leather journal / h.s

23

M A R Y

"oh my god, how long have you been out here?!" i exclaimed when i slid the balcony door open, only to reveal a freezing and shivering harry holding his phone.

he just gave me a cheesy smile. god, if i wasn't so helplessly falling for him i would think that he was the most annoying and clingy friend to ever exist. like, why wouldn't he leave me alone? but in this case, i didn't mind that at all.

"about half an hour." he smirked, and plopped himself on my bed like he lived there. i immediately panicked and pretended to trip, and when i was on the floor i slid his journal under the bed. this was going to be a major problem if he kept popping in like this without forewarning.

but still, i felt endless sympathy for him. "you must be so cold." i whined when i stood up. harry just stared blankly at me. "if you would've told me that you were out there earlier, i would have let you in sooner."

he shrugged with a goofy grin. "sorry that you told me to stay away from you." he said slowly, his words drawn out. "i just tend to get attached to my friends. i have quite a lot."

"really?" i sat on the bed next to him. as much as i needed him to stay away from me to minimize how attached i got to him, i couldn't help but enjoy his company. "i couldn't imagine you having any friends at all, actually." i teased.

he slapped me playfully. with his hands being as big as they were, it actually kind of hurt. but i didn't want him to know that. his apologies would last a lifetime. "i have louis, liam, niall, zayn. cara too."

even though i was thinking about what harry wrote about louis in his journal, my eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "cara devangeline?" i gasped. "and didn't zayn quit the band? i didn't think you two would keep in touch."

harry sighed. "zayn is still a part of the band, even if he's not making music with us. just because he left the career doesn't mean he left our hearts."

"awww." i gushed. "so sweet. you must be a great friend."

"yeah." he nodded, staring into space. i wondered what he was thinking about. "but yea, it is cara devangeline. we've been friends for a while and every time we hang out people think we're dating but we obviously aren't because she's a--"

"lesbian." i finished for him with a sad smile. "do you wish she wasn't?"

instead of answering my question that i was actually dying to know the answer to, harry perked up and started singing. "is it crazy, we finish each other's..."

"what?" i frowned. he sounded crazy, but he did have a beautiful voice. i had to give him that. "what are you talking about?"

he was immediately disappointed. "you were supposed to say sandwiches." he groaned, burying his head in one of my pink cushioned pillows. when he pulled his head up, he said, "we finish each other's sandwiches. have you not seen frozen?"

actually, i hadn't-- but all these people quoting it and singing it and dressing up as it for halloween told me everything i needed to know. id already seen enough to know i didn't want to watch it.

and for some strange, foreign reason, i didn't want to lie about the fact that i hadn't.

"no." i said truthfully, which was a first. "i haven't. sorry, i don't get your cheesy jokes."

he shrugged again. "doesn't matter. but no, i don't like her like that. i mean she's pretty, because im not saying she's ugly at all-- and actually, all girls are pretty, im just saying that's--"

i covered his mouth with my pointer finger. "you can stop rambling now." i consoled him and he gave me a content smile when i pulled my hand away.

"thank you." he grinned.

"you're welcome." i said back, unable to contain the smitten smile that was making its way onto my face. harry just made me smile, and no matter how hard i tried i couldn't stop the happiness he brought me. "would you like something to eat?"

he stayed silent for a moment, which worried me; but then he spoke up. "i heard you're going out to eat with your family later." he commented and my heart sank. i had totally forgot about that.

"i would have invited you to come, but they don't even know we're friends. if they did, they would flip."

harry stared into the comforter. "i get that. maybe this was a mistake." he said, deep in thought, and the fact that he had even thought that ripped my heart to shreds.

"no." i pleaded. if there was anything i wanted more than anything else, it was for harry and i to at least stay friends. "you're my best friend, harry. please don't tell me you think that our friendship was a mistake."

his dimples popped out, a small giggle escaping his light, plump lips. "i didn't mean that our friendship was a mistake, idiot." he joked. "the fact that i hopped your fence to get into your backyard and climbed the ladder to your balcony was. because now i can't even eat with you guys."

knowing he did all of that just for me made me feel really bad, like i owed it up to him.

"maybe i can ask my mom." i gave it a second thought. "but you're going to have to wear some sunglasses and a hat or something."

harry gave me a thumbs up. "do you have any?"

"luckily, i have a pair of ray bans and a packers hat."

harry beamed at me. it was obvious that he was a fan. "thank you." he said, his voice genuine and smooth, and it had to be the reason i woke up every morning. "for all of this. you're being so nice to me."

"you're welcome." i said plainly, but deep down i wished that he knew my motive for treating him like a prince. well, firstly, he was one, but there was something below the surface that i think harry was too narrow minded in his own world to see. if he took good notice, he'd realize that every day he climbed through my window or knocked on my door, my heart grew bigger and bigger for the boy who had so kindly bought me starbucks when i met him. there was no stopping that.

"mary?" he asked as he fit the hat on his head. it was a perfect fit.

"yeah?" i smiled, doing my makeup. i was going to keep the outfit i was wearing on, but put lipstick on and some light blush. maybe some mascara since harry would likely be coming. "what is it?"

he stared at me blankly from across the room, but i could tell that he wanted to smile. the edges of his mouth began to twitch. "did you mean what you said?" he asked, his voice full of hope.

"said about what?"

he played with his thumbs and the tip of the cap. "about me being your best friend. and not thinking our friendship was a mistake."

i nodded in an instant. "of course i meant that harry." i said carefully, because if i slipped i would end up pouring my whole heart out to him. "you're the best friend i could ever have. very supportive and i don't think even penny, when we were friends, would have done all that parkour you did just to talk to me."

his smile could've lit up the whole room. "im glad you think that." he said, pulling out his phone and using his quick thumbs to type something quickly. right after, my phone chimed and i checked it only to see a text from harry.

harry aka bae: because i wouldn't trade this friendship for anything in the world, mary. <3