About (Harry Styles)

11.

I think it's safe to say - Harry Styles is unpredictable. Every little aspect of him I find confuses and irritates me for some reason.

Though I shouldn't ponder on it any longer, it's most unlikely I'll ever lay eyes on him again.

...

"You're running errands today? You? Running errands?" Marco chuckles through the phone.

"Yes, I am."

"Who are you and what have you done to my El?"

"Please, Marco, just call me Elaine. Why is it so difficult for people to call me by my actual name?"

"You okay?" He asks, his tone apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"No, I understand. I just thought maybe I could be the only one to call you El, you know, it could be our thing as best friends. But if it bothers you this much, it wouldn't kill me to call you by your full name."

"Thank you," I say.

He tells me his break is over and bids me goodbye but not before mentioning me good luck as well. Tomorrow is going to be a rather monumental day for me.

I pick up a few more craft items that I need for my bracelets from Michael's and head to the register to pay, my arms filled with various merchandise. I knew I should have grabbed a basket, but I never learn.

"Making bracelets again, are we?" Betsy asks. Betsy is the sweetest lady I know. She's been working here since, well since I first stepped into this store which was many years ago. She, actually almost everyone who works here, knows my story with the bracelets.

"Yes," I nod with a smile and she kindly returns one.

"When's the last time you came and bought this much?"

"Maybe..four years ago, I think."

"What about your mom? Did she finally give you the green light again?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" I whisper. She nods, looking around to see if anyone is spying on us. I wave my hand between us and she leans in, her hand removing her silver hair behind her ear. "She doesn't know."

She wears a slightly horrified expression as she backs away, continuing the process of scanning my things.

"What if she finds out? The last time, if I recall correctly, she caused a hysteria at the market."

"She won't. I'm 21 now. I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions. I'm no longer the naive teenage girl that I was four years ago."

It's obvious she's worried for me, but I don't see the need for it. This time, I'm definitely making sure nothing would screw this up. I feel that this time will finally be the time. I feel as though our meeting is coming up close in the near future and I really don't want to miss out on this rare opportunity.

She says something about how children these days can do anything on their own while she had to obey her parents and how she was already married by the time she was my age.

Betsy winks at me before handing me my bag, whispering to me that she's given me a discount as a way to help me save some money and hopefully make a profit.

The world needs more people like Betsy. Her benevolence is incomparable.

Ha.

This morning before stepping out of the door, my unearthly mother insisted on driving me but ultimately told me to take her car if I so desperately needed to cross to this side of town. When I told her I'd be taking the bus, she fell silent for a good minute before laughing, thinking that my statement was a joke. Which it wasn't.

I like taking the bus. It's more environment friendly. It's a fun adventure. Plus, it's free for college students. That, and I don't personally own an economy vehicle. My mother's husband offered to buy me one, but I selflessly refused. I didn't and still don't want to accept anything from him.

...

"Elaine!" My mother calls from downstairs. "Come down! Dinner's ready!"

"Be there in a minute!" I shout back as I put the finishing touches on the leather bracelet. All it needs left is the clasp and I'm halfway there. I look over to the pile of completed bracelets on the corner of my desk and smile to myself. I did a pretty good job. They look almost like my biological dad's when he did his.

"Elaine!" My mom shouts again. "Dinner's getting cold!"

I heave a short, exasperated breath before forcing myself up from my seat and getting my ass downstairs. I wouldn't want her to walk on me, seeing what I was doing. My plans would be over before they even started.

On my way down the flight of carpeted stair case, I see someone enter from the front door. He's wearing a maroon tee with ripped jeans and a pair of Nike sneakers that look almost a decade old.

He's back!

"Quinn!"

I hurry down the last couple steps and make it to his side as he closes the door. How he managed to haul a suitcase twice his size by himself is beyond my knowledge. I throw my arms around him and he fixes his balance against the door.

"When did you get back?" I ask enthusiastically. He wasn't supposed to be back for another month or so.

"Just now," he points to his suitcase, proving his statement. "And I know what you're thinking. I'm sorry but I didn't have any time to stop and buy any souvenirs. It was all about work."

"What?! Who says I'm thinking about souvenirs. I'm thinking about .. how your flight went."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Oh yeah. Well you're a terrible brother since you didn't get me any gifts."

His deep chuckle resonates through the air as one of his hands tousle the top of my head, messing my combed hair. During our brother-sister moment, my mother, or our mother, his stepmother, enters the small foyer. She looks more surprised than I at Quinn's presence, her brown eyes widening at us. Him so more than I.

A smile immediately places on her face as she greets Quinn, her arms open for a hug. They briefly talk about Quinn's trip to Delaware, how things went, why he was back so early, and how soon he would have to return.

I don't know why I was more than ready to accept Quinn as my brother. Even harboring the thought of someone being my older brother, of having another sibling, for that matter, was something I used to detest. Something I would usually be against.

He just has a quality. Something about the way he speaks and how he carries himself. A quality in which only few people possess. That's why he's a successful neurosurgeon. I wish I had that quality. Maybe people would like me more.

Author's Note:

TAADAA. Finally updated after a week. Haha, thanks for the advice, Aliya. I will definitely not rush and worry so much. I just want to keep you all interested. I hate losing readers in the middle of a story. :(

Anyways, rather short, filler chapter. Hope your weekend is going well! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading again! I can't wait til things start to really pick up. ;)

Do you have any good actresses in mind to play Elaine? Someone around 20 - 22, let me know in the comments below! :)

Emma <33