Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 35

“You know most people like to breathe while eating at the same time,” I tease Nolan.

He looks up at me with a glare, milk dribbling down his chin, before bending over his cereal again to stuff more food into his mouth.

“I don’t have a lot of time, Jackie.  I’m in charge of the animals this morning and I woke up late.  I don’t want to get into any more trouble and risk being moved from Detention Barn.”

I raise my eyebrows at him.  “You’re in charge of the animals?  That job is only for people who did something bad.”

I pause, waiting for him to explain to me what he had done this time, but he ignores me as he continues scarfing his food down.  "What'd you do?” I finally ask him.

He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.  “I just threw a couple eggs at Drew’s window…it’s no big deal.”

He smirks at me before shoveling one last bite into his mouth and standing up abruptly to clear his bowl.

“I’ll see you at the shop,” he says.  “I have to get going now.”

I barely get the chance to say bye to him before he’s already out the door, making his way to the farm.  He hobbles up and down as he runs, trying to put on an unlaced work boot before the other without stopping from his quick jog.  He nearly trips over his own feet in the process, making me laugh.

Nolan is such a mess sometimes.  It’s a mystery to me how he’s still alive.  I bet he was one of those kids who was late for everything—the one who needed to be reminded to do something about a million times before he finally remembers to do it.  My brain can’t even comprehend how he's one of the eldest of six children in his family and yet, he’s the most unreliable and irresponsible person I have ever met.  It’s scary to think that he was considered to be the ‘man’ of the house if his father wasn’t there.  I can’t imagine him being prepared for anything or taking charge of his younger siblings.  The only thing I can see him doing is bossing people around and teasing them—the typical older brother job.

But, he’s funny, nice, and caring so I guess that makes up for his cluelessness and his irresponsible ways.

My iPod lights up on the table beside me, interrupting my thoughts about Nolan and his family.  I open the texting app, waiting for it to load.  I already know who it’s going to be from.  I can feel the smile already spreading across my face when I see his name at the top.

<From: Harry<3> Good morning, Sunshine. Don't forget to charge your iPod before tonight.  I can't wait to see your smile...I mean...if I can see it in the dark...because it's going to be dark tonight when we leave.  Maybe it won't be that dark.  I mean, it is going to be midnight so...it'll be a little dark...really dark.  But we’ll have a flashlight...I can't wait to see you tonight .xx

I chuckle at his awkward sentences, quickly replying back with a smile on my face the whole time.  I stare at the little heart next to his name every time I see a new message from him.

---

Jay was gone for most of the day.  He had to ‘take care of some business’ and threatened Nolan and I ‘not to move a muscle otherwise there won’t be any muscle left to move’.

I listened to him and so did Nolan.  In fact, we just sat in the shop and talked the whole time until Jay came back and unlocked the door for us to leave.

I sit on my bed now, feeling exceptionally jittery for tonight.  Nolan is downstairs in the kitchen, and Jay has retired into his shack, leaving me alone in my room with my anxious nerves fluttering in my stomach.  I look at the iPod in my hands before my fingers finally twitch over the keyboard as I text Harry a simple little ‘hi’.