This Chapter is Dedicated

to:

TOKTOK

For being the 300th reviewer of this story!

The Guitar Girl

Written by:

13ISMYNUMBER

Chapter 26

The Almost Perfect

"A game we can't win, something utterly inevitable."

The boys were in an interview and Riley's mind and eyes stayed glued to the television in front of her. Just like all the other times she has managed to catch a glimpse of them, of him, her world stops and the longing begins again.

The cold up-coming December breeze was starting to make its way through her flat in small amounts. It's been more or less a year since the end of her little rendezvous with the boys and her 365 day deadline is coming to its end. She hugged her arms around her, feeling lazy to higher the temperature of her heater.

"Watching the boys again?" Pru says, entering Riley's flat. She removes her coat and looks at Riley for an answer.

Riley chuckles before nodding.

"You know if you miss him so much just go and see him already." Pru points out, taking a seat next to Riley on the couch in front of the television. The boys were now laughing at an answer given by Louis to the interviewer.

Riley glances at Pru before returning her gaze back to the boys. "I don't want to rush things. We saw what happened the last time we did, right?"

Pru slumps back on the couch with a sigh. "Yeah." Pru agrees, remembering the past year. "I just don't get it. Everything is going well for you. Your dad and Ryan are very supportive of your career, you got into your dream school and if everything goes well for tomorrow's audition, you might get that scholarship! Plus, you're financially stable now."

"I don't know…I just feel like between the two of us, he's the one who's not ready now." Riley reasons out.

"How so?"

Riley looks at the Irish lad intently, his face shows happiness but when Riley lands on his blue orb, she feels his incompleteness. "I guess, by the time the 365th day hits its mark, the security builds up and somehow, if not perfect, it'll be the right circumstance. I guess, we're just both waiting for that."

Pru rolls her eyes, not completely understanding her best friend. She changes the topic. "So, if I say that you should invite the lads to your audition tomorrow, you'd say no?"

Riley looks at her with a shocked expression. "What?"

"I mean," Pru explains, "Ryan and your dad won't be able to go—"

"Because they have work!" Riley interrupts.

"And I can't go because I have work as well, so you know. You need some moral support so, why not them?" Pru adds, with a sheepish smile and look in her eyes.

Riley rolls her eyes before pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. In time, the short boyish cut that she had for a couple of months grew and is now past her shoulder, a few weeks ago, missing her long locks, she went to Nathan's salon and added extensions. She was finally returning to her old self.

"I can't just appear in their doorstep after a year, inviting them to my audition as if nothing happened!" Riley reasons out.

"You can! You just don't want to." Pru points out again, both her eyebrows rising.

"Even if I do want to, I don't think its right. I mean, I'm not ready…at least not yet." Riley adds. She feels Pru sigh before standing up. Riley looks at her best friend who offers her a small smile.

"Well, if that's your decision, there's nothing I can do." Pru says, respecting her decisions.

Riley's lips broke into a grin as she bids goodbye to Pru.

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

"Pru?"

Niall couldn't believe his eyes.

"You seriously need to tell your guards to remember this face," Pru points to her face, "because next time, I won't be standing in line for two hours just to talk to you."

Niall's lips broke into a grin. "What are you doing here?"

Pru rolls her eyes. "To tell you that Riley has an audition tomorrow for a scholarship."

The grin vanishes and was replaced with confusion. "I can't go. We have a deadline, remember?"

"Oh please!" Pru waves him off.

Paul signals to Niall that a next girl has to be entertained by him. Niall stands up and guides Pru somewhere private.

"Do you not want to see her? Even hear her sing? She doesn't even need to know that you're there!" Pru continuous what she was about to say awhile ago.

"So, she doesn't know you're here?" Niall asks as he lets her go.

"Nope!" Pru says with a smile.

Niall chuckles. A small smile appears on his lips as he asks, "How is she?"

"She's fine…better, actually." Pru says, turning serious and genuine.

Niall nods before looking down on his shoes.

"She misses you, you know." Pru adds, making Niall look back at her. "She might not say it aloud but her actions speak loud enough for her."

Niall offers a smile back to Pru before saying, "I miss her too."

Pru glances on her watch before looking back at Niall, "Look, you've got a signing to finish and I've got work to go to. So, if you've decided to go to Riley's audition it'll be held tomorrow at 3-6 p.m., at the RAM Auditorium."

Pru starts to walk away, backwards as she told Niall the whereabouts of Riley for tomorrow. She starts to wave goodbye and Niall offers a grin before waving back. She turns around and sprints and Niall could only look up before running a hand through his hair.

'365, please come nearer.'

The Guitar Girl by 13ismynumber

"What do you mean you're going?!" Liam says as he follows Niall's around the flat.

"It means, I'm going." Niall replies calmly with a chuckle as he gives a playful look towards Liam.

Liam continuous to follow Niall as he heads for the kitchen to get something to drink from the fridge, tired of following him like a lost puppy, Liam jumps in front of him. He blocks his path as he enters the kitchen area, Niall gives him a look. "Then what's the point of the 365 days?" Liam points out.

"For her to figure her life out, as I continue mine, for us to meet again with nothing to hold us back." Niall explains as he tries to dodge Liam and make his way back to the fridge. Liam blocks him again. Niall sighs loudly. "Liam, seriously, you're taking your daddy direction shit on me too much."

"I just think you should wait 'til the deadline." Liam explains his side.

