The street resembled a parking lot with the amount of cars parked haphazardly around the house. Or castle would be a more appropriate term at the sheer size of the building. Music blasted from both inside and out, blending into one harmonious noise that was hard to decipher when one song ended and the next began. Laughter and conversations could be heard from where Harper stood with her friends. The party was already in full swing with even more people arriving by the minute.
So much for this being a few people.
The urge for her to turn around and leave was strong but she couldn't just abandon her friends. Still, a look of uncertainty rested on her face as she took a big breath, preparing herself for a night of talking to people she had no interest in talking to.
But she'd promised Sam, and apparently Moon, that she'd come so there she was. There was no getting out of it now. Perhaps if the party was terrible, she'd find a way to sneak out early but given how she got a ride from her friends, it wasn't likely.
"Are you sure you're up to this? With your mom and everything?" Sam asked Robby. "I mean, I feel like I kinda forced you to come."
"You forced all of us," Harper muttered and smiled to show it was just a joke.
"She's not wrong," Robby agreed with a laugh. "But I'll be fine. I could use a distraction."
Harper kept her attention focused on the house. Or actually at the number of people that seemed to be inside it with more arriving every second. "I thought you said that Moon was only inviting a few people," she stated.
"Yeah. I guess she invited other people from school, too," Sam said with a casual shrug.
"All of these people go to your school?" Harper asked in awe.
"Probably," Demetri said, seeming to be as overwhelmed as she did. He shifted the board game under his arm, a frown pulling at his lips. "Man, I only brought Trivial Pursuit. If I'd known there was going to be this many people I would have brought Boulderdash."
"Something tells me no one will be playing board games," Harper told him gently, shaking her head at his disappointment. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
The noise level intensified as soon as they stepped through the door. They carefully navigated the packed entryway into an even busier living room. To say that Harper felt overwhelmed was an understatement. Everywhere she looked, there were people talking and laughing at too high a volume. But, she supposed, with the amount of conversations going on plus the music that blared through hidden speakers, she couldn't blame them for talking so loud.
"Where should we go?" Harper asked, raising her voice to be heard over the noise.
"This way. Come on," Sam led them a few feet before stopping suddenly, causing everyone to almost crash right into her.
"What's wrong?" Robby asked.
Harper looked at Sam whose attention was directed at the crowded room. Following her line of sight, her smile faded as she caught sight of Cobra Kai. Specifically Hawk, Mitch, Aisha, Miguel and Tory. The other group scowled in their direction save for Hawk who looked at her with surprise mixed with hope. As if her being at a party was the most ridiculous thing ever but hoping that they could talk at the same time. She averted his gaze, not wanting to deal with the mixed feelings that took hold of her. But she felt his eyes on her.
"They weren't supposed to be here," Harper said, her voice just above a whisper.
"No shit," Robby said angrily.
"Sam! I'm so glad you guys came.Isn't this awesome?" Moon asked with a big smile as she made her way over. "So, the kegs are in the back, drinks are in the kitchen and the vegan pigs in a blanket just came out of the oven."
"Moon, you never said anything about inviting Cobra Kai," Sam asked, crossing her arms.
"I know. I wasn't going to but with summer ending and school starting back up soon, I figured we could put all the fighting aside and be friends again," she explained, a hopeful smile on her face.
Harper raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes. "You've got to be kidding," she said under her breath.
"That's wishful thinking," Sam said with a bitter edge to her tone.
"No, it's not," Moon said.
"But it kinda is. There's no way we're ever going to be friends with them," Harper said.
Moon's smile faltered before she fixed it. "Guys, trust me. Get rid of all this negative energy, clear your chakras and have fun."
A silence passed over the group of friends as different emotions crossed their faces. But all of their expressions said that wasn't going to happen. There was too much damage done to just forgive and forget.
"Harper," Moon said, putting a light hand on her arm, "find me later. There's some people I want to introduce you to." With that, she walked back into the party already talking to someone.
"We can go. If you guys want, we can just turn around and leave," Sam said, giving them an exit.
"No, we'll stay," Robby said after a moment.
"Are you sure? Because-"
"Yeah. There's so many people here that it might be easy to avoid them," Robby said, though he looked unsure.
"If we just stick together, it'll be fine," Harper said while wondering if it would really be that easy.
