The Strand // h.s

twelve

I stared at the time on my phone. Well past seven o'clock. I figured Harry would stop by here to get me, but maybe he wanted me to come over. If so, I felt bad for being this late.

"Where are you going?" My father asked as I headed out of the door. He sat in the living room watching a Liverpool game.

I hesitated, debating on telling the truth or not. "Harry's." I said after thinking for a moment.

"Oh, okay. Have fun, love." My dad waved to me. I really wanted to know what his motives were with Harry. Did he like him? Did he have some sort of cynical demise planned for him? Why was he so lenient with me being around Harry? It was odd to say the least.

I lightly tapped my knuckles against the dark wood of Harry's front door. After about five minutes of waiting, I started to turn away from the door before I realized it was being opened. Harry only opened it enough for him to look through it.

"Yes?" Harry asked, looking at me as if he were waiting for me to ask for something.

I blankly stared at him. "You asked me to come somewhere with you tonight." I looked down at what I was wearing. A white, lace dress. "You told me to dress nice."

"Now isn't the best time." He looked behind him and then back at me again. "Maybe another time. I'm a little busy."

What does he mean another time? He's the one who asked me out. Tears brimmed my eyes but they were concealed by the darkness out, which I was lucky for. A light chuckle left my lips in disbelief. Without saying a word, I walked away.

I can't believe I actually thought Harry would like me enough to take me out in a date. He's an attractive lad, he had girls throwing themselves at him from left and right. And I made myself look desperate for actually thinking he'd want to take me out. Of all people.

-//-

The next morning, I woke up looking horrible. I did my best to make myself look at least presentable for the people at school. Not that I care what they think.

School couldn't go by fast enough. I didn't really talk to anyone much that day up until lunch.

"Ellie! Oh, my God!" Kara exclaimed as she saw me walking over. I wasn't going to sit with them, but she pulled me down into the seat I usually sat in. "What happened to you at the party? Did you go home with Alex?" The rest of the group expected an answer from me by the stares they were giving me.

Rolling my eyes and looking down, I answered. "I would never go home with a scumbag like him. Why didn't you guys warn me about him?"

"What do you mean?" Kara asked for everyone. They all looked confused. What an act.

"He tried to rape me." I said softly.
Noah tensed up and Camilla shuddered. "He-um. He drugged me and dragged me off in the back alley."

"What the hell?" Noah cried out.

Elliot put his hand over mine. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I looked down at my lap and also took my hand away. "My friend came and got me before Alex could...yeah." If I said Harry, they would just question that, and then they'd wonder why I'm so 'close' to my neighbour.

"Alex has always rubbed me the wrong way," Camilla admitted. I bet he's rubbed her the wrong way. She probably liked it though. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking this. Camilla is a good person.

"Whatever," I stared off at the other lunch tables. "It's over now. I'm not going to anymore parties or anything."

"I wouldn't blame you." Noah said softly, catching eye contact with me. I held it for a few seconds, but finally gave in and looked at my untouched food.

Lunch finally ended, and I began to walk out of the lunch room. "Ellie, can I talk to you?" Noah asked from behind me. I stood where I was and waited for him to continue. "I just wanted to know if you maybe wanted to go somewhere with me tonight."

I remembered back to last night, when Harry stood me up. I didn't want that to happen again. The embarrassment, the tears; I didn't want any of that again. "I'm not sure that now is the right time."

"Come on," Noah pleaded. "I'm failing Calculus. I need you." Oh. This was just me tutoring him. I felt embarrassed that I assumed he wanted to take me out. Just as I had felt when Harry stood me up.

"I guess I can make an exception." I smiled softly. Then an idea popped up.

"My house after school?" I offered. Noah nodded and walked down the hallway with his cool demeanor when just a few seconds ago he was nervous.

-//-

After the last bell went off I met Noah and we rushed through the back doors. Harry might be here to pick me up and I don't want to see him.

After we made it to my neighbourhood, Noah subtly put his arm around my shoulders. I didn't look up until we were passing Harry's house. His car is there, so either he came to pick me up, realised I wasn't there and beat me home; or he just didn't go at all.

I saw the curtains move and that's when Noah lightly dropped his arm from my shoulder. I softly grabbed his hand to make him think I was in a hurry to get home, but really I'm only trying to make Harry angry.

I pick up my pace when his door opens and Harry's face is angry. I quickly unlock my door as Harry steps through his front door and I quickly pull Noah through.

I smile lightly to him as he takes his shoes off in the vestibule, and show him up to my room.

"Let me get my Calculus book and we'll get started." I sigh, thanking God that passing Harry's house was over. I really don't want to see him, and making him angry was hard enough.

-//-

"And that's how you find the derivative of a function." I sigh and smile up at Noah, him looking like he's won the lottery. After an hour of us sitting on my window seat facing each other, I've finally knocked some since into him about Calculus.

The window blinds are up, letting the sun shine through the big tree separating Harry's and my house.

"I actually understand it now! Oh my gosh. Woah." He's looking at me beaming and I can't help but laugh. But it dies down when I feel someone staring at me. I turn and look at Harry's house, looking through the window to see him staring at me with a very mad expression. I roll my eyes and let the blinds to my window down while continuing to smile at Noah.
His phone vibrates and he checks it. "Well, my brother's here to pick me up so I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

I nod, "Okay. I'll walk you to the door." We walk down the stairs and I open the door for him. A sleek black car is parked on the side of the street and Noah waves goodbye and jogs to it.

I start to wave back before I catch eyes with the driver. It was the same guy who followed me home maybe a week and a half ago, the one who told me to get into his car and the one Harry had freaked out about. A malicious smile spread across the man's face; Noah's brother's face.