Her Name is...

Chapter 3

My neck was killing me. I had slept on it funny I supposed. I stretched my body refusing to open my eyes yet, a hangover playing on my temple. 

Then it hit me.

I was in a camping chair, my legs slung over the arm my head resting on Harry's chest as he slept in a similar position beside me. I checked my phone. It was 8:00 I was supposed to be in the store 3 hours ago.

I HAD SLEPT AT THE BOYS HOUSE!

My grandma was probably freaking out about now. The whole town would know by now.

I dialed my grandma but the cell service all the way out here didn't seem to be working.

"No!" I breathed feeling hot tears in my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as my brain dreamed up whatever was happening back at her house. She was going to kill me.

 I shoved my phone in my pocket and redid the straps to my heels. Sarah was nowhere to be seen, and the other boys were scattered about sleeping. Some inside others outside.

I needed to get back now. If my grandma got word of the party (gossip travels fast in a small town) and came to find me here where I was alone with 5 boys surrounded by discarded cups she might just lock me in my room for the rest of eternity.

"Jesus my neck hurts" Harry mumbled startling me. He sat up stretching his legs and took in my appearance and offered a pained smile while rubbing his sore neck.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quickly. He jumped from the chair and immediately took my arms in his.

"I need to get back to my grandma" I said through panicked tears, "I fell asleep. I was supposed to open the bakery at 5. She's probably totally freaked" 

I couldn't care that he was watching me meltdown, all I could do was think about what was waiting for me at home.

"Hey now, I'm sure she'll understand" he said trying to brush a tear from my cheek. His voice was soft but it did little to quell the panic stirring in my body. The gesture would have been cute in any other circumstance but I ducked away from his embrace jogging in my heels to the dirt road. Why had I worn heels?

"Wait, are you walking? No Louis can drive you, let me get him up" Harry said chasing after me and pulling at the back of his jacket to stop me. 

"Harry, I have to get back!" I sobbed wrenching from his grasp but he shot me a pleading smile and held out his hand as if to tell a dog to sit. To his credit he ran quickly to get Louis who ran back to me.

"Don't worry Noah, It'll all be okay" he tried to comfort me as we climbed into the car. He had used the wrong name but I couldn't care less. This was why I didn't go out, or try and make friends. 

It wouldn't be okay because the last time this had happened to my grandma, it was my mother running away from home pregnant with her grandchild. The morning my mother had run away would have felt like this exact one to her.

Harry sat beside me squeezing my hand and trying to offer me words of encouragement but I couldn't think about boys now.

We sped through the deserted streets as I directed them to the bakery. It had been named ironically Kathy's Korner after my mother. I had pointed out once that it made my mother sound like a hooker and gotten smacked with a wooden spoon.

"Here!" I called as the bakery came into view. An astounding amount of people were outside of it.

"Oh my god" I cried burying my head in my hands. Harry grabbed my wrists and forced me to face him.

"I'll go with you, explain that you fell asleep-"

"No!" I yelled shaking my head, "that'll make it worse. Please". I struggled out the door and hid behind the van still holding onto Harry.