"You were amazing!" Niall says as him and the other boys all come off stage. I blush.

"Thanks. I wasn't that great."

"Yes, you were. You were awesome. Forget photography, you need to be on stage more often," Liam insists. I playfully roll my eyes.

"You guys are just trying to make me feel better..."

The entire ride home they complement me on my voice. I couldn't stop smiling after I left the stage that night. It truly was a thrill to be up in front of people singing like that.

When we get back to the hotel I change and climb into bed, exhausted.

"Goodnight Niall," I mumble, holding onto Ooboo my stuffed seal. I found him at a park once when I was younger and brought him home with me. Of course I washed him a millions times after, though.

"Goodnight, Lex," Niall says back as I fall asleep.

~~~~~~~

"Lexi....Lex, come on, it's time to get up......Alexis you need to get out of bed," I hear Niall's voice trying to wake me up. I groan.

"Why?" I mutter. I was still half asleep as I pulled the covers up more so they covered my head.

"We need to pack up our things. We're going to New Jersey. Our next tour stop."

I groan again. "What time is it?"

"Seven. We need to leave in half an hour so get up."

I sigh and finally get out of bed. As I get up to go brush my teeth I realize something.

"Hey, Niall?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I....wake up last night? I mean like, after a dream?" He smiles and shakes his head no. I stare at him. "Oh my god..." I breathe out. "That's the first time in...in three years..." He looks at me. A smile spreads across my face as I run up and hug him. "I didn't have a nightmare!" He chuckles and hugs me back.

"I'm happy for you. I guess you have other things on your mind then," he says smiling.

"I guess so," I smile back.

It's true. Lately I haven't had to worry as much about making sure I can afford food or making sure I can pay the bills. The boys take care of those things. The less I have to think about struggling to make money the less I think about why I have to struggle in the first place.

I also have a happier life now. Things still aren't perfect and I doubt they ever will be. Things still aren't even good in my eyes with only having to rely on the boys for a lot of things (which I really don't like doing) but my situation is definitely better for Claire and I.

Claire is the reason I do a lot of things. She's the reason I drag myself out of bed every day even though I really just feel like blowing off work. She's the reason I keep going no matter how bad life gets. She's the reason I'm still here because honestly, if it wasn't for her, I would have left this world a long time ago.

Yes, I have had suicidal thoughts before. Especially after the incident happened. We had no money. I thought we would end up homeless. For about a year we lived off our parent’s savings but once that ran out we were left with nothing, just taking out loans from the bank with no clue how we would ever pay them back. I was depressed. I stayed in bed all day. I wouldn't even come out to eat. I lost a lot weight. Austin tried to get me to talk to him every day but I just stayed in my room, locked away from the world. I never smiled and I was always crying. It's like that frown was permanently fixed on my face.

Then one day Claire came into my room. She came over and gave me a hug and said "Lexi, I'm scared." A tear rolled down her cheek as she said this. I hugged her and promised her that everything would be okay. I had no idea if I was telling the truth or not at the time, but I wanted to make her feel better. That was the day I realized that I had to keep my promise. My sister was suffering because of my irresponsibility.

I didn't want things to continue like that, so I buckled down and got a job. Austin was still searching for work when I landed my photography internship, but he eventually found a job as well. We earned enough money to pay back the bank and our incomes together were enough to get by. We fixed things. Life got a bit better. It still sucked, but things did get better.

I still had a few suicidal thoughts even after that, but I kept thinking of my siblings. They both needed me here, so I would stay for them. I couldn't leave them like this. Not when they needed me most.