Avoiding Cobra Kai turned out to be possible. It was loud and overwhelmingly packed but it made not running into any of them relatively easy. Harper felt herself relax as the minutes ticked by. Despite the number of rowdy teenagers roaming around them, she felt herself relaxing and even having fun. Their small group stuck together until Sam decided to get something to drink and went off with Robby in search of drinks. Demetri got waved over by Chris and Bert and, after promising to be back in a minute, left Harper alone.
That minute turned into ten which turned into fifteen which left her standing awkwardly alone in a room full of people.
So much for sticking together, she thought.
Harper felt her anxiety creeping in and tugged at her bracelet in the hopes of calming down. But her heartbeat continued to spike despite the deep breaths she took. She forced herself to leave the overcrowded room and enter another one that was just as, if not more, packed. She scanned the room and hoped to find her friends but she was met with only unfamiliar faces.
Deciding to get some fresh air, Harper stepped out into the backyard where the noise level was a decibel or two lower but still unnecessarily loud. The cool summer air hit her face, clearing her head a bit as she looked around the area.
"Hey," Robby said, pulling her from her thoughts.
Harper smiled in reply while looking around the backyard. Her attention was drawn to a crowd gathered around two girls who balanced on stools with one leg while chugging some alcoholic beverage. Her eyes narrowed at the ridiculous sight before realizing that one of the girls was Sam. And with a quick look, she recognized Tory as the other girl.
"So why - what's going on there?" Harper asked with an amused smile.
Robby shook his head, clearly exasperated by the whole thing. "I don't know. Some dumb competition that shows who's the better of the two. I told Sam not to do it but, you know. She has to prove herself to Tory or something."
Harper nodded, still unsure how this proved anything. But she chose to let it slide and warily watched the drinking contest. Or was it a balancing contest? She didn't know and chose not to question it. "How's everything with your mom? Have you talked with her since she went to rehab?"
"She's good. Really good. She wasn't allowed any phone calls for the last week but we talked this morning and she sounds happy there. I mean, they're definitely making her work towards her recovery but I think she's enjoying it," Robby said as his smile grew the longer he talked.
"That's awesome!" She told him. "Hey, so why didn't you tell me? About your mom, I mean?"
Robby shrugged uncertainly. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to seem like I was bragging or anything since everything that happened with your dad. And it-"
"You thought I'd be jealous?" Harper asked, incredulous when he gave a half nod. "You're such an idiot, Robby. Why would I be jealous? I'm glad your mom's getting help and that you'll get a chance to have a normal relationship with her. And yeah, things with my - with Ryan are pretty bad but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy for you. You can talk to me, you know. That's what friends are for."
Robby smiled at her words and released a sigh of relief. "Yeah, you're right. I wasn't trying to keep it from you but... next time I'll tell you."
Harper nodded happily. She started to talk but the sound of her name being called interrupted what she wanted to say. Turning towards the voice, she hid a frown when she saw Moon walking her way.
"There you are! I've looking everywhere for you. Come on, there's some people I want you to meet," Moon said and proceeded to take her hand, pulling her back toward the house.
She looked over her shoulder at Robby for help but glared when she saw him trying to hide his laughter. Rolling her eyes, she grudgingly followed Moon inside and back into the overcrowded room where they made their way through the maze of people. Back in the living room, Moon slowed down and squealed happily before making a beeline toward a girl with beautiful mocha skin.
"Hey!" Moon exclaimed happily before pulling her in for a kiss. She turned back to Harper who stood next to them, feeling as if she was invading their space. "Sorry. This is Piper, my girlfriend. And this is Harper."
"Hi! Moon told me so much about you."
"All good things. I promise," Moon said.
"Oh, definitely," Piper agreed and briefly looked past them, her smile lighting up as she motioned someone over. "It's Kyler," she told them as Moon glanced over her shoulder.
Harper subtly wrinkled her nose at the name. She only knew of him through the stories Sam and Demetri had told her. Hawk also filled her in on the person who made his life hell everyday for the last few years. To say that she wasn't a fan of his was an understatement. Perhaps it wasn't fair since she didn't personally know him but she believed her friends. Despite what she thought, she plastered a smile onto her face and gritted her teeth in the hopes of getting through this part alive.
"So, that's Kyler," Piper explained as Kyler slowly made his way toward them. "He's on the wrestling team and he knows like everybody at school. I think you two will get along."
"What's up?" Kyler asked as he joined them. He regarded her with interest though the way he looked her up and down made her feel uneasy. "Who's this?"
"This is Harper. She's new here... kind of. Wait, you've actually been here since the start of summer, right?" Moon asked and looked toward Harper for confirmation.
