Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

eleven.

My alarm rang at 6:30am and I had to audibly groan. My arms were like jelly and my lower back was on fire, sleeping in and going in later did cross my mind but I decided against it. The painting had to be done.

After my day yesterday, I was hoping for a clean run with minimal distractions so I could get the room done. I was able to get the whole room painted once, the walls needed another coat so that would be today's job.

I still needed to paint the table tops and backs of chairs, the white sills and door frames would probably need another coat after the walls were done, taping the walls wasn't my best skill.

Plus there was the whole, Mr Styles being in the corner judging my every move while also not paying me any attention at the same time, thing.

Just his presence was enough to throw me off my game and I hated it.

I hated him.

I rolled out of bed and stood in the hot shower for almost a half hour. The hot water brought some relief to my tense muscles but not enough to stop the pain coursing through my body.

I stepped out of the shower and inspected myself in the mirror. Almost 95% of the bruising on my body was gone. There was just a small amount left on my stomach. My back, arms, thighs and chest were completely clear. This was the first time in almost 3 years I didn't have fresh bruises.

My toast popped from the toaster and I danced over to the pantry to grab the peanut butter. The music playing from the TV in the living room was upbeat and fit my mood today perfectly. I sang along to the parts I knew as I spread the butter on my toast. I took a bite and continued dancing around the kitchen as I put my dishes in the dishwasher and ingredients away.

The drive to work didn't seem so grim on this grey, rainy day with the radio turned up loud. A station I wasn't familiar with played songs I'd never heard, but the change was welcomed. I pulled into the park alongside Mr Styles' car and ran through the rain to the front doors. I was prepared for him to be in the room today and not even he could ruin my good mood. I slid the classroom door open and was met with a sight I would never have thought I'd encounter.

Mr Styles was in sweatpants, a hoodie and was holding a paint tin.

He must have heard the door open because his head snapped up towards the door and he looked a little embarrassed but quickly recovered.

"We're listening to my music today otherwise I may have to kick the ladder out from under you." My mouth fell open. As much as I didn't want him to be able to say I owed him something, the thought of assistance during the hardest part of the remodel drove me to simply nod my head.

I held my hand out and said, "give me your phone." He pointed towards the desk and I saw the black case with a little silver star sticker in the corner. After swiping up on the screen and expecting to see a password screen, I was shocked to see that he didn't have a password.

The speakers bluetooth connected to his phone and I passed the phone over to him. He hit some buttons, obviously picking his playlist, then I heard the bass travel through the speaker.

*Play Why'd You Only Ever Call Me When You're High by the Arctic Monkeys*

I made my way over to the paint tin he had previously held in his hands and poured some into two roller trays before opening a new roller for him. I picked up my tray and roller and made my way over to the opposite corner of the room that he was heading towards. The paint had dried nicely and I knew this last coat would be all it needed. Hopefully with the two of us painting, it would be finished quickly. Rain shot down on the windows, progressively getting heavier and the clouds rolled in rather quick. Outside was dark, a harsh contrast to the light yellow walls of this room and the carefree attitude I had around me.