𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒! | harry styles

𝐗𝐕𝐈

THE scene plays out perfectly in my head.

In my head, I stand up, grab Harry's plate, and whip it across the dinner table like a deadly Frisbee. Food flies off in all directions and it whizzes past Desmond's head, missing by mere centimeters but coming close enough to ruffle his hair like a soft gust of wind. I'm upset that I missed, but it's for the best – the last thing I need on my record is a murder charge, especially against my boyfriend's father, and anyway, it scares Desmond so bad that he drops to the floor like he was shot at, begging for mercy at my feet. He stabs himself with a chicken bone on the way down, but alas, it's not a fatal wound. It's a bleeder, though, and in all the excitement Harry and Anne have fainted, and I'm the only around who can stench the blood, because it's on Desmond's back and out of his reach.

"April!" he says desperately, his voice agonized as he finally understands the error of his ways. "Please help me! I'll bleed to death if you don't save me with your superior nursing knowledge!"

I scoff and throw my cell phone at him, then peer down at him evilly with my hands on my hips. "You'd better call Harry's wenchy fiancé, Desmond, because no nurse will ever save you now!"

My mad cackles echo around the kitchen; Desmond balls his fist and shakes it at the heavens as he releases a drawn out, despondent, "Nnnooooooooooo!"

In my head, everything works out perfectly.

In reality, Anne's chair scrapes against the tiled floor as she abruptly stands. In reality, I sit there shocked, frozen to my seat, unable to fully grasp the blatant insult and shocking news I just received from my boyfriend's father.

In reality, everything happens quickly, and for once I feel like I have no control over the situation. Like I'm a spectator who couldn't intervene even if I wanted to.

"That's enough, Desmond," Anne says angrily. "You're embarrassing all of us and I'm not going to stand for it. April is a guest in this house and deserves more courtesy."

"And that was out of line, Dad," Harry quickly adds, his voice just as venomous. "You promised Mom you weren't going to be like this again." Harry finds my hand and laces his fingers tightly through mine, probably keeping a firm grip in case I decide to bolt.

Not surprisingly, Desmond isn't the least bit perturbed at being attacked from two sides.

"Well Harry," he starts calmly, "you know how I feel about this…"

"It doesn't matter!" Harry interrupts. "It doesn't matter how you feel! You can't just speak to people however you want to. April's important to me. And furthermore, it's not your life!"

"You are my life!"

"Desmond! A word now, please!" Anne demands, her voice rising above the others as she seizes control of the situation. Desmond sighs and throws his napkin on the table before standing. Anne then turns to me, her expression softening. "April, please don't leave just yet, okay? I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

My mouth is open, but no sound comes out. Anne rushes Desmond out of the kitchen with a hand on his arm, and I immediately hear them begin arguing in the hallway; however, their muffled words are lost among the thoughts that rage like wildfire through my mind.

Harry immediately shifts his entire body towards me, both of his hands clasping mine as he leans forward. "God, April, I'm so so so so fucking sorry. He's always been like this, but I never thought he would actually insult you to your face. I feel like such an asshole. I can't believe this shit actually just happened." He pulls one hand away and uses it to rub his eyes wearily.

My senses are slowly coming back to me, the shock gradually seeping away. I debate what I want to say to Harry. If Desmond has always been like this, then why is his behavior so surprising now? It just doesn't make sense. Just like Harry's engagement to Dr. Ellis – his attitude over their past has always been flippant and somewhat brief and, once again, it just doesn't make sense.