Friend Zoning Harry Styles

I'll be your home

I tugged along my suitcases, a heavy feeling in my chest as I was soon about to come face to face with my mother and father. A heavy feeling in my chest making me half want to turn around. Sure, I was happy to see them, but a conflicting emotion flickered in my head, one which was happy and the other dreadful… that I'd been leaving Harry. I had just gotten off of the long flight to America and now I was in the car port where my father was to pick me up and bring me home.

  My eyes scanned for a rusty red pickup truck that my father dearly loved and, for as long as I could remember, had named Carla. As silly as it sounded, he really was in love with the outdated vehicle. When I couldn't spot the truck, a horn had loudly rung through my ears, causing me to pivot on my heel to see where it came from. Fortunately, it had been my dad. Carla’s window was rolled down and inside was him and my mother both smiling and pulsating a hand towards me. 

 At that moment, my worries were all diminished into long forgotten feelings and I quickly jogged towards the truck. The Texas sun shining down on my every step.

 "Emily, my dear, how are you?" My mother happily cheered, jumping out of the passenger seat to help stuff my overpacked luggage into the bed of the truck. Despite her large smile, I could tell she was tired. My absence over these past few months has really drained her. Still… I smiled as wide as I could.

 "I'm great mom, let's get in the car. I wanna get home." I sighed indifferently. The flight here consisted of a four year old kicking my seat through half the way, while the other half was spent on him asking me questions and ‘Why?’ the answer was the one it was. In a matter of minutes, we were already pulling into the residential duplexes that I deeply missed. I stepped out of the truck and watched as my father mannerly pulled out my luggage and decided to carry it himself. 

 "Oh, we've missed you." My dad said, grabbing the back of my head and pulling me in to press a sweet kiss to my forehead. I giggled as lovely feelings stimulated through my jittery body. He lead the way towards the doorstep, they’ve began to grown roses while I was away. Probably to keep busy. The door swung open as mom’s keys clanked together, the sound that had become accustomed to me.

 "I better start on dinner, honey, please, go make yourself at home. After all, I suppose this is your home." she chortled, ambling into the kitchen, I assume to pull on her pink, handmade apron. 

I nodded and step by step, made it to my bedroom where everything was slightly the same, besides the TV that used to sit atop the dresser, but was now gone leaving a shadowy presence that I mourned. I sniffed in the familiar air, a draft of pine cones rushing up my nose fantastically. I was terribly hungry, my stomach gurgling with a want of food. 

 I'd been sitting on my bed, staring into mid-air with no thoughts in mind longer than I had intentioned. I hadn’t been in this spot, for what seemed like decades, though it was only a semester. The last time I was here, I was packing my belongings with Brandon.  He had promised me the world, the universe. He had promised me a good life. In the end, I guess he kept his promise… he lead me away from him and straight into Harry’s arms. I never will regret moving overseas… if I hadn’t done so, I would have never met Harry or the boys.

 Minutes felt like seconds and before I could blink my eyes, my mom’s voice had shrilled down the corridor.

 "Dinner's prepared!"

***

 It's been merely a week in America, and already have I become accustomed to the old folk that raised me. A wavering smile had been plastered on my face for the longest time and I no longer felt a pang of dread threading through my chest. My father, who I thought to be boring and unwelcoming had actually warmed my heart with just the slightest motions. He'd taken me out to lunch, to the mall, and fishing in the old pond down the embankment like old times.  My mother was the same. Always prepped up and ready to get out and party, of course dragging me behind.