caught I h.s

Chapter 11

From: Scarlett Dorchester
To: Harry Styles
Where were you yesterday?
Sent 10:24 am

I begin Saturday off with a brief text to Harry, asking him to explain his absence yesterday. I place my phone on the table, and cradle my hands around the steamy mug of hot chocolate I had just made myself; the dreary weather called for one and I happily obliged.

However my small moment of bliss is interrupted almost immediately, as I receive a reply from Harry - not through text but call.

I sigh, putting down the mug and picking up my phone which is blaring some obscene song from the 90s.

"I've had gloves on all day!" Harry declares as soon as I answer.

"What?" I say, shaking my head in disbelief. "That doesn't answer my question!"

"Your question is irrelevant," he brushes me off. "What's more important is the fact that I'm up to my knees in gardening work and if you're not doing anything I think you should help me."

"Why on earth would I want to garden with you?" I ask, secretly excited by the whole concept. But obviously I'm not going to let him know that.

"Why not?" He says jovially. "Come on, you know where my house is now, can your mum drop you off?"

"Fine," I grumble. "But my mum isn't driving yet. You pick me up or I don't go."

"Oh my God, you're difficult," Harry laughs. "Okay. I'll see you in 10 minutes."

"10 minutes?" I say, slightly panicked at the short time frame Harry had given me to get ready.

"Seriously? You can get ready in 5, I'm sure."

"Don't be surprised if you turn up and I'm half dressed or something," I warn him.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry says blandly. "Just be excited for the great day of gardening you have ahead of you."

"Yay," I say, only somewhat sarcastically.

"You'll love it," he enthuses. "Now, get going."

I hang up with a brief goodbye, and quickly drain my mug of hot chocolate, leaving me with a scalding throat and multiple regrets about not waking up sooner.

"Gardening, gardening, gardening," I mumble to myself, racking my brains for any clothes I could find in my closet that would be remotely suitable for the task ahead.

Unsurprisingly, none of my clothes seem to strike me as fit for gardening, but eventually I pick out an old blue t-shirt that I've had for ages and a pair of black shorts.

I change out of my pajamas and into my clothes hurriedly, paranoid that Harry would turn up at any second despite his supposed arrival time being in 10 minutes. 6 minutes, now.

I rush down to the kitchen and grab myself a muesli bar for breakfast. I was planning to make myself an omelette after my drink but clearly that isn't going to happen.

I walk with a quickening pace to my mum's room to let her know my plans for the day. She is lying propped up on her bed, reading Gone Girl. I knock on the wall inside the room, and she looks up at me, surprise flashing over his face.

"It's nice to see you up this early," she says.

"It's half past 10, Mum," I say, sighing.

"Is it?" She questions, seeming genuinely confused. I nod in reply, and she checks her watch, her eyes widening.

"My God, time flies when you're reading a good book," she chuckles.

"I'm sure it does," I say, aware of the seconds passing. "So, Mum, Harry invited me over to his place to do some gardening. I'm not sure when I'll be back, maybe early afternoon?"