My Sister's Big Fat Wedding

True Love Haunts

I stood in front of the crowd as they cheered for me. I had given an impressive ending to a speech I had been practising daily in front of everyone. I bet they knew the speech by heart now.

"Thank You." I said confidently into the mice. I looked at the seniors of the University. I was here some time ago and it felt like ages. I walked backstage away from the harsh lights and finally breathed in. It felt good, foreign to be standing in front of so many people and presenting something.

I texted everyone letting them know how it had gone and walked towards the girl wash room. As I walked in I look at my reflection. I see a confident lady standing there as compared to what I had been a few months ago.

My hair was short, it had grown out of the bob and my eyes shimmered with excitement. My skirt and shirt looked good on me and once I wasn't wearing sneakers but heels which I had borrowed from Jas.

I wash my face and walk out with my backpack in hand. I hear someone call my name just as I was putting my earphones in.

I turn around but find no one I know looking back at me or even walking towards me.

Odd, I think.

_

I run up the stairs, as the lift was out of order and nearly gag as I reach our floor. Saying I was out of shape would be an understatement. I was basically a walking, talking sack of potatoes.

"Oh My Gods Alia, I am so proud of you." Perrie yells as she throws herself at me. I stumble but catch myself just in time and hug her back.

"It was great, and thanks for the enthusiasm." I say, hugging her tightly as I possibly could.

"Oh my little sissy, you've outdone yourself." Zain says as he repeatedly kisses my cheek though I shove him away.

Everyone has something encouraging to say and Louis even gets me a gift, though it's just a sock, which I had lost and had 'magically' turned up in his cupboard.

I am sitting in the same clothes my feet on the centre table about a dozen of the buttered popcorns in my hand as I watch a rerun of Friends. I pop them in and laugh as Chandler says something hilarious, though I nearly choke.

The bell rings and I walk lazily towards the door, the sock still in hand. It was probably Liam or Niall; they still had to wish me.

I open the door wide enough for them to walk in and don't even bother looking up. I munched on the popcorn and returned to my seat when the person let out an awkward cough.

I couldn't see who it was as the door completely covered the figure.

"Stars, Liam, just walk in. And if it's Niall, I hope you brought the Twix you promised." I say in a huff.

"It's not Liam or Nate or whatever names you said, Alia." I freeze. It all came back, way too quickly.

What was he doing here?

I walk up, shaking, trembling, coughing on the kernels and wade towards the door.

There he was the same unruly hair, the same dimpled smile, the same green eyes, the same...Harry.

_

I fight back the urge to collapse and look at him, my mouth dry and my stomach fluttering.

Then I remember Maya... that's when it stopped and my eyes turned cold, ice cold, like I had practised. I let him in once, twice maybe, but this isn't going to happen again.

I almost shut the door on his face but then curiosity took over some of the jealous anger.

"Why are you here?" I ask, coldly, bluntly, I don't care about him.

It was all a lie and he knew me too well.

"I wanted to ask you something." He says simply. His eyes never leaving my face, observing, reaching for some emotion I may show.

I try not to let anything seep through the cracks. Keep it together, Alia.

"Go on, I don't have time. I am busy you know." I say, showing that I don't care, but I do, I do.

"You're watching friends, and you have a sock in your hand, I wonder what you could be doing." He says, seriously but breaks into a grin. I flush which only increases the intensity of his grin.

"Look, that's honestly none of your business. So what are you actually here for?" I wanted him to deny that I was still his business. That somewhere, somehow in the three months away from me he had realized that he did like me.

"I am actually here to ask you to plan my wedding."

I pause.

My heart pauses.

My lungs pause.

But he keeps a neutral face.

I knew just then. I shouldn't expect anything from him, its always the root cause of my breakdowns. I wanted to slap him, to pull his hair, to make him realize that I was here all this time, waiting, emailing, and texting while he sat and sought out a bride.

Those six months that he spent with me had proven worthless, but he did owe me a message back. I had sat and typed essays, poured my heart into emails, just begging for forgiveness and he hadn't replied to anyone of them.

I had paled, the sock shook along with every inch of my body and I wanted to tear the door from its hinges and smash it against his handsome face.

But I would still love him

He would still be the same to me.

He doesn't get that.

No one ever will because the way I feel is the way Perrie feels about Zain and it can't be described. I shut my mouth realizing its wide open.

"Who's the poor girl?" I finally choke out, managing a smile. I was over him, or at least let him think that.

"You've met her before, actually, Maya, you remember her?" He asks.

Obviously I do.

"No, I don't recall her." I say, cool, be cool, Alia.

"Well, she's my father's client's daughter so it was bound to happen." He says, nervous now, shifting from leg to leg. I look away and pretend not to feel what I am feeling, what I am thinking.

"Who are you?" I hear someone ask, and my head whips in that direction. It's Louis and Zain. I jumped.

"I am Harry..." He says, uncertainly, uncomfortably, he should be.

"I know, but what are you doing here?" Zain asks.

"He was here of his own accord." I jump in and usher them inside the house, all the time covering from his stern gaze.

"I'll let you know." Is all I say before shutting the door right in his face and falling down in front of it. I cried. I had to let it all out.

I was stupid, naïve, to even think he would fall in love with me. But I had, completely and unreasonably fallen in love with him, and I wished I could forget it, because everything reminded me of him and it hurt to know that he was okay while I bled to death in front of him.