CHAPTER 8
Marcel Harry Styles P.O.V
When I left work I drove straight home. I had x-rayed myself earlier and confirmed my thought that I in fact have 11 broken ribs but I also bought some extreme pain killers at the hospital's pharmacy and they had just kicked in. I arrived home at 7:40 and parked my car in its usually spot in the basement. As I got out I checked my makeup and hair to see they both had stayed in place.
I took the elevator to the lobby so I could talk to Mrs. Daver who seemed to be packing up for the night.
"Mrs. Daver?" I beckoned her to stop walking away so we could talk.
"Yes Marcel," she spoke tiredly.
"I w-would like to talk to you about a text I got," I gave her my phone and she read it.
"Oh yes sweetheart. Will you be able to go?"
"Maybe? Can you tell me some more information? It says to text back but you're right here," I said receiving my phone back and putting it in my back pocket.
"Okay. Well every 20 or so years we gather. The reason we do it is so people can find lost siblings or meet people in similar situations. DC has the biggest campus so we call it our headquarters. We strongly insist everyone go. DC also has the highest adoption rate so most kids get families there also. That text was sent to everyone that is in the orphanage being foster cared or have been adopted in the last 3 years. That's really all I know. The flights and stuff are organized by the St. Paul's charity not house mothers so if you want to know about that stuff you need to text Anna Loo back," she looked at me confidently.
"O-okay, t-thanks," I whisper and walk towards the elevator.
"Good night!" she yelled back and I waved to her.
After the short ride I got into my room, walked over to the fruit bowl and started to eat an apple. Most weekdays when I work I miss out on mass dinner but it didn't bother me. I never went even on normal days because I was so much older (quite different from school) the everyone there. All the little kids would stare because I normally wouldn't shower before I went down and they liked to look at the nerd. Plus the food wasn't the best if you know what I mean.
After my apple I went to have another quick shower before bed. I was in and out in two minutes flat. I dressed in my usual bed gear which consisted only of my polka dot boxers.
I stiffly crawled into bed and went to sleep ignoring my throbbing side.
I woke up to a loud knock at the front door. "What?!" I groaned to myself and groggily got out of my bed which was the bottom bunk on the right side of the room in front of the bedroom door. I stumbled over without putting on my glasses which made my vision really blurry.
I answered the door to what I think was a young girl about 10 years old.
"Harry?" she said looking up star struck. She stared fan-girling then took a deep breath and spoke.
"Mrs. Daver wanted me to tell you she needs everyone at breakfast this morning because she and the other house mothers are going to tell people more about DC," she spoke blushing incredibly.
"Okay. I'll be down in a few minutes," I said trying to focus on her.
"Okay. I never knew someone really lived here. I always thought it was a spare room."
I looked down carefully.
"Okay Harry, see you later. Oh!" she stopped skipping away and came back.
"My name is Emily and I live in room 98 down there," she pointed down the hall. She extended her hand for me to shake. I took it and said, "Hi Emily. I'm Marcel."
Suddenly she stopped blushing and ripped her hand out of mine. She eyed me up and down and I suddenly felt very naked standing in front of a 10 year old girl in my boxers.
"Oh. Sorry." She said and blushed again. She must be blushing this time because she realized I was practically naked.
"Sorry. I thought you were someone else. Should have known though. He has a ton of tattoos smack bang in the middle of his chest," she blushed and walked away.
As she walked back towards the elevator I blushed as the embarrassment suddenly struck me. I then looked at the clock. 8:30am.
I quickly got dressed in my usual attire but today I had a brown vest.
I walked to the elevator and went to breakfast. I, along with the other people tried to listen to the speech given by the house mothers in the hall but it was really boring and that's coming from me.
What they basically said was that floor one had to leave for Washington DC tomorrow, floor two had to leave next week and floor three had to leave on the 28th which was three days before we had to be there. After an awkward half hour of kids eyeing me and asking each other if I was new and a boring speech everyone was allowed back to their rooms (but half the people stayed to have more breakfast). It was now 9 and I had work at 10.
"Excuse me?" a girl who looked about 12 said sassily from behind me.
"Yeah," I said turning around looking down at her. She was about up to my stomach height.
"Are you new here?" she said mockingly placing her hands on her hips. It was cute how she thinks she is going to pick on me. I hate bullies and definitely don't get bullied by people in primary school. I crossed my arms as her 'posy' came up behind her and sassily crossed their arms together.
"No. In fact I am not new here," I spoke confidently. They don't intimidate me at all so of course I wouldn't stutter.
"Why haven't I seen you before now?"
