Alternate Paths (Harry Styles Fan Fiction)

Chapter 6 - Harry

I should have left ten minutes ago.

The range of necklaces laid out on the counter started at me teasingly - knowing it was taking me a lifetime to try and decide upon one. I glanced at the simple silver chain with a small blue pendant and then at a gold necklace adorned with many rose gems and one small diamond. There were more necklaces too, but those had caught my eye. I tried to picture mum wearing both of them but that hardly helped. And well, I had no idea whether silver or gold suited her skin - the information Louis had given me before coming here wasn't helpful. He had just said to pick something I'd think she'd like, something I like, and to make sure the chain of the necklace actually suited her skin. What did that even mean?

Ugh, sometimes I really hated making decisions. Quite childishly, I started a game of eenie, meenie, miny, mo. It landed on the gold one, but I still wasn't sure. I bit my lip in concentration, running a hand through my hair exasperatedly. I couldn't take too long, otherwise Paul would probably blow up my phone asking where the hell I was. And truthfully, I wasn't despising this meeting like usual, because it was about our album. The date of its release had been settled ages ago but Penne still wanted to check that we were available for promos and that nothing else significant was happening on that day which would take our album out of the limelight. It was kind of selfish, but I ignored that since I was just so happy to be discussing our music and none of the other strings attached to our career.

"Sir?" a person asked me. I glanced up to the shop owner.

"Oh sorry. I'm still trying to decide."

"Ok then, I'll leave ya to it. I need to help another customer."

I glared at the necklaces this time and spent about five minutes just doing so. Finally I decided upon the blue necklace. I liked it better and I think mum would too. It wasn't as extravagant as the other one; instead it was something mum could wear everyday. And sometimes I loathed buying extravagant presents because it would take all the attention away from mum or whoever else was receiving a present, and then place it on me. I absolutely hated that.

I glanced around the store to try and find the man, noticing that he was up front. But that wasn't the only thing I noticed. There was a riot beginning on the streets. Perfect.

It wasn't long before the rest of the shop had noticed too, and then they were rushing everywhere before the 'scary protestors' harmed them. Another bottle cracked upon the glass but I stood rooted, still unsure of what was actually happening. Sure there had been riots in London before, but why this street of all places? Supposedly, I just had bad luck.

That theory seemed to prove correct as the store turned from a ruckus to chaos. It was quite ridiculous really. People just needed to calm down and exit like human beings and not headless chooks. With all their clamouring, any normal person would think it was a bloody murder. Then my luck dwindled even further. Someone rushed past, bumping me with their bags and for a second I couldn't see what was happening. I felt myself fall and hit my head. And then I couldn't remember anything else.

.

Something tickled my nose; something tickling it incessantly and creating an urge to sneeze. I opened my eyes and tried to lift my head, immediately groaning. It hurt. A lot. But I remained gallant and pushed myself off the floor. That probably wasn't the best idea, since as soon as I was upright I could feel the blood rush from my head.

It was too dark, and it scared me a bit to realise that I couldn't remember where I was. I knew something about having to get somewhere, so reaching into my back pocket, I grabbed my phone. But as soon as I turned it on, the empty battery flashed on my screen. Just perfect. Stumbling forward, hoping to find some answers, I knocked into a glass case filled with what looked to be jewellery.