Grade 8

Waking up with no recollection of the night before is never a pleasant feeling. For Lena waking up on the floor of her hotel room a killer headache and a bad taste in her mouth just added to her confusion. With a loud groan and all of the strength she had she sat up. The sudden change in position made her head pound painfully against he skull. It took her another few minutes to finally stand albeit a little unsteadily. Still in her dress from the night before she made her way barefoot to the door of her hotel she figured finding one of her friends would help shed light on what had happened to her.

Everyone was in Cheshire for the wedding which would be happening in a days time. While all of the girls closest to Gemma went to a few pubs in Holmes Chapel the boys stayed with Landon in London for the night but they were due in at any time that morning.

Lena stumbled down the hall until she found Mia's room knocking twice wincing with each hit of her knuckle against the wood. The door swung open faster then expected making Lena's head pound harder.

"I feel like proper shit." Mia leaned against the door one hand covering her eyes. "I need food."

"If I eat I might puke."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

In the dining hall Eleanor was already sitting with food in front of her. In the tables surrounding her more of Gemma's friends were in various states of hungover.

"Louis said the boys will be here in thirty." Eleanor informed Lena and Mia as they sat down across from her plates of random breakfast foods with them. "You look as good as he sounded. What happened after I left?"

"I wish I knew."

Eleanor had left early in the night after the first pub citing a bad stomach ache from dinner as her reason. At that point Lena was only a little buzzed along with the other eleven people in their party.

"You don't remember what happened?" Mia asked around a mouthful of food.

"Well I remember getting to that one pub with the weird yellow couch, but after that it's a bit blank."



"You can't leave!" Lena panicked as Eleanor gathered her things from the table.

"I have a paper to finish."

Lena looked around her eyes wide. Without Eleanor there was only Mia to keep her company considering they were the only two besides Gemma that she knew at this hen do, as the Brits kept calling it. Mia and Gemma had a lot of the same friends so she was thriving while Lena had difficulty finding something to talk about with them.

"Please still a little longer?"

Eleanor sighed but shook her head. "I'm sorry. I really have to go."

It was at this point that Lena turned back to the table of woman grabbed her drink and finished it off. She had high hopes that being even more inebriated might make her social.

"How does it feel knowing this is your last night as a single bird?" Chloe, Gemma's maid of honor asked tipping her glass towards Gemma. "But weird innit?"

"I suppose." Gemma answered diplomatically. "I don't think much will change."

"Everything will bloody change." Sam Teasdale gave her quick nod. "You can't get away for 'im if yer mad. Gotta stick it out."

"That's not so bad." Gemma rolled her eyes.

"What do you think Lena?"

Chloe had turned the question to her all nine girls now staring at her expectantly. "I agree with Gemma it shouldn't be too bad."

That seemed to appease the other girls as they continued to tease Gemma about what she couldn't do once she was married. When they were brought another round of drinks Lena was the first to finish. Nearly thirty minutes later, and four shots later, they had decided to move on to another pub.

"Goodbye ugly yellow couch!"



"You called Harry." Mia filled her mouth with food after making this statement watching Lena go from confused to mortified in a matter of seconds.

"oh shit."

"Do you remember that?" Eleanor was eager to hear what Lena had said to him and vise versa.

"No." Lena groaned losing the little bit of an appetite that she had. "Why didn't you stop me?"

"You wondered off."

Lena remembered wondering off at one point leaving the group of girls as they stumbled back to the hotel they were staying at, or in Gemma's case her parents house. That was where the memory ended for her though.

"Did you happen to hear what I said?"

"Nope. But I heard the tail end of what Harry was saying when I took the phone from you."

"Well?" Lena and Eleanor both looked at Mia expectantly.

"Something about how he fucked up." Mid shrugged. "He sounded pretty fuckin' gone to be honest."

Their conversation came to a quick end with the arrival of the male half of the wedding party. Only three out of the five One Direction lads could make it. Zayn was in America with a friend and Liam was home for the week for his sisters birthday.

"Hi love." Louis kissed Eleanor on the forehead. He still had on a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes from any and all bright lights. "Have a good night?"

"We did. What about you?"

Harry stood awkwardly next to him trying desperately to make eye contact with Lena. Unlike her he remembered exactly what had been said between the two of them the night before.

Lena kept her eyes on her plate pushing the food on it around. Not knowing what she had said to him made her uneasy. She knew how she had felt the night before. Lonely. In her loneliness she had wanted him with her.

