The Parent Plan » Harry Styles

Chapter 5

   Automatically, Harry shook his head at his friend before walking beside Monica out of the school. As they walked out, Jake couldn't help but lean his head forward – since they walked in a line – and look at Harry and Monica in awe.

   Jake couldn't wait to call him his father.

.

   On the car ride back home, Monica suspiciously watched Jake in the rearview mirror with her lips pursed. She wondered why Jake was so keen on asking such a thing, it could be simply because he wanted to spend more time with his friend but because of that giddy and mischievous look in his eyes, Monica knew there was more. Especially since he was kicking his legs excitedly and he never does that – not even this morning because his thoughts had went to his father – and that made her suspicious.

   Turning the radio down, she looked at Jake for a second longer before looking at the car behind her. She could clearly see Harry talking to Liam – who sat in the passenger seat, occasionally looking back at Athena – as his eyes stayed focused on the road and her car. She wished that she could know what they were talking about but it wasn't like they were talking about her.

   "So, Jake... Why did you want them to come have dinner with us?" She asked, tearing her gaze from the rearview mirror and onto the road. She tapped a soft rhythm on the wheel, waiting for his answer or possibly, excuse.

   Jake immediately stopped kicking his feet, his eyes widening a bit because he in fact, hadn't thought about his mother asking him for a reason. He didn't have a one other than his 'parent plan' which would set her and Harry up together, giving him a father and Athena a mother – but he couldn't tell her that, no, because he had promised her to be a good boy and if he told her, he wouldn't have kept his promise.

      So instead of answering he hummed and said, "Can we have sauce noodles?"

   'Sauce noodles' or in other words, spaghetti – he simply couldn't pronounce that though. Hesitantly, he looked at his mother who narrowed her eyes at the road, wondering if he had successfully changed the subject.

   "Of course, fire ball." She reached back and patted his leg before returning back to the wheel. She continued, "But only if you tell me why you wanted to have them over because the place is dirty."

   Huffing, the five-year-old folded his arms and pouted thinking his cuteness will get him out of this one. (He knew this trick very well – pouting was always Monica's weak spot especially with arms folded.)

   "Do you... do you have a crush on Athena?" Monica questioned hesitantly, not knowing if he'd react like any other five-year-old boy would when mentioning liking a girl.

   "Do you have a crush on Harry?" He replied sassily and mockingly, but he had mumbled it so Monica couldn't catch what he had said. Because no, gross he doesn't like girls in that way (at least, not at this age) but he does like her friendship wise but he won't tell his mother that.

   Eventually, Monica pulled up to their complex with a heavy sigh. Knowing that her freaking idols are going to see the pig sty she calls 'home'. She was embarrassed really, at how they might react because seriously, who lives in such a disgusting place? It's not like there are bugs everywhere or suspicious things on the floor, it's just clothes and dishes but still that wasn't clean enough for company.

   If only she had magical powers so that she could fix the place up with a snap of a finger.

   After exiting the car and helping Jake out, she waited for the group of three to exit their vehicle. And once they did so, she gestured them to follow her and she walked to her flat, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she thought of an excuse she could give them so she could make them leave for a moment so she could clean up the place a bit.