Road Trip (H.S.)

Chapter 17

Harry

"Harry! Oh my god, wake up!"

I jump at the sound of my name being called out in such urgency. My eyes open wide as I'm suddenly on high alert for anything and everything. It takes me a moment to realize that the car isn't moving and it's almost dark outside.

My nerves bolt throughout my body. Every hair stands straight up in apprehension as I wait for the delivery of bad news. Both my hands make their way over and pat me up and down, making sure I'm still in one piece. Fear suddenly kicks in as I turn my head towards the driver's side, hoping nothing has happened to Felicity. But it turns out I have nothing to worry about because she calmly sits in the seat, a highly amused grin upon her face.

"What's happening? Is everything okay?"

She nods her head and giggles. "Everything is fine. I just needed you to get up."

"You scared the fuck out of me."

"I'm sorry. You wouldn't wake up. I thought you might have died in your sleep."

"Well I didn't," I shake my head and huff. I'm a little annoyed with her brutal wake up call, but that annoyance quickly dissipates. "Where are we anyway? And why are we stopped? Is it time to switch driving?"

Felicity laughs and leans back in the seat. "We're in St. Louis. You were asleep the entire drive. I even stopped for gas, got out and used the bathroom, and you were still passed out. Are you feeling any better now?"

I turn my head to look out the window and sure enough we're in the heart of St. Louis. The city lights are bright and shining right in my eyes, the Arch is just a few blocks away, and I'm pretty sure I can see the stadium in which the Cardinals play baseball. I never imagined this city to look as pretty as it actually is. Buildings tower over us and as the sky begins to grow darker, I can see the faint shining of stars.

"I'm feeling okay. I can't believe I was asleep all that time."

Felicity nods her head and groans. "I know. It was so boring, honestly. Occasionally I'd want to wake you up just so that I wasn't alone."

I really wouldn't have minded if she did. "Now you know what it's like for me when you fall asleep in the car." I sit up straight in my seat and do my best to stretch my legs in the little space that I have. "So did you hit any traffic or get into any accidents?"

"Lots of traffic. And I definitely hit something on the road. I don't know what it was, but I'm pretty sure a part from your car fell off."

"What?!"

"I'm only joking," she grins widely. How does she continue to find humor in my moments of near heart attacks? "Everything was just fine."

I want to shove her in her seat or smack her in the arm for constantly scaring me to death, but I keep my hands to myself. Maybe this will be the last time I let her drive because I don't know how much I can trust her at this point. At least, when it comes to driving.

I step out of the car, instantly being greeted by a cold breeze. I pull my beanie down a little further to cover my ears that are now painfully cold. Felicity steps out as well and walks around the car to stand by me. She holds her jacket together tightly, doing her best in attempt to keep herself warm.

Seeing her shiver right in front of me makes me want to wrap my arms around her to protect her from the cold. I don't know if that's the best move, so instead I place my hands at the side of her arms and rub up and down to produce a little bit of warmth.

I do love the winter time because of the drastic change in the atmosphere. The holiday season seems to put everyone in a happy and cheerful mood, and I can't deny that I love the Christmas spirit. However, I absolutely hate the cold weather that this time of the year brings. I hate that I have to wear seven different layers of clothing to stay remotely warm. I hate that I need to wear gloves just about any time I step outside. I hate that my ears get cold so damn fast. And I hate when it's cold and windy. I'm just really not a cold weather person.