The Ticking Clock [h.s.]

Chapter 2

Here go nothing, I guess.

As we leave the flat door, the butterflies erupt out of the deepest pits of my stomach. Not only am I nervous, but I also begin to feel like something important is going to happen tonight. It's an indescribable feeling that makes me sound like a crazy person.

Anyways, we go into a pub that is a local favorite. It's doesn't have a name, or one that anyone knows, so we just call it "the pub." You either know about the pub or you don't live in Highpark. Megan steps in first, but immediately turns around to comment that it is more packed than normal. "Strange," I reply back.

My flatmate leads the way to the bar. She orders a beer and I order a martini. We slowly sip out drinks as we survey the surrounding area. I quickly turn to the bartender and ask, "Why is it so busy?" He replies, "Haven't you heard? Harry Styles is here tonight." I basically spit out my drink as Megan chuckles at me. She may be as surprised as I am, but boy, can she hide it better.

Megan, standing on a bar stool, spots him near the back of the bar and taps on my shoulder to point him out. I begin to make my move towards him, but before I even start walking, Megan grabs my hand and says, "Come dance with me before you make any decisions you will regret in the morning." I obey and she thanks the bartender for the information. In one foul swoop, she waltzes to the dance floor, practically dragging my two left feet behind her.

Megan and I danced all night to some of the best songs ever, but something kept pulling at the back of my mind. I think Megan could read my expression as I glanced to the back of the bar. "Okay, fine," she huffed as she took my hand, stomping towards the back of the crowded bar. My heart was pounding, she was slightly annoyed that I didn't just go by myself, and all I could think about was him.

Rejoicing in the fact that I came out tonight, I lifted my posture to seem more confident than the butterflies in my stomach would give away.
As we make it to the back of the bar and I take one more step forward, Megan releases my hand and I hear a little yell. It wasn't a yell that you make when you are terrified that is chasing after you. It was more like a surprised sound that you make as you fall from running into another person.

Many people begin pushing the surrounding crowd away as I glance forward to see THE Harry Styles reaching down to help Megan up after he accidentally ran into her, making her fall. A pang of jealously erupts in me as he offers his hand to help her get up. Security is telling everyone to step back to make sure no one else gets hurt. I can hear Megan repeatedly say, "I'm alright. It's okay. It's not your vault." But Harry will not stop apologizing, which makes my flatmate blush and shake her head.

I am completely star struck as I see Megan walk towards the bar with the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I almost storm out of the bar, but before I get to the front I remember that she has three weeks left on her clock and they touched. I internally cheer that destiny didn't make her betray me.

As I reach Megan, Harry has bought her a drink, which makes me think that is the only way she got him to stop apologizing. What a stand up guy Harry is. I applaud him. I take a deep breathe before I step close enough for her to see me. My flatmate sees me, practically yanking my arm out of its socket to bring me next to her.

"Harry, this is my flatmate/best friend, Sarah. Sarah, this is Harry Styles of One Direction," she says so casually that you think she would be introducing old friends. He reaches out his hand to shake mine as I do the same. His eyes are the most beautiful shade of emerald green and I begin to get lost in them as if they were a deep sea that was ready to engulf me. But before they can touch, security yanks him away, stating that a band of fangirls has entered and the pub is no longer safe.

Harry yells, "It was nice to meet you. I hope we can do this again soon." Megan says that we would love that just loud enough for the three of us to hear. She sends a sweet smile back at him before his eyes were ripped away. My knees begin to wobble as I think about the last couple of moments.

Harry Styles, like THE HARRY STYLES, looked right at me and smiled. He knows my name. He knows I exist. I feel an arm wrap around my waist when I almost fall over and look up to see Megan once again beaming at me. "What's your problem?" I spit. She calmly responds, "you never touched." What could that mean? Why does that matter? I give her a puzzling look before she adds, "you could still be soul mates. A touch confirms that two people are destine for each other." I look at her with wonder as I realize that her words are true. I jump back, almost flying into another table that could have seriously injured me. Damn table!

Megan begins to cry from how hard she is laughing at my antics, questioning why we are even friends. "How were you so calm with him being so close to you?" I ask. "I work with celebrities and important people every day for my job. I arrange times for them to pick out clothes and I organize fashion shows, for which I have to invite hundreds of people. I also go to many parties with them, which is also why I can hold my liquor better than you," she responds.

This all makes sense now. She can be cool because she has had practice. Mental note: get some pointers on how to harness some inner chill. I also laugh because I almost deny that I can, for fact, hold my liquor, but then I stop myself, realizing that Megan is way better at it.

"Let's get a few more drinks before we head home," I propose, unwilling for such a good night to end so early. Megan accepts and we continue dancing and drinking until everything become blurry and I can no longer remember what the rest of the night has in store for us.