Child's Play {Harry Styles AU}

Chapter I

Fall is, by far, my favorite season. The Boston air was still warm from the long summer, but the wind set in the slightest of chills. The trees that lined the historic streets had just begun to shed their leaves, littering the sidewalks, tinging the landscape in shades of orange.

I loved walking to work. It was calming to me, even in the early morning chill. Everyday, on my walk, I would stop by a coffee shop. After three years of doing this everyday, they had come to expect me, and always had my order waiting. It was there that I met my friend Mia, who was with me the night I met Harry. She owned the place. It was quaint, with a bookshelf on one wall with a policy of "give a book to take a book". Paintings of local artists were proudly displayed on the wall and a cork board displayed local theater productions. In the mornings, Mia would sit in the window sill and read while sipping a cup of coffee. She wasn't nearly as much of a morning person as I was. She always wondered why I enjoyed walking to work, when so many taxis were at the ready. I couldn't explain it, I just loved it.

Thirty minutes, that's how long I get to myself in the morning before the kids start arriving. I relish in the sound of a quiet classroom as I eat my usual breakfast of a muffin, courtesy of Mia and her grandmother's secret recipe. My classroom is something that I'm proud of. The school is fairly old, with recently replaced cabinets and the usual technological additives like a smart board and a laptop for me. The floors are wooden, with the rustic dents of years of wear and tear from rambunctious children. I love the way my boots sound against it, the dull thud of a wedge.

The other teachers joke that I'm too young to be a teacher and that my generation is slowly encroaching on their jobs. I am by far the youngest teacher here, but I love the motherly advice of the older ladies who gossip like they are still teenagers. They always wear sensible shoes and comfy slacks and dressy shirts. Today, I chose the route of dark red jeans and a white long sleeve shirt, I added my favorite red scarf as an accessory, tying it together. My shoes were cream colored and had the slightest lift to them, which to the older ladies was a wonder, how I managed to stay on my feet all day. Honestly, I found them more comfortable than any tennis shoes I'd ever had, plus they are cuter. Usually though I would wear my white Keds, if I wasn't in the mood for a heel.

Slowly the kids filter in, some of them with parents by their sides who greet me with a warm smile before ruffling their child's hair. By this point in the year, I knew them all by name, with minimal mistakes. A little boy named Roger came straight up to my desk, a drawing in his hand. He was that kid that you just knew would get bullied in high school. He had thick glasses, rust colored hair, cut straight across his forehead, and a dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. He was a sweetheart though, and I always made sure to keep an eye out for him. His mother was a nice lady too. She had explained to me at open house that he was a very smart boy, he just didn't like speaking up. Roger was a great artist for his age. He handed me a picture of a truck, complete with flames across the side. I thanked him and gave him a hug before winking at him and sliding him a piece of candy. I put my finger on my lips, he nodded excitedly and returned the gesture.

Before long, the class was full of little kids and the chaos began. As usual, I started the class with saying "Good morning!" Call me cliche. They all responded in their offset unison "Good Morning Ms. Kelley!" I spent the next hour explaining a worksheet that deals with fractions and how they relate to shapes. I had just sat down to grade papers and to let them work on it when my classroom door opened, and the principle leaned his head in. He was a portly man with a bald spot and rosy cheeks. He genuinely loved kids, he still was a kid.

"Ms. Kelley, could you come in the hallway for a second?" The kids oohed, like I was getting into trouble. I rolled my eyes as they laughed and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind me. The hallway was decorated with the latest projects from each class. When I turned, my breath caught in my chest. It was him, it was Harry, standing right there. In his arms, was a little girl with curly brown hair that matched his.