A Heart of Gold

Chapter 7

"What the hell are you watching?"  Jenny demands.  "What's with the screaming- sounds like someone is being murdered in here." I hardly lift my eyes from my phone to acknowledge her as I sit at my desk, my lunch untouched in front of me. I am methodically reworking my way back through concert footage, starting with most recent first. 

"Jenny, I can't stop.  He's just... so..."

"Dreamy.  Yeah, yeah- I get it. C'mon, you need to come to the lunch room."  She takes my phone from my hands and slides it into my lap drawer. "Come get your mind off of him, talk to other adults.  Your boy band days are over.   Plus, I need you to help me make fun of Karen. I watched her elbow kids out of the way to get to her car yesterday after school, and I think Jane saw it too. Honestly, I don't know why that woman is even here," she rambles as she pulls me from my chair.  "And speaking of Jane, I think I actually saw a wrinkle on the back of her suit jacket today.  Maybe even a scuff on her patent pumps!"

I giggle against my will. 

"See?" she laughs, too.  "There is so much to discuss!"

"He's been texting me," I say seriously.  "Like, every day.  Trying to get me to meet him.  I just can't, Jenny.  I'm still so embarrassed ."

She sighs loudly.  "You were going to let this go, remember?  Tell him no, when you see him at his studio just act disinterested, he'll see he's not gonna get anywhere and he'll move on.  Now c'mon.  Let's go."

*

"Don't forget your to take home your biographies, see if you can get some reading in tonight." I remind my class as they pack their backpacks.  The usual sounds of chairs banging and kid chatter halt and several voices yell, "Miss Jacobs!"

I turn, expecting to see a tousle or something broken, but it is Harry standing in the doorway.  He holding a bouquet of white daisies, their feathery heads and yellow centers smiling at me.

"Harry! Harry!" the kids yell, and rush forward to drag him into the room, but I stay frozen to my spot. 

He comes to stand close to me, too close, given where we are.  "Harry, what are you doing here?" I whisper to him as I take the flowers, feeling twenty-six pairs of eyes on my back.

"You can't run from me here, darling." he whispers back, a mischievous glint in his bright eyes and a matching smirk on full display.

"Did you tell them yet?"  I don't even know what he is talking about because my brain is trying to process the fact that Harry Styles has just brought me flowers.

He turns and explains to my class his invitation to watch the finished version of the Kiwi video in his studio, and they cheer again. The bell rings and they are out the door, buzzing with excitement about the trip. 

"How did you even get past the secretaries?"

"I'm very charming," he laughs. "Can we talk?"

I breathe deeply.  "Umm.. sure.  But not here."  I have visions Jenny coming in and scolding me, or even worse, Karen.

I lead him out the door at the end of my hallway to the playground behind the school.  Gesturing grandly toward the swings I say, "Welcome to my office."

He grins.

We each take a swing and sit, dig our heels into the gravel and sway gently back and forth.  We move opposite each other, out of sync, and my heart drops at the symbolism. I am quiet.

"You dashed from that café like your chair was on fire."

"I know."  I don't apologize.

"I felt like you enjoyed yourself at the taping, though... and when we talked in your classroom?"