Everything felt so weird. Hell, everything had felt weird for as long as I could remember. Whether it was the first time I heard about what Crawlers were, learning how to survive off the land around us, or everything else that led up to the point that I was at now. Where we were at now.
It was all just...weird. It was almost like it was at a point where it was so weird that it circled back to just being normal.
Actually, that was exactly what it was now. Normal. And I hated that. I hated that the world was redefining what words once meant. The language we used to speak had been stripped away of its intended meaning and was used so differently now.
I hated it. I was tired of it. Yet, I had no choice but to play along as if it was as simple as reading a newspaper. And even that wasn't simple anymore. I couldn't even remember the last time I had seen a newspaper—new or old.
Well maybe besides that weird basement Harry and I had found at that supply drop-off. The amount of crumbled up papers with daunting headlines still plastered themselves throughout my head. And quite frankly, it all still left goosebumps run down my spine, so I'd like to think that didn't really count as a typical newspaper. At least I hoped not.
As I continued down the rickety path that I had already become acquainted to, that was all I could think about. Everything around me would have seemed so obscure and scary if it was any other reality. If this was in our past, I wouldn't have even considered stepping foot anywhere near this place. Yet, now, in this reality, it was the safest and smartest option we had.
Funny, wasn't it?
"Brin?" I heard Harry say. His attention had turned back towards me as we both kept the same pace. I could tell he was walking slower than he wanted to, only to keep up with my slightly shorter legs compared to his. I wondered if he was worried I would walk off again if he wasn't within arm's reach of me.
"Yeah?" I replied a little more exasperated than I intended. I cleared my throat to try and rid me of my previous tone. "You okay?" I met his gaze briefly as he searched between my eyes. It felt like he was assessing everything except the words that were coming out of my mouth.
"I'm fine," he bluntly remarked. He swiftly turned his head to watch where we were walking again. For someone who had just sounded concerned only moments ago, he sure seemed the complete opposite now.
"Do you know where we're going?" I asked, scanning my eyes around us.
I assumed we had surpassed the initial area we first came into. There weren't merchant tables or booths scattered closely together anymore. It had now begun to fade into more dispersed buildings that had an assortment of gardens surrounding the perimeter. The rickety pathway was still below us, but a coat of muddied footsteps had decorated themselves over the top now. I could tell it was once a dry dusting of dirt, but given the rain that still continued to mist down, not even the awning could protect itself against the travels of its people and their rainy shoes.
"The Edmund obviously," he said as he stole a glance from the corner of his eye.
I squinted at him. "You're not helpful."
He smirked with a shrug. "Never said I was."
I rolled my eyes as I adjusted the strap over my shoulder again with my still full, and continually cramping, hands. It felt like the deeper we went into this place, the deeper it got. We could still see the protective walls that wrapped around every side, but it was so much bigger than I thought possible. How did they get the time or resources to build this? How many people had to die for us to live in this safe bubble?
It had to have been plenty.
But I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to get to where this Edmund place was and find out more answers than I had been given. I was tired of these weird riddle-like responses from strangers who probably hadn't stepped foot outside the barricades in years. I just wanted my sister so we could leave. I wanted our old normal back—or at least as normal we could make it without mom.
I really wasn't sure if that was possible, but I had to try.
And even with all of that in mind, I couldn't help but still be in awe of the structures and displays that they had all around. The gardens were so organized and well taken care of. It was no wonder that so many people had come to call this their home. It didn't look like struggling was something they came across often, even given the Colorado weather. I didn't know much about farming, but I didn't think Denver was the place for it.
I guess I was wrong.
The flowers were what caught my eye the quickest. So much so that I didn't notice that I had stopped walking. There was wooden fencing that wrapped around the entirety, presumably to protect them from passerby's like me who just wanted to pick them and put them in their pocket. The pinks and purples were hard to miss—hard to just walk away from without giving at least a semblance of appreciation.
