Remember Me [harry styles] ✓

18 - Tabloids and teens

"And what exactly is it that she's famous for, Penelope?" He asks, voice cold. "Not having the store ready in time?" 

I drop my gaze back to the marble counter top, not wanting to catch sight of Penny's face falling. She's a goose if she really thought he would be even slightly interested. Luca is - and always has been - a man of few words. He likes you to turn up for work and leave your personal life at home. He certainly doesn't want to hear about me walking through a garden with Harry Styles in New South Wales. 

"Uh-" But Luca is already marching past us, behind the counter and into the staff room where he will no doubt remain for the duration of the day. A small whine falls from Penny's lips and I sense her twist her body towards me as if looking for some sort of back-up that I'm not willing to give. I do feel bad for her and her downcast expression, but right now I'm more concerned about the fact that my face is on a freaking gossip magazine for the whole of Australia to see and I haven't got a bloody clue what I'm supposed to do about it.

Am I supposed to do anything about it?

"Sheesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Penny mutters and storms through the staff room door, dragging her handbag across the floor by its strap. I cringe at the sound of the metal buckle scraping against the chequered linoleum but the moment she is out of sight, I wrench my phone from the front pocket of my apron and attack the keypad with shaky fingers. 

I'm not entirely sure what I'm expecting Harry to help with but this is all very new and all very strange and although there's a zero percent probability of me being recognised by anybody at all whatsoever, it's a peculiar feeling to now have mystery woman in my credentials.  

At some point today, Harry is flying out The Philippines. I haven't got a clue what time his flight leaves and therefore whether he will even have seen New Idea this morning, but some sort of reassurance wouldn't go amiss right now. I really wish he was still around the corner in Melbourne. Each time I remember that I'm not going to see him for months, I'm overcome with the feeling of my heart constricting in my chest. 

The staff room door flies open and I almost drop my phone as it rebounds off the fridge. What the hell is wrong with that girl? Does she treat her kitchen like this at home?

"Penny!" I grit out through my teeth and slide my mobile back into my peach pocket. "Must you keep doing that, really?" 

She sniffs and comes to stand beside me with her arms folded across her chest; lips set in a hard line. Just the sight of Penny having a teenage meltdown is enough to make me question whether children are on the cards for me and I'm thankful when there is a vibration in the front of my apron. 

I'm caught off guard by the blush creeping up my neck and into my cheeks, and Penny - clearly more observant than I've ever given her credit for - drops her spoilt-brat posture and whirls to face me. 

"Is that him?" She squeaks, now biting her lip and attempting to subtly peek over at the screen. "It is, isn't it?"

I angle the screen away from her and frown. I'm not sure what's weirder - the magazine cover or my colleague getting the complete wrong end of the stick. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Penny, but you've got it all wrong." 

Her eyes narrow. "Oh." There's a pause before she points to the magazine still sprawled out on the counter. "But that is you in Sydney with Harry Styles, right?"

Sighing - and desperately wishing for a customer to come in-  I nod. "Yes. That's me." 

A grin seems to take up the whole lower portion of her face. "So there is something going on between you two."  

What on Earth have I gotten myself into?

"Harry and I are friends." I tell her firmly, because I'm sure as shit not going into more detail than that. Her grin grows impossibly wider.

"Who are you trying to convince - me or yourself?" 

If I thought I was blushing before then I am absolutely crimson now. What exactly does she think she is playing at questioning me like this? She's only seventeen for goodness sake and we've only worked a handful of hours together. She barely knows me.  

"Penny!" I all but choke out. "Enough. We're not all infatuated with Harry like you are." 

It's a low blow and an atrocious attempt at shutting this conversation down, but it doesn't seem to matter because Penny merely shrugs and begins to remove the lids on some of the gelato basins. 

"Whatever, Juniper. I'm just saying that I know what I saw in here last weekend and I ship it."

I open my mouth to fire back with some witty sarcastic reply, or maybe to bite her head off, but my words are lost in the chiming of the door and therefore the announcement of a customer. And as Penny takes the reins and puts the order through the til, her earlier words repeat themselves in my head. 

"Who are you trying to convince - me or yourself?"   

author's note: I feel like I'm always apologising for delayed updates lol. I was going to update a couple of weeks ago but then I failed my driving test (boo) and it put me in a really bad mood for a few days and then I hated the chapter I had written so deleted the lot and started from scratch. But hey - here we are, I am back. Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think! And tell me, who do you picture as Juni? I haven't actually cast anyone as her yet. (The attached video gives me goosebumps every damn time I watch it - what an awesome fanbase we are??)