Harry Styles
I was so fucking annoyed after I left Kensington's building that I found myself wanting to get drunk. Her difficulty was something else. I mean, how hard would it have been for her to put a little time aside and come get food with me? Literally not hard at all. Well, for her it was. But then she clearly enjoyed her meal. Which shouldn't have pissed me off – and it didn't really because I was glad, she ate something that day – yet I couldn't help the irritation that flooded my chest.
But since then, it had been two days. I hadn't made any efforts to see her or run into her anywhere. I needed to get my head together when it came to her and also, this upcoming project of mine began to feel a little too much on my shoulders. I had to focus on that for now. Tomorrow was Friday and that only clocked in me when I looked down at my calendar and saw the meeting that was scheduled from two till four. In that moment, I felt very unprepared and also annoyed because, obviously, I had completely forgotten about it and as well, Fridays were my family days.
This was the second week I would ditch my siblings and that made me feel terrible. Sure, I could hang out with them over the weekend but that meant seeing my parents so I could pick them up from home. Then again, the chances of them actually being home was rather slick because they were rarely ever in the damn country.
Frustrated, I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes after the fucking power cut off and all the work I had done gone to shit. Everything went silent in the room and I knew it deep down that any minute and I would have an unhappy employee knocking down my door. In that same moment, my personal phone went off and as I glanced down it, I saw it was my brother. Confusion filled my face as I picked it up and held it to my ear.
"Mason."
"Um, hi," he said a little wary. My eyebrow rose as I waited for him to carry on. "So, how are you?"
"I'm at work, you know this. Why did you call?" I asked him a little sterner than I intended to but that time really wasn't the best to discuss how I was.
"So, I skipped class..."
"Okay. Well done," I stated sarcastically. "Do you want me to give you a high five or something?"
"Funny you say high..." he laughed nervously. And that's when I realised just how nervous he was. From the minute I picked up, his voice wobbled and gave me a weird feeling. Now that he had said that, it made me wonder if I was right or not. "I'm not feeling too good and I just... could you come get me?"
"Mason, have you been smoking weed?"
"Maybe."
"I'm trying not to be mad at you right now but the fact that you skipped your class to do that is not something I approve of," and it really wasn't. Him smoking was a lot to take in and then to know he missed school to do it was even more. "Where are you right now?"
"I just left the park and was gonna walk home but then it started to rain and now I'm at the bus stop."
"Well, get the bus home then. I can't exactly leave work because I have stuff going on," I told him harshly. If our dad would find out about this, Mason would never see the light again. "Actually, just send me where you are, I'll get my driver to pick you up and drop you off at home."
"Ok... thank you, H."
"Yeah, you better be," I mumbled. "We'll talk more about this when I'm off."
I didn't let him say goodbye as the call ended as soon as those words left my lips. I texted my driver after my brother sent me the address and then I could get back to sorting out whatever happened with the electricity.
Today was a whole lot of mess. The simple thought of having to re-do all the work I did was frustrating and tiring as I got to it again once the building had been sorted. Because it caused inconvenience and until the people got out, I let most of my staff go on a longer break which I'm sure they appreciated.
After, maybe half an hour, that everything was back to normal, I got a call from my driver, saying he couldn't find my brother at the said location. My worry fuelled me to constantly call his phone, which he never picked up. I felt lost and scared – he called me to get him because he didn't feel good after he stupidly went to smoke weed with some of his friends and now, he was gone. I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault that my driver couldn't find him.
It scared me to death when my phone rang loudly in the office and I quickly grabbed it. The number was unknown but with Mason god knows where, I picked it up anyway.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon, I'm calling from the Royal London Hospital. May I please speak to Mr Harry Styles?"
"This is him," I said right away as the worst of the worst clouded my mind. "What's going on? Is this about my brother?"
"Mr Styles, I am calling to inform you about your brother, Mason Styles, yes. He had been brought in just five minutes ago and you were listed as his third emergency contact."
"Did the first two not pick up?" I asked angrily. It wasn't aimed at the lady who spoke to me, more so at our parents. I couldn't fucking believe them.
"Unfortunately, not. No," she sighed. "If you could please come in..."
"Yes. Of course. I'm on my way. Thank you very much for calling me."
"You are very welcome. It is my job after all. See you soon."
"Bye."
As soon as my ass was in the car and my hands gripped the steering wheel, the speed limit didn't exist in my eyes or mind. I prayed Mason didn't get taken in for getting hit by a car or something because that would have been one hell of a story to feed our mum and dad with.
"I'm here to see my brother... Mason Styles. I spoke to you, I guess, over the phone," I told the woman the minute I stepped inside and headed straight for the reception desk.
"Oh, Mr Styles? Yes, we have spoken on the phone. Your brother is currently getting checked out therefore I cannot give you any updates of how he is."
"Right. Where can I wait?"
