Friendship Never Ends (One Direction)

Chapter 28

Stephanie's P.O.V.

It was so nice out that day that we had decided to enjoy the fresh air. Instead of going somewhere, we spontaneously pulled out old yard games Harry and Gemma used to play with, which consisted of Skittle, Croquet, and Ladder Ball. I was having fun, don't get me wrong, but the whole adoption thing didn't slip my mind the entire time so I felt like I wasn't too into the games. I would love to be adopted by Anne, but I just remembered that that would mean Harry would technically be my brother, which is pretty awkward considering I don't want to give up dating him to have a sibling relationship. But if Rachel's mum adopts me, then how will I be able to continue my connections here? My dad and my brother are here, Harry's here, the entire Styles' family, and now my new friends, the other boys. 

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Harry asked, coming up next to me. 

"Yeah, sorry, just thinking," I replied, shaking my head and getting ready to swing for Ladder Ball.

"You sure?" he questioned. I could see his green eyes staring hard at me.

"Yeah," I shrugged, avoiding his eye contact. 

"Hey!" he called out to Zayn and Liam, our opponents. "We're going to take a break."

"Alright!" they shouted back.

"What?" I said.

"Come with me," Harry responded, taking my hand and leading me over to a patch of trees. A very familiar patch of trees, I might add. Harry walked around to the back and began climbing up wooden stairs, me following after. As soon as we got to the top, my mind triggered and I realized this was the treehouse we used to sit in all the time to get away from reality.

"Do you remember?" he asked, resting in his usual corner. 

"Yeah," I smiled. "But I remember this used to be huge. It's so small now."

Harry laughed and glanced out the only square window overlooking the garden. "Yeah, it's been a while since I've been up here, too."

"Will this break?" I asked, suddenly worried.

"No," he chuckled. "It's built pretty sturdy. We'll be fine."

We sat in silence for a few moments, taking in each other's company and our childhood memories. I also watched Louis, Liam, and Zayn play another game through the window. 

"So, what was bothering you before?" Harry started.

"It's nothing," I answered. Harry just looked at me, knowing full-well that's not the case. "Okay, okay. I'm stressed about the adoption thing."

"I knew it," he replied. "You do realize you can tell me anything? Not much has changed with us, except for the fact we've been away for, what, 8/9 years now?"

"I know, I know," I said. 

"So, what about the adoption?" he questioned.

"If I let your mum adopt me, we'd technically be siblings, which is awkward," I began. "The upside is that I'll be close to my dad and my brother and everyone else here, not to mention my hometown. But I'd be leaving Rachel, which is what I don't want to do. If I let her mum adopt me, I wouldn't have all of you."

"Also, your mum, well, Helen, would still be in America, right?" Harry added.

"Oh yeah, that too."

"But the sibling part is also an issue," he pondered, trailing off.

"Do you think my dad might be able to take me back into custody?" I asked slowly.

Harry sighed before answering that one. I could tell he didn't really want to. "The thing is, Helen was right, what she said about him. He could if he really wanted to, but he wouldn't be able to take care of you."