The Hitchhiker

Harry’s POV

Calum gave Tyra a phone number of a friend down in LA telling her to reach out to him if she ever needs help.

It kind of amazes me the way people go out of their way to help this girl, mind you so did I.. How can you not? I mean those eyes.. you can’t just say no to them.
You would think she’d be used to people always helping her, and her being a spoiled brat about it, but she isn’t. And she is still shocked and forever grateful of the people willing to offer her help. Maybe that is why.

Tyra is sleeping, resting her head on the window, while soft country music is playing in the truck.

I’ve been thinking on driving past her home town, making her stop by home to visit her mum, making sure she’s alright.
I wonder if she’ll fancy that. For now I am driving, enjoying the summer breeze and the music, glad she is getting some rest.

I know she hasn’t been sleeping well lately, getting up in the middle of the night, and sitting by the window with Niall’s phone in her hand.
It happen a few times, but I never approach her, reckoning she might want to be alone. That is her time. Tyra time, and I respect that.

“Harry,” The is a soft murmur, and I smile to myself.

“Good morning sunshine,”

“How long have I slept for?” She questions.

“For about an hour,” I shrug.

“Where are we?” She sits up straighter and peers out the window.

“I’m not really sure.. we are almost at ‘Maybe’,” I say.

“Can we stop there? I think it would do us well,” She asks.

“Sure,” Is my answer, maybe once we get there I can talk her into stopping at home.

When we get to Maybe, we stop at the inn we stayed in last time, the boy at the front desk remembers us from a few weeks ago.

“You’re back!” He smiles brightly.

“Blimey you have an outstanding memory,” I state teasing him.

“My teachers say that all the time,” He grins at me, not picking up on my tease.

“ How’s it going sugar?” Tyra pocks me while smiling at the boy, obviously she has noticed and didn’t like me taunting him.

“Ya know.. Hanging, would you like the same room as last time?” He questions her, forgetting about me entirely.

“Sure do, thanks.”
She is handed a key and we head out to get our belongings.

“That Harry, was uncalled for,” She tells me off once we are out of his hearing range.

“I was just making fun, no reason to get all grumpy about it,” I hold up my hands in defense.

“Whatever, come on,” She leads the way up to the room, and I follow her silently, feeling like a little boy who was caught with his hand in the sweet box.
Once we are in the room and Tyra gets into the shower, I go over my speech to get her to stop at home in my head.

I know it sounds unusual but I got to know Tyra quite well and I understand now how her head works.

Once Tyra has her mind set on something nothing can change her course. Her mind is set on finding her brother, and even though stopping to check on her mum for a day or so is something which would be important to her, she still needs a while to process and get used to.
At first Tyra seems as one who does things spontaneously, just ups and goes wherever the wind calls her, but it is not the case.

She only seems that way. It took her a while until she made up her mind to go look for her brother, reading his diary over and over again for weeks. She knew where she wanted to go, where she has to look, tracing his steps. I saw the shock on her face when she met Louis unexpectedly, and the tool it took on her. Even though she was the one who offered to combine our missions together, I could see the wheels in her head turning, making notes about how much it will slow her down. But being the girl she is, always trying to do the right thing by everyone she didn’t go back on her word, and now when we are days away from her home town I think it might be a good Idea to stop there. Her mum is sick after all and it has been a while since she last seen her.

“Harry? Are you alright?” Tyra opens the door to the bathroom, letting the smell of the soap and shampoo move from there and into the main room. I inhale her and nod.

“I want to run an idea by you,” I start. Tyra studies me for a moment before taking a seat on the bed. I shuffle my feet over, and sit next to her, my body turned to face her.

“I’ve been thinking,” I ease in.

“To stop at my home town and check on my mom?” Tyra finishes my sentence for me.

Tyra’s POV

I’ve been thinking of my mom a lot lately. We’ve spoken on the phone, and she says she is doing fine, but her voice isn’t as strong as it used to, and I can tell she is weaker. I also spoke to Tommy’s mom, since she helps look after my mom, and makes sure she has everything she needs. Mrs. Tomlinson told me not to worry, and to keep to my plan to find Niall. She knew how important it is for him to be found and brought back home, though I miss mom, and I am scared I’m being lied to about her condition.

