Toxic (Harry Styles)

Chapter 24

"Um, do you guys mind if I go down to the dance studio for a few minutes?" I ask, locking my phone.

"But it's just getting good!" Brandy whines.

"I'll be back before it ends," I reassure, but none look convinced. "Promise."

I take their silence as a go ahead, and start to stand, collecting my jacket and keys to the studio and my house. "Jess," Brit calls, "Why don't you drive Shay?"

"Oh, no," I interrupt her. "I don't want her to miss the movie. I'll be fine walking."

I catch Jess staring at me from her place on the floor with a soft look in her features, but as soon as we meet eyes she turns away. She's barely spoken to me tonight, only asking if I could slide her some pizza. I hate the distance between us now, and only because of a guy. But I can't simply ignore Harry just for my friend; it's so much more than that. I wish she could see that, though I think I have to figure out my feelings first. 

I slip on my shoes, and open the front door without another look behind me. The cool air makes me wrap the jacket more tightly around my body, hoping to keep in the warm air for the eight minute walk. The studio is only two blocks from the twins house and I'm can't explain how grateful I am for that. I hate that I had to leave the girl's night, but it'll only take a minute for Thomas to grab his clothes and then I can lock up again. Then I can go back and relax for the night.

When I'm meters from the studio I see a figure standing against the doors, hidden where the street lights don't reach. "Shay?" The lean body straightens up.

"It's me," I confirm. "So you have to get to the locker room, right?"

Thomas nods, backing away from the door so I can unlock it with the keys. He holds the door for me with one hand and follows behind me as I switch on the lights in the foyer. "I'm sorry to get you out here so late. I'm sure you had plans."

This is a characteristic of Thomas that I admire. He's always apologising for the simplest things, especially when learning a new dance and getting the moves wrong. He's so sweet and innocent that I feel like comforting him all the time. He's like a cute puppy that you want to pet and hug. 

"It's okay," I say.

We start for the locker room in silence and I begin to remember this place is always quiet at night. It's eerie almost. The rest of the lights come on automatically as we walk. And soon we turn the corner to the rooms. I catch sight of the wall Harry held me up against not too long ago, and I hope Thomas doesn't notice my blush. That'd be embarrassing.

I go ahead to open the door and let him in first. While he opens his locker and gathers his clothes, I sit on one of the many benches and check my phone just to do something. Butterflies flutter in my stomach when I see I have a notification from Harry.

From: HARRY

Hey Babe, wanna send some pics????

I lightly scoff from the message. He must be drunk and I won't talk to him if he is. Harry must not be thinking in his right mind even if he could handle his beers because he's never asked anything of the sort from me before and I'm sure it won't start now.

"Who is it?" Thomas breaks me from my thoughts.

"Oh, no one.

"He plops down next to me, each leg on either side of the bench facing me. "Well it must be someone pretty important if they can make you smile like that. Is it your boyfriend?"

I'm taken back from the blunt question. Thomas was anything but blunt so it caught me off guard with that kind of question. It shouldn't bother me because I don't have a boyfriend, but for some reason it does. And that's because when he said boyfriend I thought of Harry.

"No," I finally look up to him. Even sitting down he's a few centimetres taller than me, but shorter than Harry; he's also not as broad as Harry, or muscular. "No, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Then who was that guy that gave me this?" Thomas tilts his chin to the side, and the lights shows a small scar, right where Harry hit him.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry for that. Harry can be a little... too much sometimes," I explain.

"It's alright. I guess if I had a girl like you, I'd be protective too," he laughs. I can't look at him when I heard the words from his mouth, but I laughed not amused by it at all. What is with guys being controlling nowadays? "But I'm glad he's not your boyfriend."

"Why?" My eyebrows frown.

"So I can do this─"

And his lips are on mine with a blink of an eye. I can't respond fast enough to push him because I didn't expect it in the slightest. When everything that's happening comes into prospect, I raise my hands to his chest. I assume he takes this as good sign since he starts to lean into me.  I take this as the chance to raise my hands to his chest, and shove him when he's least likely to know what I'm doing.

"What the─"

"I'm sorry," he mummers right away, and pulls back to give me space. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable─"

"You know what. Just forget about it, I need to get going." I stand up, trying to get away from him as soon as possible. I walk out of the doors, knowing that he'll follow or be left in the dark over night.

As soon as I lock the door, I feel my phone buzz again, but I can't answer it before something comes to mind. Thomas has stayed quiet, probably scared that I'll snap at him. But I'm the one that speaks to him.

"How did you get my number, Thomas?"

He looks up from the ground with wide eyes like he's scared. "Oh, um... I got it from Lilly."

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

I walk one way as he walks the other way, with no more words exchanged. I really hope that this won't make things awkward when we dance together. He's a great dancer, a great person, but tonight he crossed the line, and that could hurt everything.

Unknowingly, I'm not headed back to the twin's house, but to Harry's.

***

HARRY'S POV

I can tell something's wrong when I open the door for Shay. She takes my hand as I help her down, but she doesn't smile or offer any words. I don't know what's wrong with her, but all day she's acted weird. From the time I woke up with the massive hangover, to now, when we're walking up to the club. When I woke up on the sofa at my flat, she was lying next to me with her head on my chest, and her arm wrapped over my torso.

Every time I watched her throughout the day, and after I got off of work, she was in deep thought, and would flinch when I touched her.

I got a call about two hours ago from Lucas, saying that everyone's going out for more drinks tonight, and said I should bring Shay, so I did. After the way she's been acting, I can tell she needs to get her mind off of something. I figured she wouldn't want to do anything like what we did a few days ago so soon, so this was the next best thing.

I'm instantly let into the club and I tugged Shay behind me, finding the guys and girls at a large booth near the back. After a few reintroductions that Shay just smiled at, we sat down. My hand found her knee quickly, squeezing every so offend. The already ordered drinks were brought to us in the loud room, and people are everywhere. The waitress locks eyes with me, wearing a low cut shirt, showing off extra cleavage that's probably not even hers.

I think Shay also sees this and the next thing I know, she's chugging down a big glass of beer.    

+++++

I wrote this today and I feel horrible.

Instagram: 1D_haz_boo    (I've done some edit of characters here)

ash-rawr.tumblr.com

-A xxx