"If you'd like to take the lift up to the third floor then walk all the way to room 278. There are chairs and a vending machine as well."
"Okay, thank you," I nodded. "One more question."
"Sure."
"Who brought him in? Did he come on his own?"
"No. A lovely woman brought him in. Didn't know much about him and he looked really weak and lost. Just based on my experiences, your brother seemed to have been having an allergic reaction, however, please don't quote me on that."
"Did that woman happen to leave any contact details? Just to thank her and everything... I got a damn heart attack when my driver called and said my brother was nowhere to be found."
"Unfortunately, she didn't disclose any information."
"Okay, thank you."
Then the waiting game began. My mind was filled with thoughts that decided to race and see which one of them could end me first. There was so much in my head yet nothing at the same time. I hoped Jamie and Charlotte were ok with running the business and all the complications that I had to leave them with so abruptly.
"Oh, Mr Styles, right?" the unfamiliar voice caused my head to turn upwards where my eyes met with the doctor's.
"Yes, um, how's my brother?"
"I'm Dr Anton, I took care of your brother when he was brought in. To answer your question, he's alive, for the most part," she nodded. "I'm assuming you'd like to know what happened... so, he was brought in and he was in a terrible state. The minute he had gotten in the room to get checked out, I knew it was an allergic reaction. Later on, I found out it was from the marijuana he had smoked. It wasn't much but enough to shake him up. Whoever brought him in, did it fast enough to save him as he could have ended up in a coma or even worse."
"Since when did weed cause an allergic reaction?"
"It is very uncommon, Mr Styles. Not many people experience it. In his case, it wasn't nearly as severe as I had seen it before, which was very fortunate. This allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis in case you'd like to search up more about it," she informed me. "Essentially, he had experienced the symptoms of it, but like I said, it was caught in time and therefore he is just very worn out right now."
"Thank god," I mumbled. "Does he need to stay in or can he go home?"
"For now, I would say stay. I will check on him once more before my shift is over and see if he's fit to leave."
"Can I go in?"
"Sure. He is awake but may be a little weak still. Just go easy on him," she smiled gently.
After I thanked her and she walked off, I went straight in the room. It was only him in there, laying in the bed like he had nothing to worry about. And in that moment, he didn't. But later? Oh, man...
"Harry..."
"You are an idiot, Mason Styles," I sighed as I took a seat next to him. "What were you thinking? Skipping school to smoke weed... look where that led you to."
"I didn't think it'd fuck me up so bad... everyone seemed fine. I felt... lame."
"Why?"
"Because I took one hit and almost passed out," he explained. "I couldn't handle something as simple as a drag of a joint. How pathetic is that?"
"It's not. I don't know what made you think it was," I shook my head. Mason sighed and averted his gaze from me to the wall in front of him. Maybe his friends made him feel like shit for not doing it so he did it and it wasn't good for him. "Hold on. Were you trying to impress that girl? The one you're talking to?"
"I mean, she was there."
"You do know a girl is not worth your life, yes?" I asked him in an irritated voice. The fact that the doctor basically told me my brother could have died from the fucking smoke made me livid. Of course, he didn't know that because he never smoked it before and it wasn't really his fault that his body couldn't take it.
But I was fucking scared.
This was my little brother we were talking about.
"I really like her."
"I get that and that's fine. But fuck sake, Mason!" I snapped at him which I knew was wrong. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on him that piled on me at work. "Do you want to know what the doctor told me? Hm? You could have died. Died. Stopped breathing. Just... gone. Do you understand that?"
"How the hell was I meant to know that I would have a damn reaction to weed? I didn't. So, stop fucking crawling up my arse about it!"
"Watch your mouth, boy..."
"You know what? Just leave me alone. I don't need your shit right now."
"Oh," I laughed dryly. "You don't need my shit? Is that it?"
"Fuck off, Harry. You are not better than dad," the words so easily slipped through his mouth that he didn't even realise what he said right away. Then his eyes widened and he looked at me shocked as my heart sank in my chest and I took a step back mentally. "Alright, that was low of me... but you are not exactly making me feel better. I'm still under the influence of this damn joint and I feel very faint."
"I'll just let you rest..."
"Wait," he called.
"What is it?"
"Please, don't be too mad," he sighed. "I just wanted to fit in. I already get too many looks for other things."
"What do you mean?" I asked him with furrowed eyebrows. My worry just increased as I sat back down and looked for more answers. "Mason, what do you mean you get too many looks for other things?"
"Well, for one, I'm the 'rich boy'. The one with the loaded parents and brother... they expect things of me. Worse than what it was like in secondary because I go out with friends more. Then, it's not just friends but teachers. They think I'm slacking and I'm not doing enough because I don't plan on being a CEO and for not having a job right now. They just don't understand how fucking hard it is to get one..."
