What Are You So Afraid Of? [Harry Styles]

Chapter 10

“What song is this?” Zayn asked curiously.

“Stateless,” Haz answered and closed her eyes, swaying slowly to the song.

Harry pulled his eyebrows together and looked over at Zayn, who shrugged.

“I hope you guys are listening,” Haz said over the music, her eyes still closed. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Harry rolled his eyes and focused his attention on Jez, who had started singing. Haz was right, she sounded better when she was singing what she actually wanted to. It was different to her performance last night, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

He was mesmerized. He couldn’t look away from her as she sang, and he didn’t want to. As soon as he realized why she sounded different, he wondered why he hadn’t seen it before. She was different because she actually meant what she was singing. When she was singing yesterday, it was all just an act, but he could hear the conviction behind her voice now.

When she finished singing, Harry looked over at Zayn and found him just as shocked as he felt.

“That was amazing!” Haz leaned over and said into the intercom excitedly.

Jez rolled her eyes and walked out of the booth.

“Amazing, right?” Haz asked Zayn, who mumbled a response.

“Yeah, it was,” Niall replied and walked to stand next to Haz.

Haz turned to look at him, “Thank God someone responded, I was starting to believe that the five of you only have ears for pop and a taste for bubble-gum.”

Niall just smiled and Haz nudged him playfully on the shoulder.

“You know, we should really get going,” Jez said and smiled, “I’m pretty sure Candice will have a fit if I‘m not back in time.”

Once they got outside, Harry, Zayn, Haz and Jez piled into one car while Liam, Louis, Niall and Alex got into the other.

Harry drove and Haz insisited that she wanted to sit in the passenger seat, leaving Zayn and Jez sitting in the backseat.

Haz turned on the radio and started flicking through the different stations and Harry spoke up as she tried to find a good station, “So you must really hate us then, don’t you?”

Jez pulled her eyebrows together in confusion, “No, why would I hate you?”

“Because you’re definitely not a pop singer,” Harry said and shrugged, looking at Jez through her reflection in the rear-view mirror.

“Hey, keep your eyes on the road, Curly,” Haz said as she continued flipping through stations.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked forward. “I don’t know whether I should feel complimented or insulted?” Jez asked with a smirk.

“It’s definitely a compliment,” Haz said and turned to grin at her friend.

“You know, not all pop music is bad,” Zayn said and looked up at Jez from under his lashes.

“Don’t feel offended,” Jez said and tried to sound encouraging. “Pop music isn’t bad, it’s just not my thing.”

“How much pop music have you actually listened to?” Zayn asked and raised an eyebrow.

Just then, Haz tuned to a station that was blasting out Want U Back. Jez scowled involuntarily but then sighed, “I’m sorry.” She said and shrugged.

“How about we play you a pop song that we think you’d like?” Harry asked without taking his eyes off the road.

Jez smiled, “Well, you still have to do what we say for the entire day, so how about no?”

Harry looked over at Haz and for a while it looked like they were silently debating something. Then Haz finally let out a sigh of defeat and leaned back into her seat. Jez pulled her eyebrows together in confusion as Haz sat, pouting. “Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, you know, to hear some other stuff.” Haz said sulkily.

“Plug my phone into the dock,” Harry said, trying to hide his smile.

Haz sighed heavily and took his phone. Once she had it connected, Harry searched for the right song and then hit play.

Jez had heard the song before, but never really paid much attention. She was forced to listen to the lyrics now, and was surprised to find that she didn’t actually hate the song. She looked over at Zayn who gave her a kind smile and then leaned back into her seat, looking out the window at the passing traffic.

By the time the song ended, she actually found herself humming along with it. Even Haz didn’t seem to hate it.

“See? It’s not all that bad,” Zayn said to her.

 Jez smiled but didn’t look over at him, “Yeah, it’s alright.”

A/N: I love you :) by the way, I don't say it in this chapter, but the songs they play in the car are Want U Back by Cher Lloyd and then Lights by Ellie Goulding :)