Last Hope (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 1

Niall's POV

The sun just coming up over the horizon, it's gentle rays brushing over my weathered cheeks brought me from my slumber just like it has been for the past two years. I took my blanket off myself and folded it up and placed it on the bottom of my backpack before slinging it over my back and leaving under the bridge where I had slept through the years.

I made my way through the still quiet streets of London until I got to a fuel station. I walked in and saw no one was at the cash register, so I contined on to the back where the restroom was. Once in there, I made sure the door was locked before stripping off my filthy clothes. The water from the faucet ran as warm as I could get it before I started to wash down my body with my hands, throwing the water at myself.

It was the first day of my last year of high school, and I really wanted to make it one more year without someone noticing I'm homeless. So far my grades have me as one of three being considered for a full ride scholarship for the University of London and a free dorm room. I've worked hard on school so I could get this, and now I'm just trying to make it one more year with high grades so I can fully get this. The dorm room is really what I'm working for, but I try to tell myself it's for the education to maybe get a job.

For the past two years, I've gotten small jobs and been let go because of my bosses always complained about me doing homework or studying while working. I've never kept a job long enough to save enough money for a place to sleep that's not under a bridge. So, I've just accepted not having a job and focusing on my grades so I could get into college, then get a real job when I have my degree.

After dunking my head in the sink and washing my hair with the water, I dried myself off with paper towels then slipped on my school clothes from my backpack. I was always glad I went to a public school and didn't have to worry about how to pay tuition or even how to pay for a school uniform. But, I only had two pairs of worn out jeans and three t-shirts. I had another pair of clothes, the ones I got thrown out of my house in, but I wore those at night so I could keep these ones looking in some type of good condition. Even though the amount of weight I keep loosing makes my jeans slip off all day and my shirts blow with a small gust of wind, they are still my clothes I wear.

I styled my hair with the water and decided I could make it through the first day of school looking like everyone else. I also hoped maybe that could get me some friends, but no one really likes me because they're all afraid I'm a freak with anorexia. Really, I'm just a freak that got kicked out to the streets two years ago and can't afford food so I don't eat good food.

As I left the bathroom and walked down the aisles to the front of the fuel station, I was tempted to steal just a bag of crisps or something, but I decided to keep my morals and values still the same no matter how hungry I was feeling.

When I got to the school building, there were already students filling the front doors and going inside. I figured the bell already rang so I got my schedule out of my side pock of my backpack and read where I had to go first. I had Psychology for my first class of the day. I continued walking into the school and tried blending in with the groaning students that hated being back to school. Me, on the other hand, was glad because school keeps my mind sharp and gives me purpose throughout a day instead of sitting on the streets and watching cars drive by till my mind feels like mush. It also gives me my only sense of normalcy so I enjoy every second of it.

When I walked into the class full of students that I had seen for the past four years, I saw how nice everyone was dressed and how some people grew over the summer or changed. I took a seat in the back and placed my backpack on the floor next to my feet. The bell rang for class to begin, but there was no sign of our teacher. So everyone continued talking and catching up about family vacations over the summer. I listened in on them, even though I knew it was rude, but I always liked hearing the fun places people would go. Some went out of the country for trips, while others just went to the beach or had family get togethers in their backyards.