"Yeah, since the end of May," Harper answered, surprised at how quickly three months went by. How much had changed in such a short amount of time.
"Where'd you live before this?" Kyler asked.
"Kinda of all over but I was in Arleta before coming here."
"Isn't that kind of, you know, a bad area?" Piper asked, wrinkling her nose.
Harper shrugged in response. The only thing she remembered of it were the Coopers and the mark they'd left on her. A reminder of shitty people doing shitty things.
"So did your parents move around for work a lot?" Kyler asked. "I know something about that. My dads always traveling for work so sometimes he'll be gone for days or weeks."
None of what he said lined up with his first statement though no one but Harper caught on. The only thing she realized was that she'd have to bring up her past again and be judged for it.
"Actually, no. The foster family I was living with didn't exactly work out so my social worker placed me with a different family here."
Kyler raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Foster family?" He asked with a hint of disdain threaded into his voice. "Shit, I didn't realize you were that foster kid everyone was talking about. I go away for one summer and miss everything."
"Yeah, that's me."
"How'd you end up in the system anyway? Crackhead parents or something like that?" Kyler asked with a smirk.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she tried to keep her smile in place. "No, actually. My mom died when I was like seven and my dad kinda left so I got put into foster care."
"Shit, that's brutal. Sorry," Kyler said, though based on his smile she didn't think he was sorry at all. He was just eating up all of her misery like it was a work of fiction and not her reality. "You've really just been going from one family to the next? Like all your life?"
She nodded to his question before saying, "Yeah, I mean that's kinda what being in the system is like. But I've been staying with the Hudsons since the end of May and they've been-"
"She's getting adopted!" Moon interrupted excitedly with a clap of her hands. She turned to face Harper with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry! I just - I had to. It's so exciting and I'm so happy for you!"
"What? Congrats, Harper. That's great!" Piper said, a genuine smile tugging at her already smiling face.
"Thanks," Harper said as congratulations went all around though the thought of a permanent place somehow continued to stress her out. She didn't know why exactly because she should be happy. Ecstatic. Perhaps it was because it wasn't finalized yet so it left a small chance that it could slip through her fingers. Whatever the reason, it filled her with the smallest amount of dread.
"We definitely need to celebrate! Wait here," Kyler said enthusiastically, leaving their small group for a moment. When he returned, he had four drinks in hand and distributed them. "Alright, let's drink! To Harper!"
Kyler, Moon and Piper immediately took sips from the cups while Harper stared at the drinks contents. Her nose wrinkled at the strong scent of alcohol that wafted out of the cup but seeing that she was being watched, she took the smallest of sips. The drink was sweet but intensely strong and she covered up a cough while the alcohol burned its way down her throat.
Moon smiled knowingly at her. "It's a little strong."
"Kinda of," Harper agreed as she fought against another cough.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. A bunch of the guys mixed this up earlier and it's definitely got a kick to it. What are you waiting for? Drink up. It's not gonna hurt you," Kyler said, watching her until she took another sip. As she choked down a cough, he asked, "You don't drink, do you?"
"Not really, no. I mean, it's not really my thing. Besides, I'm pretty sure this goes against my probation."
Kyler snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Oh, yeah! You went to juvie for wrecking some guy's car, right? Everyone was talking about that a few weeks back. There's videos posted all over social media!"
Harper nodded along to his words, wishing she could delete that part of her life. Erase it from existence because it just about messed up every good thing she had in her life. She'd gone so close to losing everything that she was still amazed that she didn't. That life had magically fixed itself.
"Not exactly proud of that but, yeah. That was me. Somehow the charges got dropped but I kinda need to stay out of trouble or I could end up back in juvie and screw up my adoption."
"Well, we wouldn't want that," Kyler said with a crooked grin. "But one drink won't hurt. I mean, we're at a party! You gotta let loose and have some fun."
"He's right. We're all here to have fun before school starts," Moon said, giving her a smile. "It's not like you need to get super wasted."
In reply, Harper took a moderate sized sip of the drink. The alcohol burned a bit less this time as it made its way down her throat.
"There you go!" Kyler said proudly as if she'd just achieved the unachievable. "Hey, why are those freaks looking at us?"
"Who? You mean Demetri and Hawk?" Harper asked, turning away from the surprising sight of finding Demetri and Hawk sitting together. Talking. Getting along for the first time in what felt like a long time.
"You know them?" Kyler asked.
"Yeah, I'm friends with them. I mean, with Demetri. I've been hanging out with him, