I usually hate it when people watch me opening a present, because what if I don't like it? What if I already have it or it's not my style? I can't just fake a smile, people can tell when I'm lying but for some reason, opening a present in front of Niall it doesn't bother me. I actually want him to watch me open the little box that he gave me. "Are you ready?" I ask him as I sit down on the swings.

"Are you?" He asks chuckling. I just nod and open his presents. I unwrap the wrapping paper und open up the box. Inside is a ring. It's perfect. The ring has little white stones around it and the word 'Fate' engraved on the inside.

"I thought since you're favourite word is Fate, it would be quite nice." He smiles and I put the ring on.

"It's beautiful." I say as a tear rolls down my cheek. "I love it Niall."

"I love you." He smiles and then I put the box on my lap.

"It's your turn now, love." I smile and he opens his box.

"A watch!" He cheers and is more excited than I thought he'd be.

"I-I didn't know what to get you, so I thought a watch would be nice and it-it has two clocks, so you always know what time it is in London and what time it is in wherever you are." I explain my present which takes longer than I thought. Niall laughs and puts it on. It's a simple black and does what it's supposed to do, show him the time.

"Now I always know when to call you." He winks at me, making me laugh and less nervous about the gift.

"Do you like it?" I ask.

"Of course, princess." He smiles at me and my heart warms up. "Now, I'll never call too late or too early and I'll be able to hear your wonderful voice for as long as possible. No short calls anymore. No talking until noticing that you fell asleep. Now we'll be on time." Niall says, sounding happier than I thought he would be.

"You didn't say it thought." I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just nervous and kinda anxious. I still got Anna's words in my head. You said you could never cope with up and downs. It's distracting, you said, a waist of time.

"I like it, in fact..." He chuckles. "I love you it." Niall puts the biggest smile on, making me blush and giggle. "Is everything alright in your world?" Niall then asks.

"You are my world." I laugh. "So is everything alright with you?"

"I don't know, you tell me, since you're MY world." He says making me laugh harder.

"What are we doing?" I ask laughing.

He shrugs. "I miss you, gorgeous."

"I miss you more." I smile and he shakes his head.

"No, I miss you more." Niall says and chuckles.

"Noo! I miss you more than you miss me, okay." I say and he laughs harder.

"Are you trying to argue with me, princess?" He asks and I smirk when mum calls me in. 

"I have to go. I'll call you later." I smile and stand up, taking the box in my free hand.

I start to walk but then Niall says "I love you." and I stand still. My feet don't move on.

"I love you more." I smile. "Forever and always." I blow him a kiss and hang up. I log out of skype and then my feet move again. I walk back into the house, where my family is already sitting by the fireplace, on the couch and on the floor, watching the last Harry Potter movie. I plop down next to Sam on the floor as Anna gives me a plate with leftovers from dinner. We watch the last Harry Potter movie and enjoy the day together. My thoughts are everywhere but not here. I think about the last few months. About Niall and us together. About the things that happened between us. About the ups and downs we had. About the future of us. I think about all the things I used to say before Niall. I could never cope with ups and downs. It's distracting, a waist of time. Now I can't believe that those words actually came from me. "Boys are just distraction from more important things." "Boys are not important." If I would still think like this, I wouldn't be with Niall. He changed it. He changed everything.

When everyone leaves, I help mum to clean up the house and then go back to my room. My room is a mess, just like my head. Things are everywhere but not where they belong just like my thoughts are everywhere but not where I want them to be. A mess that can't be untangled. I feel like crying but I don't have a reason and I hate crying. So I clean up my room. At least one mess that can be organized. It's quiet in my room, in the entire house. I move things to my liking and put away things that I don't need. When it knocks on the door, mum's head peaks through the door. "Can I come in?" She asks and I nod.

She comes in, closes the door behind her and sits down on my bed. "Is everything okay, Olivia?" She asks.

"Yeah, why shouldn't it be?" I ask back and sit down on my spinning chair.

"You seem a bit down today, love."

I shrug. "I'm just thinking a lot."

"About what?" She asks and I just shrug as answer. It's quiet for a few moments and then she stands up again. She's about to leave, but then she steps back and looks at me with widen eyes. "Are you coming to the party on the 27th?" She wants to know.

"What party?" I ask back.

"The annual christmas party that we go to literally every year." She explains and then I remember. That party! I think and remember all the people that usually go to that party, all the food that is being served there, all the desserts and all the fun. All my friends are going with their families and a lot of their friends families and so on. It's quite a big party with over 200 hundred guests. 200 hundred guests and one will be Aaron.

