Canon | (Harry Styles AU)

[eighteen]

[the song "FOOLS GOLD" on the new four album is perf for CANON. it's definitely going to become more obvious later why. but i just wanted to throw that out there. give it a listen if you haven't already.]

I race up the stairs, leaving Derek in my door way watching me. Thankfully the second floor hallway isn't so long and I reach my bedroom where Jo is standing nearly naked in front of my closet.

"Whoa there.Where's the fire," She jokes, staring at my frantic face with an amused look.

"Your mom, she's in the hospital." The words tumble out of my mouth as fast as I can roll them off my tongue.

"What?" She says, turning her body to completely face me.

"Derek's here, he's been trying to get a hold of you. We need to go," I say watching the color drain from her flushed face. That after sec glow she had is slowly diminishing for the both of us. We just had sex with each other for the first time and this definitely isn't the ideal conversation I had in mind.

"My phone died after I spoke with Sophia.." She says her voice trailing off.

"Alright well it doesn't matter, let's go. He said she's in critical condition. I didn't ask why but he said it's serious," I continue, my words come out in one breath.

"How does Derek know," She says quickly looking around my messy room before pulling on a pair of my nike running sweats and a black shirt. I follow behind her as she races out of my room, and down the stairs.

"Your dad called him."

"Oh no," Jo says in a fearful voice stopping dead in her tracks on third step, I nearly run right over her before grabbing onto the rail, pulling my body back to avoid hitting her straight in the back.

"What," I say, looking into her twisted face as she turns to look at me.

"This is because of me."

"Jo, you don't know that. Derek said it was an accident.."

"Of course that's what my father told him, Harry he must have done something to her," She says, her voice catching in her throat,"I haven't been home in days, he..he took his anger out on her because I wasn't there."

"You don't know that," I say pulling her into an embrace, muffling the cry she let out. I was trying to keep her as calm as possible but to be frank if had the same thought. Jo's father couldn't have taken her absence well.

"Jo! Jo let's go, hurry," Derek shouts, his voice sounding as if he had stepped into the house. With how much he cares about Jo I'm sure he understands Jo's relationship with her mother better then me.

"Will you come with me? Harry I can't face him alone,"She sobs. It's as if she was suddenly hit with the realization that her actions did in fact have consequences. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. She was pushing things to the limit, receiving a few bruises and cuts in the process, but hearing that her actions had caused a more serious consequence this time she seemed to be rethinking her rebellious actions.

"It's not even a question," I grab the sides of her face, looking into her tearful eyes,"Im right here. For whatever you need. I'm here."

________

The drive to the hospital was quick and had me feeling like I just drank a case of Red Bulls from how jitter I was. Jo sat up front with Derek, making me feel the way I did mere weeks ago when Jo didn't know who I was.

Jo questioned Derek over and over about what her father had said to him, wanting to know every word. Derek would calmly retell her, followed by him reminding her that she needed to relax as best she can. It was annoying to watch him comfort her, brushing his hand over hers.

Those same hands I had just had on every inch of my body were now being touched by Derek.

_______________

"You can wait out here for me, the receptionist said only family is allowed back there,"Jo says. I would like to believe that she was also talking to me, but her eyes only met Derek's, her arms wrapped tightly on her elbows while her body curved in his direction. It's like her brain erased the entire day we shared together, putting me back in square one. Her eyes looked wild, filled with fright.

I told her I understood, and i reassured her that Id be out here waiting for her for as long as I had to. Much to my disdain, so did Derek. She gave us a nod before mindlessly leading her legs through the large, heavy doors leading toward the back of the ER where she was told she'd find her mother.

"Was she with you all day?" Derek asks, his head tilted in my direction due to the obscurity of our seat locations.

"What the hel.l is that to you," I snap, trying my best to get over this sudden insignificant feeling I feel.

"Jo is everything to me. Don't fu.ck with me about this," He says harshly turning his entire body toward me,"Was she with you all day?"

"She's everything to you and you aren't anything to her."

"And you are?" He scoffs,"Jo is just using you.."

"She's not," I say sharply, brushing off the absurd assumption,"That's obviously your place in her life."

"Jo and I have been best friends for years, she sure as he.ll repays me enough to not be using me," He retorts, making me feel angrier.

"You're not the only one," I smirk, the look on his face not seeming fazed by any means, making my comment less satisfying then I had imagined it being.

"Whatever," He says calmly before asking again,"Was she with..."

"Yes, she was with me all day today," I say interrupting him before he can finish. Just as I say those words, adjusting myself into the cold squeaky chair that is in the open sitting area of the ER I hear a pair of shoes quickly squeak across the freshly polished white tiled floor, behind me.

I glance over my shoulder, answering one of those unknown urges to look. I feel my throat dry as I see the familiar side profile of Annette.

"Sh.it," I mumble under my breath, getting up out of my chair to follow her as she speed walks to the heavy doors Jo just walked through. I feel terrible for blowing Annette off. She really was a nice person, and I more than anything enjoyed her company. Knowing that my mom and her talk only heightens my urge to apologize to Annette.

"Annette, wait up," I call as loudly as I can without sounding like a mad man. I'm following after her in a jog, before finally reaching her side, grabbing her clenched hand.

"Harry, I have a lot of work to do," She says trying to continue on her way through the doors. Her face is pale, much paler then I remembered it being. It's either the terrible lighting in here, or something worse, caused by me.

"I didn't mean to blow you off," I start saying, getting right to the point before she no longer listens,"The day just..things that happened this morning..the day just didn't go how I planned."

"Right," She says with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

"I swear. I really was looking forward to spending time with you today. This was just..a favor for a friend," I explain, hoping she'll buy it. Even if I preferred Jo over Annette, a stronger part of me just wanted to ensure that I kept Annette around. I wasnt trying to string her along. I just really liked having her as a friend. I wanted her company.

[shortest chapter ever..sorry guys. ill try to update again weds.]