MASTERMIND - H.S

Chapter 26

Harry had known he would fuck it up eventually. That was how it'd always meant to be. He wasn't meant for something so good- so pure. He wasn't meant for Addie.

"Harry? Harry!" Liam snapped his fingers in front of his face. Harry blinked rapidly, realizing from the looks on their faces that they were waiting for him. "Go on, mate. It's your turn."

There was a sharpness in Liam's tone that had been lingering in everyone's voice the last couple of weeks.   They'd been going through a rough patch with everything going on.

The stress and exhaustion had been wearing on everyone, but after what happened with and Louis, then Liam and Zayn-

Harry pushed every thought away, reminding himself that he needed to just put on a brave face, and not act as if everything was wrong and he ruined everything good and corrupted it, and just do his work.

Grabbing the headphones, Harry stood in front of the mic, looking over at their producer Steve and waiting for that nod and the click track to start playing in his ear.

"Only half a blue sky, well, kinda there, but not quite, I'm walking around with just one shoe, I'm half a heart without you," Harry sang, trying not to think about Addie and how badly he'd broken everything.

And just how much he yearned for a single comforting hug he'd never deserve.

***

Lunch was a silent affair.

But silence was always uncomfortable for them, Harry thought as he pushed his food around. He probably shouldn't be eating pasta. He was supposed to be on a diet.

But he'd always lacked self-control.

And with that thought in mind, and the reminder of how unhealthy he was when he looked at Zayn's small salad, he pushed his food away, ignoring the grumbling in his stomach.

Harry'd always wished he could be even half as healthy as Zayn. But he never was. He always gave in to his impulses, to the cravings and the watering of his mouth when he saw carbs.

Reminding himself of the goals he'd set with his personal trainer, Harry munched on ice to satisfy the hunger. It was a trick Niall and him had found a while ago. It worked well whenever they were trying to stay on diet.

Having lost himself in thoughts of foods and cravings, Harry was brought back to reality when the sharp sound of a chair scraping against the floor hit his ear.

He jumped, looking up to find the grim expressions on everyone's faces. There was a dark cloud hanging over them that brought an ache to his stomach.

It'd been like this for almost two weeks, everyone becoming a shell of who they truly were. And the brotherhood they shared seemed to have faded from their minds. All that was left was this strange kind of resentment hanging over everyone, like a roof with a single pillar holding it up.

"You finished?" Niall asked, only glancing at Harry's face for a brief second, which stung more than he'd like to admit.

Harry nodded silently, allowing Niall to pick up the containers and throw them in the trash. Meanwhile, his hands began to fill with a nervous energy. He picked at the already raw skin around his nail, feeling the sharp sting of pain, but needing to do something with his hands.