The Chase (h.s. au)

Chapter 3

Harry.

My hand unlocks the door to the house, walking in to greet my dad in the kitchen.

"How'd the last day go?" he asks, my lips sighing.

"Alright. I'm going to a graduation party tomorrow," I tell him, his head nodding.

"It's Lauren Michael's," I say, sitting down.

"You talked with her?" dad asks, my head nodding.

"It's about damn time, Harry. Just...be careful with her though. Her father is a man that could single-handedly destroy you," he says, my lips pursing.

"She talked with me today. Left her dinner to be with me," I sheepishly curve my lips, unable to settle on the fact. When Lance told me she was coming, I stopped everything to be with her. Rarely anyone comes to valet anyways for the rich don't trust us.

"Harry, what did her father think of all this?" he tests, my heart falling.

"He yelled at both of us. Me, more so. But she had fun and I want her to have fun. Her parents locked her in that house for too long and she's going to Stanford in a few months. I want her to have fun and I plan on doing so," I explain, pronouncing it to myself more than anyone.

"Be smart, son. That's all I ask," he says, my head nodding.

Since my mum passed away, we've been struggling to live with the fact. I have a sister back in England, but she stayed with her husband. She rarely keeps in touch for she blames my father for my mum passing. She had breast cancer and wasn't getting any better so she asked to stop the medication. Everyone protested but my father did it because he wanted her in a better place. No more suffering.

Now, I have no female influence to guide me into how to ask a girl out or how to act around them. I haven't done shit with girls, except kissing a couple. But that's nothing and I hate being around the ones that are obsessively touchy. Being touched by a person is supposed to be intimate, in my opinion.

I get ready for bed and pull the covers back on my bed, my body moving into the sheets. I grab my phone and text out the party tomorrow, overly excited to graduate and to be able to spend time with Lauren.

Tossing my phone onto the floor, I grab my pillow and turn onto my side. Falling asleep takes a matter of minutes until I fully close my eyes for the night.

The morning is hectic for my dad and I as we attempt to get ready. This is our first major occasion without my mum. She passed shortly after my eighth grade graduation.

As I walk into the high school, I'm with my dad and we walk around. Most of my friends are with me and we share shit stories that happened during our high school experience. We all played soccer together and that's where we screwed around a lot.

"Harry, I'll meet you over at the entrance," dad says, my head nodding.

"Alright."

I take my seat beside Lance and we put the cap and gown on, waiting for our principal to begin. The ceremony is long and I spend half of it searching for Lauren. Her brown hair is spotted and her eyes are casted down at her lap, her long eyelashes curled to frame her eyes perfectly.

We get our diplomas handed to us and we cheer, all of us too happy to think. I just wanted to get out of high school.

Multiple people go around and hug people, so many people coming to me. I hug most of the girls and shake hands with all the guys, Lance and I walking towards the exit. My eyes scan the gym before I find Lauren, her feet walking towards the exit.