"It will be fun." Mum says when I don't answer. She smiles at me and even though I'd much prefer to stay at home, I can't say no. I've been doing nothing but being with Niall or talking to Niall ever since Ethan and I got here and I guess it's time for a little social actives with some other people who aren't Niall or my close friends. And again, it's usually pretty funny.

"Okay. I'll come but only if Ethan comes as well." I smile and mum's eyes start to sparkle.

"Of course he will." She quickly walks over to me, kisses my cheek and then leaves my room. I'm on my own again and think about all the things that could happen at that party. There are two options. Either everything will be fine and Aaron will ignore me like I'm going to ignore him, or nothing will be fine and it will be a disaster.

The next day is spend worrying about what could go wrong at the party and spending some time with my mother. Mr.McAllister holds himself back and leaves us alone. Mum and I make cookies and other things. She said "You'll need it in London." even though I don't think that knowing how to make cookies and pies are really needful in London. 

When the day of the party then comes, it's too late to say no. Mum has already outfits picked out for me and Ethan and has already planed where we're going to sit, what we're going to eat, who we're going to talk to first and so much more. After a while I, and probably Ethan too, stop listening. It's the same as every year anyway. The only difference is that Mr.McAllister is with us this year. 

When Niall and I have our morning conversation, he tells me that he'll come as well. When I say that I don't want him to come, he asks what I have to hide from him. When I say that I don't have anything to hide from him, he says that I can't change the fact that he'll come. He'll come no matter what.

An half an hour before the party, I change into the clothes that mum has prepared for me. The weird feeling that I've got ever since mum told me about the party, gets stronger every minute and I feel like throwing up. Just as I close the button of my royal blue skinny jeans, I gag, run to the bathroom and throw up. Everything that I've eaten today gets out of me and even tears roll down my cheeks. I take a deep breath, brush my teeth before I resume back to my room. My phone rings and it's Niall. "I'll be late." is the first thing that he says.

"Hello to you too, love." I giggle and sit down on my bed.

"Hey, I'll be late." He says and I hear him rushing around in their house.

"Why?" I ask and play with my already curled hair.

"I-I should be on my way already, but I have to take care of Theo for the next 10 minutes and then I can drive off. Sorry princess, but I'll just come directly to the venue." He explains and my heart warms up as I picture Niall playing with Theo in front of me.

"It's fine. I'll text you the address and love..."

"Yeah?"

"Take good care of him and yourself and please drive safely, okay?" I run my fingers through my hair and wish that he would be already with me.

"Okay. I love you, Olivia." He says and I smile when he says my name.

"I love you too, Ni." I exhale and hang up. I lay down on my bed and look up at the ceiling, wishing that Niall would be next to me. Wishing that all the ups and downs are done now and wishing that everything will be alright. But knowing that life is never done with giving up and downs, knowing that things will be never be completely alright and knowing that there's always going to be something that isn't the way it should be, I stop to wish and continue to get ready.

When I'm done getting dressed, I put my black pumps on and take my little black bag that I got from aunt Karen this Christmas. It perfectly fits my phone, keys and wallet in it. Lastly I put the ring that Niall gave me for Christmas on and then I'm ready. I leave my room and go downstairs where Mum is fixing Mr.McAllister's tie.

"Oh perfect. Olivia, fix his tie quickly." She says and rushes away. Mum's stressed, even though there's nothing to stress about. At least not for her. I go over to Mr.McAllister, I mean, Robert and fix his tie. I learned it from my dad and it's save to say that I'm pretty good at it.

"I know it's awkward..." Mr.McAllister starts out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?" I ask just as I finish.

"The situation, Olivia. You know, when I called your mother after I first saw you in my lesson, I didn't think that we would talk for hours and-and then restart what we had, you know?" He scratches the back of his neck and for the first time, I don't see him as a teacher but as a person.

"It's okay." I say and step back. "I was just surprised and shocked by it, I guess. But it's okay." I smile and then Ethan comes down.

"You look good!" He exclaims when he sees me.

"Thank you." I smile at my brother who's wearing a black blazer over a white shirt and black jeans.

"I didn't mean you." He says and my jaw drops to the floor. He walks straight passed me and goes to the front door. "That Christmas wreath on you looks good." He strokes the door with his hand and I burst out laughing.

"You're such an idiot!!! I tell him and laugh about the joke he makes every year. The door has probably received more compliments from my brother than I ever did. And it's just a door.

"But you don't look bad, Olive." He smirks and strokes my head, messing up my hair.

"Fuck you." I say and fix it again.

"Not on Christmas." Mum says, coming into the hallway. Ethan and I automatically hold our laughs in and our cheeks turn red.

"Are we ready to go?" Mr.McAllister asks.

"We are and lets all pray that everything will be alright." Mum half smiles and I couldn't agree more.