Camp Direction

Harry and Katie

“Be safe,” the middle aged woman said, wrapping her small arms around her daughter’s shoulders one last time, “What was that boy’s name again?”

“Harry,” her daughter laughed, “His name’s Harry.”

“He best treat you right, Katherine,” her mother playfully said, “And which university are you going to?”

“Cambridge, Mum.”

“There you are, already talking like an English girl. Off you go, now.”

“Bye!” Katie called, waving at her mother before heading off towards the security section of the airport in Maine.

They scanned her boarding pass, x-rayed her baggage, and had her go through a metal detector without shoes before she was finally allowed into the airport. She jostled through the food court until she got to the gate that would send her off to London.

She settled for a magazine she’d bought randomly at one of the stores and comfortably pulled her legs under her before flipping it open. There were many celebrities, such as Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone dating, an annoucement declaring Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus’ break up, and many others, but one caught her eye.

Harry Styles, the so called ‘player’ taken?

She read through the article, finding Harry talking about a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes like hers. He’d also explained their random disappearance for a few months during the summer with something along the lines of “We needed a break, all of us.”

“Are you a fan?”

Katie closed the magazine and looked up at the person speaking to her, finding it a girl with light brown curls and matching color eyes.

“Something like that,” Katie smiled, looking down at the cover to see the five boys she’d met at camp plastered on the title page, “Are you?”

The girl nodded her head vigorously, and Katie smiled at her. She was adorable.

“Ebony!” a young woman called from another seat, causing the little girl to turn around, “Come back! We’re leaving soon!”

“Are you going to London?” the little girl, Ebony, asked Katie.

“Mhm.”

“As am I. Enjoy your trip,” Ebony told her, before skipping off to where who appeared her mother was, sitting cross-legged on another chair.

“Flight Twenty Seven departing to London boarding first class passengers now,” a voice came through the intercom, making Katie jump a bit, startled.

She thought back to the magazine article, thinking of the girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. Harry had mentioned before that he’d dated Taylor Swift, not that it mattered, he’d told her. He’d seemed stressed as he’d vented, telling her that he’d genuinely liked her, but she’d left him on their vacation to the British Isles. 

“Boarding group 1 is now permitted to enter the plane,” the voice came through the intercom again, and Katie stood up, collecting her backpack and small carry on luggage before handing one of the flight attendants her boarding pass.

“Have a great flight!” the flight attendant told her.

“Thanks,” she muttered, taking the boarding pass that was held out in the attendant’s outstretched arm and walking down the small tunnel towards the plane.

★☆★

The economy class seats had more leg room than she’d thought, and Katie lounged in her aisle seat, waiting for the announcement of take off to come through.