Broken || h.s. AU (old version)

Chapter 16- Lavender

Chapter 16 - Lavender

I walk up to school the next morning, already grinning from ear to ear. I'll see Harry again. I had his jacket over my shoulders, his comforting scent of cologne and spearmint wafting up to me with every step.

As I weave through the crowd, I frown when I see he isn't by his locker. Despite the fact we'd been out until nearly two in the morning, I still felt wide awake.

I continue to our first class with Ms. Bogarty, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I prepare to see those bright happy green eyes greet me.

But as I step through the open doorway, my heart sinks. He isn't here either. My whole body seems to drain of energy and my shoulders slump as I make my way to my seat. I sit down, hoping that any moment he'll come through that doorway, but my hope is in vain.

He's not here.

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I trudge out of school, exhausted and hopeless. I'd had a little hope in the back of my mind that he'd be there at lunch, cheerfully peeling an orange.

As I walk down the sidewalk, it occurs to me what the sinking feeling in my chest is. I'm worried.

My pace begins to quicken as I rush towards the neighborhood. The familiar faded brick houses pass me by, an occasional glitter of still wet leaves catching my eye. Finally his house comes into sight.

I sigh in relief, lightly rubbing the material of his jacket between my fingers. I hesitantly walk up the door, bringing up a loose fist to knock on the door. What if his dad is home? My hand falters, stopping itself before it can hit the door.

Just then, the door swings open to show a stout, grimy man. I resist the urge to cringe as a lovely smell drifts out. The man reeks heavily of tobacco, alcohol, and awful body odor. I quickly force a smile onto my face, my stomach churning.

"Hello." I barely squeak out. The man stares at me, beady eyes glazed over. "What do you want?" He utters uncomprehendingly. It takes everything in me not to gag. His breath is awful.

"Is Harry here?" I ask, trying my to breathe through my mouth. The man slowly reaches up to run his hand through his few greasy strands of hair before letting out a drunken chuckle.

"What does it matter to you?" His tone is sharp and cold and I involuntarily take a wary step back. "Diana!" I hear his familiar voice call from behind the man. Relief immediately floods through me. And then I see him.

His eye is colored purple, his bottom lip swollen. One hand hovers over his side and his gait is uneven and strained. I fight back a gasp as he rushes over, ducking his head as he steps uneasily around the man.

"I'll be back in a moment, Dad..." He mumbles timidly as he grabs my wrist, tugging me away from the house. His shoulders are hunched, eyes downcast as he rushes away in a pace somewhere between a walk and a jog. I could practically see him as a dog with his tail tucked, whimpering as he ran away.

Once we were a reasonable distance from the porch, he turned to face me, his voice a hushed whisper as he cast nervous glances towards his father "Diana, what are you doing here?"

I swallow hard, nodding down towards the jacket hanging off of my arm. "I came to give you your jacket back..." I lie quietly, blushing a little for the real reason. He sighs deeply, wincing a little with the movement.

"Diana, you shouldn't have come here..." He mumbles, frowning deeply. I hand the jacket to him and he tucks it under his arm, watching my face. It takes me a moment to reply, my eyes still locked on the bruise under his eye.