Hundred | h.s. au

3. Delusions

SURPRISE

So I'm so pumped about this story I'm updating again... whoops?

_____

Today I leave for Galveston. It's just for the weekend, but I still can't help but cringe at the thought of seeing all of my family. I already know I'll be suffocated by questions about living in the city and about my love life... can't wait to tell them I have my eye on about five guys currently.

Well, six if I want to be accurate enough to include Zayn.

Speaking of, after Zayn showed up to my apartment with flowers and his Sophie-above-all mentality, I woke up to him gone in the morning and a text saying how he had to make a quick trip to LA for an event. Go figure.

Of course, Niall was not surprised by this information. I could tell he was a little mad at me for not immediately kicking him out on his ass when he showed up to my apartment but he held his tongue. I could also tell he was close to calling Zayn himself to try and straighten him out.

Anyway though, because of everything with Zayn and a packed schedule at the café, I haven't been able to reach out to Jesse or Finn. By this point I'm sure Finn is already back in Chicago, so that just leaves an awkward meet up with Jesse.

The more I think about the whole situation with these... lookalikes... and the boy from my dreams, the more I want to just figure it all out. I've even looked into Jackson Hughes a bit. It's gotten to the point where I'm truly consumed by curly locks and green eyes.

I'm currently sitting on a bus, yet another charming advantage of going home to see my family: enduring the three-and-a-half-hour bus ride. No matter how much I would love to take Cherry, I know she'd barely last an hour.

Bus rides in the past have been fun experiences for me, I usually like to take the time and think over some of the things I normally don't have enough time to think about around my busy work schedule... but now I feel like I've had too much time for thinking. So the entire bus ride home I blasted music, refusing to allow myself to overthink any more about Zayn or Jesse than I already had.

Thankfully the trip seemed shorter than usual, and I couldn't help but dread climbing off the bus with my duffle—knowing that this would be the last alone-time I'd have for the rest of the week.

On cue when I stepped off, I heard my name being called. I turn my head and see my little brother Cody waving frantically at me as if I would miss him and my parents standing behind him. I offer a small smile and wave before starting over towards them.

As I'm walking, I look around the virtually empty bus station, a couple of families like my own wait around for their loved ones to exit the bus and some hug their's goodbye. It's not long before my eyes catch a figure in the corner sitting on his luggage. I didn't have to approach him to know what he looked like. His curly hair fell just above his shoulders and he wore all white, he remained occupied on his phone instead of looking up at the people around him.

The small smile which I held for the benefit of my family immediately fell once I saw him, but I just shook my head slightly before looking back to my excited family. I'm not dealing with that right now.

Once I reached my family my younger brother ran up and wrapped his arms tightly around me in a hug, and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Dang, Cody, you're getting strong."

He let out a loud laugh as he let go of me. "I know right? Basketball just started back up and they're really working me!"

I smile down at him. He just turned eleven and absolutely adores the ground I walk on, definitely the highlight of visiting home. I then look up to my parents, both of whom have huge smiles plastered upon their faces. "Aw Sophie..." My mom coos, before pulling me into a bone-crushing hug, "we've all missed you so much."