small world

chapter 30

CHARLIE

It had been three days since my storybook surprise from Harry after my final exam before Christmas holiday, and I still found myself smiling like an idiot when I thought about how adorable he was leant up against his car holding flowers like he was the star in a romcom. In the last three days I had been buzzing around London with various members of One Direction and their girlfriends on the prawl for Christmas presents for my friends, having to rotate shopping partners so that no gift surprises would be ruined. Along with going to school the last few months, I had picked up a job at the Topshop in London. I basically folded clothes and told customers what looked good on them and helped people put pieces together for outfits, like their own personal stylist. Every once in a while I would get bombarded by fans but they all understood when I couldn’t take pictures with them, for one I was on the clock and for another I wasn’t famous, I was just a normal girl living a next to normal life. Nevertheless, working there and meeting fans and making friends with coworkers was actually a lot of fun and I made pretty good wage, which I was happy to spend on buying gifts for all of my friends. I didn’t want Harry paying for his own gift; I wanted to do it, which is why I had been saving all of autumn.

I was sat up in my own bed, for once as I was usually in Harry’s, wrapping all of the presents I had purchased for everyone as we would be doing Christmas in Ibiza after going our separate ways to see family. In red, green, gold, and white striped paper, I wrapped each present expertly. Eleanor was getting a sheer collared blouse from Topshop, Danielle a Wildfox jumper, Perrie a flowered headband and matching bracelets and Jade little diamond bow-tie earrings; the girls had become my best friends, so they were easy to shop for. The boys on the other hand were a little trickier. I had gotten Liam a faded red BRIT jumper, ordered Niall a Boston Celtics snapback hat from America, Zayn a pair of thick framed glasses he had been wanting and the last two were the most special: Louis and Harry’s gifts.

I had been spending my holidays with Louis since I had moved to Doncaster; my mother and I had quickly become an addition to their family, having each other over for Sunday dinner roast and tea a few times a week. Every year, Louis and I being just a couple of kids got each other silly little things like scarves and gift certificates to our favorite shops and restaurants because that’s what we could afford with our high school part-time jobs. But this year, both of us actually had the money to get each other something nice, and I had decided to get him the ultimate present he had always wanted but would never buy himself: a Michael Kors watch. Even now that Louis was in the fortune he was, he never spoiled himself but always did others, which was why I wanted to be the one to spoil him big time for his birthday-Christmas gift. This would certainly make up for the lame gifts over the years. I had even had it engraved on the back of it in script: It was perfect. I gave it one last look before returning it into the box and wrapping it carefully, pressing a stick on bow on the top.

All of the gifts were piled up and perfectly wrapped except for one: Harry’s. I pulled the small white gift box out of my bedside table drawer and peaked inside one last time before hiding it back away from my very snoopy Styles. I gently wiggled the top off, slid the box-within-the-box out and pried it opened. I grinned down at it knowing how much Harry would love it. It was a tiffany blue circle locket on a long chain to add to his compilation of necklaces around his neck. On it was a faint infinity symbol, and on the back engraved was “I love you, Charlie x”. Inside on one half was a tiny picture of Harry and I that we had taken weeks ago on our way to London, the two of us visibly radiating genuine happiness with our matching toothy smiles and glimmering eyes. The other half, for now, was empty. I had called up Anne and asked her to go digging for pictures of Harry and I together when we were little, and I hoped she would find my favorite one of the two of us on the swings holding each other’s tiny little hands. The infinity symbol showed how far Harry and I had come, and how far I planned to go with him with our everlasting love. I had put so much thought into it and hoped he loved it just as much as I had.