The Academy // Harry Styles AU

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Nicole’s POV

Walking out of the last class after taking your last mid terms of the year and then being rewarded with a two week break from school is one of the best feelings ever. Unfortunately though I didn’t get to spend this wonderful day with Harry because his mom came to pick him up about an hour after the last test for him ended so at least I to see him for a little bit, but I already missed him.

On the plus side though I had time to go get him present without him or anyone else around. I had been planning on just doing it when I was going to visit my family, but I knew if I went shopping my mom would force someone to come with me.

Thankfully I got a list form my friends of some options I had for gifts that they wanted before they left campus. I was probably one of the only people who wasn’t leaving campus until tomorrow. I was actually kind of surprised that Harry was leaving today, but for the sake of spending time with his family, I’m glad that he did.

I was now heading off campus and walking down the street to the bus stop. I double checked the map of bus routes that was displayed at the bus stop to make sure the route I thought I needed to go on was correct.

After I did that I sat down on the bench and waited for the bus to arrive. As I did so I kept going of options of what to get Harry for Christmas, but nothing that I thought of seemed good enough. I couldn’t really get him clothes because he basically wears the same thing everyday so it’d be pointless to buy him anything. I suppose that I could get him another t-shirt, but that just didn’t seem very thoughtful, it didn’t seem like it was enough.

He already has a watch and I know that because I’m constantly asking him what time it is, so I couldn’t get him that. I didn’t know what sports teams he liked, does he even like sports? Thinking about all this I was realizing all the little things that I didn’t know about him, like his favorite color or his favorite band. I knew bigger things about him like his struggle with school or his not so good relationship with his mom, but that didn’t help at all when it came to getting a gift.

This was really bumming be out because I didn’t think it should be this hard to think of a present for him. I figured that I was just going to have to make up my mind when I got to the mall instead of trying to decide now. Maybe I’d see something at the mall that’d catch my eye that I would want to buy for him.

Right now I just looked at the short lists that my friends gave me and picked out one or two things to get them from each list. Soon enough I looked up to see the bus finally arriving and driving toward the stop that I was at.

Once it was in front of me I waited for the doors to open and I stepped inside, sitting down in the first seat that I saw that wasn’t next to any random person on the bus. We stopped at maybe to or three more stops before the bus finally arrived at the place I was heading to. I had to walk about a block to get to the mall but I finally made it and walked inside.

I was overwhelmed the moment I walked in by all the different stories and people crowding every walkway. Most people here I’m guessing were getting some last minute Christmas shopping done just as I was doing. I walked into the first store that I saw which thankfully wasn’t as crowded as all the other ones seemed to be. I wasn’t even exactly sure what all this store sold, but I was desperate enough to go into any store I saw if there’s the possibility that it might hold the perfect gift for Harry.

I tried to make myself have more of a positive attitude as I looked for a gift, continuously telling myself that I would end up finding something because I didn’t think it was a good idea to start shopping on a negative note because then I’d probably never find anything if I didn’t think I would.

I needed to have an open mind while I was looking because I may end up finding something great to get for Harry that I never even would’ve considered otherwise.

After having no such luck in the first store I went into, I went into the next store. This store was better for getting the things that I wanted to get for my friends. I ended up leaving that store with something for Christina and a gift that I wasn’t really looking for but I saw and figured that it would be perfect for my mom. Well I guess not exactly perfect, but good enough as opposed to the simple gift card that I usually got her.

I figured that while I was here I might as well try and find gifts for the rest of my family too instead of just the basic gift card. Even thought I’m pretty sure most of my family enjoys getting the gift card because it meant that they could basically buy their own gift with my money, but I actually wanted to get actual gifts for my family this year.

I kept going from store to store and I now had presents for most of my family members except my brother, and then I still needed to get one more gift for Liz and of course I still needed to buy something for Harry.

When I walked into the next store, I found the phone case that Liz had been wanting and I soon found some baseball cards and crap for my brother. I sighed as I continued to walk through the mall. I had been here for just a little less than two hours and I still had nothing for Harry.

I was getting tired of holding the bags that held all the other gifts I bought I really just wanted to find Harry and gift and then leave. I wondered how many gifts I should even get for him. Did he just get me one or did he decide to get me more than one? I’d feel bad if he got me two and I only got him one.

I sighed again as I walked into the next store, nothing catching my eye.

I was trying to remember anything that he had me about himself that would help me decide what to get. The store I was in right now seemed to be more of a music store and I tried to remember anything he said to me about his music taste.

When I pass by the racks of vinyls, I remembered that Harry had once told me that when he was younger his dad had a record player and him and his dad would listen to records on it all the time. When his parents got divorced though, Harry mostly lived with his mom and his dad of course had the record player with him and he never really got to listen to it as much. I wasn’t sure why I even remembered that, but now I was strongly considering getting him one.

They were a bit on the pricey side, but with the luck I been having with his gift so far I figured that it I found something good I should probably just buy it. I hoped he would like it. He never actually said that he wanted one, but he did say that he liked to listen to records on it when he was younger so I guess he could get some use out of it.

I wasn’t really sure what kind of music and musicians he was in to so when I went to look at the records I picked out a few bands and singers that I liked.

I went up to the cashier and paid everything and finally left the mall with all my gifts finally purchased for everyone and I couldn’t be more relieved.