"Your friends expect you to pay for them? What the fuck? You don't do it, do you?"
"No. Well, I did once or twice. Just to be nice, you know... I didn't make a habit of it. But like, sometimes, when we split the bill, I always end up with the highest amount to pay and I just don't even say anything anymore because what is the point? I'm not about to cause a scene in public."
"That's not fucking on, though. Do they not have their own money?"
"I don't know... probably. It's just... easier for me to pay."
"Don't do it anymore. Walk off if you have to. They are using you and I am not going to watch that happen, okay? Stand up for yourself – I know you can."
"I have been lately. Which is one thing why I have been getting the funny treatment, I guess."
"They're not your friends if they only want your money... as for your teachers – fuck them. Who the hell are they to you to tell you, you're not doing enough? Fuck them, honestly. Not literally, though," I rolled my eyes when I saw him smirk. "Just because mum and dad are known and rich, and I am as well, kind of, doesn't mean you have to follow us. You are your own person – you do what you wanna do. If focusing on your education rather than finding a job is more important to you right now, then honestly just shit on their opinions. It doesn't matter."
"You had a job when you were my age... and now you are a big boss... it's kind of hard to live up to."
My eyes and heart softened as he told me that. It was the first ever time I heard him admit that. It made me sad – he didn't have to live up to me and my achievements. He had his own life, his own goals, his own plans. He should have focused on those as opposed to mine.
"Masy-,"
"Don't call me that."
"-you don't have to live up to my reputation. You are smart and you have your own goals and future and thoughts. You are your own person. There is only one of you. Don't try to compete with me, don't compare yourself to me. We are family. This is not what's meant to happen between brothers. It's stereotypical so let's not feed into that, yes?" he nodded slowly and I inhaled deeply. "Is that it?"
"Well... no. It's so fucking stupid, though."
"Tell me. You know you can trust me, bro."
"Yeah, it's just... it's so fucking... I don't even know how to describe it? Like, I shouldn't get treated differently for liking girls and boys, right? Like, there is nothing wrong with that. The fact that I like people shouldn't make others look at me weird."
"I'm so sorry people are such fucking assholes to you, Mason," I sighed and felt my heart ache. It was such a terrible feeling. I couldn't even fully describe it, really. I just got up and wrapped my brother in my arms. He was so small – yes, sixteen years of age but he was still young and needed to be protected – and this horrible, horrible world treated him oh so wrongly. "You don't have to feel ashamed or bad about liking boys and girls. That's completely fine. I don't label my sexuality, you don't have to. People don't have the right to make you feel shit about yourself for something like that – that's wrong."
"I didn't think it was wrong and I didn't want to believe them and give them the satisfaction to make me feel embarrassed. It just bothers me that sometimes, they poke fun at me. They play it off as friendly banter but everyone knows it's intentional."
"You need a new set of friends. People who appreciate you and who you are. It's hard, I know. Easier said than done. I only have a few people who I trust with everything and they came into my life after I was done with education. You know I had a whole lot of fake ass fucks in my life and look where they are now... applying to work for my company," I smirked smugly and Mason rolled his eyes and chuckled. "The point is – it's more than fine to let go of people who you don't think are good enough to be in your life. It's more than fine to be on your own. Sometimes, it's better to be alone than surrounded by people who use you for their own benefits."
"I guess... thank you, H," he smiled at me, appreciatively. "It helps so much when we talk and I'm sorry for this mess... I know you have a lot of work to do and my irresponsibility just caused you unnecessary trouble."
"You are my brother, I would leave my company for you," I said with a shrug. "Knowing you are safe and well is much more important than my work."
"Well, thank you, anyway. And, I won't bother you for a whole week after this. I know I just caused at least a hundred emails and other shit to pile up on your computer that you'll have to deal with."
"Eh. I'll get my assistants to do them," he laughed at my reply and reached for the glass of water that was left on the side for him. "Um. Do you know who brought you in?"
"Not really," he said after he took a sip of the drink. "I just remember almost getting hit by a white car and then next thing I knew, I almost threw up and then I was in this room."
"You almost got hit?" I shrieked. "Mason!"
"I didn't see where I was going, I have no idea how I got on the main road..."
"For godness sake... I might need to get you a fucking bodyguard. One, that gets rid of your fake friends and keeps an eye on you from the minute you wake up till the minute you fall asleep."
"Will they write all my assignments and sit all my exams for me?"
"Highly doubt it."
"If you pay them enough, they might," he smirked.
"What makes you think I would pay them more?"
"Alright, good call," he sighed and I laughed at him. "Whatever. I don't want one then."
• • •
a.n.
big bro harry gets me going ngl
i know there was literally no mention of renleigh in this but i feel like i need to make you's love harry's siblings too you know,, that way when something happens you'll have a reaction well hopefully hehehe
ok i need to stop rambling in these an's it's probably annoying so bye xx