Memory (Harry Styles)

Chapter 30

"Hey, where've you been? Are you okay?" Allie asks as I stalk into through the door of our small dorm room; probably noticing my sullen mood. She and Eleanor both hold large garbage bags in hand as they clean up the decorations and empty plastic cups on the ground. The boys are nowhere in sight; go figure.

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah I-I'm fine," I lie quietly as I make my way to my closet, where I place my jacket on a metal hanger and change discreetly into my pajamas behind the wooden doors. "I had to wait for my jacket to finish its cycle in the wash and dryer," I tell them, to explain my lengthy absence.

I had quite a while to wallow in my guilt and awful feeling for what had happened with Harry. I was also hiding out in the laundry room, to be honest, not wanting to have to face Harry after my cold admission and the way he reacted to it. How could the day have gone from absolute perfection to an absolute disaster in a matter of minutes? I know how; me. Way to go birthday girl! Ruining a perfectly great day yet again.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hun? Did something...happen between you and Harry?" Eleanor asks in a soothing concerned tone. I slip under the covers of my bed and stuff my face in my pillow, not wanting to look them in the eye as it is sure to break my lie. I mumble a "Nope," into the fluffy pillow and try to drift off into slumber, in attempt to avoid the fib-filled conversation. I'm unsuccessful.

"Oh, because he kinda looked weird when he came in here as well." I hear El sigh. "He seemed upset over something and wanted to leave all of a sudden."

"Yeah, he practically dragged Louis out by the neck! Poor guy was flailing and stumbling all over the place," Allie chuckles as I hear her continue to stuff garbage into the trash bag.

"He was probably just tired," I defend, still refusing to face them with my head turned in my pillow to face the wall.

"Ooh! So what is it that you two did that made you both sooo tired?" Allie coos and I groan into the mattress.

"Yeah, how did your date go? Where did he end up taking you?" El joins.

"We went around and saw LA in his classic, then we ate tacos at the pier." I turn to face the pair. "And it wasn't a date," I remind.

"Did you kiss?" Allie questions. "Because if you did, I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a date." I turn my back towards them once again, to avoid their steady gaze on me. "Did you?! Bree! Oh. My. God. You did, didn't you?!"

I can tell she's not going to let this go. I could practically feel their curious daggers burning through the sheets that cover me. They wait impatiently for my reply and I finally give them a clipped answer that will hopefully satisfy their meddlesome minds.

"Kissing doesn't necessarily mean it's a date. Sometimes it just happens by accident or-" I explain before I am rudely cut off by squeaky Allie.

"You guys did kiss! Eeeep! How was it?!" I choose to ignore her question. I don't really feel comfortable discussing this with them, or anyone for that matter; especially after the fallout with Harry. Luckily, El takes me off the hook.

"So does that mean you two are together now?" Never mind. Actually, I think she's just secured me further onto the hook. This question is worse than the last one!

"Uh no, we're not." I answer in a simple monotone.

"Why not?" Allie asks.

"Because I told him I just wanted to be friends."

"W-What?!" they both holler out in unison causing me to turn and face them.

"B-But Bree...I thought you liked him. You two look so cute together!" Allie points out.