Paper Airplane

33

Chapter Thirty-Three

 

 

                I’d finished brushing my teeth in the bathroom several minutes ago now, but there was no way I was returning to Harry just yet.  Not when I could hear him singing to himself from in here; he must have thought I couldn’t hear anything but the running sink water.  In reality, I was leaning my back against the door enjoying the sound of his honey and summer voice sing Keep Me Crazy. 

                Why hadn’t I been a major fan of One Direction before?  If Harry was any indication, they were obviously talented.

                But after he finished the song and was halfway through it a second time, I figured I’d been in here long enough to be considered too long.  I didn’t tell him I was doing anything other than brushing my teeth, and he’s been waiting to start a movie until I returned, so I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer.

                He was sitting on my bed with his back against my headboard even though his bed had a better angle toward the TV.  When he heard me, he looked up from his phone and gestured for me to join him.  “C’mere, take a picture with me.”

                Wrinkling my nose, I crawled onto my bed beside him.  “I look gross, Harry.”

                “No you don’t.”  He tilted his head and rested it on my shoulder, a childish grin slipping onto his face as he held his phone out in front of us.  Our faces appeared on the screen.  “Smile,” he demanded.

                I did as he said, and it wasn’t until after he took the picture that I realized he was on Snapchat.

                “Who’s that to?”

                He left his head on my shoulder as he proceeded with sending the picture, and much to my dismay, he didn’t answer me until after he’d sent it.  “Katie.  She says hi, by the way.”

                Something tightened in my chest, and I worked to fight a scowl.  “Oh.  Tell her hi.”

                “I did.  Okay, now this one’s for the rest of the world.  Smile like you mean it this time.”

                Well, if I hadn’t meant it the first time, then I most definitely didn’t this time.  It was almost impossible to do anything other than weakly lift the corners of my lips into a territory just past grimacing, but I tried (and probably failed).  Once Harry held his phone out again and we appeared on his screen, he nudged me.

                “Lex, I said smile.”

                “Let’s make funny faces.”  Maybe that’d be easier.

                “Okay.”  He lifted his head from my shoulder, about to readjust.  “Oh!  Let’s make the faces we made at the fountain.”

                But I’m supposed to smile like normal in that pose, and I don’t want to.  “Fine.”

                So I smiled, praying it wouldn’t look ridiculous afterward.  Harry did the same, and I was about to comment on how this isn’t what he’d done the first time, but I realized it was.  Because at the last second, he puffed his cheeks out and pressed his lips against my cheek, and since I’d forgotten about that part, I burst into laughter just like the first time.