Wonderwall

Chapter 17

I wake up the next morning with a huge grin on my face. The sun is peaking through my window shinning onto my bed, as I'm curled up in the sheets. I stretch my arms out and roll over to see the clock read 7:00.

"alright. I'm getting up." I mumble to myself as my sub conscious curses me out for staying in bed fifteen minutes later then I do everyday. I push myself up and rummage through my drawers until I find an appropriate outfit for today.

I end up picking out a stripped top with black jeans. When I'm dressed and my makeup is done, I head downstairs for some breakfast.

"Good morning," Mom says as she stares down at today's newspaper and throws the last piece of banana in the blender. She looks up at me before flipping the page. This morning my Mom is wearing her white robe with her glasses sitting low on her nose.

"Good morning." I say back, slipping two pieces of bread into the toaster.

"What did you say Harry's last name was again?" She looks back up to me with a big crease in her forehead, like she's thinking hard.

"Styles." I smile at the mention of his name.

"Odd." She mumbles. I glance over her before grabbing the peanut butter out of the cupboard.

"Why is that?" I blink.

"That's Kevin's last name." She shrugs. "They can't be related though cause Kevin's never been to England." She picks her coffee up and sips it back until it's finished then she sets it in the sink.

"Small world then, I guess." I say, then add "Just think about all the people with the last name Manor." She nods her head in agreement.

Once I finish my toast the time is 8:10, that gives me fifty minutes to be at school before the bell rings, and it's just about a half hour walk.

I slip my sandals on before heading out the door. I lift my bag onto my shoulder and start my walk.

It's a nice morning. It's probably already twenty degrees since we are nearly at the end of the school year.

I'm about halfway down my street when a black range rover pulls up next to me and the passenger side window rolls down, revealing Harry. "What are you doing?" he chuckles.

"I'm walking to school?" I point out the obvious.

"Get in." He tells me and I immediately obey.

"You could've just let me walk, it was no big deal." I say once the car starts revving down the street in the direction of the school.

"That wouldn't make any sense though. I went out of my way to pick you up so I'm obviously going to take you. That'd just be a waste of gas and time." He mumbles.

"Sorry." I peep, not testing him.

I seemed to have put him in a bad mood, whereas I'm in a great one.

He doesn't take the rest of the way so I don't force him into any conversation. But when we pull up to the school and he parks the car I can't help but say; "My mom loves you." I smile up at him as we walk to through the lot.

The corner of his mouth twitches and he noticeably stiffens. "A-are you OK?" I brush my hand against his arm and he recoils.

"I'm fine, I just... forgot about something is all." he grumbles. "I have to go." He says seconds later, speeding up so he's now half jogging past me.

"Oh, uh... Okay. I'll see you later then!" I say loud enough so he can hear from where he is.

He barely turns around to acknowledge what I said.

My cheeks start to heat in embarrassment. Did I do something wrong?

In order to keep this good mood I shrug the whole thing off and continue my way up the front steps into the front hall. "Audrey." I hear someone say behind me. I turn around half expecting Jackson but instead I find Christen. I try not to show my disappointment when I see it's her. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" She says nervously pulling at her sweater sleeves.

"Sure." I say boorish.

"I just wanted to apologize." She swallows hard and her eyes dart away from mine. My jaw nearly drops to the floor at her words. She grows in patient with my silence. "For being mean to you, and for sleeping with Jackson. It was uncool, and I'm sorry." She sighs, clearly being sincere.

I open my mouth to speak but she cuts me off. "You don't have to forgive me right away, because I wouldn't blame ya if you hate me for all I've done. But just think about it... It's been really buggin' me lately." she crosses her arms flimsily and nods her head, staring down at her shoes.

"Wow." I try not to gasp. "That was really big of you Christen, thanks for apologizing." I say and she glances upward. "I forgive you." I smile.

"really?" Her lips turn up into a smile and I nod. "Oh, and I just wanted to say, I think Harry is really into you." This catches me off guard.

"Oh, I don't know about that." I say chuckling lightly.

"No, really! Whenever I see him with you he looks happy. Well... happy for Harry." She says and we both laugh.

"I don't know, he's acting weird right now." I sigh.

"I'm sure it's nothing, he's always been like that." She assures me and I smile.

"I have to go, but this was nice." I smile. "I'll see you later." I wave.

"Yeah, see ya Audrey." She says before we go our separate ways.

I stop by my locker before crossing back through the front hall in the opposite way of my locker towards my homeroom.

As I walk by the lines of lockers I spot a group of boys, Harry and his friends, talking. Whatever they're talking about, everyone seems to be interested because they are all huddled close.

As I walk by I catch Harry's eye and he whispers something to them. They all turn to look at me and Harry's eyes dart away from mine.

My stomach drops and my cheeks redden in embarrassment. What were they saying? Were they talking about me?

I rush off to class with head hung low and my good mood dulled.