{Chapter 8}
"Are you done?" Andrea cooed, rubbing gentle circles against Katie's back as the brunette pulled away from the toilet. Her forehead was covered in sweat and her hands shook as she pushed herself up onto her feet.
"Yeah." She croaked, her throat raw.
She turned to the mirror, taking in her appearance. Her hair was wild, and clung to her forehead in strands. Her face was pale and her eyes were dull and tired. Black bags hung under her eyes as she splashed her face with water and picked up her pills off the counter and shook them out into her palm.
"Are you feeling well enough to go to breakfast? Because I can stay here and we can just tell Zayn, Niall, Liam and Lou to go. I can stay-" Andrea blurted out, tripping over her words in anxiety.
Katie threw the pills back and looked in the mirror to her best friend who stood behind her, biting her pinky finger nervously.
She was all ready to go to breakfast. She wore a cute white tank top and a pair of beige shorts. Katie smiled, knowing that she was trying hard to impress Zayn.
"No, everyone is waiting for you downstairs." Katie mumbled as she squirted the toothpaste onto her tooth brush. "I'll stay here, sleep a bit or something."
Andrea nodded. "If you need anything just text me. I'll come home right away." She said, sounding just like a mother. Katie rolled her eyes and chuckled.
Andrea chuckled back but it was obvious she was still concerned. "If you need anyone, Harry's staying here I think."
Katie rolled her eyes as she shoved the toothbrush in her mouth and grumbled.
"Great."
Ever since that awkward encounter in Harry's bedroom, Andrea's words had really gotten to her. Katie started considering the butterflies in her stomach everytime Harry was around and she wanted to punch herself in the face. She didn't like Harry, she couldn't like Harry.
So ever since, she had spent her time avoiding him.
When he asked her to pass the salt at dinner, she passed it without meeting his questioning eyes. Whenever he tried to joke around with her, she shot a mean-er joke back as he stood there in confusion.
Andrea grimaced in the mirror as she stared at Katie spitting out the toothpaste into the sink.
"Just be nice, okay? We don't want to come back to find that you guys have managed to kill each other."
Katie rinsed her mouth out with water and wiped her mouth on the towel before walking back into her bedroom and running to her bed.
Andrea followed behind her.
"I can't make any promises." Katie grinned arrogantly as Andrea rolled her eyes.
"I'll be back later." The blonde said, as she turned and walked out Katie's bedroom door.
-
Katie padded down the stairs and towards the kitchen. She didn't bother getting changed out of her old pair of soccer shorts and ratty-old t-shirt she had worn to bed. She dragged her feet lazily as she made her way into the kitchen.
As she rounded the corner she could hear someone going through the cabinets.
Great, she thought, just imagining the conversation to be had with Harry.
But when Katie entered the kitchen, she was taken aback, because the person standing on their tip toes and searching through the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet was definitely not Harry, nor any of the other boys.
She wasn't even a boy.
The girl was stick thin, with long blonde hair that hung down her back. It was the fact that the girl was wearing nothing but a pair of black lace panties that peaked out from under the larger t-shirt she wore, that made Katie question her sanity.
As Katie shuffled into the kitchen, the girl spun around in surprise.
"Oh!" She gasped. Her voice was high-pitched. Katie smiled to herself when she made the accurate comparison to Malibu Barbie. "Finally, you're here."
Do I know this girl? Katie wondered. Her eyebrows scrunched together as the blonde looked around the dirty kitchen like she owned the place.
"This place is a mess. I suggest you should start with the dishes." The blonde said snarkily, but flashing Katie a fake smile.
"Excuse me?" Katie asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Whoever this girl was needed to get the fuck out of the beach house. Katie's temper flared as a familiar voice sounded behind her.
"Emma, what are you doing?"
Katie spun around to find a very sleepy looking Harry rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand. His hair was even messier than usual and he was wearing nothing but a pair of grey joggers that hung dangerously low on his hips.
Katie couldn't help but gulp.
"No offense, H but you're maid is terrible." The blonde's high pitched giggle pierced her ears as she turned away from Harry and back to the blonde in shock.
"I'm sorry, the maid?" Katie asked venomously.
If Harry hadn't jumped in front of Katie, she would have made her way over and clocked the blonde bimbo square in the face.
"Emma, Emma." Harry cooed as he reached out for the girl, purposely putting a barrier between the two teenage girls. "This isn't the maid babe. This is Katie."
He finally turned to look at her now, his hand wrapping around Emma's waist as Katie stood in front of them awkwardly.
Oh.
That same empty pit formed in Katie's stomach as she observed the protective hold Harry held on the blonde. She must have been a model.
Even if Katie hated her already, she couldn't deny the girl was flawless.
So this was Emma.
"Oh Hi! I'm sorry, I'm Emma!" The blonde giggled and clung to Harry's side. Katie couldn't help as her eyes landed on Harry's for the first time, to find him looking right back at her.
She couldn't explain the look in his eyes as Katie gave a forced smile and nodded to the blonde.
"Nice to meet you." She said gently.
Suddenly, all Katie knew was that she needed to get out of the room. Maybe even out of the goddamned house, but before she could turn and make a run for it, Liam walked up behind her with Zayn, Louis, Niall and Andrea following behind them.
Liam saw the look on Katie's face and a concerned look crossed his before he raised his eyes to lock with Harry's.
"Hey Emma, what are you doing here?" It was Louis who asked as he stepped forward to stand beside Katie.
The thing with Louis was that he always sort of knew. Katie had never thought of herself as someone that could be read so easily, but Louis always understood.
He stood beside her and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his chest as she turned back shyly to Emma and Harry.
Harry pulled away from Emma and opened the fridge to grab an apple.
"My flight landed last night and instead of having to go through the hassle of staying in a hotel, Harry told me I could stay here."
Louis' eyes landed on Harry's and Katie wondered if there was a certain secretive conversation they were having amongst themselves as they spoke to each other with just their eyes.
"How long you staying for Emz?" Niall asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar beside Zayn.
Emma giggled and twirled a piece of perfect blonde hair around her finger.
"For as long as you'll have me."
A large snort came from Katie before she realized what she was doing. When everyone turned to look at her in surprise, she brought a hand up in shock to cover her mouth.
All the boys chuckled in secret but she didn't notice, because the only eyes she was focused on were Harry's as they blazed at her. Beside him, Emma scoffed.
"She'll stay as long as she wants to." Harry spoke boldly, pulling Emma back into his side protectively. His glare never left Katie and she felt herself shrink under his blazing orbs.
With that, no one interjected or spoke any more of it. Niall and Liam went to go on the beach, Zayn and Andrea curled up on the couch and Louis sat with Katie as she ate a bowl of Apple Jacks.
Harry didn't say one more word to Katie before him and Emma disappeared upstairs.
"He hates me." Katie mumbled into her spoon, suddenly feeling too sick to eat. Louis smiled down at her, putting a gentle hand on her arm.
"No babes, he doesn't." He smirked. "And that's his problem."