Festive One Shots

The Cottage

Another article submitted to be published, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Freelance political journalism is fine - it's what you're good at and what you enjoy, but in amongst the absolute carnage that is Brexit, hundreds of publications and newspapers are after pieces reporting on it, and you are just one of many to spit them out like a well-oiled machine.

You recline in your chair as you release a long breath, rolling your head back for a moment to stare at the white ceiling above you. You'd sent out five articles this week about one thing or another, and you feel your head might explode if you do any more.

You need a drink. A stiff one.

Shutting down your computer and removing your glasses from your nose, you stand and shuffle through to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine. Your phone begins to ring in your cardigan pocket, and you grin at the name appearing on the screen.

"Ah, my absentee housemate! What can I do you for?" You ask teasingly, taking a sip from your glass and surrendering to the large sofa in your tiny living room.

"I know I said I'd be back soon but something came up!" Sarah gushes, sounding a little embarrassed at herself.

You chuckle at your friend, reaching for the remote for your oversized TV. "It's fine, are you making a return ever?"

"Yes!" Sarah giggles, sounding a little breathless. "Tomorrow actually, and I think I've found someone to occupy the spare room."

"Oh, amazing!"

The third bedroom in your house has been left empty for months since you're too far out of the city to rent it to anyone who can't make the commute to Bath or work from home. It's been burning a hole in your pocket, and you're lucky that Sarah still pays her cut even when she goes away. "Who are they and how long for?"

There's an awkward pause on Sarah's end as a hushed conversation continues. "Well it's an indefinite amount of time... but at least three months."

"I can work with that..." You nod slowly, pursing your lips whilst struggling to turn the TV on. The batteries in the remote need changing and you're just too lazy to do anything about it. "So who is it? Anyone I know?"

Sarah clears her throat and sighs. "It's Harry."

¬

You don't dislike Harry. He's exactly who you'd expect him to be; polite, charming, lovely smile and infectious personality. You'd got on well to start off with, but then again you've only met him a handful of times, and each time seemed to get that bit more awkward. And something about him winds you up. The way he entered a room and everyone seemed to stop what they were doing just to look at him. Like, yeah he's Harry Styles, but does that mean you're suddenly incapable of doing anything at all?

Sarah had been living with you for over a year when she got recruited into Harry's band. It was exciting for both of you since you're fans of his music and One Direction, but it left you a little lonely. You knew you were being a little selfish about it, but Sarah is your best friend and housemate, and all too often now you find yourself without either. There was no doubt in your mind that she'd move out soon to move in with Mitch, and probably halfway across the globe.

Now Harry is occupying the tiny vacant room in the house for at least three months for an unknown reason. Well, unknown to you, anyway. And he's due to arrive with Sarah and Mitch any second now, and you only worry that the room is just too small for a well-travelled man such as Harry. Perhaps it would be alright? You've cleaned the small space three times over just to make sure the room was in good condition, even for a famous star. You're certainly not embarrassed at its state, but you just worried it might be a little bit on the boxy side...