Author's Note:
I've decided that in every chapter, I'm going to try and incorporate at least one lyric from a One Direction song. I did so in the last chapter and many of you found it. Comment the name of the song if you find it in the chapters! This chapter will be easy but I may make it difficult in future chapters. Let's see who knows their 1D songs! <3
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"Emily, let's sit over here." Harry says as he points to the opposite side of the classroom from where the voice originated from.
I walk with Harry to the side of the classroom while I continue to stare at the other side looking for a face to match the enigmatic voice.
"I can't tell who said that. Who is it?" I say and look at Harry.
"No one." he quickly responds.
"Hey chick, he's just being a pussy." the voice says causing laughter throughout the room.
I quickly turn around and this time I see the face of the guy who is pestering Harry.
He has light brown hair, lighter than Harry's. His hair is very short and is combed straight above his head and gelled creating an effortless quiff. He has a rough-shaven beard and an odd-shaped birthmark on the front of his neck. His tanned skin glistens due to the bright classroom lights. He is wearing a loose white t-shirt, brutally ripped loose-fitting blue jeans with a red checkered flannel shirt tied around his waist, and large, light-brown Timberland boots. He is leaning leaning back in his chair with both legs spread out with his hands in his lap. He smirks with a malicious look in his eyes and I get the feeling that he has hostility towards Harry. He then looks at me and he winks and I-
"Emily! Stop looking at him!" Harry grabs my shoulder and turns me around in my chair.
I hear laughter generating from the other side of the room where the light-haired guy is located.
"Harry, tell me, who is that?" I plead.
A feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to face girl with bleach-blonde hair and six-inch hot pink stiletto heels and I receive a face full of expensive perfume which causes me to cough. Harry then pull his phone out of his pocket and begins to use it in order to ignore what this girl is going to tell me.
"Hey," the girl whispers, "that guy over there that just called Harry a pussy, that's Liam, Harry's brother."
"Oh my god." I say and turn to look over at Liam who winks at me again and I quickly turn back around in my seat and face forward.
"Stay away from him." Harry says while glaring at me.
"Sorry." I say and give Harry a sympathetic look.
"Hey Harold!" Liam yells across the classroom.
"Don't say one fucking word to me Liam." Harry spits back.
Liam starts to laugh with an evil, malevolent tone that causes me great discomfort. The students in the class remain silent as they listen to the bitter conversation between Harry and Liam.
"Oh Harry Styles," Liam says, "you know what I heard? I know what you did. Everyone knows. I heard about you and that innocent brunette and-"
The door of the classroom is then forcefully thrown open slamming against the wall and a middle-aged man runs in with a briefcase full of documents that are falling out with each step he takes.
The room immediately becomes silent.
"Sorry class," the teacher begins, "you all know how crazy the traffic in Chicago can get!"
He walks over to the chalk board and writes in large letters "Ferdinand" on the board.
"I'm Mr. Ferdinand, your calculus teacher for this semester and I'm gonna start off the class with a joke."
Everyone in the classroom looks at the teacher with faces that read "please don't."
"Okay class," the teacher begins,"what did Al Gore play on his guitar?"
Silence remains among the students.
"An Algorithm."
I look over and see Harry's cheeks puffed out and he is struggling to keep himself from bursting into laughter.
Harry is the only one who laughs which draws attention from everyone in the class, especially Liam.
"Harry's such a queer," Liam attempts to whisper but is heard by everyone resulting in an outbreak of laughter.
"Hey!" the teacher yells, "Who said that!"
Harry immediately frowns as the classroom fills with laughter.
"If it hear it again," Mr. Ferdinand says, "someone's getting kicked out."
I look over to the other side of the classroom from where I'm sitting and I see Liam nearly falling out of his chair from laughter.
The calculus class continues as the teacher talks about what will occur in the class during the semester.
Throughout the class period, my mind continues to race as I think of what happened in Niall and Harry's dorm room. We were so close to going all the way. We were about to have sex. I felt like my time had come. I wish it wouldn't have been cut off by Harry. I looked into Niall's eyes as he was above me and I noticed hunger, a driving force of lust and maybe even love. It looked like he wanted me as much as I wanted him. If only I could have felt his-
"Emily?"
I return to my senses as a large hand waves in front of my face.
"Oh my god. Sorry. I zoned out for a second."
"Haha. I know." Harry says as he is smiling while standing next to my desk, "Class is over Emily. Time to go."
I look around the classroom and see other students collecting their materials and I notice Liam making his way over to Harry and I.
"Fuck." Harry says, "Let's get out of here before he starts some shit."
I rise from my chair and walk towards the door as Harry leads me out of the room. We are walking down the hallway to leave and I turn around to see Liam quickly catching up to us.
"Hey Harry! Come back here you queer." Liam yells.
"Keep walking Emily," Harry whispers to me, "don't look at him."
I remain silent as Harry and I exit the building with an overzealous Liam following behind.
As we are walking down the sidewalk of the University of Chicago campus, I am suddenly stopped as Harry does the same due to Liam who is now standing in front of him.
"What the fuck do you want Liam?" Harry grinds his teeth and spits at Liam.
