Social Suicide (Texting Harry Styles)

19

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 2018

I stumbled into my apartment around 4 o'clock in the morning. Molly, Harry, and Liam simultaneously stood from the couch in a panic and started screaming at me.

"Where the hell have you been?" they demanded in stereo.

I didn't acknowledge them. I stared ahead of me as I walked to my room.

Harry grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face them before I could reach the doorway.

"Answer me. What the fuck is this?" He held my smashed cell phone in his hand.

"A phone?" I slurred.

"Why did you leave without it?"

"I didn't want it anymore."

"Well, you need a phone in case someone needs to reach you." Molly took it from Harry and tried to slip it into my pocket. "You're lucky it still works."

I backed away quickly. "I don't want it," I started to sob. "He'll call me again."

They exchanged a look. "Who is 'he'?"

I was hyperventilating now. I sank to the ground and wrapped my arms around my head.

"Elle?!" Harry tried to pry my hands away from my ears. He and Molly kneeled down with me. Liam looked worried when I lifted my head back up.

"Daniel," I whispered.

I wasn't sure if Harry remembered his name, and I didn't know if Liam ever knew. But their long silence was answer enough.

"How much have you had to drink, honey?" Moll asked with tear-wet eyes.

I huffed and tried to stand back up. "I'm not drunk."

"Sit down, Noelle."

"No."

She held onto my shoulders and dragged me to the couch anyway.

"Listen to me carefully. Your father is dead. He can't hurt you anymore." Her voice was stern but full of concern. "You just need to sleep this off, that's all."

"I know what I heard. He called me, Molly. He's been calling me for days."

"Wait, what? And you haven't said anything about it?" Harry sat in front of me, looking up with a hand on my knee.

"I didn't know it was him. This was the first time I picked up the phone. I usually don't answer if there's no ID." I was ranting. I tried so hard to get my breathing right again. "I thought it was just some list that I needed to get my number off of..."

"It can't have been him. It was someone who just sounded like him, just prank-calling people." Her voice was convincing, but I wasn't hearing it.

"You don't know!" I cried. "He's capable of anything!"

"What should I do?" Liam whispered to Harry behind her.

As soon as they both looked at Liam to respond, I didn't hesitate. I went inside my room to start packing. I snatched the biggest backpack I had from my closet and tossed it on the bed before walking to my dresser.

They were quiet for a while, just watching, unsure of what to do.

I threw my favorite tees inside and Molly took a step toward me.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

"What? And going where?" Her voice went up an octave.