Manic [h.s]

#019

"But baby, if I had to choose

The joke's on you"

Joke's On You | Charlotte Lawrence

February 08, 1999

HARRY STYLES

"Fuck!" I mutter, scanning the street again to make sure I'm not losing my mind. The car's definitely gone. I shift from foot to foot as I try to keep my anger in check. The last person I left alone in that car was that damn bitch. I swear, I'm going to kill her.

My fingernails dig into the flesh of my palms in frustration. I should've never left her alone in the fucking car. Hell, I shouldn't have bought her here in the first place.

With my mind being lost in these thoughts, I don't notice my surroundings until I glance to my left. Three guys in black security uniforms are now in my line of sight. Shit. It's them—the security who's after me. One of their attention falls on me and he immediately points at me, probably yelling "Get him!" at the men accompanying him.

Damn it, I knew this was gonna go sideways. I curse under my breath as I bolt down the street, weaving through pedestrians and praying I can lose these assholes before they catch up.

I have no clue where my feet are taking me, but I don't dare slow down. Thankfully, I'm not the only one on the street—people everywhere, making it harder for them to catch up. I don't even risk a glance over my shoulder but somehow, I know that they're getting closer.

I turn a sharp corner, darting into a narrow alleyway between two tall buildings. The alley is dark and damp, the walls covered in graffiti and the ground littered with trash. The smell of stale piss and rotting food assaults my nose but I keep on pushing through.

Once I'm sure I've lost them, I stop and reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. My breath is still ragged as I punch in the numbers and guide my phone to my ear. The ringing reverberates in my head as I wait for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Harry?" Liam answers.

"Where the fuck is Iris?" I spit out as soon as he picks up.

"Iris?" he sounds confused. "I thought you took her with you."

I grit my teeth, wondering where the hell she went with my car. But I don't have time to figure that out right now.

"Harry? You there? What's going on?" he presses.

"Listen, I'll explain later. Just do me a favor," I say, glancing around the empty alley to make sure I'm still alone. "I'm stuck in this empty alley somewhere near Rosy Winds. I got into some trouble, lost the car and Iris is gone. These goons are on my ass and I won't be able to take them all on right now. Find a way to get me out of here, and fast."

"On it," he replies, but I've already ended the call, shoving the phone back into my pocket. I move forward, my boots crunching on the glass littering the ground. I look around the alley, trying to find any source of way like a fire escape ladder to get me out of this place for now. But I'm out of luck.

Liam's going to take at least half an hour to get here, maybe less if he pulls some miracle and finds a faster ride. Either way, time is not on my side. I can't just waltz back out there with those men swarming the place, looking for me like bloodhounds. I'm stuck, plain and simple. I run my hand through my hair to ease the frustration that the thought alone brings me.

And Iris... damn, if she doesn't already know she's neck-deep in shit, she's gonna find out soon enough when we meet again.

For a brief moment, there's nothing but silence. Just when I start to think I might actually have a breather, I hear those damn voices again. Their frustrated shouts bounce off the alley walls, getting louder with each second. I look around in high alert as I spot one of them in his black uniform stepping into view. His eyes lock with mine and before I can even think, he yells, "Here!"