Neighborhood ➳ h.s. au

Eleven

The loud clapping of thunder is what made Ann shoot up out of her bed. Thunderstorms had scared Ann since she was six, which was the time a lightening bolt struck right next to her house. Ever since then, she wanted nothing to do with thunderstorms.

When she looked over at her alarm, she had seen that it was 9:00 in the morning. Which meant that it was Saturday. It was raining on a Saturday. That also meant that Ann had to stay inside all day until the storm calmed down. Although Ann hated storms, at least it was a distraction to keep her from thinking of her wasted state the night before. She hadn't drunken so much in her life. She could already imagine all of the crazy things she might have done.

When Ann's feet hit the ground, her head pounded, and it felt as if someone had a hammer and was smashing the inside of her skull. She wanted nothing more than to go down stairs and take twenty Aleve, but instead she walked over to her phone when it vibrated twice. He eyes rolled when she saw a message from Harry;

Come outside. Bring an umbrella. We're going on a walk.

Ann tugged on her hair and groaned before typing a reply;

Can't. Huge hangover.

When Harry replied just moments later, her eyes narrowed;

Then I'll come to you.

She threw her phone on the bed and ran in front of her mirror, a sigh escaping her lips whenever she saw the state she was in. She looked horrendous! She couldn't see Harry in this state. But, then again, she was hungover. Harry would understand, right?

She could only remember flashes from the night before, and she wanted to bang her head on the ground as she thought of them. Niall. Harry. Marie. Niall's lips. Harry's smile. Marie's obnoxiously loud voice. She wanted to get rid of it all. What if she had said something stupid to Niall? Or even worse, Harry? Knowing her, she would of course say something stupid to the guy that actually seemed to genuinely care for her.

When Ann heard talking downstairs, she grabbed her head and breathed deeply. She had a bad feeling about everything. She didn't even want to go downstairs.

"Ann! Harry's here!" Jewel called from the bottom of the stairs, causing Ann to panic.

She didn't look presentable, and she hadn't even brushed her teeth yet. Harry would think she was some kind of cave woman.

Ann finally gathered up the courage and brushed her teeth quickly before walking down the stairs, her breath stopping when she saw Harry. His hair was dripping small water droplets, and his shirt and pants were drenched from the rain. In his hand he was holding a bouquet of daises, while in the other he was holding an umbrella with a huge hole in the top. Ann couldn't help but smile and laugh at his state.

"Having some trouble?" She asked as she walked up to him and took the bouquet from his hand. "Are these for me?"

He shrugged and grinned. "Well, you had a pretty rough night last night, so this morning I went out and got those. Your mom said they were your favorite."

No, lilacs were. But even the thought of Harry getting flowers for her was enough to make her stomach leap in all kinds of directions.

She grinned and held the bouquet to her nose, her nostrils breathing in the heavenly scent. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

Jewel was smiling at the both of them, and when they looked over to see her excitement, she clasped her hands together and squealed like a teenage girl. "You two are too cute! If only I had a camera." She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes while she thought. "Wait, I think I may have one in my bedroom. Be right back!"

She skipped off and Ann looked at Harry with wide eyes. "Run. Just run. She will take twenty pictures." Harry gave her a confused look and she sprinted past him and up the stairs. "Come on!"

Harry was soon following behind her, and she smiled when she heard his laughs of joy. He made her so happy in ways that she didn't even know were possible. Ann was about to open her bedroom door when Harry's arms wrapped around her waist and spun her around, loud laughs escaping her lips.

For a day with a thunder storm, it was pretty good so far.

Ann was smiling so big that her cheeks hurt by the time Harry had set her on the ground, and she turned around to see that he was grinning widely while his eyes were staring into hers.

"I caught you." Harry was the first to break the silence.

"Congratulations," She replied before pushing him out of the way and going into her room. She still had the bouquet of daises in her hand, and she had wondered how they had even survived their small chase. "So, what brings you here, Styles?"

He cleared his throat and sat down on her bed while she stood at the foot of it. He was nervous, that she could tell. But she had no idea why.

"Last night, when you were drunk, you told me that you were trying to forget about me." He peered up at Ann through his lashes and she had a confused look on her face. Of course she knew what he was talking about. The whole reason why she got drunk was to get her mind off of her stupid, curly haired, gorgeous next door neighbor.

She just couldn't let him know that.

"Did I?" She replied before her feet starting tapping. "I don't recall."

"Well, of course you don't. You were drunk out of your mind." His thumbs twiddled nervously and he turned his head away from her. "I don't know if you like me or anything, but I just wanted you to know that Marie and I are trying to work things out, and-"

"Wait, hold up." She held out her hands and rested them on her bed while anger boiled inside of her. Harry and Marie? She had put him through hell countless times. Why should he ever believe that she would want to work things out? "You want to work things out with Marie?"

When Harry nodded, Ann rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't understand," Harry replied before Ann held her hands up in defense.

"Apparently I don't, do I?" Harry was silent, and Ann rambled on while her eyes practically glowed with fury. "I don't understand how you could go back to someone who has hurt you multiple times in a row. Verbally and physically. I don't understand how you could 'try to work things out' with someone who has even laid their hands on you the way she has."

Now it was Harry's turn to get angry as he stood up and got inches away from her face. "You don't understand, Ann. If I could make you understand, I would, but I can't. Why can't you just be happy for me?"

Because I'm in love with you! Is what she wanted to scream, but instead she replied, "because I don't want to see you get hurt again. And don't say you won't, because I know you will."

His nostrils flared with anger and he ran his fingers frustratedly through his hair, causing water droplets to fall on to Ann's shoulder. "I shouldn't have even come here. You know, I thought I could tell you these things, but apparently not."

Ann's eyes glanced back and forth between his bright green ones, and she felt tears come to her eyes as she pointed to the door. "Just get out."

His eyes filled with hurt then, and she shook her head. "Get out, Harry."

When his eyes transitioned from anger, to hurt, to confusion, and then to hurt once again, he walked to the door and opened it. "As you wish."

She didn't deserve to be spoken to in such a way that she felt like some small puppet. She felt as if she was numb as Harry walked out the door, and she wanted nothing more than to run after him and grab him and tell him that she was sorry, but she couldn't. Her legs wouldn't even budge, and she screamed as a bolt of lightening cracked throughout the whole city.

She was scared of thunderstorms, but not as scared as she was when she thought about losing the only person that seemed to understand her.

Her stupid, wonderful, amazing, bright eyed next door neighbor that had an abusive girlfriend.

Her stupid, wonderful, amazing, bright eyed next door neighbor that she was in love with.