24/7 [h.s.]

12

Mila held onto my hand as we left the apartment and the dorm, and as we walked out of the building the security flocked around us.

There were students out studying on the quad and jogging outside in the nice weather, and they all stared at me and by group of guards as we walked through the campus.

"Look, Mils, there's a duck pond." I pointed ahead and she gasped, running ahead to see it. "Wait don't get too close!" I jogged after her and pulled her back before she could fall in.

"Duckies go quack quack!" She grinned at me.

"That's right!" I smiled. "Do you want to feed them?"

She nodded and we went to a vendor cart to buy a bagel before going back over to feed the ducks.

Mila was getting upset that the ducks wouldn't take bread from her and I was trying to calm her down when Harry suddenly stepped in.

"Look, you have to hold your hand very still, because if you don't you'll scare them away." He showed her what to do and she copied his motions, the duck then coming to take the bread from her hand.

"Good job!" I smiled at Mila.

"Hawwy I did it!" She grinned at him and he shyly smiled back at her.

There was a soft spot in Harry, it just took a lot to show it.

After touring the campus I took Mila back to the apartment so we could have lunch, and then put her down for a nap.

While she was sleeping I went into the living room to watch television alone, Harry hiding himself in his room again.

I wonder what he did in there. Probably watched shows on his laptop or read books.

For the few hours I was alone, I texted Travis about the party I had missed and about our world lit class.

We made plans for a date once Harry officially ungrounded me, and he said he was going to make it special.

After Mila's nap she and I decided to paint on newspaper for fun, so we used my project paints and Harry's old newspaper to do our art.

Mila wanted to make hand prints on the paper and dipped her hands in bright hot pink paint and pressed them to the paper.

"Okay, now you have to wash your hands." I laughed and she ran to the bathroom.

I followed behind her and as she turned the corner Harry came out of his room, and I only had time to gasp before Mila ran into his legs, her arms out in front of her.

She fell back on her bottom, leaving bright pink handprints on Harry's black jeans.

His eyes were wide as he stared down at her and the first thought that came to my mind was that he was going to yell at her.

Mila only giggled because she didn't know she had done anything wrong, but my stomach sank out of fear of Harry's reaction.

He then bent down towards her and I flinched but he only gently stood Mila up. I moved forward quickly, scared of what he might do but he just got face level with her, a calm look on his face.