Elsie Rose // h.s

eleven

       

I couldn't' stop myself from feeling disappointed when the following Thursday rolled around and I was still yet to hear from Mr. Styles. He still hadn't enlightened me on what his perfect idea to get some time alone with me was.

Various different scenarios had passed through my mind but his lack of communication was beginning to make me believe he had forgotten all about me.

It hadn't been clearly established what the relationship between us was so in the back of my mind I thought he may had a change of mind. He was a successful married business man; he didn't need to be messing around with little insecure school girls.

"Are you ready to go bitch?" Griffin burst through my bedroom door startling me. I had rushed home after school, hoping to avoid him. I'd spent the last hour or so praying that our plans had slipped his mind.

After listening to me complain one too many times about my thunder thighs, muffin top and the fact the flab on my arms waved when I did he suggested, although it came across more as forced, that I go to the gym with him.

Although he was no football superstar, Griffin was still incredibly fit. He prided himself on being healthy except over the weekends when he spent time with Martha and I. He always claimed it was his cheat day.

The idea of 'cheat days' and healthy eating made me nauseous. I don't think a day would ever come when I was willing to give up the simple things in life, like ice-cream and KFC. Food was my comfort, but as I grew older what I was eating was becoming way too obvious on my body.

"I'm sick..." I groaned followed by a terrible fake cough. He rolled his eyes and walked into my wardrobe returning moments later with a Nike sports bra and some workout pants as well as my runners.

"Today's as good as any to get yourself on track" He simple replied as he tossed the outfit on my bed and left my room, letting me know he'd wait for me down stairs.

For someone who avoided any form of exercise I owned copious amounts of active wear. It was somewhat of a guilty pleasure; I couldn't go past a cute workout outfit without buying it. The only problem was I hated how most of them looked on me.

I finally dressed myself in the clothes Griffin had picked, I decided I wasn't comfortable just rocking sports bra so covered myself with a t-shirt and tied my dark hair up into a messy ponytail.

As I reached the ground level of my house multiple voices became recognisable. My mother chatted excitedly; a deep British accent spoke in reply.

"I think that will be great for her." My mother cooed "If Alistair and I weren't both so busy we would have loved to take her." She continued and I felt myself drawn to the room where I could hear them speaking about me.

"Anything to help you two out, I do owe you after all." He owed them? How could he possibly owe them? As far as I knew up until a few months ago Mr. Styles and my parents had completely lost contact since college.

"Nonsense Harry, We appreciate you taking time off to do this, you're a busy man" she spoke gratefully. "Perks of being the boss" He laughed.

A rush of excitement rushed through me at the thought of Mr. Styles taking me somewhere.

"Mother, I'm heading out with Griffin." I spoke as I entered the room, acting oblivious to the fact she had a visitor and I hadn't just stood outside the door listening to their conversation.

I noticed Griffin sitting on one of the bar stools with his head in his phone, no doubt acting as if he weren't paying attention but listening to every little detail spoken. He eyes looked up to me as he heard my voice and he raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you headed?" She asked taking a sip of her coffee, as if my appearance along with Griffins wasn't a clear indicator on where we were headed. "To the gym..." I trailed off slightly embarrassed.

I felt Mr. Styles eyes burning in to me, soaking in the sight of me in skin tight leggings. I was yet to acknowledge him but I could see his eyes roaming my body from the corner of my eye. "Hello, Mr. Styles" My voice laced with innocence.

The way he looked at me left me feeling empowered. "Elsie Rose, how are you darling?" He replied as his eyes met mine.

"Elsie, we have a proposition for you." My mother interrupted our intense gaze. "Mr. Styles has been so kind to offer to take you to Yale. Who better to give you a tour of the campus and answer any of your questions than a Yale Graduate?"

I felt my heart beating in my chest, mostly due to the excitement. Though I had been dreaming about Yale almost all my life I had never had the chance to visit.

Hard to believe, I know. You'd think with two parents who attended Yale themselves; I'd have had the chance to tour around campus. Yet for some reason the opportunity was never on offer.

"W-when?" I stuttered, my mind was racing a million miles an hour with different questions and scenarios. "On Friday." He informed me. "As in tomorrow? I have school?" I questioned.

"You know I don't condone missing a day of school, but Harry has been kind enough to take a day off work so I think we can let it slip this once." She explained, I looked over to Mr. Styles, a kind smile on his lips.

"Thank you, so much" I gushed, thanking both my mother and the friend of the family at once.

I was so caught up in thoughts of tomorrow I had completely forgot that Griffin was sat on the other side of the room. "We'd better get going?" Griffin asked as he stood from his seat. I nodded simply, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow Elsie Rose, 8am sharp." I said my goodbyes, letting him know I'd be ready to go when he picked me up tomorrow and headed out of the house behind my friend.

The two of us walked in silence for a few blocks as we made our way towards the 24 hour gym, something I was thankful for. I wanted the opportunity to work out at ungodly hours to avoid being in a packed gym.

"So, what's going on there?" Griffin asked finally breaking the silence. I shrugged my shoulders "I don't know."

"That's a lie." He shot me down and I stopped. I jumped between the pros and cons in my head trying to decide if I should spill the beans to Griff. I always found myself confiding in him, it was easier to trust that he wasn't going to tell the whole world my secrets.

"We've kissed..." I trailed off covering my face with my hands, dreading his reaction. "Wait... kissed? Like more than once?"

I hadn't really realised how bad it sounded till I said those few words out loud. In my mind I could play around the idea that I hadn't been doing anything bad, but as soon as I put what had happened out in the open it became real.

"But isn't he married to that hot model?" I could tell Griffin was confused. My lips formed into a straight line "Yep..."

--

I'm making a playlist for this story, so if you have any recommendations of songs I'm happily taking ideas :)

I know I've been updating a heap but I really just want to get as much of this story written and published before I start my new job and don't have as time to write. So in the next few days updates will probably slow.

- K x