hometown glory - wroetoshaw [✓]

THREE

[tenth of october 2019]

HARRY SHUFFLED AWKWARDLY TOWARDS APOLLO AND SCRATCHED the back of his neck, something she noticed he did an awful lot, before he started to speak, "i meant to say it when we got back but do you want any clothes? i cant imagine you're very comfy in a dress and heels at about 3am." the boy really doesn't look it but he can be very awkward. 

she nodded and he took her up to his bedroom, she couldn't help but notice it had a beautiful view of the river thames and london in the distance; all lit up in golden and white lights that reflected in the river. "i'm so jealous of this view." she was mesmerised, forgetting why they went up there in the first place. not noticing that he disappeared into a walk in wardrobe and came back with some small grey jogging bottoms and a very baggy black hoodie. 
"it's not too shabby is it?" he joked, handing her the clothes and showing her a bathroom for her to get changed in private. 

she walked into it and left him alone, now it was his turn to gaze at london. a city that he loved so much but was also such a threat. it never feels like it though, and the people really make it. its buzzing with energy by day, so much so that it hides all the bad parts. but then suddenly by night they're exposed, like he learnt today.

"do you do that a lot?" 

his thoughts were interrupted and saw apollo standing slightly behind him, her face lit up by the lights shining in, "just stare at everything going on?" she walks up next to him and joins him in admiring the now quiet town they both call home. 
"oh i do it all the time, i set up a little camera so i can record the boats going down the thames. and i just watch people walking past sometimes in their little suits going off to work." she nods and admires the view in silence for a bit.

"i'd always be sat at this window, this is what i love most about london. the hustle and bustle but the serenity at the same time." he just nods in agreement and they both admire it for a while, thinking about how weird their first hour or so of meeting each other has been.  
they go downstairs to wait for the police to arrive so they can finally give statements and move on from tonight, not wanting to dwell on what could've been anymore. apollo found herself encased in the hoodie while sat on the comfy sofa almost dozing off to sleep, before a few loud bangs on the door jolted her awake again. 
by the time she realised who it was harry had already let two men, both in their 40s with bald heads and scruffy beards, into the apartment and offered them a place at the dining table that apollo hadn't even acknowledged.

"so where do i start?" she questioned after they told her what was happening and what it meant for her to be filing a report as a victim.
"tell us about before getting on the tube, miss atkins." they instructed her and got ready to write key notes, as well as pressing play on the recorder. 

she started by informing them it was her friends birthday and they were across the river in bethnal green. then she got on a tube at bethnal green station and noticed there was one man in the carriage she got on and they were on complete separate sides. she wasn't completely drunk but tipsy enough to still know what was going on and she felt nervous, she was hoping for him to get off the tube before she did but of course he didn't. 

instead he was making comments about her appearance which she had to quote and it made her feel sick. she described how she felt eyes staring at her as she navigated her way around the station, hoping to run into a crowd she could escape in, but of course at that time of night there weren't many people around. so she got out of the station and went a different way than usual, not wanting to lead a potentially dangerous man back to her home.
she informed her friends but not the police as she didn't want to make an actual phone call incase it caused him to take action, she walked a lot in the wrong direction and found harry. she asked him to pretend to know her and he did, which she was so thankful for, and then after trying to lose the man for another 10-15 minutes he took her back to his house and the rest is thankfully history.

"thank you for going into that apollo, we can check cctv at the time and try our best to identify him and get him what he deserves." officer barry informed her and she nodded her head, taking in what he had to say before they asked for it from harry's point of view. 

"i was off to tesco for some food, me and my flatmate callum were waiting up for something on netflix and i was sent out for popcorn and chicken - saying it now is an odd combination but we'll look past that - i didn't actually get to tesco obviously. i mean i was in my own little world and then i just hear someone ask me for something and i was a bit confused, and then i realised how worried apollo looked so i obviously couldn't just leave her there." he breathed out slightly.
"so i span back around in the direction she was walking and we tried to lose him for a bit, but he just wouldn't go so we ended up coming back here. we thought because it's a gated area and he couldn't get in so it was the safest option. i mean we didn't know if he had a weapon or what other awful things he was planning to do - sorry i don't really want to dwell on that." he said turning towards apollo and offering her an apologetic smile which she understood. 

the police officers both nodded and after a short while longer were on their way, "do you need a ride home miss?" they offered but she politely declined, before wondering why she did that. the officers didn't push anymore and let them be. 
she turned to harry and didn't know where to begin, "thank you so much for what you did tonight, i don't want to think what could've happened if i didn't run into you." she looked slightly up at him and nodded in thanks before pulling him in for a short hug. 

"i did what any good person would've done, i'm just glad i could've been there for you." he smiled as they pulled away, slightly fidgeting as he was getting awkward again not knowing what to do.
"if you give me your number or your instagram i can keep you updated on whats going on and tell you when i get home safe." she suggested, pulling out her phone from his hoodie pocket. 
he also took out his phone and they exchanged numbers and she was about to be on her way before he spoke up, "i'd feel much better if you let me drive you home, then you'll finally get my ugly mug out of your face." he laughed and she gladly accepted before picking up her dress and her shoes and following him out.