Now I smile all the time, for Claire's sake. I don't want her to have to see me like that again. In that depression state. I was a sore sight to see and I know it was tough for people to be happy in my presence. I never cry now. I try to stay strong, as strong as I can. Really, I'm doing it all for other people. If the people I love didn't exist then I would probably cry every day, never smile, live on the street because I would have no job or income, play music instead of take pictures, and possible not even be living. Thank God the people I love do exist. They keep me from doing some pretty crazy and stupid things.

That's the main reason my brother and I remind each other all the time to never give up. We say it every time we have to tell each other goodbye whether it be on the phone or at the airport. We always remind each other. We can't give up no matter how hard times get because we both have a responsibility to look after Claire and if we don't keep that responsibility then everyone's lives would get worse. Especially hers.

Really you just have to wake up every morning with the attitude that something great will happen and maybe one day you will get lucky and be right. My lucky day was when I got up for work a few weeks ago and met Niall Horan. The boy who changed my life for the better. I honestly can't thank him and the other boys enough for all that they have done. I owe them more than they know.

"You should probably start to pack up all your things. We don't have much time before we have to leave," Niall informs me. I look to his side of the room where all his bags were neatly packed and waiting by the door. He was also already dressed and ready to leave.

"Right," I say, heading for the bathroom. When I finish brushing my teeth and showering I jump out and grab a simple white zip up sweat jacket and a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. Underneath the sweat jacket I wear a black top. I slide on a pair of black shoes and clip on my necklace. After packing up my things and making sure not to forget anything I check the time. It was almost 7:30.

We load everything onto the tour bus and get in. I take a seat and pull out my phone. I open up Twitter since I haven't been on in a while. Yes, I have a Twitter. I made it shortly after moving in with the boys. I didn't have one before that because I didn't feel the need to have one. I still don't feel the need to have one, but the boys insisted. My old computer was a slow dinosaur computer that I shared with my brother. Nothing like my new laptop that the boys gave to me, making it much easier to use the internet.

Before I only had a total of one friend anyways, that being Rebecca. I didn't really need any type of a social network considering I wasn't exactly a social person. I'm still not a very social person. Besides the boys, Rebecca, and my family I don't really talk to many people. Not that I'm anti-social I just don't open up very easy. I'm sure you can guess why.

Anyways, when I got my Twitter all five of the guys followed me. After that, a bunch of random people that I didn't even know started to follow me and tweet me things. I didn't understand it at first. I was still figuring out Twitter when all that happened, so it really confused me. I'm a bit better with it now and I know how to reply to people and follow and all that. A lot of people had followed me since the concert last night too.

@Lexiboo2: I have a feeling today will be a good day :) xx

I lock my phone and put it back in my pocket. "I'm tired," I say as Niall sits down next to me on the couch. I liked the tour bus. It was comfy.

"Then go to sleep," Liam says, smiling. I rest my head on Niall's shoulder. Niall chuckles.

"You know there's beds in the back of the bus right?" Harry says, smirking. I don't answer. Instead I just groan and take a nap on Niall's chest.

I was comfortable and way too tired to move. I'm sure if Niall really minded me sleeping on his shoulder he would have carried me to one of the beds in the back, but since he didn't move I stayed put. After last night at the concert I seriously needed some sleep. I don't know how these boys do that every night and still are so cheery in the morning.