I didn't even mind the small mist of water that began to sprinkle against my hair and skin as I took a few steps off the pathway to get closer. The patches of fields stretched so far with various colors, and the droplets of rain only added to the freshness.
They reminded me of home. And maybe it was because I could find home in anywhere I went, guiding myself through my journey with memories that made me into who I was today. It was hard to feel homesick during times like that. Or at least it temporarily pushed the feeling away until it was to pop back up again.
"Those are Fremont Geraniums and Mountain Irises. Some of my favorites. Blooming earlier than they typically do; we're so fortunate," a man on the other side of the fence said. His gloved hands were covered in their own coating of dirt and mud as he clasped them together, looking at the flowers I had just been ogling.
I took a slight step back, accidentally stepping directly into Harry who had joined me in the sprinkles of rain. I stumbled slightly, but he remained unmoved as he held onto my arms to keep me steady. Out of instinct, I prepared to move out of his way but didn't last minute. I could feel his body behind mine as he took in a deep breath, his exhale tickling against my neck.
Back ahead, the man took his gaze away from the blossoms and looked back at the two of us. I tried my best to not look as frightened as I was. I wasn't sure how much of this new weird I could handle today. I considered just running away so I wouldn't have to potentially hear that phrase again.
May your eyes see all.
"Would you like one?" The man asked, ripping me from my anxious thoughts.
I glanced back at him, blinking my eyes as my brain pondered everything happening around me. I could feel my heart beating aggressively in my chest while the man continued to await my response. He had a smile plastered on his face, and I would have thought it to be friendly and genuine in other contexts, but I also thought the same with the others we had talked to already.
A squeeze against my shoulder startled me until I remembered who it was, and I felt my body ease up. If anything, I just wanted to ease my entire body into his, wrapping myself into the comfort of his arms. It was an odd realization to come to considering not that many days ago he irked every nerve in my body.
Well, he still did, but I found myself smiling more without meaning to when he was around. At first I thought I was just on the brink of insanity, and maybe I was, but the second he was around I did find myself almost forgetting every terrible and life threatening predicament that hid around each corner. He made me feel safe, even when he gave me his typical snarky comment that came from his overzealous mouth.
"Yes, she'd love one," Harry remarked when I failed to. His hand was still in the same spot it had been this whole time, and I could feel his thumb briefly rub soft circles as we stood there. It was like he could tell how nervous I was and even knew the perfect remedy—him.
We both knew, too. I hoped I was the same comfort for him just the same.
The man darted his eyes between the both of us for a moment before bending down and clipping off the blossoms of each of the flowers I was looking towards. He was humming softly to himself as he did so, and I couldn't help but watch with interest. It was a song that I hadn't heard before, not repeated constantly over the radio like every other song that normally played; it was soft and comforting, like a song a mother would lull their child to sleep with. It almost made me start to tear up from the thought.
I didn't let that potential tear last long, regardless of the fact it was a nice reminder that I was still capable of crying. I had really begun to lose hope that I was ever going to escape the numb feeling that ate away inside my chest. Ever since that day I walked into our home empty—that same feeling transferred inside. The immense amount of guilt that I carried was almost too much to bear. I felt so heartless for not sobbing and begging the universe to give her back to me. Just for one more day.
I felt that same tear threaten to reappear and I quickly escaped the loop of thoughts about it. This was the last place I wanted to have some inevitable emotional outburst if I were to continue. So, I pushed it down again until it was the right time. Whenever that right time would be. Although, I was starting to wonder if that right time would ever exist.
The man stood up, extending his gloved hand over the fencing. The pretty pink and purple flowers glistened with water droplets in my direction. I took one last look at the man offering them to me before quickly reaching for them.
They felt so fragile against my fingertips as the droplets weighed down the petals, and I was scared for a moment that they would crumble at the touch. I bent my nose down as I tried to capture the fresh scent that still lingered. It was slight, but it was there and I was grateful for the small gift.
