Night Changes (H.S. 1D)

Three:

"Wow, Maleah! You're amazing!" Liam says with a small smile. I return the gesture, but look away from Harry's gaze. It's as if his eyes could burn a hole through my soul and I don't like that feeling.

"Thank you, but uh... I have to go home, now." I stand and hand Niall his guitar, before thanking him and running toward the doorway, gently pushing past the boys. They don't chase me, but only stare wide-eyed. Just as I am reaching for the front door handle, my cell phone rings.

Mum Calling

I sigh and answer it, deciding that I can deal with a little bit of yelling, today. "Hello?"

"Maleah, where are you?! You're on the news! Are you okay?" She nearly shouts into the phone with worry.

"Yes, Mum, I am fine. I just-"

"You were kidnapped by Harry Styles?! I'm calling that boy's mother! Anne will be so disappointed!"

"Mum! Listen to me! I was not kidnapped! It was my idea, and I thought it would be funny to fool their fans!" I sigh with exasperation.

"Fool their fans?! Maleah, what is wrong with you? You never joke around like that! Being sarcastic and unrealistic is not in your nature!" She begins raising her voice, now.

"Well, maybe you just don't know me all that well!" I growl into the phone. I step outside, not wanting the boys to hear our conversation.

She gasps. "Maleah Rosaline Briggs! You willnot speak to me with such disrespect! I won't allow it!"

"You will allow it! Because I'm tired, Mamma! I'm tired of scheduals and time limits and not ever being able to get to be a normal teenage girl!"

"Male-"

"WIll you just shut up for a minute?!" I scream. "I don't go out! I don't have friends, except the old women at the bakery! The flipping bakery! I have never gotten to go shopping with another girl! And the only books you've allowed me to read are Shakespeare's novels, War And Peace, and Moby Dick! Let me tell you, I bet not one normal teenage girl has voluntarily read Shakespeare, War And Peace, and Moby Dick!"

"Fine! Fine, Maleah! If you don't like the rules here, and you don't like the way I place your rules, or how I try my dangdest to get you the best future you could ever have, then that is just fine! Don't come crawling back to me! In fact, don't even come back until you have figured yourself out!" Mum screams at me. I gasp at her harshness and stare at the phone, my screen going from green to red. Call Ended.

My eyes fill with tears as I stare at the screen, still contemplating on what to do, now. Just letting it kick in. And once it finally does, I throw my phone onto the ground and slide my back down the door as I cry. I barely notice the girls outside the gates screaming as a fall asleep.

***

"Maleah?" Someone shakes my shoulder and I slowly open my eyes to see Harry peering down at me. I'm immediately filled with anger toward the boy, but something stops me from slamming my fist into that beautiful, angelic face.

"What do you want?" I spit at him.

"Are you okay?" He ignores my attitude.

"No, I'm not okay. I have nowhere to go." I cross my arms and sit up against the brick wall. Truth is, when Niall mentioned me doing what I wanted to do, I guess it set off a spark somewhere in me. And completely lit a flame when I played that guitar and sang in front of them. The feeling that people found joy in what I want to do, made me decide that I want my future to be just like that. I want to be a musician, and I want to draw and write on the side!

"What do you mean?" He frowns.

"Why do you care?" I scoff and push myself to my feet, grabbing my broken phone off the ground and beginning to walk away.

"Maleah- Maleah, stop! Please, just stop for a second." He begs.

"Why, Harry?" I turn and look at him, crossing my arms. "You want to see if I want to talk about it? You want to know why I am pushing you away? You want to know what the real reason is behind my lack of taste in boys? You want me to come in so you can act like friends, after you completely screwed up my future? Huh?"

"Oh, so it's my fault you got in a fight and stood up to your mother?!" His eyes widen as he throws his arms about in the air.

"And now you are eavesdropping on my conversations! Harry, I have known you for a couple hours and I already dislike you a lot!"

"It wasn't exactly hard to hear you screaming from inside! Gosh, you both were screeching like vultures! I've never heard a female sound so intimidating and crazy in my life!"

"I'm crazy? Really? I'm crazy?! You're the one who, instead of simply taking me home - which would have been so flipping easy - or just letting me walk like I do every day you had to flipping kidnap me and take me to God-knows-where this place is! I don't even know where the heck I am, Harry!"

"Take a look around, Maleah! Maybe you'll figure it out! I was trying to help you!" He stomps up to me, our noses nearly touching as he speaks in a low voice. "You take one step out those gates and those girls-" He points to the screaming fans who are taping our argument. "They will hit you, kick you, heck- I don't even know! But you better watch yourself, Maleah. They know who you are, now."

"Is that a threat, Styles?" I lean away from his face, then grab the edges of his button-up that he doesn't seem to know how to finish, along with his coat. "I may be little, but threats are nothing. Those girls can try to mess with me. I don't even care!" I shake him and shove him away. His eyes widen a bit, but then he covers it up with a smirk.

Harry returns the favor as he grabs my arms, turns us around and quickly, but gently shoves me into the side of Louis's house. "Would you just kiss me, already?" He growls and slams his lips into mine, making me gasp at the sparks I recieve from him. But I don't respond. I don't close my eyes, kiss him back, or even shove him away. I just stand there in shock as he pulls away with a look of aggrivation. "You're just going to stand there?" He speaks quietly, but I can hear the hurt in his tone. I just stare at him, tears beginning to stream down my face. He lets go and steps back, looking away in shame.

I take that moment to run. Past the gates, and the fans who grab at me, yelling profanities and insults. And I don't run toward home, because that is no longer mine. I catch a cab and go straight to the bakery.

A/N

Hello dere, everybody! Just a quick note.... I want to dedicate this chapter to @Brianna_may_123 because she is the very first person to vote AND comment on this book! Thank you so much, love! I appreciate it so much! :)

Love you, potatoes!!!

RaeBanana