Hope «h.s.»

Fourty.

Chapter 40:

Harry's POV

"So what do you want again?" Max dared to ask me.

"Cut the bullshit Max. PIPER! Where's Piper?" I felt like scum coming into the house I used to partially live in, screaming at my best friend who might be the only one who knows where my girlfriend is. Max was always my best mate until this year when all this shit happened. I could not believe he was this way now. Even I still had morals.

"What exactly is happening?" Jay, our liaison for our little get-together, asked sincerely.

"Piper is missing. She's been gone for a whole eight days and I know Max knows why," I pointed my finger.

"I have no clue!" Max exclaimed.

"Bull-shit!" I yelled.

"Harry, calm down," Jay said. "What if the Armstrong's moved? What if they left and did not tell you?"

"They couldn't have! Their house is intact! And Piper would never just not tell me something like that!"

"You looked through their house?" Max questioned inflammatorily.

"I swear...." I started to say.

"Calm," Jay said and pushed me back down in my seat. Jay was the biggest of the three of us. He was both a star athlete and a big party-goer, but he always had his head screwed on the tightest out of the three of us. I never admired that about him until this year.

"You know how I feel about her," I said. "I'm not going to explain. But I would really appreciate it if you could help me out."

"I really don't get how you got so caught up with this girl," Max started to say but I narrowed my eyes at him. "But even though I can't relate, I would love to help. But I have no idea how."

"Can't you make a call or something?"

"To who?"

"I don't know. Whoever you work for now." I said.

"You owe me something after this," Max said and grabbed his phone from the table and left the room. "No promises!" I yelled from the other room.

"So Harry Styles is in love?" Jay provoked. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh shut up," I said. "You've been dating the same girl throughout all of high school."

"Yeah. And we have the best sex ever. Your point?"

"Nothing man. Good for you," I said and leaned back on the lounger.

"And you?" Jay asked.

"We're taking it slow," I tried to put into simple words.

"No, no, no," Jay laughed.

"Fuck off. Don't laugh like that," I said.

"Aww man sorry. Didn't mean to make ya blush!"

I swear I was going to pounce on that man. "It's none of your business anyways."

Jay collected himself. "You're right. You must really like her to wait so long."

More like love, the back of my mind said. I just shook my head and half-grinned to Jay.

Max suddenly rushed in. And I jumped to my feet when I saw the look on his face.

"Tell me everything."