The next morning, I woke up feelings so much better than the day before. Harry had left a few hours after our conversation. Before he left, he made sure everything with me was fine. I never would have expected Harry freaking Styles to be taking care of me while I was sick, let alone be my boyfriend. I have to admit, I was pretty damn happy and bubbly. The fact that he was with ME was just… Shocking. My feelings for Harry have grown stronger than I ever would have imagined.

I got out of bed and started to get ready for my last day of work before the holiday. I took a quick shower, trying to relax a little. I threw on a black pencil skirt with a white stripped, collared button-up shirt. I left my hair down, deciding to scrunch it. I head out the door to begin my day, which I was sure would drag on.

When I arrived at Sun-Rise Magazine, paparazzi were there, once again, to try to get some answers out of me. Like I had done before, I just kept walking. Upstairs, I found Suzan sitting behind the counter, smiling up at me, “Good morning.”

I laughed, half heartedly, “It would be better if I didn’t have to push through a crowd of flashing cameras every damn day.”

Suzan smirked, “I take it you’re feeling better?”

“Much better.”

I turned to walk to my office, “I’d imagine I would too if Harry Styles came to take care of me…”

I stopped in my tracks. She didn’t say it meanly, just kind of jokingly. I turned to face her. She was trying to hold back but she finally busted out into snickers. I rolled my eyes, “Nothing happened. He just brought me medicine and soup.”

She looked up at me, face red from her fit, “Mhmm… Did you get desert also?” She broke out into laughter again.

I rolled my eyes, “You know, for being thirty, you sure are an immature twit sometimes, no offense.”

She finally quit laughing and sighed, “I know, but you love me. Not as much as you love Harry, but still.”

My heart dropped. My face became serious, “I don’t love him.”

Suzan rolled her eyes and smiled, “Babe, you are a horrible liar.”

I looked away. I felt totally ridiculous. I had known Harry for such a short time and I had already fallen for him. “It doesn’t matter, Suzan… I just need to do my job. He’ll find out the truth and then, we go our separate ways.”

“Look at me, Aria.” I looked up at her serious face and she continued, “We both know it won’t be that easy. You have true feelings for this guy and he has them for you, which isn’t something many people can find these days. Don’t just blow it for a job.”

I looked down at my feet, “That’s easier said than done, considering the circumstances…”

“Honey, don’t be stupid. There are so many other jobs in the world… But what you have with him? That doesn’t come every day.”

I looked up into her serene, blue eyes. She made it all seem so easy; choose a boy over a job. But it really wasn’t that simple. I hadn’t known him very long and who’s to say that it would last? Choose a boy and lose my job, and then not know if we will stay together? That’s just not how I do things.

I shook my head, “Thanks, Suz, but I just don’t think you can understand.”

With that, I walked to my office, not wanting it to turn into an argument I would regret. I turned on my computer and logged onto my e-mail:

From: Mrs. Kalder
To: Aria Franks
Ms. Franks, I need you to report to my office as soon as possible for an update on your assignment.
-Mrs. KalderII put my head in my hands, lovely. I lifted my head and saw the roses in front of me. I could smell them from where I sat, making me think of Harry. How could a boy that I barely know, carve a way into my heart and leave such a huge imprint on my life? My phone buzzed beside me and I picked it up to see a message:
From: Harry
Hey, babe, I hope you are feeling better :) Just want you to know that our plane leaves at 7 in the morning and the boys want to go to dinner tonight, considering I had to bale last night. Will you come? :)I felt butterflies from reading his text. I replied, telling him I felt much better, thanks to him, and that I would love to come to dinner. I put my phone down and looked up, seeing my computer screen and the e-mail that was still staring back at me. I sighed, angrily. It’s amazing how just talking to him; I can forget all the problems I have to face. But it was still life, and nothing ever goes away completely.
I headed towards Mrs. Kalder’s office, avoiding Suzan along the way. I knocked at the door and Mrs. Kalder waved me in. Like all the times I see her, she was setting behind her desk, typing away at her keyboard. “Ahh, Ms. Franks. Glad to see you back and feeling better.”

I nodded my head as she continued, “I need a progress report. Tell me everything you know.”

She turned to me, staring me down with her beady eyes. I hated this bitch, almost as much as I hated my ex-boyfriend. What if I just jumped over the table and wrapped my hands around her thr-. “I am waiting, Ms. Franks. I don’t have all day.”

I shook away the thought, “What do you want to know?”

“I want you to tell me EVERYTHING. What you guys have done together, what he has said to you, everything.”

“I can’t tell you everything, that’s impossible, don’t you think?” Oh, how I love being a smart ass.

Mrs. Kalder glared at me, “Don’t get smart with me, Ms. Franks. You better get to remembering all that’s happened these last few days and spill.”

I rolled my eyes in my head, “Nothing has really happened.”

She threw her hand down on her desk and her glare intensified, her voice sounding like ice “Do not lie to me. You act like there aren’t paps everywhere, seeing you guys together, and you cannot honestly tell me ANYTHING has happened.”

Oh, how much I wanted to punch that old bird in the face. “Nothing at all,” I smirked.
She laughed without humor, “You’re a bad liar, Ms. Franks. I suggest you tell me the truth right now, or you won’t have to come back after the New Year.”

The smirk on my face dropped. Fuck. Mr. Kalder smiled at me icily, knowing that she hit a nerve. All the thoughts from earlier had returned to my head, I can’t lose my job because of a boy. I told her everything from our dates, to him taking care of me, to all the information he told me about the bands upcoming plans, to him asking me to be his girlfriend. The whole time she was typing on her computer, not wanting to miss anything, I’m sure.

Once I was done she turned to me and smiled, “You made a good choice, Ms. Franks. We all know giving up a job for a man is stupid, especially since its Harry Styles. You must know you’re just another loop on his belt. It’ll just end like all the others. Save yourself the heartbreak. You’re nothing special.”

My mouth fell open. Did that old bat REALLY just say that to me? “You can go now, Ms. Franks.”

I was still standing there, staring at her. I don’t fucking think so. I walked over to her, leaning over her desk, “Listen to me, you old bag, you can say a lot of things about me and things that you THINK you know about Harry, but you don’t know shit. So before you go, running your mouth about him, get your damn facts straight.” I straightened up and she stared at me with her mouth open.

She recovered her face and smiled, “Sweetie, keep on thinking that you’re different and that you know him all you want, but you’re just another one of his tramps he can call up when he’s in town.”

That’s when I lost it; I strode around her desk and whipped her chair around to face me. She looked at me, with huge eyes, “What the hell are yo-.” Before she could finish her sentence, I slapped her across the face as hard as I could. She held her face in pain.

“I quit.” I strode out of the room, adrenaline rushing through my veins. Suzan can up to me, “What just happened?”

I kept walking, “I quit.”

She was still following behind me, “What!? Why?”

I got to my office and picked up my phone and keys and my vase full of roses, “Because she’s an old bitch who doesn’t know anything.”

I turned away from Suzan who was staring at me. I got into the elevator. A feeling of relief flooded through me. I hadn’t quit my job for Harry. I quit it for me. Yeah, I might have to go back to Florida or I might just become a fucking hobo on the side of the street. As long as it meant not having to work for the devil anymore, I think I could manage anything.

I made my way home, ready to pack, and get the hell out of here. I smiled to myself; this holiday was going to be a lot more fun.

Notes

Alert, Directioners!

So??!!! Do you think Aria made a good choice quitting her job? What would you have done? PLEASE review!! Thanks for reading!