Love At First Sight (A Harry Styles One Direction Fan Fiction)

Chapter 8

            Several seconds later, I saw the familiar bus pulling up to the candle store that was across the street. Sara and I dashed across the street, as the five boys came piling out the door with anxious expressions on their faces.

            "Harry!" I shouted, running into his arms. I just needed to feel safe.

            "It's okay, love, we're here now," he rubbed my back as I sobbed into his shoulder. I could hear Sara to the right off my bawling loudly. Harry pulled me away and held my shoulders at an arm's distance. "Do you feel up to telling me what happened?" I looked away, but nodded my head. All that was in my mind was a picture of the man reaching his filthy hands around my neck.

            "The m- man… He- He punched Sara and then he grabbed me and…" I tried to finish the story, but as the memories came back I burst into tears.

            "Shhh… It's alright, babe. As long as you're in my sight, I promise to never ever let this happen to you again," he comforted. All I could do was keep nodding my head.

            "…and then he g- grabbed m-my neck, and pulled me in…" I managed to spit out. Harry's eyes widened and I noticed the other boys were listening, too.

            "Holy shit," I heard Liam mutter, under his breath.

            Harry pulled me into another embrace, "You don't need to finish. I don't want to watch you relive the pain." My back was shaking violently with silent sobs. I took a deep breath. I had to be strong. I exhaled a shaky breath, and then turned to face all of them.

            After a minute or so, I said, "I'm okay now," I looked over to Sara, who was holding on to Niall's arm for her life. "I mean, we're okay now." I gave Sara a comforting smile, and I wiped away my tears, letting out a final sniffle.

            "Let's get you two in the bus, okay?" Liam suggested. I obeyed without complaint.

            Harry shuffled through the cabinets on the bus, pulled out two blankets, handed one to Sara, and wrapped the other one around me. I hadn't even noticed that I was shivering, "Thanks," I breathed.

            "I am so, so, so sorry to both of you. This was all my fault and I know we should have taken you home. The taxi was an awful idea," Niall announced.

            Sara piped up, "No, Niall, it's okay. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. Alice and I are safe now, thanks to all of you, and that's what matters."

            A sudden thought came into my mind. "So how are we going to get home, then?" I asked.

            "There is absolutely NO way I'm letting them go home by themselves," Niall responded then looked past my shoulder. I turned around, not noticing Paul had been there.

            "I agree, Niall. It's really dark now, and it's too dangerous for two, pretty teenage girls to be alone at night." All of the boys nodded. "But… This is our only opportunity to spend a day in Los Angeles. Would the two of you want to come?"

            I saw Niall's eyes twinkle as he and Sara looked at each other. She seemed to have recovered from the incident about an hour ago.

            Harry added, "That's a great idea! We would have loads of fun with you guys there, tomorrow. Then we could just drive you home after," he smiled at me. I couldn't explain it, but I felt something different when he looked into my eyes. I don't know what it is, but I do know that when I'm with him, and the rest of the boys, I can be myself.

            "Yeah, that would be really great! We just need to ask our parents," Sara reminded them, and me, for that matter.

            Sara dialed her house phone number, while I said to the boys, "You guys have so much freedom as celebrities. You get to travel to practically anywhere you want in the world, doing what you love, with girls literally licking the ground you've walked on."

            They all laughed. "You're right, but there are positives and negatives to being famous," Zayn added.

            I shrugged, "True. Okay, I need to call my dad and ask about LA." I walked off and dialed the familiar number.

            "Hello?"

            "Hey, dad! It's Alice."

            "Alice! Hi! How was Disneyland? Are you on your way home?"
            "We had a lot of fun, thanks! And well, about that…"

            "Oh, boy… What is it that you're about to ask me permission for?"

            "Well, while One Direction are staying in California, they wanted to spend a day in Los Angeles. As you know, Los Angeles is really close to Disneyland, and their manager, Paul, said that this is the best opportunity for them to go."

            "Couldn't they just take you home, and then go another day?"

            "Yeah, but Dad, Sara and I don't want to ruin the convenience of their plan. Paul suggested that we go with them to LA and spend the day with them there. You know I've always loved going to LA, and it's not like I'm asking if I can travel across the world or anything."

            "I don't know, Alice. It was enough just to let you go to Disneyland by yourself, but staying overnight, I'm not too sure. Couldn't you take a taxi?"

            I shivered the moment his last word escaped from his lips, "Dad, be reasonable. Don't you think it'd be safer if we stayed with One Direction's security, instead of taking a taxi home, late at night? We're only seventeen, and you never know… the taxi driver could end up being a creep."

            The irony.

            "Alright. Actually, you're right. I'll tell you what, if you make it back safe after Los Angeles, and prove to be that you are a responsible woman, I'll let you take more of these trips more often."

            "YAY! Thank you, Daddy! I love you."

            "I love you, too, sweetheart. Stay safe."

            "I will, I promise! Bye."

            I reported the good news to the boys, just after Sara received a yes from her mother as well.

            "Sounds like a plan!" Niall exclaimed, happily, "Let's go!"

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