Madness ➮ Harry Styles AU

B4

Harry

"Please Beth, please!" I pleaded. "I promise I'll give it right back to you!"

Beth sighed dramatically while throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine! Fine, Harry, fine!" After digging her palms into the pockets of her light blue jeans, she pulled out a white piece of hard plastic, reflecting of the hard light.

I quickly snatched it out of her fingers before she had a chance to think about or take back her obviously stupid decision. Honestly, I was surprised sure even let me borrow it.

"Do my shift for me and come right back, you understand?" She demanded while transferring a metallic tray filled with various types of food into my open palms.

I nodded vigorously in reply.

"Jesus, Harry! You've got it bad..." Beth smirked mischievously at me.

I felt a rosy blush rise up to my cheeks, then I turned swiftly on the heel of my foot to hide it. Although, I'm fairly certain Beth saw.

A stupid grin kept surfacing onto my face as I walked down the hallways, and no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't go away. The absolute worse part of it was, that the closer I got to my destination, the more obvious this bubbling feeling I felt within myself became. Unsure of whether it was excitement, nervousness, or if I had just eaten something questionable for breakfast, I decided to ignore it. For thinking further into it would do me no good. (And I guess you could say it wouldn't do any harm either, but frankly, I don't even remember what I ate this morning. And we all know that trying to remember something you once knew, but recently forgotten, is one of the worst experiences one could ever endure.)

I slipped Beth's key card into the top, left pocket of my lab coat. Afraid that I might somehow accidentally forget that I was holding it, and eventually, drop it and lose it.

I turned the corner that led to wing D of the institution, the unknown feeling boiling rapidly within me with every step I took; demanding to be noticed.

And when the feeling had evolved into something of which I could not ignore for any longer, was when I found myself exactly where I wanted to be.

Leisurely situated directly in front of room D11. (Or so I can assume, considering that it came after D10, but neglected a label.)

Swiftly, I pulled out the plastic card from the back pocket of my denim jeans and slid it through the locking device with ease. It emanated a high pitched, highly annoying screeching sound while across the screen, in blocky letters, it read: ACCESS DENIED.

"What?" I exhaled in surprise.

Without a single glance laid upon the key card, I already knew I had pulled out the wrong one. My theory proved true when I saw HARRY E. STYLES printed boldly across the plastic. Sighing at sudden stupidly I had acquired, I pulled Beth's card from my lab coat pocket. Then, I did the same to hers as I had done to mine. However, instead of beeping in denial, it spoke nothing and the minuscule screen the machine carried flashed a bright green color at me. Signifying, that the door had been unlocked.

Just for my own pathetic, reassurance, I checked the screen once more. And to my expectancy and satisfaction, the screen read: ACCESS GRANTED.

My palm was sweaty as it lapped around the cool, metal handle; soothing the burn. The other, just equally as nervous, balancing a breakfast tray.

Why are you so nervous? My subconscious questioned, not expecting an answer, considering, that I was really speaking to myself.

Slowly, I clenched my fist tighter around the handle this time, and also, proceeded to open it.