Heat - Harry Styles

nine

My feet pounded steadily against the cement as I made my way down East Bay. It was 6:32 a.m., the sun was just beginning to rise, and I was already dripping in sweat. Early in the morning was one of the few times when the Charleston streets were completely empty. Besides the occasional morning sunrise watchers, the sidewalks were clear for me to take my runs.

Running was something that I had always hated growing up, but as I got older it became a way for me to clear my head. It was almost as therapeutic as painting.

I tried to concentrate on my breathing, the steady in and out of air in my lungs, the rise and fall of my chest. I looked down at my feet, which were hitting the sidewalk to the beat of the music that was streaming out of my headphones. Despite the scenic view and the amazing music, I still couldn't manage to lift my mood. Damn, you know I'm having a bad day when Hall and Oates can't cheer me up.

I could see my house coming up quickly, so I slowed my pace and began my cool down. When I reached my house I sat outside stretching for a while, giving my tired legs a break. With my hair in a ponytail, I could feel the droplets of sweat dripping down my back. This was a feeling that I loved and hated at the same time. It made me feel accomplished and satisfied with my workout, but it always sent a cold chill up my back.

When I finally entered my house, I snuck up the stairs as quietly as possible in an effort to not wake any of my siblings. I knew that if I woke Louisa or Brooks it would be like World War III and my heart would break if I woke up our little Foster before a long day of fourth grade. I closed my bedroom door gently before stripping off my sweaty clothes and hopping into the shower.

Showers were always my way of relaxing, but after what I found out last night I was desperate to get out so I wouldn't have to think about Harry. Distractions were what I needed and unfortunately, there were no distractions in the shower. As soon as the conditioner was out of my hair I pulled on some leggings and an old sweatshirt. Knowing full well that Harry would come looking for me at the park, I had no intentions of leaving the house today. Instead, I was going to treat myself to a nice day of Netflix in bed.

Harry hadn't texted me since I opened his second message last night. After leaving him on read twice, he must have taken the hint that I didn't want to talk to him. Part of me felt bad for leaving him in the dark, but he did the same thing to me. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he is an A-list celebrity and I had no idea. How could I be so stupid?

Today was going to be long and lonely, but tomorrow would be better. My best friend Charlotte gets back from school in the morning. I couldn't wait to see her and fill her in on all of the crazy stuff that has happened in the past few days. I would text her about it, but something tells me she won't believe that I had been spending all of my free time with Harry Styles.

Feeling tired after my run, I opened my laptop and put on an episode of a show that I'd already seen a hundred times. A comfort show was exactly what this situation called for. Without even realizing it, I soon dozed off.

-

-

"Sloane! Sloane, wake up!" my sister says as she shakes me.

"I'm napping," I mumble back, eyes still screwed shut. I roll over in bed and pull the white duvet over my head, attempting to drown out my sister's talking. It wasn't unusual for Louisa to wake me up. She was at the age where she could be extremely agitating and a chatty-Cathy. She often woke me up early on Saturday mornings, eager to tell me about all the drama that had gone down the night before at her high school party.

"Harry's here!" She whispers.

I sit up straight up immediately and look over to my sister. Her face is flushed and she looks completely flustered. It's clear she's had an encounter with one of her celebrity crushes. Still, surely it couldn't be true. He wouldn't dare show up here unannounced, especially since he knows how weird my parents are when it comes to boys.