"We better start getting ready." Mia set her fork down sensing Lena's panic. "Big day and all."

Harry didn't say anything as they both left the dining hall. He wanted to talk to her so bad he thought he might burst from all of the emotions he was holding in check. He wasn't sure if her silent treatment towards him was because she didn't remember or if she regretted the conversation all together.



Harry picked up the shot glass the clear liquid inside sloshed over the edge as he quickly brought it to his lips. Niall was two shots ahead of him now.

"Fuck yeah!" Niall jumped out his seat arms raised. Even as drunk as he was he was surprisingly balanced as he did a little jig.

Seeing as Niall had beat him Harry ignores the two remaining shots. "Good job mate."

When Louis had suggested The Shot Challenge, first one to finish ten wins, Harry had reluctantly agreed. It was just the three of them the rest of Landon's bachelor party had moved on to another pub. Harry had had enough of Landon's Uni friends for a lifetime.

They were properly sloshed enough alcohol consumed between the three of them to warrant someone picking them up before they got into too much trouble. Harry had made the call to Preston only five minutes before their Shot Challenge.

"I need some air." Harry got up from the table his feet a little unsteady. He managed to make it out the door into the chilly spring air. He leaned against the wall just outside of the pub. The familiar vibration in his back pocket had him scrambling to pull his phone out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry." The words were out of Lena's mouth before Harry even said hello. "I'm so, so, sorry."

"Lena." Harry sighed. "You don't have to be sorry."

"But I am. I should have given you a chance." She sounded drunk which caused an intense worry to work it's way through Harry's body. "I love you, Harry."

"Where are you?" With her confession his body felt like it was floating.

"I don't know." She sounded distant now like she had moved the phone away from her mouth.

"Lena, I'm sorry I fucked everything up-"

"Harry?" There was a new voice on the phone and he thought he could hear the sound of gagging coming from their end. "I'm sorry Harry, but Lena is currently throwing up. She'll have to call you back."

The line went quiet.



The ceremony was beautiful. Gemma looked gorgeous in her flowing white gown. Hair expertly pinned up by Lou, makeup done just right. Lena sat in the back next to Sam and Olly who had gotten to Holmes Chapel a few hours before. Harry was all smiles as he watched his sister say her vows; it made Lena's heart flutter. He looked handsome, as always, in his tux it was hard not to stare. She didn't feel any bitterness towards him now it had been replaced by a longing. She longed to be with him. She was willing to put their past behind them.

At the reception Lena sat at her table; which included Louis, Eleanor, Niall, Sam, and Olly; as Gemma and Landon had their first dance. Slowly more couples began dancing around them. Louis even pulled Eleanor with him to dance. Harry had Lux in his arms as he spun in circles much to her delight. Two songs later Niall convinced Sam to dance with him even though they had come to the wedding separately.

Lena watched Sam and Niall on the dance floor swaying to the song little space between them. They may not have been the laughing couple Lena had first met but she could still see the unconditional love between them.

"May I have this dance?"

Lena looked to her left and there was Harry hand outstretched. Behind him Lux had found a new dance partner in little Olly. They held hands while going in a circle giggling in delight.

Lena placed her hand in his and let him lead her in to the middle of the dancing couples not far from Sam and Niall. He placed his hands on her waist staying an acceptable distance away from her while her hands wrapped around his neck.

"You look beautiful."

"Suits look good on you." Lena tried to hide her blush by placing her head on his chest bringing their bodies closer together. "Although I'm sure you could make a garbage bag look good."

"Thanks, I think."

They were quiet just letting the music fill silence. It was nice for both of them to share this moment. It was the moment Harry had been waiting for.

"I love you."

It was whispered so low Lena wasn't sure she had heard it but when she lifted her head from Harry's chest he was looking at her nervously biting his lip. When he said those three words she remembered saying them to him when she had called. As the realization hit her that she loved him back her chest felt like a light had burst from where her heart was.

"I love you too."

They had a lot to sort out but in that moment none of it mattered, and maybe it should have but after so much time nothing could have stopped them. It felt right to be in each other's arms no harsh feelings getting in the way or old flames causing distractions. He kissed her there in front of his friends and family and finally he felt whole again. Nothing would ever be easy for them but after losing each other once there was nothing they wouldn't do to make it work.