-possibly-know looks "I have an older sister" he shrugged "Fine" I mumbled

A hour later and we were sat watching tv, no_one was really paying attention to the gardening show that was now occupying the screen. All our minds were on Niall. "That's it" I proclaimed, standing up "I'm going to see him"

I gently pushed open his door to see him lay down on his bed, head buried in his pillow. "Oh Niall" I sighed as I sat on the end of his bed "Go away" came the muffled reply from him. "You should know by now that I ain't gonna go anywhere" he huffed before sitting up. I could see that he had been crying. "I can't believe I scared her like that" I hugged him tight. "Don't feel too bad, its not your fault he treated her so bad" He pulled out of the hug and started to pace the room "yes it is"he mumbled, "don't be ridiculous" "but it is" "but it is isn't" "YOU DONT KNOW" he shouted "TELL ME THEN''I shouted back. He stopped "The night he first started to hit her, I said I had gone out with friends, right?" I nodded "well I was at Steph's. We were in her room, we were having a pillow fight, I tripped and we both fell on the bed. We were about to kiss when her dad burst in. He pushed me to the wall. Steph was shouting at him to stop, he slapped her. She told me to get out so I ran out the house, I was a cowered" he sat back down on his bed. "I felt bad so I texted her to meet me in her garden. She sneaked out. I apologised, she said it was ok, I hugged her but her dad came to the back door, he didn't see me so steph told me to run. I did." He looked at me, I nodded my head for him to continue, not trusting my mouth to form the right words. "Whenever she would try to leave her house at night it would be to see me. That day he dragged her out of school. She had taken me to an empty classroom. She told me that she really liked me but it was too hard. She gave me a kiss goodbye when her dad stormed in, he said he had found out about us. And you know the rest" he finished.

I engulfed him into a hug as only a sister would do "Its not your fault, I don't care what you say. You liked each other, you still do" "but what about when me and the boys go to london to do X Factor" "I honestly don't know but you'll never know if you don't try. now come on I bet the lads have trashed downstairs" I stood up "You really shouldn't joke about that, they probably have" niall gave a small smile and lead the way downstairs..