Baby Steps

Hitting the replay button for the thousandth time, I watched myself screw up the first line of "Best Song Ever". 

"Maybe it's the way she walked! ... Uhhmm......" I completely forgot my line. I watched the boys heads turn towards me in confusion and listened to Zayn take over MY part. MY part that I was sure I had mastered! Throughout the thousands of rehearsals and recordings and even just singing in the shower, I'd think that I'd be able to memorize at the least the first line of the song. But of course, I screw it up. Those poor Indiana fans, probably think I'm terrible and totally unprofessional. I slammed my laptop shut and stood up from my bed which I've been in for a good 2 hours. Louis tried cheering me up but I really just wanted to be alone. And I still do. Grabbing my jacket, hat and scarf, I walk out of my room and towards the front door of the flat.

"Hey Harry, where you off to at this hour?" asked Liam who was heating up some left over Chinese. It was 9:30 which was pretty late to be going out. 

"A walk", I answered plainly and walked out the door before I could hear his response. I felt kinda bad for being rude but I just wasn't in the mood for a conversation with someone. I walked down the stairs, putting my hat and scarf on during the process. As soon as I stepped outside, the cold hair slapped me across the face. Damn, I didn't know Indiana would be this cold. It is the middle of November but still. It sure isn't like this in London. 

I started down an unfamiliar street and looked down at my feet as I walked. Going on night walks was one of my favorite ways to clear my mind. All I had to focus on was the area around me. The moon was my only light source so I couldn't see much but I could hear a lot. The sound of cars whizzing past me on the road, the flapping of a flag as it danced in the wind, and the occasional cricket even though there weren't many this time of year. They were buried underground where it was nice and warm. 

I rounded the corner onto a random street. About 5 minutes in, I looked up and realized that I was in a very sketchy neighborhood. All of the houses desperately needed a paint job and some new grass since it was yellow. There were big bushes blocking most of their front doors and from what I saw, the houses only looked like they had one story. Saying I was creeped out would be an understatement. I turned and began walking the way that I had come. Hopefully I'd be able to find a way out of here. 

As I walked, I began hearing strange noises. I heard lots of dogs barking, doors slamming, and the sound of a child crying. Most of the sounds faded as I walked but one kept getting louder. It was the cry. Just a small whimper, sounded like it belonged to a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old. She was saying something but I couldn't make out what it was. Instead of trying to find a way out, I began walking towards the crying. It led me straight to an old house that looked abandoned. The driveway was covered in weeds and cracks and the roof was caved in. There was a fence on the side that was missing many boards and behind it was where the crying came from. As I got closer, I realized that the little girl was saying Mommy and Bella. I pushed open the door that wasn't even connected to the hinges and sure enough, a little girl was sitting in the corner where the house and fence met, curled in a ball, shivering and crying. Once she saw me, she squealed and hid her head in her knees. I slowly approached and her trembling increased.

"Hey sweetheart, it's okay. Shhhh", I said, squatting down to her level and placing my hand gently on her back. She flinched at the touch and felt incredibly cold. Of course, she was only in a thin, white night gown. I took off my scarf and wrapped it around her. She looked up at me with blood shot brown eyes which were full of tears. 

"Are you lost love?" I asked, sitting on the wet ground next to her. I could feel the cold water seeping through my pants but right now, thats my last concern. My main concern was this little girl and why she was sitting her in the cold at night all alone. 

"Daddy went buh-bye with mommy and Bella", she said, pronouncing the L in Bella like a w. She was precious.

"He did? When did they go buh-bye?" I asked, looking down and examining her. She had many cuts and bruises on her arms and legs and random parts of her straight, shoulder length brown hair  were chopped off. Her skin was pale, paler than it should be and she looked very skinny. 

"Long time", she said, sounding like she will just burst into tears any moment. My heart shatters for her. Who knows how long shes been out here. Could've been days. Weeks. Either way, I'm sure its been too long. 

"Do you have any friends around here?" I asked. She shook her head no and I began looking around for ideas. Then, I get one.

"How about we go ask some of your neighbors where Mommy, Daddy and Bella went", I said, standing up and extending my hand for her. She looked up at me confused but eventually stood up wobbly. She lifted her arms up to me and I picked her up. She literally felt like about 7 or 8 pounds! Shes tiny! 

I carried her to the least creepy of the houses around hers and knocked on the door. After waiting about a minute, an old lady opened the door and was dressed in sleep wear. She looked half asleep and I took a step back, scared she might try and pull something. 

"Boy, do you know what time it is?" she asked, checking her wrist which doesn't even have a watch on it. 

"Umm yes I do. And I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I was just wondering if you knew where this little girls parents are. She says they've been gone for quite a while and she was left outside in the cold", I said and the lady squinted at a the girl who was clinging onto me. Her eyes get big and she looked at me in fear. 

"If I were you, I'd go put that thing back where you found it. You don't want to get involved with Ron. He's an evil man", she said, emphasizing the word evil. I was more focused on the fact that she just called this girl a thing. Whats wrong with these people. 

"Um I don't think that's the best idea. It's way too cold for her to be out. And who's Ron?" I asked, holding onto the girl just a little tighter. 

"He's it's father. He's threatened just about the whole town to stay away from his family. All I hear are their screams at night and the only nights I don't is when he speeds out of the driveway, taking them who knows where. All that matters is that the last time someone tried to help them, they were found at the bottom of the lake with barbed wire tied around their neck. Take my advice and stay out of it", she said and slammed the door, locking it when it shut. I'm shocked by what I just heard. I couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, but either way, I'm taking this girl with me.

"Hey, how about you come over to my house for a sleepover tonight", I said, speedwalking away from the ladies house and out of the neighborhood. On our way home, I found out that her name's Grace. She's 4 years old and has a sister named Bella who's 7. She didn't say anything about her dad but I was still going to file a police report. Even if what that lady says isn't true, I still found Grace sitting outside in the cold all alone. 

I finally reached the flat and walked inside. For someone so small, Grace has got a tight grip. She's been squeezing my shoulders the whole way home and I know there's going to be a mark left on the spots shes holding. 

I walked up the stairs and took out the key to the flat. As I walked inside, all of the boys were sitting on the couch and they looked my direction.

"Hey H-" Niall starts but stops when he notices Grace. All the boys stare in confusion. 

"Um, who's your friend Harry?" Zayn asks, starring at Grace like shes an exotic animal. She does look a little scary with her hair all chopped up and her skin so pale. 

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Grace. She may be staying with us for a little while", I say and they all look at me wide-eyed. Great.