~~~~~~

"Shh...she might wake up..." I hear someone, probably Louis, whisper. Giggling follows. That giggle I would know anywhere. Claire. I don't open my eyes. I pretend to stay asleep, wondering what they were up to.

"Would you two knock it off? Leave her alone Lou. She's sleeping," I hear Niall say. I cuddle closer to him, glad he was defending me from whatever they were planning. I feel his arm tighten around me and I resist the urge to smile.

"You're just enjoying getting to cuddle with your little Lexi and don't want us to wake her up so she has to move." I could practically hear the smirk in Louis' voice. I imagined Niall blushing at his statement.

"Shut up." He didn't deny it. Huh.

"Okay Claire. Really carefully...." After a few moments I pop open my eyes and reach out to grab Claire. She's laughing hysterically. There's a permanent marker with the cap off in her hand.

"What were you planning there, Claire Bear?" I ask, tickling her.

"N-nothing! It-it was L-Lo-Louis!" she squeals, laughing and trying to fight me off at the same time.

"Claire! You weren't supposed to tell her that!" he whines. She just laughs uncontrollably as I tickle her.

"L-Lexi! I-I'm sor-sorry!" I laugh and stop tickling her so she can breathe.

"Who's the best sister in the world?" I ask, threatening to tickle her again.

"Umm....I am!" she says, smiling.

"Hmm....I don't think that's the right answer," I say, scrunching up my face and tickling her again.

"Okay! Okay! You are!" she says, trying to talk and laugh at the same time. I stop tickling her.

"Good job." She laughs and hops off my lap, out of breath from laughing so much. "LOUIS!" He had left the room moments ago. He pops his head back in.

"Yes?"

"Do NOT teach my innocent little sister to do mischievous things like DRAW on people’s faces," I warn, smirking. He grins.

"It was all her." He leaves the room again and I roll my eyes. He's like a little kid. I look to Niall.

"Were you seriously about to let them draw on my face?" I ask him. He gives me an innocent look.

"I tried to stop them." I smile and roll my eyes again.

"Excuses..." He gives me a pouting face and I chuckle. "Are we almost there?" I ask, getting bored.

"Almost," Zayn answers. I sigh and pull out my laptop from my bag. I log onto my email.

My jaw drops when I see the long list of emails from Uncle Dave. Seriously? He had to have sent me at least thirty different folders of pictures to edit. I'm sure he had more coming too. I haven't even been gone that long. With this much work he really shouldn't have the right to cut my pay. This is probably more work than I would be able to get done in a day at the studio. It's ridiculous. I make a mental note to call him later about it. For the rest of the car ride there I try to finish as much of my work as I can, but only manage to complete a small amount in the end. It would take me forever to get this all done.

When we get to the hotel we check in. Getting in the elevator Louis decided to press all the buttons instead of just one so it took us forever to reach our floor. When we finally did Niall and I walked into our room. One bed, just like the last hotel. We look at each other and then sprint for the couch. I try to push him back from beating me, but failed miserably. My push didn't even affect him. We both reached the couch at the same time.

"You promised you would take the bed!" I yell as we fight over the couch.

"Whoops." He ends up laying down on the couch with me sitting on top of him. "Comfy?" he asks, smirking. I stick out my tongue.

"Get off my couch."

"It's my couch."

"Nope!" I say. "We had a deal. Get off."

"I don't think so. Take the bed."

"Niall! It's not fair for me to take the bed again! Ugh, stubborn arse..." He smirks at me again. I hear a knock on the door and Harry comes in moments later.

"Hey guys we were-" he stops mid-sentence when he sees us on the couch. "Whatcha doin?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at us.

"He won't get off my couch," I say, pointing at Niall.

"Wait...you're fighting over who gets to sleep on the couch?"

"Would you please tell him that it's not fair if I sleep in the bed for two nights in a row when it's his hotel room?" Harry rolls his eyes.

"Why don't you just sleep in the bed together?" he asks with a smirk and a wink. I shoot him a glare as my cheeks turn red. Niall has the same reaction.

"Harry..."

"Right. Well I came to tell you guys that we were going to get something to eat later."

"Okay," Niall says. Harry leaves the room, still smirking at us. I roll my eyes. He can be annoying sometimes, I have to admit.

"If you don't get off my couch then I'm sleeping on the floor," I warn Niall. He rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Fine. I'll take the bed. But you have to get off of me so I can stand up." I get up and he moves. I fall back onto the couch, smiling victoriously.

"Thank you, Nialler."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know why you're thanking me for sleeping on the couch."

"Because I am." I smile at him.

He gives me a strange look, almost like a half-smile but not quite a smirk. Just...a look. It's hard to describe. After a moment he doesn't say anything, just walks over to his bags and moves them to his side of the room.

That....was weird....

AUTHORS NOTE

i actually like this chapter C: I hope you do too!! your opinion is the one that matters :) tell me what you think! Thoughts on the chapter?? TELL ME THESE THINGS I NEED TO KNOW. i enjoyed writing it. vote comment and/or fan if you liked it! Just to warn you all ill be starting school the 27th and wont have as much time to update. i will try my best to update as soon as i possibly can. I love you poptarts