[HarryStyles] Pop Meets Hardcore

Eight.

“I hate your fans.” I don’t realize how terrible it sounds until Louis sighs heavily, like he’s offended and takes it personally that I think his fans are assholes. But, seriously, who the hell thinks that punching someone in the face is a reasonable reaction to finding out she’s dating Harry Styles. I'm not even dating Harry Styles!

Okay, well, people think that I'm dating Harry Styles. So, in a way, I am dating Harry Styles. I still didn’t need to get punched in the nose for fake dating him. I didn’t ask for this. There was no reason to punch me in the nose. Dried blood is all over my jawlines and it’s not attractive. I'm pretty sure that there are going to be millions of pictures of me getting punched, our reactions, and the blood gushing from my nostrils all over the internet and television.

Niall sits down beside me, handing me a brand new, soaking wet towel for my nose. But, really, I don’t know if it’s for my nose or to wash the blood off of my face. Gingerly taking it from his hands, trying to seem nicer than I've been acting, I drop the towel I had pressed against my nose to my lap and press the new one against my throbbing nose. “We’re all so sorry that this happened to you, Braelyn. I didn’t know our fans were capable of something like that.”

“It seems like something her fans would do,” Liam whispers, trying to keep it hidden behind his breath, but I hear him, and I roll my eyes, letting him know that I heard him without starting an argument. My fans would never do that, because my happiness means something to them, something good. It doesn’t awaken violence in them and no fan of mine would ever put their hands on someone I'm dating or even have a crush on. That’s just insane and stupid.

Shaking his head, Zayn lets out a humorless, low, laugh. “Her fans aren’t like ours. She can walk somewhere and not get mobbed.” Something in his voice shouted out that he hated this, all the fans that follow their every move, that they can’t have a normal relationship because their fans make it as hard as possible for them.

To me, this all makes sense, as to why Simon would want me to do this, because I don’t have fans like the guys do. My fans aren’t even close to as worked up about my life as their fans are of their lives. Sure, some fans are going to freak out and be angry about me dating Harry Styles, but I know they would never say anything or do anything to him. “I don’t think I want to do this anymore.”

For once, I realize that I say something out loud that was meant to stay in my mind. Harry, shocked, turns to look at me, and for a second, a split second, maybe not even a full second, I'm almost positive that I see hurt in his eyes, disappointment, because for some reason I'm a source of normalcy. But, that vulnerable look disappears quickly into one of amusement and happiness. “Go ahead. I would rather not be in a relationship with you anyway, real or fake.”

As much as I want his words to go in one ear and out the other, I can’t, because it hurts. I don’t know what’s wrong with me in his eyes. Sure, not everyone is a fan of mine, but I didn’t do anything to him. Isn't he the one that said he always wanted to be one of those people who didn’t care much about what other people thought about him but he just isn't one of those people? I'm the same way, and he just, expectations suck.

I thought he was going to be this charmingly sweet guy with compassion and social skills. Maybe he is. A lot of people say that he is. But, maybe he just isn't that way with me. Like he’s said before, I can deal with criticism, I really can, but when someone simply doesn’t like me I want to know why. I want to understand what I did to make him hate me.

All I did was agree to be his fake girlfriend.

“Harry, that was uncalled for, mate.” Louis steps in, but I wasn’t going to say anything anyway. I wasn’t going to respond to what he said. Honestly, I couldn’t even think of something to say. I'm not in the mood to make him even more of an enemy. “Braelyn, ignore him, okay, love? He’s a tad stressed at the moment and he’s taking it out on you, which is wrong of him.”

Nodding my head, I force a smile, shrugging my shoulders, as if getting punched in the nose wasn’t enough to deal with today.

Niall bites down on his lower lip, sending a glare in Harry’s direction. “Braelyn, we need you here. Harry needs you here, too. He doesn’t like needing someone.” I don’t really know many people like needing someone. It’s not something I like either, but I'm never a nasty person because of it. At the same time, I shouldn’t be judging him if we’re going to be spending months together.

“I think I'm going to head home.” Standing up off of the couch, noticing that my voice is slightly off because of the pressure against my nose, I force a smile. “I have some stuff to get done or my management will kill me.” Lie. I do everything that I have to do the day I'm told I have to do it. “It was nice meeting you all.”

Fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me backwards, and I spin around to see that Harry’s hand is on my wrist. His touch sends shivers throughout my body, and I do all I physically can to not let him notice my reaction. “We’re supposed to be spending time with each other. We have that Katie thing in two days, the one where we do that couples game.”

I'm stuck with him. And we have to learn about each other. I mean, honestly, who schedules something like that? Are they all stupid? There’s no way that the two of us are going to get along long enough for us to learn about each other.

Harry Styles, I strongly dislike being your fake girlfriend.