Trace

Chapter 30

"And that's the last of them," I hear Harry say to the man outside my open window.

My eyes bug out and I grab the box which I have been stuffing with my other belongings that couldn't fit in with my clothes.  

I run down the stairs, almost toppling over, and hear the van's door shut.

"No!" I scream, once out the back door.

Both Harry and the man look at my like I am some lunatic as I rush to the van. On my way, I clumsily take a spill, and the box's content flies EVERYWHERE.

My body flails to the hard concrete.

"El!" Harry runs to me, and I bury my head into my hands to hide my embarrassment. Behind me, I hear a chuckle.

"Just like how we first met."

I groan into my skinned palms as Niall lifts me up by my shoulders.

"El Harris, you are a complete fail," he laughs loudly.

I shoulder myself out of Niall's grasp and give him a smug look.

"Ha ha."

Niall walks over to my stuff, though he doesn't stop laughing. Harry is already picking up my things and putting them in the brown box.

"Hey- what's this, babe?"

I look up after picking up large glass shards from a broken mirror. When I see what lay in Harry's hands, my face burns with a crimson blush.

"H-Harry give that to me," I say slowly and carefully, as if I am talking to an untrained dog with a report in his mouth.

My little red leather book, my diary. Harry begins to open up the first page when I release a blood-curdling scream deep within me. Everyone stands still.

I rush to Harry and shove his chest. I must look mental, but I don't care. Harry can't read inside my diary.

"Give. It. To. Me."

Harry's eyes are wide...with...with...amusement?

"What's the problem, love?"

"Harry, I'm serious. Please give me the notebook."

Harry drops the precious thing into my hand, and I hug it tight to my chest. I am sure I look somewhat like a child, but I don't care.

"Now, since you seem to be so good at finding and cleaning things, put the rest of my stuff into the box," I demand him.

Harry sticks out his tongue out at me teasingly and bends over to pick up the rest. I turn to Niall.

"Can I talk to you?" I mouth to him.

He nods quickly, and gestures to my back garden.

"We'll be right back, babe. Niall's gonna help me make sure I've got everything," I call over to Harry.

"Okay, take your time," he says.

I walk to the garden with Niall closely behind. When we are both in the gate, I go over to my old reading area and collapse near the rock.

Niall sits down in front of me.

"What's up?" although his voice is calm, his eyes are wide with concern.

"Um...I..." And that's when the tears hit.

I begin to shake and Niall says something, but I don't hear it. I just feel his arms wrap around me and he rocks our bodies back and forth, back and forth.

   "Niall," I begin to say. "There's something I have  to tell you."

*************************

HARRY'S POV

  "Alright, Howie. Thanks for the extra hand," I say, as I get into the van. 

"Do you need anything else? Have the van for as long as you need. I know Liverpool is a drive."

    I nod my head. "Yeah, we've got some ways to go. But, I think we are all set to go, thank you. My mate Toby will bring my car up tomorrow and take a train back."

    Howie extends his calloused hand and I give it a firm shake. 

"Call me if you need me," Howie tells me as he finishes to unlatch his green truck.

    I smile at him and get into the van as I wait for El.

*************************************

  "N-no! Leave this song on; I love this," she eagerly tells me and turns up the music. 

I look at El and smile. I take her hand into mine as we drive along. We have been in the car for about three hours and I desperately need the lou. 

    "Alright, next McDonalds you see, you tell me. I feel like I'm gonna burst."

El doesn't stop her singing to the song as she nods her confirmation. It is a rather strange song. A duet- I can tell. But the two voices don't even go together well, and it seems like they are straining to get the right pitch. 

   "You actually like this?" I scrunch up my nose in distaste.

El gives me a glare and raises her voice to sing the lyrics louder. 

   "Whatever you say," I laugh and reach over to turn up the volume for my girlfriend. 

She gives my hand a tiny "thank you" squeeze and bobs her head to one side then the other. 

   I sing along to the chorus, as it is the only words I have learned, and together we bob our heads from side to side. 

   What a drive this will be.