prom date | wroetoshaw

London bound

SEPTEMBER 1ST 2021

HEATHROW AIRPORT, 1AM.

"Fuck sake!" I swore under my breath, opening the email letting me know my hotel I had booked for my work trip had been cancelled and refunded. I knew I should've checked my emails before boarding the flight yesterday, but I was in such a rush I honestly had no time. Everything about this work trip was stressing me out, including my boss texting me instructions she thought were helpful nearly every five minutes.

I stood alone by the cafe that had shut hours ago, the lights above my head were dimmed because of how late it had gotten. I was well and truly - well, fucked.

The only option now was to book an emergency hotel and figure it out from there. All of my friends were either back home in Guernsey, or up in Warwick, where I had continued to live and work after graduating from the university.

I'd become what I'd always wanted to - a journalist, and now my current work had booked me a few weeks working for the BBC, one of the biggest news reporting agencies in the country. So feeling this stressed this early into the contract was not a good feeling.

"Lily fucking Holt, is that you?" A very loud voice boomed from the other side of the wide span room, making my head turn instantly. There was absolutely no way -

"Harry?" I asked, my eyes widening, focusing in on the group of boys walking towards me - him at the front, now running directly towards me. I couldn't believe my eyes. I hadn't seen him since I'd graduated from uni, nearly two years ago. Everytime I'd been back in Guernsey, he'd been busy, doing his thing - whatever that was.

He hit me with full force, and we both staggered back a bit, his arms tightly wrapped around my back, squeezing me so hard I thought he was going to suffocate me.

"What the hell?" I laughed into his hair, not wanting to let go of him either. Sure, we'd been texting as mcuh as we could, with our hectic schedule's, but it wasn't the same as seeing each other every day, like we had in school. Like we were, now.

"What are you doing here? You should've said you were coming to London! What are you here for? How long?" He asked, question after question, hardly taking a breath for air.

"I'm here for work! I didn't realise you were here, I'm here for two weeks," I answer each question, trying to slow his curiosity.

"I live here! You should come visit, if you have time, we have so much to catch up on," he insists, reminding me I don't actually have anywhere to stay now. "I don't wanna keep you waiting, if you have to go though...you staying in a hotel?"

"Yeah, something like that," I nod, not wanting to make him feel like he had to offer to help me, knowing we were all tired this early in the morning.

However, Harry being Harry, clocked that there was something off straight away. I heard him murmur to some of his friends, who then started to walk away to the exit as a group. "What's happened? What do you need?"

"Nothing, Harry. It's alright," I insist, once again knowing that he would see right through it.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's happened. You've got that same look on your face the day Will bailed on you for Valentine's and I came and took you out for dinner myself. I know these things, so come on, tell me."

"Fine!" I sighed, giving in. "The hotel I was supposed to be staying in bailed. I just didn't read the email in time, and it's way too late to book one for tonight. I'm just a tiny bit screwed for tonight," I explained, clutching on tightly to my luggage, trying to manage it all. I didn't realise how much I was going to need for a small two week trip.

"You can stay at mine. I share with two friends, you can take my bed," he says, without even hesitating or thinking about it.

"Harry, I can't just take your bed, I -"

"Yeah, you can. And you will. Come on, we have a car waiting outside for us, the guys are probably jetlagged as fuck, I don't wanna keep them waiting any longer if I can help it. Are you ready with all your stuff?"

"There's no saying no to you, is there?" I ask with a grin, as he slots his arm into mine, pulling me towards the exit, managing to help with my bags despite hauling his own along too.

I couldn't believe I was in his company right now - he'd been a constant thought in the back of my mind, ever since he'd come to my graduation two years ago. We'd messaged each other, of course, but after time had passed, the time spent texting had faded, resorting to occasional messages checking up on each other rather than the twenty four seven conversations we were both used to.

"I can't believe you're in London and didn't tell me," he tells me, holding the door open for me as we leave the building, out into the breeze.

"What are the chances of bumping into you at the airport?" I tease him, spotting the car he'd mentioned earlier parked in the bay. From here, I could see that there were a few people inside, already talking but looking exhausted. "Where exactly have you flown from? Anywhere exciting?"

"Yeah, from LA actually! One of my friends had a thing over there, all of us went over for him. That's why they're all so tired," he explains, a little vaguely, but I'm too tired to care. My day, although probably not as long as his, had still been tiring and I was looking forward to crashing into a bed, regardless of whose it was.

"So you finally conquered your dream of travelling the world," I nudge him, reminding us both of our childhood, in particular, our English class where we'd been told to write to ourselves ten years in the future. I'd written that I'd wanted to run a cafe with my Mum and Nan, and Harry had written that one day he'd travel the world. At least one of us had accomplished that.

"Oh, I have so much to tell you when you have the time. What are you doing tomorrow? Or do you start your work stint?" He asks, walking me across the road to the car.

"I have to be at the studio for eleven, but I think because it's the first day I'm only there for a few hours. We could get lunch, or dinner or whatever's easiest for you with your work," I offer, hearing the sounds of voices in the car next to us.

"I'll get us a takeaway at mine when you're back. Just text me when you're done," he says, opening the door properly for me. "Get in, give me your stuff - I'll chuck it in the back," he instructs me, taking my suitcase from me, leaving me to get into the car.

The people in the car turn to look at me - three boys and a girl, who all look very friendly. They give me warm smiles, making me feel at ease instantly.

Harry soon joins us, clambering in and sitting next to me, plugging in his belt. The car starts to move, and we all fall silent until Harry breaks it.

"Guys, this is Lily, Lil, this is Cal, Cal, Vik and Ellie," he introduces, and already I'm confused on the two guys with the same name.

"You're Lily! Finally, we meet," one of the Cal's exclaims, making me stare at Harry as if to say what the hell had he been saying about me.

"I am! If Harry has said anything bad about me, he's a liar," I grin, and to my relief they all laugh. It's nice we share the same humour.

"Harry, saying bad things about you? The opp-"

"Anyway," he spoke quickly, "she's staying with us for a few weeks -"

"Harry! Just one night is too much anyway, I am more than fine to -"

"Don't even start with that, you are, and always will be welcome to stay with me, I've said it before and I intend to stand by it. That is, if you want to."

Me and him hold eye contact for several seconds, before I pull away, quickly glancing at the other four who seem to be watching our interaction carefully.

I nod, agreeing with his offer. "Fine. But if I get too annoying, you're more than welcome to kick me out," I warn him.

"You're the most annoying person I know," he smiles, "and yet I will never grow tired of you. Ever."