Louis' eyes travels to the two who had been playing a dodge game on the kitchen as he eats on the counter. Of course, he knows about the deadline. The days of the year seemed to pass by as the end of November comes. It was as if it was just yesterday when Louis played a little mind game on Zayn about Riley's secret and figuring things out. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

He can't help but smile as he observes Niall. He grew. Not only physically but mentally as well. He was able to take things more maturely and accept the things he was not in control of. Louis assumed it was because of everything that happened in the past year. But despite all the change, Louis was sure there was one thing that didn't change…

The look in Niall's face whenever he gets too occupied by his thoughts and his own world swallows him…

The spark that lights up in Niall's eyes whenever he suddenly gets too silent and draws out of reality…

It was the same look and spark he first saw two years ago whenever he thinks about Guitar Girl.

Now, Louis was pretty much sure it was Riley that he was thinking of.

He just hopes, Riley could see that.

But nevertheless he understood why Riley wanted to get away. If he was in her position, he would've done the same.

"Liam," Niall's voice brings Louis back to reality. "I know what I'm doing."

And with those words, Niall who was now in front of the fridge, a bottle of water on hand, heads out of the kitchen. You can hear the front door open and close and Liam and Louis both know that Niall had already made up his mind.

Liam looks at Louis with a tired and lost look. Louis raises a brow and gives a grin. "What got your Friday morning head in a heat, daddy dear?"

Liam sighs loudly before sitting on a stool next to Louis. "It's nothing really."

"Come on, you can tell me!" Louis insists as he puts an arm around Liam.

"Its nothing…just that I just want Niall to keep his part of the deal." Liam explains in a low voice.

Louis lets out a chuckle as he pats Liam's back. "Even you won't be that shallow! Come on, Liam, tell me the truth." Louis continuous to drill the truth out of his friend.

Louis always knew if the boys were lying to him just like when he figure that they were hiding something from him about Riley last year.

Liam holds back his breath as he looks away from Louis. How does he say it? He doesn't know but it's better to just say it than deny it once more. "I feel like something's going to happen." The next words that came out from Liam's mouth, brought chills down Louis' body, "A game we can't win, something utterly inevitable."

Disclaimer: I do not own ONE DIRECTION but I do own the idea and the plot of this story as well as the fictional characters that are used and will be used in this story. So please don't steal it. Thank you.

Yeah, I know its short but hey, there's still a lot of things that will happen, okay? HANG IN THERE, GUYS!:D

Reviews and Replies:

HorseLoverKT: That is so awesome! I wish I could ride too. HAHAHA. I'm glad that you like my story very much.:D Thank you!

ToKToK: I think you would like to kill Pru in the upcoming chapters even more so. Just watch out! HAHAHA. YES. THANK YOU FOR THE 300 REVIEWS! Tell me if I'm wrong, I just calculated it and counted backwards. You're the 300th reviewer! YEY FOR YOU! And yey for me!:D

Paynefullylove1d: I have updated! Happy reading.:)

Polkadotsandsmileyfaces: Oh, how old are you?:)) Anyway, college exams have been postponed due to a typhoon and flood. I am stuck in my university dorm due to the flood. I'm going home later though and exam week had been moved to next week! Wish me luck!:D

Saikono-san: Little sis! Binaha ka ba? Ako dito sa dorm ko, oo eh. I hope you're safe! Mag comm.. arts ka? That's great! Magkabuilding tayo if ever. HAHAHA. Kelan USTET mo?:)

ItsMeSenna: Thank you for your compliment! Keep reading, love.:D

Nadiac869: I hope I don't make you cry! This story is a tad bit far from over, love. Hang in there!

A. payne: I haven't been able to watch the second season. Gaaah. I want to watch it so badly. Maybe after my exams…OOOH! I want to watch BRAVE as well. HAHAHA.

m-chann: Thank you! I hope I could keep up with your expectations, love.:D Keep reading, okay?:)

ashleyloveblack: Hey! Thank you. Happy reading.:D

Tammy: I hope you can read this chapter as soon as you can. I can't promise when I'll update but I hope I can do so by next week.:D HAHAHA. (awkward turtles)

Glennigian: I like that song! My sister and I still listen to it.:) Anyway, I hope you'd continue staying tuned this story is far from over!:D

CedricDiggoryHot: You've read all of my stories? Really? AAAAW. THANK YOU! That means a lot to me.:) I hope this update made you happy! Hang in there, okay? I'll try to update by next week, but no promises. Sorry love.

Vera115: Hi. Sooooooo. I HAVE UPDATED! Hahaha. Anyway, yeah. Happy reading, love!:D

Ninastylee: Hey, you're back and I'm back! My exams got moved on the night that I have been working for 5 hours studying for one subject! DAMN IT. Anyway, okay. So we got it cleared that you don't have lesbo/gay friends. CLEARED. Anyway. Does she know that you know that she writes YOAI? And is it under fanfiction? Like what fiction does she write about? HAHAHA. Anyway, have you watch How to train your dragon? Currently, I am in love with that story and have decided that it would be the movie that I would write my review for a political science major subject. I have to get some politics out of it and make a paper review about it. I don't have any idea how I'll do it but somehow, I'm cracking my brain cells for some idea. ANYWAY. I hope you can read this as soon as you can and I hope work and classes haven't eaten you up yet because I think my school is going to hunt me down and eat me. UGH. Life of a college student is so not my thing.:|

So, you're all probably wondering why I updated when I said I won't be updating for two weeks, the answer is simple: MY EXAMS GOT MOVED TILL NEXT WEEK. Why? BECAUSE MY SCHOOL IS FLOODED. So, yeah.

Anyway. On the brighter side of things, I hope I can update by next week, because I have just thought of a new plot twist. I think that if I ended the story now, it would be too boring…so yeah, WATCH OUT!

Thank you to everyone who actually bothers to check every single day for an update. It means a lot! AND OH! WE REACHED 300+ REVIEWS! Thank you to all! It means a lot to me. I hope you guys know that. Thanks to every single one who reads, reviews, alerts and favorites this story. God bless!

Stay Safe.

Xoxo,

13ismynumber