Temporary [H.S. || A.U.]

Chapter 6

I should call my friends and go get high
I need a vacation from my mind

"Harry, you must be the dumbest smart person I know." Brandon exclaims as he takes another sip of his drink.

"BLT for my BLT!" Janet cheers when she walks over to my living room with a sandwich she just made for Brandon while we play Super Smash Bros.

"I have an IQ of one hundred and seventy-three, I can assure you that I'm not dumb." I retort as I fiddle with the joysticks on my controller.

"And I can say the alphabet backwards without thinking about it." He quips. "Your IQ doesn't mean shit when it comes to this."

Janet plops onto my couch between Brandon and I. But both of us keep our focus on the television in front of us, determined to beat each other in this game. "Are you two still arguing about this?"

"Yes." Brandon and I both deadpan in unison.

"Well, I agree with Brandon." Janet adds.

I snort out a dry laugh. "Of course you do, you're dating him."

"That's not the reason." She retorts simply. "The girl you have a crush on asked you to go spend two and a half weeks with her. And you don't want to go. I classify that as a stupid move."

"That's like if you were to go hang out in a cage with a tiger for two and a half weeks because they're your favorite animal." I speak as I knock Brandon out and finish the round of our video game before turning to Janet. "I'm like a timid bird that flies away when they hear a small sound. You think that I could really spend so long with Grayson and it would go smoothly?"

"Oh, I said nothing about it going smoothly." She laughs, not helping her case of me going in the slightest. "But I think that this is your opportunity with her. You might never get time like this with her again."

I run my fingers through my hair and push up my glasses that are slipping down my nose slightly. "I don't want the opportunity. I'm trying to get over her."

Brandon suddenly cackles but is quick to cover his mouth with his hand to stop himself. "What?! I am!" I try to sound convincing.

"Yeah, and I have a pet turtle that talks." He laughs. "You've had these feelings for Grayson for a year now. And I remember you saying seven months ago that you were going to try and get over it."

"Let's just play another round so I can kick your ass again." I quip to try and deflect from talking about this more.

I mean, Brandon isn't wrong. I have been saying I'm trying to get over my feelings for Grayson for a while now. But it's harder than I thought it would be.

I'm a bit foolish in letting myself cling to little moments I share with her. Whether that be her smiling to me as we pass each other in the hallway. Or when she asks me what floor when we end up in the elevator together. Just any little thing she does, I find myself clinging to.