Impact (H.S. AU) (COMPLETED)

8 * ROCK THE CASBAH * 8

JESS

I wake up incredibly late due to it being Wednesday, my day off from classes. I roll over expecting to see Harry beside me, but his side of the bed is already empty. I look down to see a burgundy blanket draped across me that I definitely didn't place there myself. I shove off the comforter and drag myself out of bed, stopping at his mirror only to grab a small yellow sticky note that wasn't there when I went to bed.

Morning dollface,

I'm working at the shop today, try not to die of boredom without me

I shake my head and stick it back to the mirror, trudging out of his room and into the living room where both Niall and Louis are stood on chairs, hanging up blue and red ribbons.

"What's going on out here?" I ask as I pour myself yet another bowl of cocoa pebbles.

"It's Ryland's birthday and we're throwing him a surprise party." Louis explains, ripping a piece of tape with his teeth.

I look over at Niall to see him looking equally as excited. When I open the fridge to grab the milk I see that it's stocked full of real food rather than the countless boxes of takeout and the occasional apple.

"Actual groceries too?" I tease, "It's a miracle."

"Yeah, Harry went this morning before work." Niall nods, struggling to adequately secure the disco ball to the ceiling fan.

I shake my head just as Sam appears around the corner, already fully dressed with her hair tied up in a bandana.

"Morning sleepyhead," She laughs, "I've never seen you sleep that long in your life."

I shrug, glancing at the clock to see it already reading one o'clock. I finish my bowl of cocoa pebbles and briefly listen to Niall and Louis's recounting of the day's plans before Ryland's birthday party. Apparently, they've put a lot of thought into it.

"Oh, Harry also wanted me to tell you good luck on your job interview." Niall smiles, reading over the list of alcohol they need to buy one last time.

As soon as the words come out of his mouth I can't breathe, that's what today is, that's why I didn't make any plans for my day off, I have an interview with one of the biggest publishing corporations in the country.

"Oh my god! My interview! I totally forgot!" I screech, tossing my bowl into the sink and running back to Harry's room.

I shut the door behind me and start tearing through my suitcase to find my good bra to go under one of the many dresses hanging in Harry's closet. The door opens and I brace myself for one of the boys, holding a shirt over my undressed self.

"It's just me." Sam laughs, shutting the door behind her and collapsing onto Harry's unmade bed.

I huff out a sigh in exasperation as I shuffle through my suitcase, grabbing my black heels and my makeup bag and tossing them onto his bed. I wobbly stand up and shuffle to the closet, flipping through the three dresses I brought, each of them stupidly similar to each other.

"Fuck, I should have brought the red one, it's okay I'll just swing by the dorm and-"

"Jess, calm down," Sam sighs, cutting me off and standing from the bed to grab me by the shoulders, "it doesn't matter what you dress you wear, you're totally going to smash this interview out of the park."

"But what if I don't? What if I just keep working at that shitty flower shop for the rest of my life where Harry has free reign to come in and be his fucking annoying self every goddamn day."