Paper Birds

Chapter Eleven ; Rejection At Its Finest

Clarissa's P.O.V.

Harry had a lot of tattoos. And by a lot I mean over twenty. I ran my finger down his arm, my eyes scanning every one of them. He shivered at my touch. I don't see why, I'm just a person. Now, he's a huge star that everyone loves to death and would kill just to see him and I'm just a person. Why was he so nervous around me?

I remembered when I got my bird tattoo on my back. Max took me, only because he and Robbie had a bit of a falling out the day before and just liked to disobey him when things like that happened. I wanted this tattoo for the longest time, but getting it was one of the most painful things I've ever done, and it wasn't all because of needle. I remember Max telling the guy who was giving it to me, a real monster of a man, that, "if you touch her anywhere else besides her back I will shove that needle down your throat." He laughed afterwards, but the tattooer didn't realize that he was serious. I remember sitting there, grimacing, while Max taunted me, "Are you gonna cry? Huh? Are you gonna cry?" while poking me in the ribs and smirking. 

Max had about eight tattoos and sat there with a straight face through each one. But I didn't cry, so pain tolerance must be running through the family. 

Robbie had a fit, Jonah was disappointed, and Lucas didn't really care. Robbie and Max have never gotten along well, Max being the youngest brother and Robbie being the oldest. I got along well with everyone, really, except maybe Robbie. We fight a lot, but still love each other equally.

"What are you thinking about?" 

I blinked, Harry's voice slicing through my thoughts. I shrugged. "I don't know. You have a lot of tattoos."

He blinked back at me and smiled a little bit. "Do you have any?"

I nodded, his smile growing bigger. "Can I see?"

I felt my cheeks flush as I pulled off my hoodie, thankful I wore a white camisole underneath. I turned around on the couch, blushing harder when he tugged the cami strap off. It was a tattoo of four or five silhouettes of flying birds, all flying towards my right shoulder, right on the blade. He traced each of them with his finger, this time making me shiver. I clutched my hoodie and turned back around to face him, pulling up the strap and throwing my hoodie back on. 

"It's brilliant," he whispered, small quirk on his mouth. I was just about to say thank you when Abby came in and announced, "I'd hate to interrupt your bonding time, but Harry, don't you and the boys have an interview in a half hour?"

Harry glanced at the clock on the wall, jumping up from the couch. "Ah, yeah, I do. Thank you." 

He burst out of the door, leaving me smitten on the sofa. Abby looked at me, eyes widening. "Do you like him?"

I'm guessing she didn't see me kiss him. It was kind of an impulse, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it. I rested my chin in my hands. "I don't know," I whispered. 

----

"They're on." 

My eyes jerked up from the book I was reading [ again, rare, I am not one to read. I was bored and confused ]. 

"Well, turn it on! Turn it on!"

Abby took a seat next to me, her eyes sparkling. "Does it feel good to be a Directioner?"

I rolled my eyes but, yeah, it felt good. I was the only Directioner who an actual member from One Direction actually had feelings for, so that was special.

I didn't recognize the interviewer or the show, but I certainly recognized who was being interviewed. Something stabbed through my heart when I saw Louis. He didn't look the same, and it wasn't just the bruise on his face.