Holding Out For A Hero

Chapter Eight - Get Ready For Officer Harry

Harry's P.O.V.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My alarm clock buzzes at exactly 5 a.m. I groan and roll over to my back. I shut the annoying beeping before it gives me a headache and stare at the ceiling. 

Today is the last day of police training and tomorrow I'm officially an officer. I've been training for a month now, going through the basics, bringing up our stamina, going to shooting ranges to work on our aim, and knowing what to do in dangerous situations. Today is the last day of that. After training I take my police test and if I pass, I get my new partner starting tomorrow. 

I sit up, planting my feet to my carpeted bedroom. I make my way over to the bathroom, taking off my boxers and jumping in the shower. I do my morning routine, shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, all the important stuff. 

On my way over to the training camp, I can't help but think about Ava. Tomorrow I can officially start to look for her and help the police that are working on her case. 

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"Alright men, line up!" The training officer screams. 

"All of you have improved tremondously throughout the month of training, but we can only accept ten people to graduate. You all will take the written test and after that I will congratulate the ten people that will be joining the force. Good luck to all of you." He explains. 

I stay focused, knowing that I could potentially get the position but I could also fail. 

"Do it for Ava" I tell myself. 

I walk into the large group room and prepare myself. The tests are handed out and two hours later I've finished everything. 

Most people have already finished testing so I walk up to the commanding officer and hand my test to him. I walk outside with the other men to see who has officially gotten the positions. 

Ten minutes later our commanding officer meets us outside. 

He starts calling names. 

I tense up slightly, I can feel the sweat settling on my forhead. Then I hear it. I hear him call my name.

"Styles, congratulations! Welcome to the force, kid." Commander Paul says. 

I feel like I've just won a million bucks! I can't believe I got the job! 

"Hey man, congratulations!" I hear a voice say. 

I turn around to a blonde haired, blue eyed man. He's about two inches shorter than me and he's wearing dark skinnies with a pink t-shirt with a grey sweater on top. 

"Uhm, thank you--" 

"Niall. Niall Horan." He finishes for me. 

"Well Niall, it's nice meeting you." I exclaim. 

"Yeah, you too! Hey, what do you think about going out  tonight, eh? A couple of the guys want to go for a celebratory drink." Niall asks. 

"Yeah, sure, it might be fun." I respond. 

Boy was I right. Niall's heavy irish accent was already slurred five minutes after walking into the pub. We drank and talked and drank some more. 

"I can't feel my legs" I slurred. 

I'm so fucking drunk right now, but I love the feeling. 

During high school I used to drink all the time. Every weekend I'd be at a party or in one of my friend's basement getting piss drunk and smoking until I was higher than a kite. My mom would yell at me every morning when I would stumble through my front door, but she eventually gave up. 

I didn't know what else to do, I lost my best friend. I had no idea where she was and I didn't even know where to look for her. I was so helpless and it didn't help that I've dreamt about that night for ten years. It haunts me, even to this day. 

I realized one day that drinking until I pass out wouldn't help Ava and it was just making everyone hate me. I changed my ways and look at me now. 

Well not right now since I'm currently drunk off my ass along with Niall. 

The rest of the guys left hours ago, so it's just Niall and I, watching a rerun of a footie match and drinking our beers.

"Dammit, footie is so hard to--hey wait! Why do I have six fingers??" Niall shouts.

"Niall! calm down, you're just holding a tooth pick!" I scream back. 

Niall's face turns from pure horror to amusement and when he looks at me, we can't help but crack up. 

The television's volume is turned up slightly and I tense when I hear the sound of Detective Atkin making the same bullshit speech on the news every couple of months. 

"Who the hell turned off the footie match, I was watching that!" Niall shouts. 

I look up towards the television screen and I can't help but tense up. I'm squeezing my beer cup so hard I swear it's going to burst any second. 

"Niall, can we please go. I can't sit in here anymore." I plead. 

"Wait a secon, look. It's that girl that still hasn't been found." Niall shoos me. 

I tighten my grip on the cup. As much as  I want to leave I can't. It's like time has stopped when a picture of Ava and I pop on the screen from when we were little and then a picture of what Ava would look like today. 

I feel a stinging in my hand until I realize I've shattered the cup into my palm. 

"Woah, Harry, I didn't know you were friends with her." Niall says, clearly shocked by the picture. He turns his head so he's facing me and he notices the shards of glass stabbing my hand. 

"Jesus, Harry I'm sorry." The bartender and Niall have pulled out most of the glass and are now wrapping it up with some kind of bandage. 

"Niall, do you mind dropping me off at home? I can pick my car up later." 

"Sure, yeah, no problem." Niall answers. 

The car ride is silent except for the light music coming from the radio

I  stumble my way through the doors of my flat and to my bedroom. I plop down on my bed, and shove my face into the pillows. 

All I keep thinking about is Ava. I can't get her out of my mind. I can't wait to help the force find her but who am I kidding. For all I know, she's been dead and is burried in the forest or is drowning is some strange body of water. 

I look over to my bed side table and notice the picture of Ava and I on her tenth birthday. I remember that moment clear as day.

She had always wanted to be a princess so I asked my mom if we could make a special princess cake for her. The cake was three teirs high with pink frosting everywhere. There was a princess figure standing on the top with a crown on her head. It said "Happy Birthday to the prettiest princess in all of London". 

I've never seen her smile that big in my entire life. I remember making her a crown out of construction paper that looked just like the princess on the cake. She was so happy to put that damn crown on. After I put it on her head, she gave me a small kiss on the cheek and that was when I knew I loved her. I couldn't wipe that silly grin off my face for weeks. 

I let out a loud huff and turn onto my back. I stare at the ceiling fan as it spins and I slowly begin to drift off. Remebering Princess Ava struting around the backyard and grasping my hand so tightly I lost circulation. 

But I couldn't care less.