Harry Styles is a California silver spooned college kid who has had his life planned out for him before he was even born. As soon as he gets on track to follow in the family footsteps by going to med school, one, seven minute phone call changes ever...
"You aren't serious, Harry, where is the camera crew?" My mother's dark eyes widen when I give a brief explanation of the situation. My fathers eyes wander and he steps out of the hospital without a word. No one follow him, we know better than to poke a bear.
"This isn't a joke-" I am cut off sharply with a famous Kathrine Styles eye roll.
"It surely sounds like one. Harry darling, you can't even care for yourself. What makes you think you can care for her?" My mother says bitterly like poison seething from her perfectly white teeth. My heart races and rage bubbles under the surface of my thin skin.
"I've gotten along better than you ever did," I bite back as the clicking of her heels step toward me. Keaton tightens her arms around my bicep as the tension builds further in the space between us. It's hot and tightens around our throats as eyes burn holes into each other.
"It's unfortunate you've made a mess like this. It's far to late to... dispose of something like this. Tell me Harry, what's going to happen when things get hard? Hmmm? We both know you aren't capable of staying," she says to me with icy eyes that cut me to the core. Lilah becomes restless in my arms and begins to squirm as I keep an eye contact that feels more like a stand off.
"Dispose of? You realize that's your grand daughter you are talking about right? If you want to talk about capabilities let's talk about them, shall we? But trust me when I say you won't like where this goes," I start feeling a fire ignite and nerves trickle through my bloodstream. A rage that was sure to leave an indelible mark.
"Harry-" Keaton warns as Kathrine arches a brow.
"Should I start with how it's bold of you to claim you were ever there for Gemma and I because you were in and out of Rehab? You were never around! Too busy chasing after your next high or drowning at the bottom of your seventh bottle that day!" My lungs open up and fire away at the childhood memories that were tainted with a sad reality they hid away. Our image was wrapped in pretty plastic to be sold to the wealthy families around us. Everything was so plastic, it wrapped around our throats and choked us out.
"At least I have owned my faults and I know I'm not a good person but I have the balls to admit that. What have you ever taken accountability for?" I breath as Gemma freezes unable to grasp that I was saying the things we had always thought. My body tenses and everyone stays frozen as if they physically couldn't move. "Certainly you never took any while sleeping with dads best friend!"
There was an audible gasp from Keaton and Gemma alike, jaws fell slack to the tiled floor. Katherine's cheeks flushed red as she came up into my face while Lilah began to whimper and cry.
"You don't speak to me like that! Don't forget all the things your dad and I did for you! You are far from a saint in this Harry and the baby is enough of a confirmation of that. And no, fathering a bastard child doesn't save you from everything you've done! You are a reckless, entitled, junkie, and it's pathetic given the life I've HANDED to you!" Her eyes flicker down at Lilah, backing up as I readjust her onto my shoulder. I pat her back lightly but feel her kick and become fussy quickly.
"I've got her," Keaton says reaching for her as I shift the baby over to her. My nostrils flare as I shake my head at the woman I was meant to call mother.
"You don't know the half of what I've gone through! All I have ever wanted was for Gemma and you to have it better than I did! I've only wanted better for you but you ruin everything you touch! EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING!" Her face reddens from the passion bursting from her lungs. "That poor baby doesn't have a fighting chance with you! You'll kill her in the same you do everyone in your life!"
"I never claimed to be a saint. I've never claimed to be anything but what I am, you've done that all yourself. Framing me to be someone I'm not, especially with this medical school bullshit! When does the show fucking end? For so long I've been lost and confused between when the show was over and when reality started. I've had enough, the only people who treat me like a human being is Gemma and Anita! Anita lied to you about being sick and not coming into work because of me, she's been with ME! She was protecting me which is something I don't think YOU are capable of. So let's not talk about fucking capabilities," I storm off and hear Gemma running after me. The aftermath of Katherine cursing and making argument with Anita conspires as I leave the hospital and watch Keaton distract Lilah.
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I pause and take in a breath letting the tension in my body shake me up. Tears well up in my eyes and I wipe at my eyes that sting from the dripping tears. My chest moves up and down as I begin to hyperventilate from what had happened.
"Harry!" Gemma catches up with me and collided into my chest. She wraps her arms around me as I let tears fall from my cheeks. "Thank you," she whispers in my ear as we marinate in a hug. I watch Keaton playfully lift Lilah in the air and baby talk to her, causing smiles to draw lines on the baby's soft pink lips. I keep concentrated on the moment while I hold Gemma in my arms, my thoughts drifted to the two a few feet away. A film glazed over my eyes as if I was watching a movie, a memory from what my life could be. A smiling happy baby and a woman that my heart swelled for.
My thoughts drifted like a shifting ocean, one moment I was happy to have all my crammed feelings out in the open. The next anxiety followed closely behind the relief like a clingy toddler unable to stand on their own. I was scrambled and left my words in the cold lobby of the hospital. I didn't have anything else to say, my mind was consumed by emptiness as I observed from a distance the world around me.
"I can't help but know that she's right," I whisper back to Gemma as she pulls away and looks at me with a puzzled expression. Her big brown eyes search for reasoning to my words as she shakes her head furiously.
"About what?"
"I ruin everything I touch... I kill anything good in my life," I say glancing over my shoulder at Kea and Lilah who sees me and slowly adjusts the baby in her hip to approach me.
"No, that's not true. Don't listen to her, she's a bitter woman that's projected her lack of a self esteem onto you," Gemma says, her face dropping in a sharp instance. My eyes track to Kea who began to scream out in attempts to signal me of what was to come next.
I pivot and feel a splicing pain crack against my side, toppling me over. I take a few steps to regain my balance before I feel a bone crushing jab to the spine. Screams ensue as I hit the ground and come face to face with the threat. My breathing is labored as I see the stark blue eyes that harbor vile disgust.
"Dad stop!" Gemma cries as his hands ball into fists around my jacket, pulling me up to meet his eye.
"Do you feel like a man now? Huh?" He spits through seering eyes. A swift swing to my jaw slams my mouth shut before I have the chance to say a thing. "Huh?"
"DAD!" Gemma screams in a blood curdling yell as he lands another jab to my face.
I regain what little composure I have left and attempt to swing back but miss. "Not so big are you?" My father bites and seethes through his teeth. "What the FUCK is wrong with you?" He screams slamming me against the pavement.
"Get off of him!" I hear Kea scream her voice louder as she comes close.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He shouts once again throwing me against the stone pavement. My sight blurs and sounds blast in my ears as I hear screams and baby cries.
"Stop your hurting him!" Gemma yells, I can feel her intervene but her shoving only aggravated him into forcefully pushing her away.
"Someone please help!" Keaton rings out.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hear with another slam to the pavement where I cough out liquid and close my eyes feeling an intense sleepiness wipe across my senses.
"Someone help us!!" I hear before I hear a bone crunching punch to the gut and fall further into an intoxicating sleep.
