No Control • hs

twenty-five

     Harry and I get up and start walking towards the main part of the mall. "Okay Peyt, what store do you want to go to?"

     "Umm, let's see. We could go to Urban Outfitters, Hollister, Forever 21, H&M..."

"That's a lot of stores, I don't think we'll have enough time to go to all of them." Harry says, stopping by the bathrooms. "Or the money." he adds, looking back at me.

     "I'm a bargain shopper, I have a membership to almost all the stores in this mall."

     "Fine, but no purchases surpassing two hundred dollars."

     "We'll have to see about that." I look down at the floor, being dramatic.

     "Peyton." Harry raises his brows.

     "Go do your business Harold."

     "I hate it when people call me that." Before I could call him Harold again, he was running down the hallway to the men's bathroom. I check my phone reply to some texts. I look up. Is that Niall? I squint trying to make out the shape of his face from across the way. "Ready?" I twirl my head around to reveal Harry, hands in pockets, fresh out of the bathroom.

     "Um, y-ya." I stutter. As long as I am with Harry, and we're in public, Niall can't hurt either of us. I don't tell Harry, it's better off if he doesn't know that Niall might be in the mall too, then we will have to go home and what's the fun of that?

     "Is everything alright?" I snap out of my gaze with the Urban Outfitters sign and direct my attention towards Harry.

    "Ya, I just want to go to Urban, it looks like they have so really cute stuff in there."

     "Then why don't we go?" I reach for Harry's hand and intertwine my fingers with his. I practically have to drag him in the store. I look through the racks, still thinking about Niall. Harry just follows me throughout the store, giving me ample time to try stuff on and look for cute outfits that could replace the probably ruined ones in my present closet. I come out of the dressing room in a long maxi dress, it's completely black, but has crystal detailing that makes it super flattering, especially around the waist. "That looks absolutely beautiful on you." Harry says in his thick accent that I completely adore.

***

     "I gotta go Peyton."

     "Harry, we're only two hours in, surely you don't have to pee again."

     "I'm sorry but I do." Harry is practically squeezing his legs together.

     "Don't take long." We head in the direction of the bathrooms. Harry goes in, and once again, I am stuck outside, pretending I'm busy by checking my phone every two seconds. Harry is taking longer than usual this time.

     'Hurry up.' I text him, hoping for a read or a reply. I set my phone down on the table next to me, it vibrates. I see that it's Harry calling, thank the lord.

     "Peyton, come in the custodian's closet, I'm stuck." The voice sounded not like Harry but like a machine, but I didn't think much of it as I walk down the hallway to find Harry. I see the sign 'custodian' and walk slowly towards it, phone in hand. I swing open the door, Harry lays on the ground with his mouth, hands, and feet taped together with duct tape. Behind me, Niall yanks my phone out from my hand, pushes me on top of Harry, and exits the closet, locking the door from the outside.

     "What's going on?" I look around the tight closet that's only lit with one light bulb. "Harry, I'm going to rip this tape off your mouth on the count of three, ready? Three!" I rip the tape off, bunch it up, and throw it in the corner. I continue the same process with the other pieces of tape that are disabling his limbs from moving. "How are we getting out of here?" I ask.

     "This is a mall, there has to be someone around that can get us out." Harry works on getting his legs unstuck while I start hitting the wooden door. I look down, and my knuckles are red, but I continue to bang on the door. "Peyton." Harry says, pulling my hand away from the door. I rip my hand from his and continue on with ripping my knuckles apart. "Peyton!" Harry grasps my forearm, hard. "Quit, don't do this to yourself."

     "I saw Niall when you were in the bathroom two hours ago." I sniffle and continue on. "I knew he was going to hurt us." Harry doesn't know what to say so he just turns his head to the ground.