Sooner or Later (Feat. 1D and 5SOS)

7. Shotgun!

Just outside the main floor bathroom, a long line of frustrated girls had formed. The girls in the back were complaining amongst each other while they desperately tried to fix their hair and makeup using their camera phones. Meanwhile, those in front were banging violently on the bathroom door and urging the person inside to hurry up.

"Other people need to get in there!"

"My god, she's been in there for almost an hour!"

"I need to pee, dammit!"

"I will break down this door if I have to!"

Call it best friend's intuition or extrasensory perception, but somehow Emma knew Heidi was the one inside that bathroom. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach—a very bad feeling.

Reluctantly, Emma pulled her hand away from Harry's, prompting him to stop and turn around. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes filling with worry. "You don't wanna dance?"

"It's not that ..." Emma trailed off, nervously wringing her hands. "It's just ... There's something I have to do. I'm really sorry. I want to dance with you; really, I do. But my friend, I think she needs me."

Now, Emma expected Harry to be angry after being rejected for a second time. Any other boy surely would have. But when she looked into his eyes, she found not even the tiniest shred of anger. In his eyes, she found only compassion and understanding.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a reassuring smile. "Go take care of your friend. That's more important."

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Harry, for ... everything."

"No problem. And I hope everything's all right with your friend."

He left her then and walked away with that confident stride that all the other high school boys tried—and failed—to imitate. Somehow, he just made it seem effortless. It couldn't be taught.

And with that effortless walk of his, he went right back into Alana's eager arms. She accepted him without hesitation, of course, but scolded him in a light, flirtatious tone. "You know, if you're trying to make me jealous," she said as she draped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, "it's working."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry replied with a coy smile. "I was just being helpful."

"Playing the nice guy act, huh?"

Upon hearing that, Harry pulled away from her ever so slightly. She might not have noticed it if she wasn't holding him so close.

With both hands, he pried her hands off his neck. "I'm gonna go find Liam," he said, and then he strode off toward the opposite side of the house, leaving Alana aghast and confused.

For a moment—a second, at most—Alana locked eyes with Emma from across the room. The look in the senior's eyes sent chills down Emma's spine. She looked like a bull preparing to charge. Before she could attack, Emma scurried away.

With all her strength, Emma pushed through the crowd of angry girls. As she squeezed past them, many accused her of trying to cut the line, and some even tried to pull at her dress and hair to stop her. Tugging and pulling. Scratching and scraping. Over and over like a pack of wild animals! Eventually, she made it to the front of the line, and with the crowd rioting behind her, she pounded on the door with her fist.

"Heidi?" she shouted. "Heidi, is that you in there? Open up!"

A few seconds later, she heard the soft click of the door unlocking. Emma quickly went inside and closed the door behind her. Even from inside the bathroom, she could clearly hear the chorus of groans.