Lucky Penny [h.s.]

36. (*)

Harry.

I hadn't seen Penelope in five days.

It was Thursday afternoon when I fidgeted in my chair in my classroom, my phone laying on the table as I continuously stared at it. I had sent her yet another message, and it wasn't like she was ignoring me, but she was definitely shorter and more distant than usual.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when one of my students, Fawn, was in front of me, holding out her test and handing it back.

I shot her a smile, "Did it go okay?"

"I think so, Mr. Styles." She smiled back and I nodded as I glanced over her test to see the first few answers. She had very neat handwriting, and she walked back to her seat to start on some homework as the others finished their tests.

The clock was ticking more loudly with each passing second, or so it seemed. My leg was bobbing up and down annoyingly, and I knew I was feeling anxious from not having seen or heard Penelope as much as I wanted to.

More and more students walked up to hand in their tests as the end of the day approached, and soon enough the bell rang through the room and everyone got up to their feet to gather their things and leave for the day.

I waved at a few students, picking up my stuff as well as I headed towards the teacher's lounge, my head elsewhere. I hardly noticed Dave talking to me, still checking my phone every few minutes.

"What time's Penelope's hearing tomorrow?" I was pretty sure I interrupted a sentence of his, and Dave frowned at me, "Still don't understand why you don't just call her Penny. And at half past one in the afternoon, I'm pretty sure."

I refrained myself from asking how she was doing, how she was really doing. I knew it would raise suspicion, but it was all I wanted to know.

"Do you want to grab a drink?" Dave suggested, lighting up his cigarette once we were out of the school gates and hurrying to our car in the windy, cloudy weather.

I slowly shook my head, "No, I've got a bit of a headache, think I'm just going to go home." I lied in hopes that he wouldn't notice. Dave's brows were still furrowed, and I could suspect that he saw right through me but he was polite enough not to say anything. He just nodded and waved me off as we each got in our cars.

I was stuck in traffic for a bit as I drove through Richmond, on my way to my apartment. I contemplated dropping by Penelope's place, but it was clear she didn't want me there. We had phone calls during the past couple of days, and once again it wasn't like she ignored me but she just sounded so off all the time. Like she was always distracted, always distant. She claimed to be tired, or have a headache, or that it was busy at work, but I felt like there was so much distance between us again.

Once I was parked in the underground garage of my building, I had a text back from Penelope. 

Message from: Cinnamon

Working late again, sorry... Such a busy week, it's insane. I'll make it up to you, promise.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second as I was still in the car.

I didn't like this. I didn't like feeling like this. I felt antsy, insecure, bothered by all of it. I realized just how dependent I had grown on Penelope and the attention she gave me. It didn't sit right with me that the last time I saw her was when we were driving back from the hotel after a very adventurous night.

It didn't sit right with me that she had the hearing tomorrow and I hadn't seen her to even wish her good luck.

It didn't sit right with me that she had refused to go on a run for four days in a row now, claiming she was too knackered from work and needed the extra sleep.