Everything About You. [ON HOLD]

Chapter 2.

They’d given me a job not half an hour after I’d gotten there. Albeit, not the job I’d interviewed for, but one that I think that I’d enjoy even more than being the stylist. The photographer.

Now that it’s July, it’d been three months since I’ve had the job and my flat. Boxes are still halfway filled with useless rubbish that really doesn’t belong anywhere at all. I hear the post drop through the slot in the door and go to retrieve it, leaving my lunch to simmer for a few moments. Bill, bill, check from work. The last one kind of surprises me. In the top left corner, it reads Harry Styles. My feet walk me to my sofa and I drop down onto it, tossing the others gently onto the table.

Opening the letter, I nearly drop it as I read through it slowly.

My dearest cousin,

Kiki, fantastic news! I’m going to audition for the X Factor! Ever since White Eskimo won Battle of the Bands last year, I think we’ve both known that this is not only what I want to do, but also something I’m quite good at. I’d really like it if you’d come with Mum, Joe and Gemma to support me. I really think this could be my chance. I love you Ki and I really hope you can be there.

With Love, Harry.

There is a small card inside the envelope that has the date of the audition and the time that they are going to be leaving. Harry knows me all too well.

The only thing that makes me stop staring at the letter is the smell of smoke in my nose. “Oh shoot.” The last word is dragged out as I jet it towards the kitchen. Turning off the stovetop and fanning the smoke away with a towel, I save myself the embarrassment of the smoke alarm going off.

After tossing out my burnt lunch and making a new one, I grabbed my phone and sent Harry a quick text telling him that I’d take off of work for that day and the day before in order to come to see them before Harry got into the X Factor, because I know he will.

The auditions are in a less and I quickly call up my boss. “Sheri,” I say, as soon as she picks up.

“Hello Erika, what is it?”

Clearing my throat, I make my request, “Is there a way I could take the ninth and the tenth? For a family matter,” I tack onto the end to hopefully be able to get out of work.

I hear a shuffle around, which is most likely her trying to find the calendar on her cluttered desk. “You can take off.”

I sigh a sigh of relief, “Thank you, so very much. Goodbye.” She hung up first and I let out a cry of joy. I plug my phone into the dock and play music through my flat as I get dressed for my ‘date’ with one of my best mate, Luisa. As I’m buttoning up my chinos with only my bra on, my phone begins to ring from the kitchen, and I casually stroll out and saw mine and Willard’s smiling faces flash across the screen with his name. “Shit, I thought I’d deleted that photo.”

I stare at my ringing phone, as the music had halted as soon as I’d disconnected it, and finally pressed accept, then the speaker button so I could continue dressing. “Kiki, how are you, love?”

“I thought part of our agreement was that you wouldn’t call me ‘love’ Will. What do you want?” I set the phone down on my dresser and pull a shirt over my head.

“I want to talk Ki, give me one more chance,” it’s silent for a moment, “please.”

I look at the phone and feel like crying. “I’ll let you know,” and I quickly run across the room before he can respond and end the call. I shake my head to stop the tears from exiting my eyes, and walk back into the kitchen with my phone as I’m pulling a red cardigan over my white shirt. As I plug in my phone to the dock, I shuffle the songs and continue to get ready.