Extraordinary

17

"Harry, wait up!" Katrina scurried along behind the curly-haired boy.

Harry did not wait up.

"Harry, seriously, slow down," Katrina groaned, finally reaching his side. "I have to catch my breath."

Harry reluctantly stopped, tapping his foot impatiently.

Katrina put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it, trying to catch his eye. "Harry, have you been working out?" She let out a twinkling laugh, which was easily ignored by Harry. Katrina huffed and started walking away.

"Bloody hell, I have no idea where she could be," Harry muttered. He started walking again, looking around frantically.

"Oh ,come on, Mallory's a big girl. She'll be fine," Katrina drawled, walking at a sluggish pace. "I mean, she has her phone right? She can just use her GPS to get back to us. Not that she will."

Harry stopped. "What do you mean?"

Katrina raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Harry, I don't mean this to be mean, but you're an idiot. She ran away. Clearly, she doesn't want to be found."

"Maybe she's just feeling overwhelmed." Harry gripped his hair tightly, just trying to get a grip.

Katrina grabbed Harry's shoulder and spun him around to face her. "Harry, she's running away from you."

Harry could practically feel his heart shattering in his chest. He had known it, deep in his heart, but ignored it. And here Katrina was, stating plain and clear.

She doesn't want me, he thought.

"I can't," he stuttered, sinking to the ground. "I can't lose her."

Katrina crouched down to his level, taking this opportunity to rub her hand more over his muscular arms.

"Harry," she said with a slight edge in her voice, "you already have."

Harry could feel his world come crashing down around him. Because she was his world. And now it was all gone.

These thoughts were like nightmares, ones he couldn't just escape by waking up. It was reality.

Harry finally snapped out of it when he heard the screaming.