little talks • harry styles

3

"What do you want?" Bella spat, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"Honey, I know you're upset and probably very confused but I just thought it'd be best if I told you - I plan to call a counsellor in the morning to schedule an appointment. I'm sorry that it's come to this but I can't deal with it anymore. Some days, I can't even dress myself, let alone take care of a schizophrenic" Her mum said wearily, turning to leave without waiting for an answer from Bella. "It's killing me to see you this way - I'm only doing what's best for you" She called over her shoulder.

Bella whined childishly, sitting up in her bed.

"I'm not going anywhere" She said, "I'm not going to some doctor or anyone else. There is nothing wrong with me - you, you're the one with the problem, you're just putting it all on me!"

Her mum rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip and leaning against the doorframe.

"Honey-" She started.

"No!" Bella yelled, "No! you're the crazy one and you're trying to blame me! Your 17 year old daughter, how twisted is that?"

"Where the hell did you get that from?" Her mum growled angrily, her voice strained.

"Harry told me, he's figured it all out, we both have. You're the one with the problem and you're turning it-"

Her mum let out a strangled yell, interrupting her.

"Harry isn't real!" She screamed, "You're fucking crazy, Bella, I'm trying to help you"

"Bella" She heard Harry growl from behind her. "Do it. Right. Fucking. Now. Get rid of her"

"I'm not crazy" Bella screamed - as loud as she possibly could. She pushed her hand under her pillows, searching to find the gun she had hidden there earlier that evening. Holding it in her hand, she looked up at her mum one last time. "I'm not" her voice came out as more of a whisper.

Her mum's eyes morphed into slits, "You're crazy" She said quietly.

That was it - that's all it took for Bella, and Harry, to snap.

"No!" She screamed, her voice hoarse, "I'm not fucking crazy!" Bella pulled the gun from behind her back, watching in satisfaction as her mum's expression changed to one of panic. She opened her mouth to speak but Bella had already pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun going off ripped through her ears, the echo of the ear splitting "bang" carried on for a good minute before Harry finally spoke up.

"You did it" He grinned, proudly. "That was amazing baby, you did so well. No one is allowed to speak to you that way - you can't listen to a word she said"

Bella couldn't focus on what he was saying to her, her eyes stayed glued on her mother's dead body on the floor.

"You have to move her" Harry said suddenly, "Come on, take her to the basement"

Bella stood, copying Harry's movements as he walked over to the body. She grabbed her mum's arms, dragging her down the dark hallway towards the basement stairs.

"Yeah - don't help or anything" She muttered sarcastically, Harry laughed quietly but didn't still didn't help. Just watched as Bella pulled her mother's body down the stairs.

"Just there" Harry pointed to a spot behind some boxes, "leave her there"

Bella dumped her mother's body down, looking at her face once more before turning away, the emotions hitting her hard.

"Oh my god" she whispered frantically, "oh my god"

"Calm down, Bells. What are you doing? Just breathe, it'll all be okay" Harry spoke, panicked. Bella fell to her knees in front of him - her face in her hands, she shook her head quickly whimpering into her palms.

"I just killed someone" She cried, "My mother, I just killed my mother"

"For a good reason" Harry said, dropping onto his knees in front of her. "Hey - look at me, it's what we've always wanted. It's just us now. Together, forever. She was going to take you away from me"

Bella nodded numbly, "together forever"

"Why don't we go up to bed? It's been a long day" Harry said, jumping to his feet and walking up the stairs.

Bella smiled slightly, just her and Harry, she followed his tall frame up the stairs, admiring him. How did I get so lucky, she thought, to have a friend like him.

Bella watched as Harry threw himself onto her bed - looking quite pleased with himself - and patted the spot beside him.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked, patting the spot again.

Bella sat down slowly, her throat feeling dry and her chest tight.

"I can't believe I just did that" She whispered sadly. Harry didn't respond, so Bella didn't say anything else. She just turned, burying her face gently into his side. They lay there for a while, in the dark, the only sound that could be heard around the room was the clock and her unsteady breathing. Bella lay there, feeling her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she thought about the way the night had unraveled, the way her mother lay downstairs - dead, but none of that mattered, she'd made Harry happy and she'd convinced herself that that would make her happy too. She lay there, in the dark, listening to the clockwork and loving that boy with her all.