alive [h.s.]

Chapter 12

Harry's POV - earlier that night

I know that Allison doesn't want to be here right now, but, unfortunately, I have a little job to do. Allison and I approach the entrance to the building and her anxiety is almost tangible. She keeps picking at her nails and looking everywhere but the club. I'll try to make this go as fast as possible so we can get the hell out of here.

I give my name to the man in front and he allows us to enter. The music becomes louder as we step inside and Allison immediately covers her ears. I have to find Benjamin, but she can't come with me.

"Do you know that guy?" Allison yells.

I pretend that I didn't understand her and cover my own ears, "What?"

She starts to repeat what she said, but I dismiss her for that sake of finding Ben, "I can't hear you! I'm gonna try to find a bathroom." I shout before disappearing into the crowd of people. Even though I can't see her, I know she's rolling her eyes in annoyance, but she's too paranoid to try and follow me.

I make my way to the other side of the club and see Benjamin leaning against the wall, accompanied by two skinnier men sitting beside him.

"Ah, Styles, we thought you weren't going to make it." Benjamin says, setting his glass down on the table, "sit down, let's hear what you're asshole of a boss had to send you here to tell me." He smiles and I laugh with him. I've always loved Benjamin. He hates Dylan just as much as me, if not more.

I sit across from him as he folds his hands in his lap, "he said that he's pissed because you were supposed to partner with him for an exchange, but you didn't show up."

"No, I sure as shit didn't. That is because, unlike your boss, I don't have a death wish. The cartel he was trying to deal with is insanely intense and I didn't need to be involved in that," Benjamin explains and I nod understandingly.

"He said that he doesn't want to exchange with you anymore."

Benjamin wipes a tear from his eye in mock hurt, "Oh, cry me a river Dylan. He'll be coming to me next week for supplements. Listen, why don't you tell your boss to grow a pair, and call me when he's off his period."

Benjamin and I both laugh at Dylan's dramatic behavior and I attempt to finish this whole ordeal, "I'll do that. That's all he had to say, at least as far as I know. He probably wrote the rest of his complaints in his Lisa Frank diary." I say and we laugh again.

Benjamin holds his hand over his stomach as he laughs and straightens himself up, catching his breath again, "He is such a fucking pussy. I don't know how he's lasted this long honestly." He admits and I nod in agreement.

"I think I'm supposed to threaten you or something, but that would be useless." I tell Benjamin.

I'm about to crack another joke about Dylan when I get a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly, Allison's voice comes to my head and I'm not sure what's making me think of her at the moment. I stand to see if I can find the through the crowd and my body immediately tenses.

Across the club, she's being dragged by some man that she has no chance fighting against. She struggles under his hold and I don't know why I've become immobile.

This has to be a dream, I think to myself blinking my eyes in hope that the man will go away and Allison will be standing right where I left her. But she's not.

The club seems as though it's fallen silent and the only thing existing in this room is her and I. She makes eye contact with me for brief moment before the man quickly knocks her out. I guess that was the push my body needed to move again and I mentally curse at myself for not acting sooner. I curtly say goodbye to Benjamin and run, pushing through the people in the middle of the room.