Matching Rings [h.s]

90

POV: HARRY STYLES

"Come on, man." Niall leans on the counter next to me, Louis following his action at my other side. "You've haven't left the kitchen since we got here."

I couldn't tell you how Niall and Louis convinced me to come with them to this party, I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be anywhere until we find Baylin, it hasn't even been a full two days with her gone and my friends are already pulling at my arms to go out with them. I feel bad, who knows where she is. Meanwhile I'm getting drunk at a party I didn't want to go to in the first place.

"I shouldn't have come." I slurped the last drop of my vodka and... whatever I dropped in as a mixer— not that I can taste much of it.

"You think I wanna be here?" Niall reaches and grabs an unopened can of sprite, tapping it and opening the cap. "Last place I want to be is a fucking party."

"You're the one that dragged me here." I give him a deadpan look, reaching to refill my cup with more vodka— choosing to steal some of Niall's sprite and dump it in the red cup as well.

I'm already far past as drunk as I should be, and usually I wouldn't let myself go this far but I made an exception considering my girlfriend is gone. Maybe the alcohol is the reason I don't feel as guilty as I should for being here.

"We only came cause I promised Jamie I'd be here today last week, he kept pushing us to come on this specific day." Niall told me.

"Then why the hell am I here?" I ask rhetorically and quietly only for myself.

"Look man," Niall speaks softer, sympathizing with me, "we can't do anything faster than the cops to find her, so just try to have fun. Okay?"

I stay quiet. Obviously I'm not having any fucking fun.

Everything is buzzing, I'm usually good at hiding my lack of sobriety and today is no different— but anymore after this drink and it'll definitely be harder.

The music and noise is pounding in my brain, I can practically already feel the hangover I'm going to have to deal with tomorrow. I'm praying it'll keep me occupied through the morning so that I don't have to think more about Baylin.

Niall says a couple more words, I don't even know if he was talking to me, then he's prancing out of the kitchen and back into the other room.

I sip my drink and let the potent liquor coat my lips and throat. After my fourth drink, and who knows how long ago that was, the taste of it has completely melted away and it no longer stings my throat. I even go as far as swish it around my mouth, letting it coat my taste buds just to feel something.

"Enough of that, don't you think?" Louis appears and reaches for my cup but fails to grab it when I pull away.

"I'm not that drunk." I completely lie, I'm afraid if I push myself up off this counter that's keeping me up I'll fall flat on my face.

"I know when you're plastered, Harry." Louis' quick to reach for my drink once again, this time successfully taking it away and tossing it in the sink.

I turn to face him, the room spinning. My mind is so slow that once I was facing him, he was already turned away and pouring some water into a new cup for me.

"Drink this," He shoved the water at my chest, spilling slightly on my shirt, "just sober up before midnight. Please."

That please sounded desperate. And for that reason only, I consider.

Louis begins to walk out of the kitchen, but I call out to him, "What happens at midnight? You turning into a fucking pumpkin?" I joke.

Louis' lips creek into a smile, "Just please, it's for your own good. You don't want to be drunk in this house, please."