"Jess!" Harry was jogging behind me, trying to catch up with me as I strode towards somewhere I hadn't quite decided on yet, but I was power-walking across the car park and away from him as quickly as my legs would carry me. He was shouting and thinking he had the upper hand as usual and I was sick of it. His long and muscular legs managed to catch up with mine easily and he stepped out in front of me, a firm hand pressed against my shoulder to stop me in my tracks, "Come back inside."
"Get off me," I spat, trying to get past him but failing as he managed to stop me each time I attempted to dodge him.
"Stop being stubborn, Jess, come back inside... now."
"What part of 'don't tell me what to do' do you not understand?" I narrowed my eyes at him, my eyebrows furrowing in the way that Harry's were renowned for.
"It's nine o'clock at night! Are you an idiot? It's not safe out here." He was angry, there was no doubt about that, but there was also a hint of something else lurking at the surface. He seemed panicked or paranoid, like if he let me go it'd be the end of the world.
"What is your problem?" I scoffed, looking him straight in the eye and being met with sparkling green - but a much darker shade than usual, which almost distracted me for a second. "You were absolutely repulsive back in there, and now you're acting as though I'm a five year old running off into the street."
"I just fuckíng told you!"
"You said it's not safe? I'm a big girl, Harry, I can look after myself. Before you came along I didn't have someone holding my hand whenever I wanted to go out alone." This over-protective thing he had going on was not in the slightest bit cute; it was awful and it got on my nerves immensely. I'd come to realise that it wasn't even like he was looking out for me, he just wanted to control every situation and didn't want anyone else even looking at me. He always seems to act like he hates me and then get píssed off when I'm not happy about how he's behaving.
"Just... stop overreacting and come back inside," he huffed, his voice strained and his eyes almost rolling. If he thinks he can get his own way by being horrible to me like he normally does then he can think again, I was through with him pushing me around.
"No," I shrugged, knowing it'd wind him up but honestly not caring at this point.
"Jesus Christ," he huffed again, raking his other hand through his hair with frustration.
"Why were you such a díck to that man?"
"Because he was a dirty beggar?"
"So, because - unlike you - someone doesn't have any money, they don't deserve to be treated like a person? You think you're superior because your parents pay for everything for you?"
"I'm not talking about this with you."
"Good. Don't. Go back inside and leave me here like I've asked you to."
"Why are you being so fuckíng difficult! Just get inside!"
"Tell Niall I'll be here when he's ready. He doesn't have to hurry or anything, I'll wait," I smiled bitterly - sarcastically.
"Je-"
"Go, Harry. Go back inside. I'm not coming in with you and that's final."
He scoffed in annoyance and mumbled something under his breath before storming past me, barging into my shoulder in a childish gesture on his way as he went back into the restaurant. I'd won. For once, I'd played Harry Styles at his own game and I'd defeated him. I sat down on the curb by Niall's car, feeling rather smug at my success but still extremely ticked off with how Harry had acted towards me and towards the man. I wish the poor man had stuck around so I could give him the change I intended on fishing out for him.
Only five minutes later, Niall emerged through the front doors and was approaching me calmly - no Harry in sight.
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah," I sighed, "Mr Superiority not coming?"
"Nah, he's sulking I think. What was that all about anyway?"
I stood up, brushing off my clothes and getting into the car with Niall. "I don't know, like I said: he's obnoxious."
"You actually said he was outspoken," Niall pointed out with a chuckle.
"Yeah, well... I changed my mind. Definitely obnoxious."
"What did he say to you when he chased you outside?"
"He was just calling me stubborn and trying to force me to come back inside."
"It's weird that he was like that with you, like, he hardly knows you? You've barely even spoken to each other and it's like he was being protective over you..."
Yeah, we've barely even spoken to each other. It's not like we have some weird complicated thing going on whereby I despise him but also want him to yearn for me at the same time. If only he knew.
"Yeah... I don't know," I lied.
Once we got home, for some peculiar reason, I just wanted to cry. This weird feeling was eating me alive and I had no idea what it was; I was stuck in this frame of mind where I just wished everything was perfect and easy and just generally right, but it wasn't - nothing was right. Whatever it was I was doing with Harry wasn't right, what we were doing to Liam wasn't right, the lies I've told and the mischief I'd gotten into wasn't right - everything about the way things had changed completely since the school year had started wasn't right.
I stared at my phone, looking at Liam's contact for at least twenty minutes because I couldn't decide whether or not I was up for speaking with him despite promising I'd call. After a while I decided to suck it up and press the call icon.