"Thank you," I replied with a shy smile. I still kept my distance between us and the guy behind the fence. It was as if I was just waiting for that little moment of bliss to be interrupted by the uncomfortable reality we kept getting ourselves into.
"My pleasure. I love to share the prize of flowers with others who care for it as I do," he smiled. He rested his arms against the wooden post as he leaned casually on them.
I noticed beads of moisture that had accumulated at the top of his forehead, dripping down the sides of his face, only to be accompanied by the ones falling from the tips of his curls from the storm. It was hard to see at first given the amount of dirt residue that had surfaced all along his body, mixed with the anxiety of everything else going on. The passion in his eyes was something hard to miss; it was quite mesmerizing, especially now that I felt slightly less hesitant being near him.
"M'name's Jameson. You guys must be new, hm?"
His question regrew some of the nervousness that I had prior. Was it that everyone knew everyone or was there a look to us that just flashed the "we're new and lost" look? It was hard to blend in if that was the image we were unintentionally painting ourselves with.
But, to be fair, we were new. And we were pretty lost. And I was nervous as hell about it too. So maybe it was me giving it away so freely afterall.
I almost wished Harry wasn't directly behind me so I could gauge what he was thinking by his facial expressions. I didn't want to say the wrong thing, but being completely silent wasn't the best option either. We just needed to blend in, which meant acting as normal as we could.
I nodded my head, "Yes, we're new."
His smile grew wider and it caused me to flinch slightly. I took a small step backwards, only colliding myself into Harry once again, which I hadn't realized that he must of created more space between us when I wasn't paying attention. I looked behind my shoulder towards him, searching for any kind of reaction in his eyes. I knew I couldn't stare long with the other set of eyes that were on me right in front of us, though. At the very least, I hoped he could read mine.
"There's no need to worry," Jameson spoke up as I turned back towards him, "Know that you are in a place that's probably the safest you've ever been. Perhaps even the safest there ever has been for anyone." He grinned that same grin again, resulting in Harry squeezing my shoulder as a small form of reassurance. Reassurance that he was still there behind me and that we were okay—going to be okay.
Jameson must have caught the little gesture of Harry, because his eyes ventured to my shoulder where his fingers still lingered for a short second. The man's eyes flashed a small glimmer of what looked to be sadness, almost guilt, like he now noticed how nervous I was and felt bad about it. I tried to stand up straighter as to look as confident as I could. It was hard to hide how I was feeling in any case, but I needed to do the best I could, especially with people I didn't know.
He let out a sigh. "When I first entered, I was nervous too. I think we all were when we first stepped inside; it's normal. There's definitely some odd characters, but I think that's what makes this place so special. I've been here for five years now and have loved calling it home ever since. We care for one another here, meaning we also care for those who come in new. I hope you grow comfortable soon." His eyes stayed on mine, but the intensity was no longer there. Maybe the initial intensity was never there and it was just me overthinking it all. Maybe this place wasn't even all that bad to begin with. Maybe it really was all in my head.
And even if it wasn't, I needed to shape up. I needed to be strong and get over these worries or else I wouldn't get what I came here for.
Alayna.
"Right," Harry voiced from behind, "We should get going." He began to slink a hand quickly across my waist as a gesture to pull us in the other direction, not giving me much of a chance to regather my thoughts or belongings at my feet. I fought against the touch, slightly annoyed by his abrupt decision. Jameson was the first one that seemed normal, why was he being so weird?
"Thank you for the flowers!" I interjected, looking closely at the petals that trembled against the wind before carefully placing them in my shirt pocket so they didn't get squished.
"Very well and of course. I'll see you two around," he said as he nodded his head in our direction. Without much other thought, he had already turned around to tend to his garden.
