"So if 'n' times the square root of three is the hypotenuse, and 'n' equals six, what is the length of the longest side?" Harry asks. Points to the almost unreadable scribble and cross-outs of math equations.
"I don't know. I keep getting confused about what to do after you find what 'n' equals." Marley sighs. Pushes her hair back with her fingers. Pulls the loose neckline of her sweater back on her shoulder. And glances up at him as she crosses her legs on his matress.
"You solve for the other sides. So if 'n' is six, then the hypotenuse is six times the square root of three." Harry tries to explain.
But it's sort of hard to concentrate because the girl with the crystal blue eyes is sitting in his room. And he hasn't kissed her since Friday, when they skipped school together.
"This sounds like gibberish to me." Marley sighs. Closes her eyes as she feels a migraine coming. And on this Sunday afternoon, she is not in the mood for a migraine. "There's no way I'm passing the test on Thursday."
"It's okay. You'll get it, love." Harry can't help himself as he reaches toward her. And tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her eyes snap open at the gesture. But she doesn't pull away when his hand stays there a beat too long.
"Umm..." Marley smiles slightly. Looks at her notebook to avoid his gaze. And flips through the pages. "Maybe we can move onto something else and I'll ask Mr. Douglas to explain it again tomorrow."
"Alright, what about Law of Sines?" Harry suggests. Picks up his own notebook. Flips to his notes on the subject. "Or Law of Cosines."
"Sines aren't that difficult." Marley shrugs. "Just remember that the sine of angle 'A' over side of 'a' is equal to sine of angle 'B' over side 'b' and the same for sine of angle 'C' and side 'c'."
"Because that's not confusing at all." Harry smiles.
Marley laughs and tosses her notebook back on the matress before falling back into his pillows. "I give up!"
Harry smiles at the sight of her spread across his bed. Because he's a hormonal teenage boy, after all. And he's alone with the girl whose crystal blue eyes are the most beautiful he's ever seen. And she's sprawled across his bed.
She rolls onto her side. And jokingly remarks, "goodnight."
"Fine." Harry smiles. Piles up their papers and notebooks before setting them on the floor. And lies down next to her.
She scoots away slightly to a more modest distance. But relaxes into the pillows that are far more comfortable than hers. "Your bed feels like a cloud."
He just smiles at her closed eyelids. And the way her hair falls around her head in every direction. And how she seems a bit more open around him Today.
"You're really beautiful, you know that?" And Harry wants to slap himself because for a moment he thinks she might feel uncomfortable and leave.
But then she smiles. "Shut up." And with eyes still closed, she grabs a random pillow before hitting him in the face with it.
"Ow." He laughs. Lets the pillow fall off the bed and onto the floor. And stares up at the ceiling with a stupid, dimpled grin plastered across his face.
Marley opens one eye and peers up at his profile. The curve of his features. And the slight dip at the bridge of his nose. And the sharpness of his jawline. And the dimples in his cheeks when he smiles. And the pink fullness of his lips.
Harry is slightly startled when Marley quickly sits up.
"I should probably go."
"You don't have to." Harry insists. Even though she's a walking disaster and all cold fingers and sleeveless black dresses that hang a little too loose. Even though being around her is nearly torture because all he wants to do is kiss her but doesn't know how she'll react this time if he did. Because he's pretty sure she doesn't feel the same way about him.
"I need to check on my brother." Marley shrugs. Knows he wasn't well when she left this morning. But she's mostly using it as an excuse because she's feeling things for this boy that she never thought she would.
And it scares her. A lot.
"O-Okay." Harry says. Gets up and starts collecting her school books which are practically scattered around the entire room.
She quickly shoves everything into her bag. Doesn't look at him as he hands her a few more things. "Thanks."
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Harry asks.
"Yeah, sure." She turns to leave.
"Wait." Harry sighs. Pulls a hand through his hair as she turns to face him again.
He tucks her hair behind her ear and this time she pulls back slightly. "I need to go."
"You're running away from me." He states.
"No I'm not. I'm worried about my brother." Marley lies.
Harry isn't buying it. "Just let me in." He whispers.
She takes a breath. Listens to the constant voice in her head for a moment which only makes her want to cry. And makes her migraine worse. "I can't."
So with that the girl with the crystal blue eyes that remind him of icicles and frost-bitten noses ran out of his room. And a moment later, he heard the front door slam. And in another he was running after her with his keys because he wasn't about to let her walk all the way home alone.
"Marley!" He calls as he goes after her. "Wait, I'll give you a ride."
She is only a few feet in front of him when she calls over her shoulder. "I'll be fine."
"Marley, come on. What did I do?" He asks, catching up with her and taking her hand to try and get her to stop.
"Don't touch me!" Marley nearly yells. Yanks her hand out of his grip. And crosses her arms. "I can walk. It's good exercise."
"It's seven miles, Marley." Harry says. Can't help the hurt he feels from her small outburst.
"I'll be fine." She narrows her eyes at him. "I'm used to walking everywhere. Not all of us can afford an expensive fucking car."
