Until Now (Harry Styles)

Chapter 37

Exam week was and is hell. I don’t think teachers understand how much stress it puts on students, especially commuting students such as myself. I have to drive all the way to campus just to sit in the library so that I’m not distracted. It’s a drag, really.

What sucks even more is that my apartment is a complete mess. Even Nicks, clutter-junkie galore, said that my apartment was “janked up.” So when I had a day free of exams and free of distractions, I went to it and piled up all of my dirty clothes, did all of my dishes, vacuumed, swept, the whole shebang. 

Over the past week I had heard people upstairs walking around, but I kept myself busy with homework and studying. I didn’t want to break my concentration and go upstairs to Harry’s apartment. Plus, the multiple patterns of footsteps told me that his sister was still staying at his place. I was happy that Harry still had some sort of connection with his family across seas. I mean, I talked to my brother all the time and he was only a few states away, but my parents… Well, I only talked to them every once in a while and they were only about two hours away.

I’m a bad daughter.

I gathered my laundry and shoved it into the hamper that I had bought. It wasn’t big enough for all of my laundry, but I was determined to make one trip to the ground floor, laundry room, so I shoved the garments into the hamper and lugged the thing from my apartment.

After sweating like crazy while pulling my overstuffed hamper into the laundry room, I looked up and saw that I wasn’t the only one in there. Liam waved while folding his clothes on the small table provided. And then there was Gemma, Harry’s sister, placing clothes, that were obviously a mix of her own and Harry’s into the washing machine.

“Ashleigh!” Gemma smiled. “Looks like laundry day for all of us. Better get that last washer quick. I heard that Donald guy from our floor,” She pointed between herself and Liam. Liam corrected her, giving the name “Donnie” instead of Donald. I quickly grabbed the last usable washing machine and threw a quarter of my clothes inside. Just then, Donnie walked in, hands full of dirty laundry, and he took one good look at the machines before groaning.

“Too late.” I chimed. Donnie grumbled and turned around in the doorway, heading back up to the third floor. “Better luck next time!” I called out to him before he was too far out of hearing distance.

“Alright. I’m out of here.” Liam spoke up, placing the last of his folded laundry into his basket and picking it up from the table. “Hey Ashleigh, are you staying for fall break?” I shook my head no. “Alright, well I’ll see you after break then. Danielle and I are sticking around. I think Harry is too.” He looked over to Gemma for confirmation. She nodded. “Have a nice break.” Liam patted me gently on the back and left the small room.

I began sorting my laundry to have it all go a lot faster and smoother. Gemma took a seat on one of the several chairs in the room. “I love this little town. University is so close to everything you need.” She smiled, tapped her feet on the ground.

“Yeah, I like it here. Living in an apartment is a lot different than the dorms though.” I sighed, leaning against my hamper. “I didn’t think it was going to be noisier here, but I was mistaken.” I chuckled lightly, thinking about Harry’s elephant footsteps and his relentless hours with those random girls. I’m glad to say that it was now just her footsteps, rather than the latter.