I notice how quiet Harry has been on the road and the fact he is deep in thought. At first I was sure it’s about Megan, and I left him to his thoughts, not wanting to intrude. But as we got closer to my home town, he would state more and more where we are, and I would feel him glancing over at me more often.

“When Harry nods at me I sigh, and lean in to kiss his lips. I feel like crying from Happiness, relief and sadness at the same time.

“Would you come with me?” I inquire pulling back from him.

“Sure, well I mean if you’d like me to come, because you won’t be getting rid of me that fast,” He smiles lightly.

“Yeah.. I would like to stop at home,” I touch his hand and in return he links our fingers together.

“Do you want to call and let your mum know you’re coming?” He asks, but I shake my head. I don’t want her to spend the next few days waiting. She has waited enough for things in her life. I rather her go about her day, and when I get there, I get there.

I lay down on the bed, staring at the sealing. Harry lays down beside me a few moments later, and we stay like that quietly for a while.

“I wonder..” I let my voice trail off, “I wonder if we would have been together if we would have met under different circumstances.”

Harry is silent at first, making me think he might have not heard me, or fallen asleep, but then he speaks.
“I would like to think so, since I was going to break up with Megan anyway, but then if she was still alive, I am not sure I would have come to America, and I don’t know if I would have been driving down that road I have stopped for you on,” He states.

“I wouldn’t have left the house in the first place, I would have probably left for college,”
I tell him, turning to look at him.

“Maybe we would have met on campus,” Harry says.

“Maybe,” I smile at him, and then we both laugh out loud at our maybes like idiots.

The next day we left quite early, and spend the next two days driving straight without an overnight stop. Harry thought it was best if we drive through the night, that way we’ll get home faster. At some point I take over the driving since he was too tired to go on. I let him sleep for a few hours, When I come across the dirt path Harry went off when he first met me. I take it and drive up to the look over. I sit out and look at the landscape thinking everything through. I was scared to come home, my mom expecting Niall to be with me. But then again she will be happy to see me also without him won’t she?

“Tyra,” Harry opens the car door and joins me.
“What happened?” He lays an arm on my shoulder as I look up at him. I haven’t noticed the tears streaming down my face until he notices them.

“Nothing, just thinking, ignore them,” I wipe at my face.

“You want to stay here a bit longer?” He asks softly. I don’t. I want to get home. I want to see my mom. I want to touch her, to hug her. I didn’t realize until now how much I miss her.
Harry takes the wheel and we drive in silence, the radio off too, only the wind blowing through the windows.

It is late when Harry takes the turn into my home town, and I am jittery, bouncing my fingers on my thighs.

“Where am I going?” Harry finally speaks up.

“I er.. Take a left, then another, pass the school… A right over there..” When we get to my street my heart jumps to my throat.

There is an ambulance outside of my house, the lights are on and medics are walking in and out.

“Oh my gosh- no! NO!” I take off my seatbelt before Harry gets to a stop. I am out the car and running up the sidewalk. I push past one of the medics and climb the stairs two at a time.

“Mom?! Mom!” I scream.

“Tyra?” It is Mrs. Tomlinson who comes into view.

“Where is mom?! What is going on?” I am hysterical, but I don’t care.

“Calm down please, or I will have to ask you to leave,” One of the medics tells me.

“I will not fucking calm down! Where is my mother?” I demand.

“Ty, she is on the sofa in the living room, relax pumpkin,” Mrs. Tomlinson tries to calm me, I push past her and move to the living room.

“Mom?!” I call again. This time my shout is answered.

“Tyra?”

The answer is soft and low, but it’s her voice. I see her peek and I let out a cry, letting the tears spill out in relief, she is alive, she knows I am here. She's ok.

Notes

I guys!
It's been forever, I know... But you know how sometimes you need to stop and continue later? So yeah.. Anyway I usually read the chapter over before posting, but i didn't this time so it might have mistakes. If you notice any, let me know and I will fix it.

Thanks for reading x