Cover Your Tracks [HS][2014 VERSION]

30. Nothing*

The next day, school had seemed to pass at an unusually slow pace. I spent the time staring at the walls of my classrooms, zoning out of each lesson to think about tonight and what Harry has planned for us.

My body had filled with anxiety at the mere thought of it, making my eyes dart up to the wall clock every now and then. For hours I had watched the hand move ever so slowly behind the glass, but although time had seemed to slow down, it never stopped altogether.

It's now seven o' clock, and I'm pacing inside my bedroom as I wait for the familiar rev of Harry's motorcycle to shake the walls of my house. The action is similar to the effect Harry has on me, his mere presence causing my heart to pound and shake inside its delicate cage within my chest.

My hand shakes as I reach up to move a strand of hair out of my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. I let out a shaky breath and continue to pace, my eyes darting to look at the clock like they had earlier at school.

My pulse quickens with each passing second. I continue to pace around the room, my feet brushing against the soft carpet of my floor. I walk the length of my bedroom five, maybe ten times before I stop to check my phone.

I unlock it hoping to find a missed call or text from Harry, only to see that he hasn't tried to reach out to me at all. I frown. He told me he would be here fifteen minutes ago. Had he forgotten?

I decide to take the initiative to call him and find out.

The line rings for a few seconds and then stops. There's rustling on the other end of the line, and then Harry's voice.

"Hello?"

"Harry? Where are you?"

There's shouting in the background, loud whoops and laughter muffling their way through the speaker in my phone. I can hear the absence of Harry's breath as he retracts the phone from his ear and rudely shuts up whoever is causing the background noise before giving me a response.

"I'm on my way to pick you up," he tells me.

I imagine him driving his motorcycle with one hand, his cellphone in the other. How could that be?

"Are you driving?" I ask, my voice rising in volume.

"What?" he retorts in confusion. I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off. "Oh, no."

There's more shouting and hollering, making it hard for me to hear.

"What's all that noise?"

Harry chuckles, and I can practically see the smirk on his face. "You'll find out soon enough."

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"I'm here," is all he says, and then the line goes dead.

Confusion is all I know as I rise from my bed and walk over to my window. I part the curtains with my fingers and find a pair of headlights pulling into my driveway, an unfamiliar car stopping just outside my house.

I stare at it for a few moments and wait for someone to step out of the vehicle. I need confirmation that it's Harry and not someone else, but I don't get it. All I receive are a few impatient honks, and then I'm on my way.

I grab my purse and the note I prepared for my dad from my bedside table and rush out of my room. The note gets crushed in my hand as I grasp the guardrail of the stairs, using it for support as I take the steps two at a time.

I place the note on the dining room table before walking over to the front door. I open it expecting Harry to be standing on the other side, his lanky frame leaning against the wall, but all I'm met with is the chilly night air.