My feet shifted with movement, which almost felt unnatural with the amount of anxiety that was just coursing so wildly through my body less than five minutes ago. I didn't have much time to think about it before Harry was already off, walking faster than our earlier speed. It took me a few extra seconds to gain enough energy to jog back to his side with a confused look on my face. He gave me a small glance, quickly noticing the amount of effort it was taking me to keep up.
While he finally decided to minimize his speed, I could still see the subtle changes in his demeanor. It was almost unrecognizable if it wasn't for the prominent annoyed twitches in his jaw.
"You're not mad at me, are you?" I questioned, tightening my grip on the bag's straps in each hand. I could feel my legs shaking and practically screaming at me to stop entirely—to just lay down on the ground beneath us for a second. It was too bad I couldn't.
His jaw softened but not entirely as he still partially talked through gritted teeth. "No, I'm not mad. Just—" He abruptly came to a halt, dropping the bags from his hands as he faced me. It took me so off guard that I felt stunned and unable to move any further even if I wanted to.
His hands reached up to my shoulders in one swift movement, only stopping my breath further. It felt like eternity of us standing there, his face painfully close to mine as he stayed silent. It was as if I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes as he thought about how he was going to say what he wanted to.
Whatever that was.
"You know I want to keep you safe, right?" He blinked at me a few times when he said it. Yet, I couldn't help but wrinkle my eyebrows back at him with confusion. Why was he asking me this? And why did I actually have to think about it for a second?
"Sure. Usually," I awkwardly laughed out.
Quickly, my smile swept away when I didn't see as much as a twitch in his mouth at my poor attempt at a joke. I rolled my eyes lightly, nodding my head with more enthusiasm this time in hopes for more approval towards my answer.
"Okay," he paused as he removed his hands from my shoulders and took a small step backwards. It felt more like another one of his assessments, but I remained just as interested in what else he had to say anyway. I was still so confused.
"I don't trust these fucking people, alright? I know we're different in how we talk to people, but we have to assume the worst in most cases. Every fucking case actually." He shifted his attention back towards the bags he had just dropped to his feet and pulled them back up. He didn't even look back as he continued his original path forward.
Hurriedly, I met his side with my curious eyes stuck on him. "What do you mean by that? Assuming the worst? What good would that do besides completely destroy hope in people? What about Alayna?" I whisper-shouted towards him.
I understood where his mistrust was coming from, because I wasn't sure what to believe and not believe about this place either. But, to always assume the worst? If I thought like that, we would have to believe we traveled all this way for a dead end. And that was something I refused to accept.
"Too much hope leads to disappointment. Failed expectations. I'm not insinuating anything about your sister, okay? That's not what I meant. I just mean with people here. We have to be prepared for anything. Play our cards right. Choose all of our words and actions right. Not just having random little chats with everyone we see. Act like we belong. Belong in the shadows of everyone else here." He spoke quieter than he had been beforehand, and it only made me that much more nervous about what we were getting ourselves into. So desperately did I want to believe how safe and friendly this place seemed, but he was right. We had to be careful—I had to be careful.
"I know you like to pretend you don't give a fuck about anything, but it doesn't take much to figure out you're lying. Your emotions and nerves are going to get us into shit we might not be able to get out of and I don't want you to find that out the hard way. I just want you to stay safe," he spoke roughly while stealing small glances in my direction. I wanted to argue back, but that was a battle I was sure to lose.
That last sentence was too busy circulating through my head over and over again anyway. I wasn't even sure he realized he had said it, or maybe I was just overthinking it. I didn't want to pry on it, though.
Plus, it was too much to explain how numb I actually was, because all I ever had to do was care, but not often was that care extended towards myself.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" He had my full attention now and I kept his eye contact as we both continued walking blindly in front of us. Luckily, not many people were around this area. They all seemed to be tucked away near the market area or in their homes—wherever that was.
I nodded. "Yes."
"Good," he said plainly.
