𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐑! | harry styles

𝐗𝐈𝐈

THE fringe of Anne's pale blue skirt peeked out from the bottom of the tailored trench coat she pulled tightly around her body. Rain speckled the light brown color as she made her way from the parking lot to the office. She pulled up her collar as she quickly darted towards the counseling office, hoping to remain concealed from the majority of the student population. Actually, there was only one student in particular she was hoping not to be spotted by. And she didn't expect to find him, as she had been assured that he would be otherwise engaged.

"Not gonna happen," Harry said with all the tenacity of a toddler refusing to eat strained peas.

"Okay…but it's your last chance to study and you said you wanted to pass this test…" Bree hinted.

Harry looked around at his fellow schoolmates. "You're making too big a deal out of this," he said.

Translation: This is a big deal, but I don't want anyone else to know that I think that.

Bree had been trying to convince Harry to use his free period to go into the library and study for the big test they had coming up second period. However, Harry was adamantly against it.

"Harry, you think any of these people would do anything less for a car?" Bree reminded him of his awaiting reward.

At the mention of the car, Harry seemed to reconsider using his free period to study. Bree saw the small window of opportunity and seized it.

"Here, I made these notes for you yesterday," she reached in her backpack and pulled out a few index cards. "It's not a lot, just a few key points…and I wrote them out phonetically."

Bree looked up to see Harry staring at her quizzically as he accepted the cards.

"I wrote the words the way they sound when you say them, instead of how they're actually spelled."

Harry looked irritated as he accepted the cards and Bree briefly wondered if she'd done the wrong thing. Maybe her actions had been an insult. Her intentions had been heartfelt, however. She'd made Harry a promise she intended to keep. By any means necessary, he was going to pass that test…even if it meant spending five-and-a-half hours making notecards that would only make sense to Harry.

"I don't even know where the library is," Harry made a last-ditch effort to get out of studying.

"That building right there. The big one, in the middle." Bree pointed.

Harry didn't look hopeful, but Bree noticed he was no longer saying no to heading off to study. When it was time for her to proceed to her first class, she did so, but not without pensive glances back at Harry, willing him to go study. Each time she looked, he was in the same spot she'd left him in.

Bree wanted Harry to succeed so badly – almost enough to let him cheat. But the risk was too high. Besides, Bree wanted exactly what his mother wanted for him: a bona fide success that belonged only to Harry.

Harry walked towards the library and approached the door with apprehension. It was as if the building itself balked at his entry. While he didn't want to be there, he knew he wasn't going to sit in plain sight studying for a test. It wasn't who he was. Nor did he want the distraction it would bring – his friends would continually ask what and why he was reading.

In the corner of the library there was a lone chair that was much to large for the space. It seemed to be pushed out of the way, almost concealed by a low bookcase. Harry tested it to see if it was broken before relaxing into it and pulling out the well-worn book.

It took about five seconds for Harry to give up. The letters on the page seemed to swirl into a vast pit of nothingness. It didn't make any sense and it just confused him more – not a good state to be in right before a test.