No Matter What // Harry Styles AU -- Dunkirk inspired

Chapter Forty-Five

"Oh my word, would you look!" Lucy squeals excitedly. I hunker down slightly to get a better look out the front window. I nearly lose my breath as my vision is clouded by hundreds of twinkling colorful lights.

"Oh my," I breathe. Hoards of young teens and couples walk past the car, skipping towards the entrance. A lit up ferris wheel whirls against the dusky twilight sky while brightly colored flags wave on top of a sea of pitched tents.

"You two are quite easily pleased," Niall teases as he throws the car into park.

"Hazel, I wonder if that isn't true for our taste in men then?" Lucy asks me as we hop out of the car.

"Oi," Niall says as he shuts his door. "Doll face!" he calls out to her, his arms spread open pretending to be offended. His smiles gives him away though.

"Just wondering," Lucy replies, twisting her body daintily so that her chin touches her shoulder as she smiles. 

Niall's mouth twists into a grin as Lucy takes my hand and together we walk forward giggling. We make our way into the center of the park where we try to figure out what we'd like to do.

"Alright lasses, what'll it be first?" Niall asks. He tucks his hands into his pockets and gives a friendly little shrug. His eyes linger on Lucy and I know he must really want to spend some time with her.

"Why don't you two give the ferris wheel a whirl?" I suggest.

"Come with us, Hazel! We can fit three on a seat," Lucy replies kindly.

Niall nods along and jokingly adds, "I'd be a lucky man to have such company." He smiles.

"I'll join you guys for the next one. Besides, I'd love to have a look around."

"You sure?" Lucy asks, her eyes scanning mine to make sure I'm really okay.

"Yes, of course. Now go, go!" I tell them and usher them forwards. Niall raises an eyebrow at Lucy who shrugs her shoulders in reply. They turn to walk away, but before they completely disappear in the crowd, I see Niall throw his arm around her shoulder. Lucy looks up as her body melts into his side and it's just about the sweetest thing.

I chuckle a little, and then begin to roam around the park. I slowly sift my way through the crowds, admiring the couples who walk hand in hand and the small children who run around with little treats. The night is alive with the shouts of delight and the whooshing of a wooden rollercoaster, illuminated all by colorful lights and smiling faces.

Eventually, I find myself making my way down an aisle of fun booths. From little treats to strange knick-knacks, I take my time to mosey about and appreciate all the little things to look at and admire. As I near the end of the first row, a loud voice catches my ear as it calls above the crowd.

"Ladies! Don't let the fighting up to just our boys! Our country needs us!"

I glance over to see two young gals, not much older than myself, standing in front of the last booth of the aisle. Armed with handfuls of fliers, the two girls call out to the crowd around them trying to grab anyone's attention. I walk closer to the table, not really interested in stopping, but curious to get a better look at their sign, when a group of four young men stop in front of them.

"What've we got here, lads?" One of the men says to his other three friends. Tall and lean, he leers over the two girls. They straighten up instantly. "You two lasses ought to be havin' a bit of fun," he says in a mocking tone. I frown at the sight, hating how easy it is for some rude boy to suddenly have power over someone else.

"What's this nonsense?" says one of his buddy as he grabs at the papers in the one brunette gal's hands. His bundles of clothes hang sloppily off of his weak shoulders and from the paper bags that each of the four men hold, I'm sure they're well on their way to being drunk.