I didn't say anything else and neither did he. Instead, we continued our journey in front of us silent. The pain in my arms and legs had almost seemed to subside, but I think that was mostly just because I was too distracted by everything else. Without meaning to, I would find myself staring all over the place. I wished I could experience this all without the cloud of anxiety following close behind. It was a storm that never seemed to dissipate.
Little arrows were painted on wooden planks stuck out of the ground, which was our best guess on the correct direction for us to go. I wasn't going to dare ask if he knew for sure that that was what we should be following either.
Fortunately, the massive building that it directed us to was hard to mistake, it just looked important. It was taller than all the other buildings we had seen so far. It looked as if it was originally a building that stood before any of its current inhabitants took over, but with added structures extending its previous height. It had fairy lights surrounding the top and trailing down along the walls. I could even hear buzzing coming from the big neon sign that looked to have also been there longer than anyone here, too.
I realized that the rain had also stopped, allowing the sun to peek out from the earlier storm clouds, setting behind them slowly. The strings of lights really helped highlight its entirety now that the gloominess had began to fade away.
The most extravagant piece of all was the beautifully painted sign built into the infrastructure. The brush strokes were articulate and bright with colors. Although, some of it looked to have faded from the sunlight that had shined down over a period of time, but it looked like it was well maintained.
There were no vines or plants breaking through the cracks of the walls or broken glass windows sprinkled along with it. Every brick and piece of metal had a purpose where they stood, to keep it safe and protected.
I had to remind myself where we were and not to ogle for too long. It was hard, though, and it seemed to be hard for Harry too.
"Let's go in," I offered with a nudge to his shoulder.
A subtle, but startled, grunt came from him and he shook his head. That stern look he had across his features since driving up here was placed back on his face and that brief glimpse of curiosity was gone.
"Stay behind me and don't say shit to anyone," he said as he spun his head to face me, "Understood?"
I huffed out a breath, not wanting to argue over it and nodded my head.
The front door opened against Harry 's shoulder as he pushed his body into it. I could hear fans whirring in the background as I took my first few steps in, but I didn't pay much else attention to other things around me because two guards in front of another set of double doors took our attention instead. They looked just like the original guards we drove up to earlier. Both were covered in their black armor, guns resting in their hands, and with the same yellow piece of fabric with an eye stitched into their clothing.
Shockingly, I didn't feel as threatened as I did to begin with. Maybe it was that false sense of confidence I was insistent on keeping, or maybe I was just naive. I wasn't all that sure yet. Was there even a difference at this point anymore?
"Names," the guard to the right said. At first I had a hard time distinguishing who said it given how close the two of them were. It was as if they were permanently chained together, creating a human shield from accessing the door behind them.
Was it really that serious?
"Harry Styles and Brinley Meia," Harry replied curtly. If I wasn't mistaken, his voice seemed to have dropped an octave as well, but I was too nervous to make a joke about it. Plus, I was too distracted by the briefest of feelings that flickered in my stomach hearing him say my full name.
I wasn't sure if I liked that or not.
"Your arrival has been expected, you may enter," one of them said as they both separated from each other's shoulders, allowing us access.
The wooden doors swished open slowly as if they were held down by the heaviest of weights possible. It kind of sounded like cranks were opening them up as a faint noise sounded out as they opened.
"Walk through security screening with your belongings," the entrance guard said before the doors shut. A loud noise bounced off the walls as they crashed closed again. I spun around ahead to gaze our new surroundings. I was tired of having to experience new environments. I just wanted to hide and feel like I belonged again. At least a little.
Harry placed his hand against the small of my back as he edged me forward. It was just the little push I needed to start moving my legs normally again. The machinery in front of us didn't look as intimidating as I might have thought. Nor did I even want to ask why we had to go through even more security, as if what we had to go through to enter this community wasn't enough.
It reminded me of one of those metal detector machines people used to have to walk through at airports or any other building that had strict safety precautions in place. Except this one was much bigger and allowed both of us, with our bags, through.
