barista / h.s

9

gif is of another version to sydney ( ariana grande )

C H A P T E R ~ N I N E

Gemma and Sydney ran through the crowded and cold streets of downtown Louisville, in search of a cab or car with Harry and the rest of the band in it. They knew the SDF airport was nowhere near downtown but decided to look there first anyway. So if Harry was not in a car, he was very far away from them.

After quite a while of running with no sighting of Harry yet, the two girls sat on a bench next to a building where Sydney was on the verge of tears. "We're not going to find him, are we?" She sulked, her big eyes looking up at Gemma sadly.

Gemma frowned sympathetically. She didn't want to tell Sydney that the chances were actually quite slim, and Harry was probably at SDF right now. "Just have hope, okay?"

"Okay." Sydney said quietly, but it was obvious she had lost all hope already. "There's one last place we could look, I guess."

"What is it?" Gemma asked. She definitely did not like to see Sydney like this, even if she had only just met her. It was disheartening to see a young girl about her age so sad over her little brother.

"This place I used to work." Sydney explained, and she was already standing up as if she were ready to sprint towards it in that moment. "Starbucks, it was on third street."

Gemma looked at the street sign next to them. "We're on second street now, do you wanna check?"

"Yeah." Sydney nodded, her eyes full of sadness and lost hope. They almost seemed empty but full at the same time. "I think we should hurry, because I forgot my ex-boss' children at the airport."

"Oh." Gemma laughed. "Well, we better hurry then."

♣

When they finally got to Starbucks on Third Street, Sydney was the first to step inside. Gemma followed, and she smiled at the sound of the door chiming. But when she saw that the store was completely empty, with the occasional customer and barista as an exception, both Gemma and Sydney felt like giving up.

"He's not here." Sydney said in a low tone of voice. "Maybe we should just... give up."

"I don't know..." Gemma had a weird feeling. "How about we check a few more streets?"

Sydney hiccuped, which was weird because she hadn't been before. "Okay." She said. "But I have to go to the bathroom first."

Sydney disappeared into the hallway with the bathrooms, and Gemma took the opportunity to look out the window. The streets of Louisville were busy ones, and it seemed like a vast majority of passing cars were yellow ones-- cabs with checkered patterns on the side. People walked dogs and talked on phones while walking, and snow flurried lightly.

Suddenly she heard a toilet flush, and assuming it was Sydney she gazed in the direction of the bathrooms. She felt her stomach lurch when she saw her little brother, and his eyes remarkably widened when he met her gaze.

"Harry." She said lowly, careful so Sydney wouldn't hear while she was in the bathroom. She'd have a fit. "Why are you here?"

"I should ask the same!" He exclaimed, tussling with his hair. He walked over and gave Gemma a hug, then walked to the till and grabbed a drink and a brown paper bag. "Did you come here with anyone, I thought I heard someone else?"

Gemma didn't know whether to speak up or not. But then another toilet flushed, and out came Sydney. She looked at Gemma, confused, then when she looked at Harry she completely flipped. "Harry!" She squealed, and he turned to face her before freaking out as well.