The Boy Next Door || Harry Styles

chapter five.

Thank you to the three people that actually read this crap story. I'm going to try to update more often. I love you all and please keep commenting and voting. M.

{Melanie}

It was weird when Harry asked me questions about myself. Questions he already knew the answers to. I guess it only troubled me because I still had every part of Harry memorized and he had forgotten all about me. Well, given the fact that I lied to him about who I actually was. A small pang jabbed at my heart when he said my name because he had no idea I was standing right in front of him.

How could he not recognize me? Had he changed so much that I had become an irrelevant part of his past? Had I changed? It ripped me to shreds thinking about what we had was now a fleeting memory.

What we had? I scoffed at myself.

We were never anything. I was a nobody in his eyes. I was the overused shoulder to lean on. And I was simply the girl next door. He overlooked me now because he never paid attention to me then. Why should the present be any different than the past?

I couldn't risk it. To reveal myself to him would mean opening a whole world of hurt and I wouldn't do that to my mental state. He caused such a maelstrom of emotions in me that I had to leave the country to calm the storm! And even now, I'm not entirely sure if I settled my feelings for him.

I thought that maybe time could heal all problems, but I was wrong. The moment I bumped into Harry, I knew my roller coaster of a life would begin again. I just needed to take a breath before I plunged into the dark unknown.

My alarm clock rung out my thoughts and I realized I was faced with the greater problems of today. My first job interview. I had sent out my resume a couple of months ago to local music companies and I just had to work my way up the ladder. I didn't want to become a huge star or anything, because even though it has many perks, it comes with several sacrifices. All I want to do is compose and write songs. Was that too much to ask for?

When I was completely certain, that I was going to make absolutely no money, I received a call from AFIRE Records. They worked below Syco Entertainment and this was going to be a huge step in my career. My job interview is set for 9 o'clock at their main building in Chester, which is only about half an hour away from Cheshire. I decided to grab some breakfast at the cafe before driving to Chester.

* * *

"Tell me about San Francisco, darling." I took a sip from my tea and wiped the remaining crumbs of blueberry muffin from my lips.

"Where do I even begin?" I laughed and intertwined my hands together on top of the counter.

"How about you start with the boys?" Marina, one of the long time workers at the cafe, importuned.

"Ah, they're all very cheeky." I smiled and glanced down at my thumbs. I didn't have a serious relationship during my time in San Francisco.

"I bet, oh, American boys." She fanned herself and rolled her eyes. "How was school there?"

"Absolutely amazing. I loved it." I pressed through the wrinkles in my pencil skirt.

"Why'd you come back? You could have started a whole life there, with an American boy." She asked.

"I've been away from home too long." I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried to formulate my answer. "I missed this town." I glanced around and took in the happy families who were having breakfast.

"I guess everyone does come back eventually." Marina shrugged. "You know who else is back in town? Har-" She was cut short by a loud dinging noise.