It also looked a lot more...homemade.
I held my breath as I waited to hear any dings. So much so that I swore they could have heard my heart beating rapidly through my chest if they listened hard enough. Maybe they would've even thought my heart beats were bombs ready to detonate this place and then we would surely get imprisoned for it. I assumed they had a prison anyway. Or maybe they just threw people out to get eaten by Crawlers if they did something wrong.
"Brinley, go," Harry whispered into my ear.
A lady behind a desk was staring back at me. Her hair was gelled back in a bun and she had a button down shirt on with a black suit over it. There were no stains along the fabric and her fingernails were even rid of dirt underneath them. Her lashes fluttered back at me as I continued to look at her like I was a deer caught in headlights. I hadn't seen anyone look the way this woman did in years.
"Oh, sorry," I whispered back. I dragged the bags behind me, almost wanting to drop them and leave them there forever if it meant I didn't have to lug them around anymore. I could find clothes somewhere else I was sure. Food, too.
"They still make suits?" Harry whispered under his breath as we both dredged forward. I gave him a soft elbow in the side, plastering as much of a genuine smile as I could manage.
"Hello, welcome. You are Mr. Styles and Ms. Meia, yes?" The well-mannered woman asked. She didn't smile as widely as the other strangers did on our way here, but I didn't mind. I actually preferred it, it made her seem more human. Less like she was acting or playing some role for a strange movie with some unknown plot line.
"Yes," I replied back.
I felt Harry uncomfortably twitch beside me, reminding me that he told me to leave the talking to him.
How desperately did I want to tell him he should have replied faster then.
But I didn't.
For both of our sakes.
"Please step to the side for a photo. Your identification card will be made available in twenty-four hours, and you will be responsible with having this on your person at all times. You will have a temporary one in the meantime," the suited-up lady said as she gestured to the side.
"Cameras? Apparently suits aren't the only things they've found stored away, eh?" Harry joked breathlessly in my direction.
All I could do was shoot him a disproving look, trying to ignore my own smile that threatened to creep up. Luckily, the lady was either too hard of hearing to understand what he said, or she was just really good at blocking out bullshit from people's mouth. I was slightly envious either way.
"You'll hear three dings and it will flash," she iterated as I awkwardly positioned myself in front of the little black box. I stood on an "X" that looked to have been placed there a long time ago with duct tape, as the ends were frayed from the amount of traffic it had gotten over time. It made me wonder how many other nervous newcomers had been in the exact spot I was in now. I wondered how they felt now. Did their pit in their stomach ever go away either?
Click.
I didn't even notice the two previous clicks before the flash had nearly blinded me. Almost instantly I felt like I was back in grade school being posed by the yearbook photographer. Crook your head a little to the right. Chin up. Smile!
Except there was nothing to smile about this time.
Harry remained tense from the moment he stepped foot on the duct taped "X" to the moment he stepped off after his picture and back to my side. The lady behind the desk was writing on various sets of papers and I found my eyes wandering every so often to get a glimpse of what she was doing. Unfortunately, it was too far away to notice much of anything besides what I would've expected. New residents. Our names. And some other scribbles that I couldn't catch with my glimpses.
No red flags I could have found so far at least.
"Here are your temporary cards and what will grant you access inside certain buildings. Of course some will be off limits, but that has mostly to do with job titles. You can find out more about the jobs that are offered here at The Awakening during our morning meetings in The Edmund's courtyard, which are required for all residents. It is at 8 A.M., sharp every morning, please don't miss it. There will be a sign-in to put your ID numbers on. All of this information and more will also be found in your residency. Should you have any more questions, please ask tomorrow morning."
She said it all so quickly, I almost felt winded just trying to understand what all was said.
The Awakening? Job titles? Our residency? What about the questions we had right this second?
