
In a Heartbeat
Happy Birthday
I walked downstairs in my pajamas, hoping everyone was asleep, because if one (or all) of the boys were up, I wasn't going back upstairs to change into legit pajamas.

I stumbled into the kitchen because I forgot to turn on the light as usual and I couldn't see anything. I felt my way around the kitchen, hoping to reach the refrigerator without much more than a bruise to show for it. Suddenly, something grabbed my arm and covered my mouth. After my brief moment of panic, I realized it was just a hand. I stuck my tongue out and licked the hand, then ran to the light switch and pressed it. I whirled back around and saw it was just Harry.
"Ew! What was that for?" he said.
"Don't cover my mouth with your hand. I will lick you," I answered, walking to the fridge.
"I can see that," he said, wiping his hand on a towel. "What are you doing up so late anyway?"
"What are you doing up so late?"
"I asked you first."
"I asked you second," I replied, smiling at him briefly before I opened the door.
"I couldn't sleep. Now why are you up?"
"I'm always up at this time. I haven't slept for more than four hours since Will died," I said, getting out the chocolate syrup and the milk. "He used to come into the kitchen every night and make hot chocolate. And when he decided I was old enough, he woke me up and made me hot chocolate, too."
"Was it any good?" Harry asked, sitting on the island.
"It was better than any restaurant hot chocolate I've ever had," I answered. "That's what he wanted to do, you know. He wanted to open a restaurant-bakery-coffee shop when he was old enough. He said I would be his first employee."
"I used to work in a bakery. Before the X-Factor and One Direction," he said.
"Do you ever miss it?"
"Miss what?"
"Not being famous. Like, you could get up and walk around town and not have to look 100 percent perfect. Or knowing that you have real friends that aren't just pretending to be your friend because you're famous," I explained, taking the whipped cream from the fridge and closing the door.
"Sometimes," he said. "But I wouldn't trade this for the world."
I stirred unsweetened cocoa powder and TONS of sugar into mugs of milk and stuck them in the microwave, then hopped up on the counter next to Harry.
"I'd miss it. Being a nobody, I mean. But I want to be famous, too, you know? So I can show the people that told me I'd never be somebody that I am somebody," I said, looking down at my hands.
"But you are somebody," he said, lifting my chin up. "You just have to make it happen."
Just then, the microwave decided the hot chocolate was done and ruined the moment by beeping loudly. I hopped down from the island and took the mugs out of the microwave and scooped whipped cream, drizzled honey, caramel, and chocolate syrup on top, then finished it of with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a cherry. I carried the mugs carefully over to the island and gave Harry a cup.
"I don't care if you don't want it. You are going to drink it. Will's hot chocolate has to be shared with somebody other than me," I said. "Follow me and don't drink it yet."
I grabbed his free hand and pulled him up the stairs and into my room quietly so as not to wake Katrina, where I grabbed a sweater, my pajama pants, and a ruler, then opened my window and climbed out onto the flat part of the roof. I put my stuff down and climbed back in the window and grabbed a candle and a lighter.
"You coming?" I asked him.
"Is the roof even flat?" he asked warily.
"No," I said sarcastically. "The roof is at a 90 degree angle. That's why I'm sitting on it. Now get your butt out here and watch the sunrise with me."
He did as I said and climbed out the window. When he sat down, he gave a low whistle as he looked around. "This is quite the view."
"Okay, now put your hot chocolate in the snow," I instructed him, setting the candle on the railing and lighting it.
"What?"
"Put it in the snow," I repeated, setting mine down. Harry did the same with his and I watched the ring of melted snow around the mugs grow bigger and bigger. I took the ruler and measured the ring. "See the melted snow? Will and I used to put our mugs in the snow and wait until it had melted to exactly half an inch before drinking it." I picked up both mugs and gave Harry his. "Now you can drink it."
"This is good!" he said, taking another sip. "What's the candle for?"
"Today would've been Will's seventeenth birthday. Even if he's not here, he still has to have a candle," I said as a tear ran down my face.
Harry put his arm around my shoulders and started singing "Happy Birthday".
As we finished, I whispered, "Happy birthday, Will."
And just as if he were there, the wind blew out the candle.
Notes
Stare at the part of the chapter where the word "light switch" is used. Say it a few times. It sounds weird now, doesn't it?BTW: Kat still doesn't know that 1D is at Mel's house. That's for Chapter 26 or 27, depending on whether I want to do a Harry POV version of this chapter.
HEY. Your official-unofficial announcements sadden me. No promises or not, I really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY hope you decide to eventually continue. I won't even be mad if you do a rewrite but dude, you gotta do something. I WILL DIE IF THIS STORY DOES NOT CONTINUE.
5/2/16