"Hello?" he sang.
"Hey, Liam."
"What's up?" he sounded cheery which awoke the guilt within me.
"Not much, we just had dinner and then went out for coffee," I chuckled weakly.
"Coffee, at nine o'clock at night?" he laughed.
"Yeah, I know. Niall's suggestion."
"Ah, that explains it."
"So, tell me about your trip so far. I want to hear all about the fishing."
Liam then went on to talk for at least an hour about his trip so far - apparently three days amounted to a lot of stories about his rather incompetent younger cousin that has practically glued himself to Liam's hip, and the one-eyed dog that would cry and scratch at Liam's door at night until he let it in and allowed it to cuddle up at his feet on the bed. I didn't really have to say a lot back, I just listened to him chat away happily and added a 'yes' or 'nice' here and there, sometimes laughing along with him if I could manage it. At one point a silent tear even rolled down my cheek just listening to his chipper voice but he never would've known. I just felt so guilty.
I think I must've fallen asleep on the phone at some point, because I woke up the next morning with my now warm device pressed between my cheek and the pillow, a text from Liam that simply said 'goodnight x' from eleven twenty-two pm.
I got out of bed at ten, having breakfast and jumping in the shower before putting my pyjamas back on and making myself comfortable on the sofa. I loved half term because it meant I could wake up late, wear my pyjamas all day and do nothing, but I also hated half term for the exact same reason.
At around midday, the doorbell rang. I imagined it must've been a salesperson or someone walking from house to house asking us to accept Jesus into our hearts, so it was with great reluctance that I got up and answered on the third ring. However, I was beyond surprised when I opened the door to find a scruffy-haired, blue-eyed boy waiting on my doorstep.
"Louis? What are you doing here?"
"Wow, nice to see you too!"
"Sorry, yeah, it's nice to see you..."
"Can I come in?"
"I guess," I shrugged suspiciously, moving behind the front door to let him past me. What was Louis doing at my house?
"You guess? Don't sound too enthusiastic to see me, Jesus!"
Immediately, he made himself at home - flopping down onto my sofa with his arms stretched out across the armrest and the cushions. He certainly wasn't shy.
"And why am I seeing you?" I quipped, sitting on the adjacent sofa and waiting expectantly for his explanation.
"Just thought I'd drop by and hang out, is that alright?" he raised his eyebrows playfully and I chuckled.
"I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit confused. But sure."
"Why are you confused?"
"We've never... hung out... before. I didn't know we were that friendly."
"Of course we are! First time for everything, i'nt there?"
"I suppose, yeah. How did you even know where I lived?" I questioned, throwing him a puzzled look.
"I picked you up from here the other week you spanner!"
Did he just call me a spanner? I couldn't help but laugh. I really did enjoy Louis' sense of humour, and I liked how he could get on with just about everyone - he really was very charismatic. Usually I break out in a hot flush just saying one sentence to someone I'm not all that friendly with, but talking to Louis was just easy.
"Come on then, out with it! What did you do to píss off Mr Styles?"
I rolled my eyes with a hefty sigh of disgruntlement, "Is that why you're here?"
"No, honestly, I did come to hang out with you. That just happened to be something that caught my eye on my mental list of potential conversation topics."
"It was literally last night, I guess news really does travel fast," I said, more to myself than to Louis, but he commented nonetheless.
"Yeah, well, I met him last night and let's just say he was even more touchy than usual and I just assumed it was because of you. Did you pie him off again or something?"
"Wow, thanks. Harry was in a bad mood and you just assumed it was because of me! Lovely!"
"Well, come onnnnn," he drawled, tilting his head with an accusing look, "Let's be real here; recently every mood Harry is in is because of you."
"Is that so?" I wondered aloud.
"You never answered my question! Did you pie him off?"
"No I did not 'pie him off'," I rolled my eyes, "I called him out on his revolting behaviour."
Louis' eyebrows shot up again, his lips pouting, "Yikes, brave gal."
"I'm assuming I'm the first person to have ever done that. He's used to getting what he wants?"
"Something like that," he chuckled. "What did he do this time that was so revolting?"
"He was just being an arse - telling me what to do."
"Nothing new there then! Don't take any shít from him," he said seriously.
After I few minutes of silence, I smirked and said, "On a less - or maybe, more - serious note. You and Mckenzie?"
A pleased look overcame his features and he smiled to himself, "Where do I begin?"
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My question for you, or rather, a very random topic of discussion: HARRY'S HAIR. Long or short? When was the peak time for his hair in your eyes? I honestly can't decide.
Love,
E x