"Where did all technology come from?" Harry curiously asked. I wasn't sure if he was intending to ask it aloud as I watched him look around the different sets of equipment around us. While it wasn't as high tech as the things we grew up with, it sure was high enough tech to make me wonder, too.
"Any further questions should be asked tomorrow morning at the meeting. Let me get the last part of your information down and you can head to your residency. Will you two be requiring two single beds or a shared bed?" She raised her eyes from her pen as she waited for our answer. I watched it hover above the empty box, unsure what to say. I sure as hell didn't want to be the one to make the decision.
"One," Harry blurted smoothly.
I swore my stomach fell directly into my shoe when I heard what he said. I kept my eyes away from his, darting them back up to the woman who exchanged a small smile. The only thing I knew to do was smile back, even with my heart pounding the way that it was.
"Beautiful couple," she complimented as she swiped a check mark into a box.
"Thank you," we both replied in unison.
I cleared my throat, trying to hide the fact my voice cracked slightly towards the end. It was an odd feeling. I was nervous, but not for the same reasons I came in with. It was like a bundle of nerves that I hadn't paid much attention to that now begged to be the center of attention now.
Butterflies?
No, no. That couldn't possibly have been it.
But, if it wasn't, then why did my heart feel like that too?
"Brin, c'mon," I heard Harry rush out, tapping his elbow against my arm. I shook my head slightly, trying to rid me of the countless thoughts that were swarming in my head. I really was getting tired of getting caught in the middle of my thoughts, because Harry seemed to always be the one who noticed.
We walked out past the guarded doors that we had initially entered in, and I was almost immediately reminded of the heavy burden against my shoulders from lugging our belongings around in a place that we didn't understand yet. At all.
"While you were busy being dazed, she said to keep walking ahead and it'll be up on the right. We'll have to take the elevator to get to our building apparently. Because fuck it? Why not also have a fucking elevator in the middle of all this. Who knows? Maybe next they'll bring us our very own cellphones and video game systems if we act on our best gold-star behavior!" He sarcastically cheered.
I rolled my eyes, huffing out a short laugh. His flustered attitude had a tendency to be amusing even when he wasn't intending for it to.
"Thought you liked your space," I joked with a hint of seriousness as we turned back into the main walkway.
"Hm?" Harry hummed, darting his gaze to me before seemingly realizing I was referring to the bed situation. "Oh."
He cleared his throat. "I don't really have a choice on space much, do I?"
I bit on the inside of my lip as I continued to propel my feet step by step ahead.
"I mean you technically did have a choice, wasn't that the point?" I sparked back, looking at him curiously.
A small glimmer of a smirk spread across his lips as his head bowed down for a moment. "Suppose so."
"Plus," I paused as to think carefully of my next wording, "You know you don't have to keep that front about you all the time, right? It's okay if you like to be around me. No one else has to know." I chuckled at the last part, yet I was too nervous to look back at him to see if he laughed back.
"Brin, if I didn't like to be around you, I wouldn't be around you." He said it so seriously, almost like he was slightly offended that I could have assumed differently. As if his past actions didn't argue that point entirely.
"So you admit it? You like to be around me?" I couldn't fight the smile this time, poking at his side with my elbow as we walked.
His nose twitched but not in his normal annoyed way. It was a type of nose twitch I hadn't seen before. He looked flustered.
"Shut up, Brin." He eyed me carefully out of the corner of his eye, but I could still see the look on his face that said differently.
I bit at my lip again, feeling flustered myself. I could even feel a slight amount of sweat collect against my hands that wasn't there before we left The Edmund.
"Well, I like to be around you too, Harry."
a/n: .....3 years later...... IM ALIVE AND SO IS TWRRY! i originally was gonna make this a long chapter but i rly want to give u guys a lil something as well as i kinda just wanted to split it up anyway. i've got through some of my writers block and have some cool ideas (i think) for twh. ty for being patient with me <333 i'll be on tumblr if u wanna talk ab the update! i love hearing from u guys