Speed ➢ harry styles

Ch. 10 ~ Finally

"Well I've been here in Brooklyn for some time." She spoke quietly, her tone undermined with sorrow as if she wasn't too happy to be here. "More importantly, what brings you here Harry?" She looked up at me. It was difficult to tell what was going through her mind. 

I took a deep breath and met her gaze. I was just about to open my mouth to speak when I heard footsteps approaching us.

I turned around to see a young man who looked about twenty. He had just walked out of the Chinese restaurant. "Anella! Get back here! I'm sorry, okay? Come on, quit being such a pain!" He yelled after her.

"Ugh. Let's get out of here, shall we?" Anella said quickly as she unlocked her car. "Quick! Just get in Harry! I'll explain soon." I did as she said and got in the passenger seat. She began to drive away as I turned around on my seat to see the young man angrily stomping. The street lamp lighting shone on his face in a very eerie way. At one point he might have flipped us off too. But why? Who was this creep? How did he know Anella?

As if she'd read my mind Anella said, "Um that's Andrew. We were on a date. When I saw the place he chose for this date and the part of town we were in, I suspected he wasn't who I thought he was. And just ten minutes into the date, he starts exhibiting the classic signs of being a douchebag."

I chuckled."It's a good thing you left him, you deserve better." 

She smiled but shook her head. "Better? Like who? I'm not worth anybody's love anyway." She sighed. I was going to say I disagreed until she asked, "So? What brings you here? I don't mean in NYC, but specifically what brings you here in this horrible part of town?"

"I was heading over to the art museum but then I ended up falling asleep on the bus. Long story short, I missed my stop and ended up here. If I hadn't spotted you Anella, I don't think I would've survived here all alone. I was legit scared out of mind."

"You fell asleep on the bus?!" She began to laugh at me. I didn't mind because God only knows how much I missed the cheerful sound of her laughter. It sounded just as genuine as it had years before on those lazy summer mornings when my mum would make us lemonade and I'd watch Anella identify the flowers in the field behind Mrs. Robertson's house. "Oh Harry you're so silly."

A short silence filled the car. It was the sort of silence that hung in the air. It swept over the both of us. "Anella. I've got something to say." I finally spoke.

"What is it that you've got to say, Harry?"

"I didn't come all the way to NYC just so I can go to an art museum."

"Oh. So are you here with your band? Do you need to be somewhere right now?"

"Um no. It's nothing like that. I came here to find you, Anella."

"Me? You were looking for me? But why?" She looked utterly perplexed, as if I'd just told her I possessed the powers of being able to morph into a merman at any given moment or something.

"Yes. Aren't you aware that your parents are worried about you? They don't know where you are so I told them I'd look for you and that's what I've been doing ever since I've been here."

"Oh so this what this is about? I don't care Harry and neither do they. Just let me be won't you? I'm not going back with you to Cheshire."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I thought you came to see me. I thought that maybe you missed me. But no, you're here because of my parents.You've long since forgotten our promise haven't you?"

"I have not! You said you wanted me to be there when you needed me most, and I am trying, aren't I? Trust me I've tried to get a hold of you. You never seemed to be around."

"Well, you weren't there for me when I needed you. I had to leave. I had to escape that small town. I felt miserable." She sniffed. 

"How could I be there for you Anella? You do have the tendency to push people away. You're doing it right now. You're pushing your family away. The least you can do is call them just once?"

"So you're on their side? Harry you don't know what it feels like. You won't understand. No one can understand. No one will ever understand."

She was right. I didn't understand but I wish I could. I actually didn't know much about her family. They seemed like a perfect family, but in the words of Gemma, did I really know them well enough to come to such conclusions? The answer was no, I did not. Anella's family was always out of the question. I've only ever met and spoken to her mother and her father a few times.

I wanted to ask what was it that was hurting her so much. It truly killed me to see her like this, but I knew this wasn't the best time. 

"I'm not taking sides at all. I want to help you. I care about you because we're friends and I've got a promise to fulfill. I know you need me. I want to help you but you're going to have to let me get through to you."

She was silent again. I'd do anything to see that vibrant smile of hers again. "I'm sorry I sort of overreacted and got a little emotional. I just-it's been...a long day. I'm fine. I don't need your help, just let it be." 

She was lying I just knew it. Anella always was a very articulate speaker and she rarely stuttered. The only time she did was when she was either lying or on the verge of tears. She was trying to hide her pain, whatever that pain was. I knew she wasn't going to give in so easy, but I had till February 2nd to try and figure her out. She was an enigma and I found that enticing, though I didn't really know why. 

"Well alright then. We have a lot of catching up to do, don't you think? We should go out to dinner right now, maybe? You know, a proper dinner with me and not with some douchebag."

 She grinned. "Sounds good to me."