Study Abroad (Harry Styles)

Chapter 9 - Meet the Puvbell's

I brace myself for a very shocked mom before I get off this plane. We landed about fifteen minutes ago and we are now nearing that part of the journey when you actually get to leave the plane. I shoot Harry one last glance before my family steps into the picture, offering him a smile.

"Remember, they can be intense." I remind him, literally seconds before meeting my mom.

"I know, I know." He responds with an eye roll.

As soon as we step into the airport, my mother rushes over to me, tears stain her face. Seeing my strong mother broken down, breaks my heart. I suddenly feel a little guilty about the fact that I haven't been crying as much as I should be. It's not like I'm not extremely heart broken, because I am. My chest is in actual pain because of this situation, but Harry has made me forget the reality of the situation. He's made me laugh and smile when I should be crying. If Harry wasn't here, I would have been hysterically crying the whole way home. I don't know if I'm happy or upset about this. However, I'm immediately thrown into the real world as my mother's arms wrap around my body.

"Mom." I say into her hair, still hugging her. She doesn't seem to notice that ive said anything so I start again. "Mom." She looks up at me with sad eyes that travel from me to Harry.

"This is who you brought home, Char?" My mother asks me. She isn't disappointed, she's just curious. Which I already knew. I knew my mom wasn't going to have a problem with this, it's the other members of my family. My mom understands me and she trusts that I make the right decisions. She isn't judgmental, only caring and motherly. She's just like every other mom though, she lectures, yells, and she even used to ground me back in the day. My mom is still my mom, she acts like my mom, but she gets me.

"Mom, this is my friend, Harry." I introduce robotically. I practiced how I would introduce the two of them the whole flight. "Harry, this is my mom."

Harry sticks his hand out to my mother with a smile, but my mom has never been one for handshakes. She reaches up and hugs Harry, who hugs her back and locks eyes with me. I shrug and he sticks his tongue out at me. Are we in 6th grade again?

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Puvbell." Harry tells my mom as she unwraps herself from him. I shudder at my horrendous last name.

"Oh, you too Harry." My mother weakly responds, before turning her attention towards me again. "Nothing is for sure yet, but I'm pretty sure the funeral will be on Tuesday, which means that the viewing will be Monday." Monday is in two days. Harry and I nod, and its obvious she is trying not to cry.

"Let's go get our luggage." I say, urging my mom to think of something else. She nods and three of us walk towards baggage claim. I stand in the middle, with Harry and my mom on either side of me. Harry intertwines our hands as we walk, squeezing tightly in a comforting way. And somehow, I know what he's doing. He knows that its hard for me to see my mom like this, and its hard for me to stay so positive for my mom. I don't know how, maybe Harry just meant it in a comforting way, but somehow, I think he meant exactly what I thought he did. Harry's hand is warm against mine, visibly opposites of each other. As soon as we get to the claiming area, Harry drops my hand taking the warmth with him. I think because he doesn't want to embarrass me, and for that I am thankful, but holding Harry's hand would not embarrass me. Not in the slightest.

-

After an hour of driving and awkward silence in the car, we arrive at my house. Nobody knew what to say on the way home, so the radio was the only sound, other than a few conversations of small talk.

"I hope Char has warned you of my husband. He can be quite...intense at first." My mother says as she gets out of the car.

"That she has." Harry responds politely.

"We've prepared the guest bedroom for you, Harry. Are you staying for the funeral?" My mother asks.

"Yes, but not long after. I have to get to New York after to visit my sister."

My mother nods and we all walk up to my house and enter. My house isn't big or fancy. We've got one floor and a basement, simple and very homey. The "guest bedroom" that my mom was talking about was the room in the basement, where we throw all of our storage into. I don't even want to know how long it took to clean out, my dad and brother must have just got done.

"Charlotte?" I hear my dad call from somewhere in the house, before he appears and gives me tight hug. He smiles at me and then notices Harry. "Charlotte, who is this?" He asks me directly, very aware that Harry can hear everything he is saying.

"Dad, this is my friend Harry, Harry, this is my dad." Harry, just like last time, sticks outs his hand to my dad, and my dad hesitantly takes it.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Harry says to my dad, who huffs in response.

"How do you know Charlotte?" My dad asks Harry.

"I fixed her car, I'm her mechanic."

"Packers?" He studies Harry's sweatshirt.

Harry laughs before saying, "I've already heard the Packer's don't have a good reputation in the Puvbell residence."

"We hate them. And Dallas. What do you think of the Lions?"

"Only root against them when they play the Packers, otherwise they're on the top of my list."

"Good. I love them, but Charlotte only likes them when they play your stupid team."

"Okay, that's enough," I cut in. "Harry, I'll show you your room." I say and he follows me down into the basement.

"Your dad isn't as half as bad as you made him out to be. And your mum is just lovely. I wish I would have met them under different circumstances."

"I guess he likes you, I mean because you love the Lions and all that. What a load of shit. If you like the Packers as much as you say you do, you have to hate the Lions."

"Not really, Charlotte. Honestly, I love Stafford."

"Oh, please. Shut up and go talk to my dad if you're going to be like this."

Ignoring me, Harry asks, "What are we going to do today?" We landed around 8 in the morning, so we can't go to bed, even if that's the preferred option. Its now about 11.

"Are you hungry, we could grab some lunch?" I offer.

"Yes. Take me out, Charlotte. Show me your world."

"I can show you the worlllddd..." I refer back to "Aladdin" and Harry does a double take at me before doubling over in laughter. I don't know where timid little Charlotte is, but I'm glad she's gone for now.

I quickly let my parents know were going out for lunch and I drive to IHOP because honestly, there's nothing better and I'm really hungry.

"What's your favorite Disney movie?" Harry asks me as we eat.

"What a weird question."

"You started it, with your little outburst back there." He smiles.

"Beauty and the Beast," I answer him. "But only because I like the soundtrack so much."

"Me and my sister love 'The Lion King.' It's all we used to watch as kids."

As I listen to Harry talk about his family, I'm once again thrown into this world where everything is okay. It's like when I'm with Harry, I'm normal. I forget about everything that's happening, and I just be. I don't know what I'm getting myself into, but I don't want it to stop.

-

a/n: hiiiiiii hi hi hi

plz plz plz plz plz vote <3

p.s. I hate midterms :(

p.s.s. I'm aware this is a shitty chapter, I'm just trying to post in between studying so I don't go like two weeks without updating. soz.