"Why are you pushing me away?" Harry asks as she starts to walk down his driveway again.
"Because maybe I don't like you." And she instantly regrets her words. But keeps walking because Maria tells her to.
"Stop." He says. Takes long strides until he's right in front of her.
She tries to step around him. But he's quick. And steps in her way. She tries again. And he does it again.
"Move." She demands.
"No."
She crosses her arms. Quickly filling with anger. "Move."
"Let me give you a ride." He insists.
"Not happening."
"Why?" Harry crosses his arms too.
"Because it's a free country and I have the right to walk if I want to." Marley snaps.
"And if something happens to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself." Harry says softly. Stakes a step closer to her. "Please."
She hesitates.
"Please." He nearly whispers. Takes another step toward her until she has to look up to see his face.
"Stop." She closes her eyes. "Stop."
But she's not talking to him.
Inside her head, it's like a bee's nest of words and curses and insults. One after another after another.
Because Maria is fed up. And doesn't want this boy around anymore. At all. Ever.
And Marley is starting to realize she doesn't want that.
So when the sounds get louder, she grips her forehead. Pushes on her temples to try and remove some of the discomfort but her attempt is futile.
And next thing she knows, Marley is on the ground. Staring up at a blur of white clouds, worried green eyes and dusty blue skies.
"Marley..." his voice sounds far away in her ears. "Marley, baby, can you hear me? Are you okay?"
Harry is panicking. He pushes her hair out of her face. Notices her eyes are open but she looks a bit dazed.
"Say something. Marley, please."
"She's so mean to me." She barely whispers.
"Who is?" Harry is scared. "I'm calling an ambulance."
"No, no. I'm fine." She says. But she still feels a bit dizzy. And strange.
Harry's instincts kick in. "Marley, can you tell me what today's date is?"
"September fifteenth... I think." She tries to sit up.
He suports her back as she does so. "What's your full name?"
"Marley Caroline Parker." She rubs her forehead and blinks a few times.
"Have you ever passed out before?" Harry asks as he brushes off the dirt from her back.
"Only once." She tugs her hair out of her face and starts to slowly sound more like herself.
"Do you have a history of low or high blood sugar? When was the last time you ate?"
"I'm fine, Dr. Styles." Marley says with an ever so slight sarcasm. "It's nothing."
"Fainting isn't nothing. And now there's no way I'm letting you walk home alone." Harry insists. Pulls himself to his feet before reaching down to help her up. "Are you sure you don't need an ambulance or something?"
"No I'm fine. Just take me home."
With a small sigh, Harry leads her to his Range Rover. Opens the door for her like he always does. And starts helping her get buckled in.
"I can buckle myself. Really, I'm fine." Marley says.
He just nods before closing her door and walking around to the driver's side.
But Marley soon realizes that her cold fingers feel weak. And she just can't get her buckle to click.
Harry starts the car and buckles himself before turning to her. Taking the buckle from her hands and clicking it in himself.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm fine." Marley says softly. Looks out the window.
And the silence is loud, loud, loud as they pull out into the road.
_________________________
Harry looks different when he walks into school Monday morning. His body feels heavy. His eyes are tired.
And he's constantly thinking about a nightmare he had just a few ours ago of lifeless crystal blue eyes that once reminded him of icicles and frost-bitten noses. But instad are dull and gone.
So when he sees Marley's so light brown it's nearly blonde hair in two braids, he smiles. But not as wide as he normally would.
"Hey." Harry says. His voice low and tired. And he leans against the locker next to hers.
"I'm sorry about yesterday." And when she glances up, their tired eyes lock. And they know they both had sleepless nights for similar reasons. And she wants to kiss him but she won't. Because she can't. She just can't.
"It's okay." He says because there's really nothing else to say. "I like your hair today."
"It's just like this because I couldn't stand how frizzy it was this morning." Shoves a few more things in her locker.
"I still like it." He dares to reach forward and take one of the braids between his fingers.
"Okay." She closes her locker. Turns to the boy with a tired and troubled kind of green eyes.
"Okay."
"Oh, Harry. Where were you on Friday?"
Marley can't help it as she rolls her eyes at the shrilling voice. And Harry can't help it as he smirks at her reaction.
"I had to leave early." He says simply.
"Oh, it's cool." Acacia turns to Marley with a suspicious smile. "I noticed you weren't in gym either."
"Yeah." Marley says simply.
"Whatever." She srugs before eyeing her hairstyle with a slight look of disgust. "Nice hair."
And then Acacia is gone down the hallway.
"Nice failing gpa average." Marley mutters.
"You don't like Acacia." Harry says. It's not a question.
"No, I don't." Marley says. "I really don't like anyone. I thought we already went over this."
"You like me." Harry says with a playful smirk.
"I tolerate you." Marley smiles. "Come on or we'll be late to class."
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THIS IS SORT OF A FILLER CHAPTER BUT PLEASE VOTE BECAUSE HARLEY FLUFF IS LIFE TBH
-Lena xx