All good things

Chapter XXII

For the next twenty-four hours straight Harry bombards me with the same question.

“What are you going to say?”

And every time he asks, every time I answer with the same tiring sentence.

 “I don’t know.”

I swear I’ll never say those three words again.

Eventually Dr. Lawson kicks me out of my hospital room, insisting that if I’m well enough to hurl my bread across the room at Harry then I’m well enough to eat in the café and sleep in the tour bus.

She makes me leave immediately, before I can even finish the rest of the soup Optunia made me. I don’t even have time to put on my shoes.

“Hmm, so have you thought about it yet?” Harry asks as the two of us walk down the corridor towards the café, me in my bare feet and carrying my flask of soup and the little bread I have left.

I let out a long frustrated sigh to let Harry know I’m not happy with him and that I will not be answering his question.

“That soup smell good,” he says, leaning over to peer at it. “What flavor it is?”

“Chicken.”

“Can I have some?”

“No.”

“Oh,” he hangs his head like a sulky puppy. “Why not?”

“Because you got me kicked out and you won’t shut up,” I say in the most deadly, low tone I can muster.

Harry peaks at me from under his curtain of carelessly ruffled curls. “Please?”

“No, if you want some go ask Optunia to make you some.”

“Grrr,” is Harry’s last response and we go the rest of our way to the café in silence.

“So Lou,” Niall says as Harry and I take a seat either side of him. “Have you-?”

“No.” I say firmly, cutting him off, determined not to let anyone else ask me anymore questions for the rest of the day.

“Oh no don’t bother Niall,” Harry says defiantly. “Louis is on his man period, he might bite your head off if you’re not careful.”

Niall doesn’t know what to say to that so he just busies himself with his meal. Smart lad, he knows better than to get involved in one of Harry’s and I’s quarrels.

“I’m just saying you have less than eight hours to make up your mind,” Harry says bravely after five minutes of stone-cold silence. “And you’re no closer to making up your mind than Lady Gaga is to wearing a pair of jeans from Wal-Mart.”

I snort but shrug, not willing to admit how right he is.

Truth be told I’ve been procrastinating. I know going with Optunia will mean having to leave everyone I love behind, that includes Maddie. However, on the other hand, a break is just what I need. To forget the stress and needy demands of the media, and I know we’re all going to have to leave Perth soon anyways- due to the frightening amounts of paparazzi that have been spotted looming around.

Suddenly a calling comes over me.

“I have to take a walk,” I say and stand up so abruptly it startles Niall and he flings his fully loaded fork into the air, sending pasta everywhere.

“Ok, make up your mind while you’re at it!” Harry calls after me.

Oh I plan to curly boy, don’t you worry.