Chapter Twenty-Two
//Niall//
The bell signalling lunch hour goes off and Harry still is nowhere to be seen. I let myself be momentarily distracted by the delicious mozzarella alfredo lasagne that is today’s special. I get two large bowls, three garlic breads, a bottle of Sprite, and a slice of cheese cake. The lads, upon seeing me coming back with a mountain high pile of food, shake their heads fondly. Eleanor is all but sitting on Louis’ lap, practically giving him a rear-facing lap dance while Perrie and Zayn are being a sickening cute couple feeding each other food. Liam and Dani seem to be lost in their own little world, oblivious to the rest of us peasants.
“Oi, anyone seen Haz today?” I ask, snapping my fingers together to get everyone’s attention.
“Damned if I knew,” Louis shrugs. “He didn’t show up for English first hour or the Biology afterwards.”
“He’s probably home, ill,’ Liam reassures, turning on his puppy face, full-force. “He didn’t look all that good last I saw him.”
“Dunno, mate. I have a bad feeling about this,” I mutter.
Sometimes, I get these gut feelings about stuff. Not like oh, I think ate something bad, but more like intrinsic. Call it gay intuition if you’d like but somehow, I can’t shake off the feeling that Harry’s isn’t alright, resting at home.
I finish my lunch in record time so I can go outside the canteen to call Harry’s house number. The school has a strict rule against mobiles, but the real reason is that the reception is very sketchy in the building. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a bug installed to mess with the signal.
“Hullo, Anne speaking,” Mrs Styles answers the phone.
“Hi, Mrs Anne. I was wondering if Harry was home ill.”
“Oh, no. He hasn’t come home since last night. I had assumed that he had stayed at one of your houses?” she sounds genuinely confused.
“I’m sorry to tell you this but we haven’t seen him since yesterday either.”
“What? Oh no,” she downright screeches into the speaker, shrill coming out of the receiver. “I had hoped that this day wouldn’t come.”
“Wait, what d’ya mean?” now I’m the one who is confused.
“I’m sorry, Niall dear. I’m afraid I must speak with my husband right this instant. The Gemma too.”
I hear a click and a long dial tone as she hangs up on me.
What the fuck just happened?
^----- ^
=( o , o )=
When I return home, I immediately shuck off the school uniform and into a loose shirt and cargo pants. I climb out of my window and carefully swing myself onto the pine tree conveniently planted a few feet next to my window. The branches spread our across a wide area and one of them goes over the fence that marks the outer bounds of my house. All it does is make for a quick getaway. My Pa has been threatening to lock me up in my bedroom until my maths goes up to a solid B, and that ain’t happening for another month or so. Maybe two weeks if I get Liam to help me but that’s a different story.
The Styles’ house is a few short blocks away, and being shortish and slim has advantages for running. Barely out of breath, I haul myself over the fence and land on the lawn quietly, heels lifted. Then I tiptoe over to the kitchen window, where a thin stream of sounds is flowing out.
YOU ARE READING
Irresistible
Fanfiction*NOT FAMOUS* Harry is a hybrid-cat; he has certain feline characteristics that are easy to hide most of the time. But when Niall moves into Doncaster, his inner kitty wants to come out and play.
