The Babysitter » styles

XXXIV

"Do you guys have everything you need?" Anne asked, rummaging around the back of the car and double checking Harry's suitcases. "You'll be so far away; I want you guys to not forget anything important."

"I think we've got everything," Harry answered, kissing her reassuringly on the forehead.

It's the day of; we're standing at the entrance to Heathrow, almost ready to leave for New York in three hours. I glanced at Harry, who was speaking softly to his mother, and I couldn't imagine anyone better to start the next chapter of my life with. 

"We can always sneak you in one of our suitcases," I joked, and Anne laughed before wiping at her face. 

"No, it's okay," she said. "Just stay safe and take care of each other!"

"Will do," Harry promised, stroking her hand before dropping it to pick mine up. "You ready?" he asked me.

"I was born ready," I responded confidently. We wave at Anne before walking through the sliding doors. 

We get through security and customs no problem, and then we sit and wait.

"Allie and Zayn are already moved in," I said, reading a text from her.

"They really didn't have to move out of their other place for us," Harry said. 

"It's Allie," I responded, and he laughed. 

"Touché," he said.

"Won't your little cronies miss you?" I questioned, resting my head on his shoulder. Airports really don't have the most comfortable seating options.

He chuckled. "They'll be fine without me. They've been trying to convince me to go to college since we graduated high school."

"You just didn't want to?"

"I never had a reason to," he said, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

We sat like that until our flight number was called over the PA system, letting us know it was time to board. Harry stood up, stretching his legs before grabbing his suitcases and looking at me.

"Let's go, then," he said, a big smile on his face. He was practically as excited for this as I was. I think he had been worried that he was wasting his life, by not going on to college, although he would never admit to that. I was happy that I could at least try and help him achieve his buried dreams.

"There's just one last thing I want to do first," I said. I pulled out my phone, dialing the number and pressing the phone to my ear. Harry looked confused but sat back down next to me.

It rang once, twice, before the person on the other line picked up.

"Hello?" my mother answered.

"Hey, Mom," I said, my tone flat. Harry looked at me incredulously, but I gave him a reassuring smile. I knew what I was doing.

She didn't say anything for a while, and I was almost sure that she had hung up on me, before she said, "Clara?"

I heard my dad say something in the background, but he didn't grab the phone from her or anything, so I assumed he didn't have anything he wanted to say to me. That was fine.

"Why are you calling?" she asked, sounding uninterested. "Boyfriend knocked you up and tossed you out on the street?"

"No," I said, keeping my voice flat. "I'm going to university."

There was another long pause. "Is that the only reason you hooked up with him, then?" She scoffed. "Use him for his money, and then leave once you get what you need?"