Sweetener || HS AU (COMPLETED)

🍭 𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖 🍭

"Pretty well, and yourself? Doesn't seem like he's in a good mood." He referred to Harry with a disapproving grunt.

I shrugged, "I'm fine. I'm not sure what's his problem."

"Don't feel so bad, I've known the little bastard since he was a baby and I still can't seem to figure out his problem."

I chuckled and Jonah cracked a smile.

"Are you gonna stand out there and fucking talk all night or are we gonna hit the road? We're already late!" Harry yelled from inside of the car.

I was taken aback by his tone but Jonah simply rolled his eyes. I offered a sympathetic grin and got into the car. The door closed and I held my breath until Jonah rolled up the partition. Then I spoke.

"What's your problem tonight?" I asked quietly, pulling out my phone and scrolling aimlessly.

He didn't answer right away and for a moment, I thought he was just ignoring me.

"I don't have a problem, Jailen. I don't fucking get why you two were dragging your ass," He said with a shrug and reached into his pocket as the car began to move.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "We were talking for two minutes. Two minutes that you didn't seem to give a damn about when you were taking your time in the house." I didn't like his attitude, I didn't like the way he was speaking to Jonah, to me, "We were supposed to leave thirty minutes ago, relax."

He glanced at me briefly and scoffed, "I don't need you to tell me to relax, sweetie. Only thing I need you to do is what I paid you to do. Be quiet and look pretty."

"Wow," I chuckled in disbelief as he brought whatever he pulled out of his pocket up to his mouth, "Okay."

I was ready for this night to be over and it had barely begun. Smoke filled the car and it didn't take me long to realize that he wasn't smoking a cigarette. I turned to look at him as he lifted the joint to his lips and inhaled. His body relaxed into the seat but his face remained twisted in irritation.

"You said you smoked?" Harry asked, rollling the window down and ashing the joint.

I didn't say anything. I didn't want to talk to him right now. I pressed myself further against the door and he sighed, "You're gonna act like a baby the rest of the night?" When I didn't respond, he continued, "Here."

I hesitated, watching as he rested his arm on my lap and waited for me to take the joint. It had been a while since the last time I'd gotten high. I did it a lot with my brother and considering I haven't seen him in a year, I haven't had a reason to get high. Until now, I guess. If I wanted to survive this night, I needed something.

I grabbed it from his fingers and bought it up to my mouth. I inhaled slowly, trying not to choke and embarrass myself. The smoke coated my tongue and I handed it back to him before exhaling.

"Good girl," He said as he grinned, eyeing the lipgloss at the end of the joint and then bringing it back up to his lips.

I declined with a shake of my head when he offered it to me again. I just needed a little to focus. The last thing I wanted was to be a ditz in front of people I didn't know. The car ride was quiet. I had nothing to say to him, I was following his orders. Be quiet and look pretty.

He didn't seem to mind as he finished off the joint. He unclipped his glasses from the front of his shirt and put them on before he grabbed a piece of gum and put it in his mouth. I didn't even see him put all this shit in his pockets.

I looked out the window, my hands clenching and unclenching in my lap as the car slowed. I saw the flashing lights and the many people holding cameras behind the red velvet ropes. I heard the chattering, the yelling of them trying to get the celebrities' attention. When I worked here, we were instructed to go through the back of the plaza just to avoid bumping into any celebrities. We'd be fired if we didn't.

Time seemed to slow and I heard Jonah's door open. Harry opened his own door and with one lingering look in my direction, he stepped out. I heard the cheers and I frowned. He was obviously well known, how come I hadn't heard of him? Sure I wasn't on social media much, but I would've seen something, right? Maybe I did and just simply forgot... after all, I didn't have a reason to invest my time into the life of a celebrity who didn't know I existed. Until now.

My door opened and I sucked in a sharp breath. I was a little higher than I wanted to be due to the secondhand smoke I inhaled from Harry and I closed my eyes. Relax. Just relax.

My ears were starting to ring and my heartbeat picked up. You've gotta be fucking kidding me right now. More cameras flashed in the direction of the car and with the door being opened, they were hitting me directly. I turned my head away and pursed my lips as I fisted the fabric of the dress and sighed. Just get out of the car, Jailen. Don't embarrass Harry. Just go. I repeated to myself multiple times as tears filled my waterline.

"Miss. Saldana," Jonah called out to me but he sounded so far away.

"I'm fine," I tried to assure him but I wasn't even sure he heard me. My hands shook and I felt lightheaded. My veins felt like they were going to explode and I couldn't breathe. My throat was tight and just when I felt like I was going to faint, I heard him.

"Look at me, sweetie," Harry's voice whispered to me and I tried to inhale a shaky breath. His hand was on my thigh and he squeezed, "Hey,"

I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him. He was on my side of the car, kneeling as he stared up at me with furrowed eyebrows. I frowned and shook my head, "I'm sorry."

"Don't fucking apologize. Are you alright?" He leaned closer and his scent invaded me. The familiar cologne, the weed, the gum... I nodded as best as I could. He took his hand off of my thigh and reached up to my face. His thumb brushed away a stray tear and he licked his lips, "You sure? Talk to me, sweetie."

I opened my mouth to talk and it was only then that I realized that I could breathe again. I leaned into his touch without thinking and his lips twitched as I did, "I'm fine. I'm okay. We can go."

"Yeah? You sure?" He asked again.

"I'm sure, I promise."

He grinned, "That's my girl," He stood up and adjusted his pants before he held his hand out, "Miss. Saldana," He mimicked Jonah and I couldn't help but chuckle.

I raised a shaky hand and grabbed ahold of his before I stepped out. He stepped back, giving me room and when the air hit me, I inhaled sharply. I looked up at Harry, blushing when he walked closer to me so that I had no choice but to move.

His other hand grabbed my hip as he walked me backward, "Smile, pretty girl," he whispered before he raised my hand and spun me until my back was against his chest. The cameras flashed rapidly and Harry squeezed my hip, my hand still in his as he dropped it back down.

I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders, fully aware that Harry was breaking yet another rule as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my shoulder.

And I smiled.