Broken Misery (H.Styles Fanfic)

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Hi, honey. Your dad and I really wish we could be with you to wish you a happy New Year. I miss you so much, baby girl. I hope you're having a good time in London, and I know you'll do good in school this year. Make us proud, sweetheart. Call us back when you have a minute, we miss you so much. Have a good night, Elena. I hope you're having fun."

That's the message I wake up to on the train when it's announced on the speakers that we've reached London. From the top of my head, I assume it's just turned midnight in Boston, so I imagine they made the call as soon as they celebrated the New Year.

All my life, New Year's was spent watching the New York countdown with the entire family. We'd watch the ball come down and announce a new beginning; sometimes it was at our house, sometimes at my cousins, but we never missed a single countdown. For some reason it makes my heart ache that this year, because they're watching the countdown without me, and I'm a wreck and, alone on a train.

I know I should call them back, it would be the best thing to do since the celebration doesn't end until dawn, but my mom would know something's wrong with the sound of my voice. She's not always the best to detect lies, but I imagine how raspy my voice must be after the amount of crying. Just the thought of a tall glass of cold water makes my throat seem dryer than it already is.

The wagon is still empty with the many stops, but then again not many people must be taking the train at this time of the night on New Year's. I gather my bags and make a bee line to the door, jumping on the platform as the ten other people in the entire train to the same. It's already five thirty in the morning, but the sun is still hidden under the multiple clouds. I walk to the bus station because walking from here to the house with my suitcase couldn't be easy, and I wait.

Ella, Gemma and Anne have texted me. All their messages ask if I've arrived to London safe and sound, but I delete every single one of them. I've also got one missed call from Anne, but no messages left on my voicemail. The only message I wouldn't delete would be Harry's, but there's none.

He doesn't even care.

~~~

"Table two is ready," Mike, the cook at the restaurant, calls from the kitchen as he hands me three plates across the island.

I pick up the breakfast meals, the scent overwhelming and making my stomach growl in unsatisfied hunger, and I deliver them to the three mid-twenty girls chatting at table two. "Anything else for you, ladies?"

"No, thank you," one of them smiles politely at me while the girl on her right giggles into the sleeve of her shirt. I ignore it, since it's probably because of what they've been talking about, and focus on the two other.

"Excellent," I smile back as I slide my pad in my apron pocket. "Enjoy your meals. Holler if you need anything."

Holler, I chuckle sadly to myself. Where the hell do I think I am? Alabama, 1969?

The clock strikes eleven when I get back to the kitchen area behind the counter, my stomach growling even more for not having any food since seven in the morning. I'd taken a break at nine, but I hadn't been particularly hungry as much as thirsty. Now, however, my body feels like it needs food to function properly until the end of my shift at noon.

I start wiping down the counter after asking Mike to make me a bagel, the restaurant starting to get busier at this time of the day since classes are slowly ending. It always gets busy at noon, but two girls replace me for my shift since I have to leave for school. Though we serve breakfast, we serve it all day. Most breakfast places stop serving such meal in the early afternoon, switching to heavier foods for dinner, but we stick with breakfast all day long, it's probably what makes us as popular. Who doesn't like a good breakfast at any time of the day?