"Because I've been busy. Umm.. who are you?" I spoke unfolding my arms and pretending to be confused. In all honesty I really didn't care.
"Rosie. I am Rosie," she said hurt that I didn't know her.
"Okay then Rosie, nice to meet you but I need to go."
I turned and walked towards the lift where the others kids had just filed in and left.
"Where you going? Not like a nerd like you would go anywhere special."
"Dude," I heard Emily's voice whisper to Rosie.
"Hi. You're Marcel right?" she looked at me.
"Yes," I didn't know what to do. I so wanted to leave. I so didn't want to act like I was threatened in any way which I wasn't but the lift hadn't come back down yet. I could see it was only on level 2.
"Dude," Emily whispered to Rosie and her friends. "Guys be nice."
"Why?" Rosie spat.
"Because he is really really hot. I mean he looks exactly like Harry Styles if he had a brother."
"Whatever. He is not 'hot.' And even if he was how would you know?" They group huddled and I started to walk away.
"Because I saw him this morning. You saw me go into the lift because Mrs. Daver told me something. She told me to go to his room and get him. I went and he must have just gotten out of bed. He was only wearing his boxers. No shirt, no brushed back hair and no glasses."
I could barely hear now. But I heard what she said. It made me blush. A girl (even if she's like 10) thinks I'm hot.
The group whispered some more then Rosie approached me as the others left. I walked into the lift hoping she wouldn't follow but she did.
"So...." she said lowly. From the movies I've watched and the way she just said that, it sounds like she is going to hit on me. I hope not. I don't want the first person to hit on me to be 12 and a bully.
I pretended I didn't hear her.
"So, Marcel is it? That's a cute name. Is it French?"
"Indeed it is," I spoke not looking at her.
"What does it mean?" she spoke trying to act shy.
"It is from the names Mars. He was the god of war." I spoke clearly glaring down at her and for some reason she took a small step back.
She must think I hide my violent nature in a phony nerd disguise by the way I spoke.
"Sooo....urrrr," she looked around trying to find a new topic. "I am in grade 7 aka queen of the school. What grade are you in?"
"I'm a Junior."
"Oh. High school junior so that means year 16. Cool. Do you have a girlfriend?"
That question struck me by surprise. "No I don't. And I am 17," I corrected.
"Really, did you get kept back?" she spoke pretending to care. I looked up at the floor level sign and like on cue it opened. Longest elevator ride ever. I stepped out but she followed.
"Did you get kept back?" I didn't head to my door because I didn't want her to follow and know where I live. Well what number I live in.
"No actually. I am a college Junior." She looked generally stunned.
"Then you should be 20. Wait you are lying to me."
"No I'm not because if I were 20 I wouldn't be allowed to live here but if you will excuse me I assume you don't live on this floor and unless you're invited you are not allowed on it so.." I turned her around and gently pushed her back into the lift.
"Oh okay. Bye darling!" she waved as the doors closed.
"I hope she leaves me alone," I whisper to myself as I walked to my room and got ready for work.
After a while I was ready to go. I went in the elevator and pressed basement but it opened at the lobby as Mrs. Daver walked in.
"Oh. Marcel you're just the man I wanted to see. I have found you a roommate!" she chimed excitedly. I groaned in my head. Great. I bet they'll pester me about my bruises or worse, add more.
"Well sort of..." I looked at her as the doors opened to the basement and she stepped out with me.
"He has had some complications and is currently at the hospital. He should be released in a few days so he will move in with you then. You will have so much fun. You will get to hang out with him all the time now that school holidays have started," she jumped clapping her hands together.
"Oh sweetie don't look like that. I spoke to him on the phone before and he sounds lovely. Plus your room is the only above 15 boys room with beds available so we have to place him with you," she said as she noticed how miserable I looked.
"Oh dear the elevator left without me," I turned around to see it had left. "I came out to talk to you and now it's gone."
"I have to go Mrs. Daver. See you later," I smiled politely after a few moments and walked towards my car. Someone had parked a rusty old brown one next to it.
"Hey Marcel! Do you know who's Porsche that is?"
"Yeah, why?" I turned and walked towards my car backwards.
"My hubby will go nuts if I could take a photo with myself in front of it. I can't without the owner’s permission though."
"Well, you have permission Trisha," I say using her first name. She must think that the rusty one was mine.
"Wow. Is it yours?"
She sprinted over and I took her photo with her phone.
"Thanks Styles," she smiled using my last name. She walked back over to the lift that had now come back down.
"Bye!" she yelled one more time before I jumped into the car and drove off