Bad and Broken (H.S)

Chapter 1

AN - just a note to any previous readers, this book is from now on a Harry Styles fanfic, hope that doesn't bother you!  Much of the plot will be the same :) If you decide to stop reading, I will be sad to see you go. If you stay, I hope you enjoy ❤️

Mornings. My number 1 enemy. Possibly the cruelest torture for me is waking up at 6am, and yet I am forced to do it 5 days a week from now on.

The shrill sound of my alarm clock stabbed my ears, jagged blades of annoyance. Drowning out all other neighbourly sounds such as the garbage truck droning on down the street, and the clang of pots and pans in the kitchen; mum would be making her daily 'clean living' breakfast. Ugh.

Glancing at the clock I realised I could probably catch another ten minutes of sleep if I just closed my eyes for a short while...

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"Honey it's 8:15 are you ready to leave?" I shot up out of bed like a bullet from a gun. Shit. Can't be late on the first day of school.

At a speed to rival Usain Bolt's I found a tight, white mid-drift top in my closet and put that on as well as some black denim shorts. In the meantime I was trying to search every corner of my messy room for some shoes.

Mum swung my door open and a look of horror swept over her porcelain face.
"Elli! It looks like a bomb has hit your room! Why are you not ready?"
"I slept in mum! Please help me find my shoes!" She immediately began scrambling around on the floor, muttering to herself about my laziness. 

She chucked two shoes at my head while I was tying up my beachy blonde hair. I slipped on the black converse - not my favourite pair, but they'd have to do. "Thanks mum!"

I grabbed my bag and ran downstairs, Tripping on my untied shoelaces and falling flat on my face in the process.

Hurriedly Mum pulled me up, not doing a very good job at hiding her giggle. I knew there was no time to worry about my face and the possibility I might get a bruise, I just hoped the rushed makeup I applied previously would cover it up.

As I burst into the kitchen, mum handed me my lunch right on cue, stuck on the lunch box was a little message written on a pink post-it note.
Have an amazing first day back at school honey, I'm here for you through everything xx
She smiled at me as I read it and I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, waved goodbye and raced out the door. Surely I'm a bit too old for messages in my lunch box, but I suppose it's nice of her.

I only had around 500 meters to go until I arrived at my friend Leila's house. I had met her just before the summer holidays, at a little cafe nearby. She had complimented my dishevelled hair (sweat and sea salt does nothing for a girl's mane) and with a shy chuckle I asked where I could get a pair of shoes similar to hers; pink fluffy bunny slippers. We became quite close over the holidays, venturing to the beach almost every day, watching the sunset and sleeping under the stars almost every night.

From Leila's house we planned to walk the remaining 50 meters to school. After speed walking to her house I was sure I had sweat dripping down my face. I hadn't done much, or any, physical activity over the summer holidays.

"Elli!" Leila greeted me after she looked up from her iPhone, "You're so late sweetie." She was standing in front of her house. I smiled at her and took in her outfit. She was wearing a pretty floral top with a faded denim skirt. Her almost white, blonde hair was in two braids and her makeup was perfect. She stood with her head cocked to one side, a hand on her waist and her hip jutted out. She eyed me up and down, clearly judging the poor effort I had made to look decent on the first day of school.

I had attended Eagle Bay High School for a couple of weeks before the holidays, so I wasn't completely new, but her stares were starting to make me feel like i should have at least tried to look appealing. Whatever, who is there to impress anyway?

We headed off in the direction of school after I gave her a quick hug.

"You could have left without me you know." I rolled my eyes.
"Now what kind of friend would I be if I did that?" She grinned. "Also, I'm trying to savour my last few minutes of freedom."

We are in grade 11, both 17 years old. At school Leila and I hung out with our small but entertaining group of friends; a mix-match of people from grade 11 and 12.

Another boring year ahead of me. I sighed.

"Hey, El?" Leila asked me, interrupting my thoughts.

"Hm?" I responded.

"PINCH AND A PUNCH FOR THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, NO RETURNS!" Lei crossed and fingers and ran through the school gates towards her 'one true love' Niall, as she so hopefully described him. I always wished I was as quirky and as confident as Lei, she was always happy and upbeat, hardly every moping around and complaining like me. I rolled my eyes, slightly irritated but amused by her childish behaviour. and kept slowly walking, even though Lei had sprinted away.

I was about to enter the school when I became aware that ahead of me, there was a guy around my age staring at me. He had a backpack on so I presumed he went to my school. I would normally have been creeped out because he was watching me so intently, his eyes never straying from my own, but there was something about him that made my heart skip a beat and made my stomach fill with a sea of butterflies. He even looked slightly familiar.

The guy, leaning against the wall like a model, was the hottest, most dreamy guy I had ever seen.

He had coffee brown hair, shiny like a raven and I could see his emerald green eyes studying me, even from such a distance away. His pose suggested he was one of those cocky-confident boys; shoulder leant against the wall and his hands in his pockets.

He was smirking slightly and even though I didn't think I had ever blushed in my life, I could feel my cheeks become warm. I tilted my head down slightly and tried to disguise the fact that I had just been checking him out. He was watching me first!  I thought, so I lifted my head and looked at him again. He was still leaning against the wall and I was mesmerised by his muscular arms, is it even possible for a young guy to have muscles that big? And a jaw that sculpted? Damn. Add in the ripped black jeans that he wore, - even in this hot weather - and he was definitely the hottest guy alive.

That is when it happened. He lifted his arm, and waved at me. Not just a discrete little 'hello,' he was waving at me like we were old friends who had known each other forever. Slightly confused, I did the polite thing and waved back whole heartedly.

His face changed suddenly, he grimaced and his face contorted so it was scrunched up, almost like a pug. And that is when I realised my mistake.

I turned around, and sure enough there was a guy directly behind me, laughing his head off as he approached his friend. I hung my head in shame, catching them both chuckling out of the corner of my eye.

That was the most bloody embarrassing moment of my life.

Despite all my instincts telling me not too, I looked back over my shoulder, making awkward eye contact with Hot Guy. Possibly even making the situation worse, he winked at me, catching me by surprise.

I snapped my head back quickly, all attempts to play it cool now thrown out the window. I could feel his gaze burning holes in my back, or was it just my imagination? I couldn't wait to find Leila and rant to her about the most embarrassing moment of my life.

Is this I sign that I am facing an awful year ahead?

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If you read it, I hope you liked it. More to come <3