One where the boys forget Niall's birthday.

NIALL POV:
Today is my birthday and I'm so excited. For dinner, we're all going to a fancy steakhouse, which we had to plan over a year in advance! The rest of the day, I'll just be with the boys. Right now we're all in our home together.

I come to the kitchen, expecting some 'Happy Birthday's but don't get any. In fact, no one is even in the kitchen.

Hmm, maybe a surprise party...

I take out some cereal and milk. I finish the Honey Cheerios and throw the box away.

Then, I hear the rest of the boys stomping downstairs. They look like they're in the middle of an argument.

I decide to tune them out with some music. I put on some headphones and continue eating.

A few seconds later someone taps me on the shoulder. I pause the music.

"Hmm?"

"Geez, so rude. Who wears headphones during a meal with their friends!?" Zayn shouts.

"Sorry," I say completely taking them off.

"You didn't even leave us any cereal!" Liam adds.

"Well, there's more boxes in-"

"Just shut up Niall," Louis says.

"O-ok."

I finish my cereal and put my dish in the sink.

We've done this before together. We were all mean to Harry on his birthday then gave him a huge surprise. He loved it, in the end. Maybe that's what this is. Maybe.

I go back to my room and sit on the bed, scrolling through Twitter.

Someone knocks.

"Come in," I say.

Harry walks in.

"We're playing some video games in the living room if you want to watch."

"Why can't I play?"

"Well, first of all, you never play, and second, one of the controllers is dead."

I sigh.

"Ok."

I get up and follow Harry into the living room.

They're playing Super Smash Bros.

I watch for a while. They play for hours. They finally stop at 2:00 PM. The steakhouse reservation is at 5:00 PM but it's an hour away. We need to leave at 3:45 PM so we still have over an hour of free time.

"What do you wanna do now?" Liam asks.

"Can I do something with you guys?" I ask, "Please?"

"Why?"

"Fine, I'll go to my room then," I say.

I probably sound annoyed but it actually really hurts my feelings. Could the boys have actually forgot my birthday? Maybe I should kinda hint it.

"Um, guys?"

"WHAT?" Louis screams.

"Nevermind," I say, running off into my room.

They forgot my birthday. I decide to cancel the reservation to the steakhouse. Except, my phone is still in the living room. Damn it.

The line to cancel and still get your money back is in... a minute!

I run to the living room and call the number on my phone.

"Hi, can I still cancel my reservation?"

"Sure, kiddo."

"Thank you so much. The name was under Harry Styles, for 5:00 PM."

"Ok, and would you like to note why you're canceling?"

"It was a birthday celebration and my friends seemed to forget. I'm sorry, I know we planned this over a year in advance but... sorry. I hope to come back one day.

"Ok well, thank you and goodbye!"

"Bye."

"What was that about?" Louis asks.

Shit! I forgot the boys were still in the room.

"Um, my friend's birthday. But some... other friends forgot. And, they asked me to cancel since I had the reservation?"

"How come it was put under my name?" Harry asked.

"I DON'T KNOW!!!" I say running back into my room, this time with my phone.

"Gee, what's gotten into him," I hear Louis say.

I go into my room and cry, and cry, and cry. How could they forget their best friend's birthday.

Then, the doorbell rings.

"Can you get it Niall?" Zayn shouts.

I open the door to my room, then the front door. It's a package.

When the delivery driver sees my crying face he gives me a look of sympathy and walks away.

"Thank you," I almost whisper.

I look at the package. It's from Paul! There's a note on it too. It reads 'Happy Birthday! Enjoy the gift and call me when you get it!'

I smile.

I FaceTime him and he picks up right away.

"Did you open it yet?" he asks, looking and sounding extremely excited.

"No, but um, can you come over here? I think- I think the boys forgot today."

His face turns to shocked.

"So the steakhouse?"

"I canceled."

He sighs

"I'll come right over. And, when I get there I'll remind them about today. I'm gonna hang up though. Be there in ten!"

"Ok."

He hangs up.

"Paul's coming over," I say, but the boys seem to ignore me.

For those long ten minutes, I just cry the whole time.

Finally someone knocks on the door.

I open it instantly.

As soon as Paul sees my crying face, he wraps me around in a hug.

"Aww, bud."

"Can we wait to tell the boys?"

He nods, and continues hugging me.

"What's going on back here," Louis asks, the rest of the boys behind him.

Paul lets go of me and the boys see me crying.

"What's wrong with Ni?"

"Can I tell them now?" Paul asks.

I nod.

"His best friends forgot his birthday."

As soon as he says that, the boys realize.

They try to apologize but I just tune them out.

I tug on Paul's sleeve and he gets the message. I pick up the package and lead him into my room. I sit on the bed and he sits next to me.

"I'm sorry this happened bud," he says after a few minutes of silence.

I put my head in my hands and start another round of crying. He rubs my back which comforts me a lot. He also hugs me like he did earlier. It feels so much better than any other hug I've gotten.

"Do you want me to open it?" I ask him.

He gets confused for a second before realizing I'm talking about the gift.

"Yes, please."

I get a pair of scissors but Paul tells me not to use them.

"It could break it," he simply says.

I shrug and use my fingernail.

I open the box, and see a guitar! Of course I already have a guitar but I've never even seen one this cool! It's the same shape as a normal guitar, of course, but there's a cool pattern on the base.

"Thank you so much Paul!"

"You're welcome bud."

Then, we hear knocks.

I sigh.

The boys opened the door and came in, sitting on my bed.

"Niall, we're so sorry for the way we treated you. I don't know how we forgot your birthday. It's just that-" Zayn started, but I cut him off.

"Save it, Paul remembered so I'm hanging out with him. God, even Simon remembered. By the way, I canceled the reservation to the steakhouse. The one that we planned over a year in advance."

The boys looked shocked.

"Niall," Harry said sadly.

I pointed to the door and they got up and left.

"Paul?"

"Hmm?"

"I wanna cuddle."

"I don't think I'm allowed to do that, bud."

"Well, then you can blame me."

I put the blanket over us. Then, I laid down and put him down. He didn't resist. I hugged him and we cuddled. Nothing more or less.

After a half hour, we were still there.

"Paul?"

"Yea, bud?"

"Do you think I should forgive them?"

"Did they make you really angry?"

"They made my cry multiple times and they were more mean they are on a normal day."

"Zayn did say that there was something going on. Why don't we call him in and let him explain himself, yea?"

I nodded and we both sat up.

"Boys?" Paul shouted.

The boys came running in as soon as they heard him.

"Zayn said there was something going on. Maybe there is an explanation for forgetting Ni's birthday..?"

"Well, we kinda thought it was October 13 and we had a whole thing planned but... yea. We're sorry."

"Look, it even says October 13 on the calendars in all our rooms and the kitchen," Harry says.

"Who did the calendars?"

"Me... I'm sorry," Louis said.

"It-it's fine. Just don't let it happen again."

I hugged Paul again and he hugged me back. He ran his hands through my hair.

"I have to go now bud. That ok?"

"O-ok..." I said sadly.

"Thanks for the gift!"

"No problem!"

From that day on, they never forgot another birthday of anyone's.

1451 Words