Illicit [Harry Styles]

Chapter 34

Right after we ate in a somewhat awkward silence, I politely asked Liam to take me home. Of course he obliged, thinking I was absolutely crazy and needed to be locked up in a mental institution, probably. It was only nine when I arrived at my house, but I went straight to bed because I didn't want to have to think about everything anymore.

The next morning was exactly the same as every morning; I woke up and hurried to get ready so that I could catch a lift with my mum. I probably looked rougher than usual, but that was the least of my worries. I got to school at precisely eight-forty-four, one minute before lessons started, so I practically legged it to law to avoid walking in late.

Law was also the least of my worries; what I was most worried about was the free period I had afterwards and whether or not Harry would be there. I spent the whole lesson trying not to think about it, but thus thinking about it even more because I was trying not to. He told me he didn't want to talk to me until I'd told him my decision, so did that mean he was going to completely blank me if I saw him?

It made me angry that it was more than likely I was going to see him at some point, and he was probably going to ignore me like I mean nothing to him, or say something cruel that'll make me want to fling myself out the window with embarrassment, but neither of those things would result in me hating him like I should do and I didn't quite understand why.

As I left the classroom and headed to the common room, my heart started thumping and heat rose to my face. I opened the door and ascended the stairs slowly, hoping that maybe I'd be alone or I'd get lucky and it'd be just Mckenzie in there, but of course I'm not lucky — when I rounded the corner, Mckenzie, Harry and Louis were sitting there talking.

"Alright Jess!" Louis called out, making Mckenzie and Harry turn their heads to look at me, but with two very different facial expressions. Harry looked like he'd swallowed a wasp and immediately turned away — no surprise there, and Mckenzie smiled and watched me walk over awkwardly.

"I can't wait for the day you get caught and kicked out of here," I chuckled, trying to act natural whilst taking a seat next to Mckenzie and adjacent to Harry, glancing nervously at him.

"They wouldn't dare!" Louis stated proudly with a cocky smile, stretching his arms out over the backs of the chairs next to him and lounging back as if to boast that he was untouchable.

Louis went back to talking to Harry about whatever it was they were talking about before I showed up, and Mckenzie leaned towards me subtly and whispered, "How did last night go?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied honestly.

"Why? What happened? Jess, what did you do?"

"Did you not hear me? I said I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, glaring at her. She raised her eyebrows at my outburst but I think she got the message because she leaned back away from me and didn't say anything else.

"You know what? I really fancy a KFC..." Louis pondered aloud.

"Oh my god, yes! I haven't had KFC for ages, why don't we all go?" Mckenzie suggested.

"My car's fücked so we'll have to bribe Styles over there," Louis said, cupping his hand around his mouth and directing his eyes to Harry as if he was whispering, but speaking very loudly.

"Jess and I will buy you a meal if you take us?" Mckenzie offered, fluttering her eyelashes at Harry innocently. "Won't we, Jess?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Some people seem to think it's alright to just invite themselves," Harry scoffed under his breath, and I knew he wasn't talking about either of the other two...