"Just wanted to talk to my little bro that's all" Liam says, "Don't be so pissy. Go put a tampon in."
I look away in disgust at Liam's incredibly rude comment.
"Liam, what is wrong with you?!" Harry yells. "Please go away!"
I look back at Liam and a serious look grows on his face.
"Harry," Liam begins, "I need to talk to you."
"About what?" Harry says as he squints his eyes with disbelief.
Students begin to swarm around us listening to Harry and Liam's conversation.
"Can you guys fuck off!?" Liam turns around and yells at the crowd behind him.
Everyone grows wide eyes and quickly walks away from the scene.
"You too chick." Liam says and looks at me with vicious eyes.
"She can stay right here." Harry responds to my surprise.
"No it's fine," I begin. "I'm leaving. It's none of my business and I have to go to work anyways."
"Emily, you stay right here," Harry says, "I need to make sure he doesn't do anything crazy and he won't with you here."
Harry looks at Liam while he crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows receiving a glare from Liam in return.
"Whatever." Liam spits.
I don't want to intrude on their business but I don't want to displease Harry either so I look away and pretend I'm not listening.
While I'm turned away, I notice a lean figure with a blonde head walking in my direction. He is wearing RayBan sunglasses, a red flannel shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, tight blue jean shorts with the ends rolled up, and black slip-on Vans shoes with a space design on them.
"Niall!" I yell as I wave and begin to walk towards him. Harry and Liam both look at Niall walking to us.
"Emily!" he also yells and runs towards me and embraces me, "I've missed you."
"It's only been less than two hours, Niall."
"I know," Niall breathes into my ear.
"Niall has a girl?!" Liam shrieks causing both Niall and I to lose our smiles.
"Liam." Niall says as he releases me and glares at Liam.
"Fag." Liam responds.
"Let's get out of here. I can't handle this asshole anymore." Harry interrupts and begins to walk towards Niall and I.
"Wait," Liam begins, "come back. Hold on. I have something to say."
"Just fucking say it then Liam!" Harry screams.
"Calm the fuck down dude. It's private. We need to go somewhere."
"We could go back to our dorm and talk?" Niall interjects.
"Who's dorm?" Liam says.
"Harry and I's."
"You guys share a room together!?" Liam yells, "I knew you guys were queers."
"Can you stop being a dick head for once? Let's go." Harry says and points in the direction of his and Niall's dormitory.
We all begin to make our way towards the dormitories. I have barely said a word except for when I greeted Niall. I was very afraid but I was relieved once Niall showed up. He's holding my hand now and it's very comforting. I want to disappear from this family drama to avoid any conflicts but I feel like I've been sucked in. I need to get away.
"Niall," I whisper in his ear, "what about Smith? Shouldn't you have already been there?"
"Yeah, but I wanted to pick you up after class and take you there. It should be fine."
"Niall, I hope you don't lose your job."
"Don't worry. I won't."
"Can I please leave?" I say, "I have to get home to get ready for work and I don't want to get involved in whatever is about to happen. Please do something."
I look into Niall's blue eyes with sad eyes of my own and he notices my despondence and furrows his brow as if thinking of what to do.
"Okay guys," Niall begins, "Emily is gonna leave now because she has to be somewhere. See ya Emily."
Harry and Liam don't respond and Niall hugs me tightly then I silently walk away.
It takes me about ten minutes but I finally make my way across campus and reach the student parking lot. I find my small car and my mouth drops open at the sight of a large bouquet of roses resting on the lowered windshield wipers. I am taken aback and then I pick up the bouquet to find a small note attached and it reads:
*I wish that I could take you to the stars, I'd never let you fall and break your heart, and if you wanna cry or fall apart, I'll be there to hold you. -N*
My heart melts and my eyes become teary at the beautiful words on the collection of roses, but I wonder how he knew this was my car.
I grab the bouquet and I notice a familiar face walking towards me with wide eyes and a huge smile.
"Who are those from Emily!?" Stephanie says as her voice echoes throughout the parking lot.
"Stephanie! Hey!" I beam.
"Where are you headed off to Emily?" she says as she is now standing next to me.
"I have to go back to my apartment and then I'm going to work for the rest of the day. What are you doing?"
"You live on your own!?"
"Yeah haha."
"Well I have nothing to do until nine, which is when I'm going to a party tonight in one of the frat houses. You should come with!"
My mind immediately reminds me of the two of my biggest fears in the world: large parties and frat houses.
"I'll think about it." I respond with a fake assuring smile.
"Great! I'll text you the details."
"Uh. Okay." I say tentatively, "Stephanie I really have to get going."
"Oh my god I'm so sorry I held you up. Bye!" Stephanie yells as she waves her hand in my face then walks away. She is almost as bright and outgoing as Niall, well they did live together. I wonder if they got along with each other.
I then open the door to my small Honda and place the flowers in the passenger seat. I begin to drive the car out of the University of Chicago campus until I reach my apartment complex.
As I am opening the door to my apartment, my phone vibrates and I freeze to pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the message displayed on the screen. My heart stops at the message. It reads:
*Can you please take over for me today at work? I know you can do it. If anyone asks where I am, tell them I had a serious emergency and I can't make it today. Something terrible has happened. -N*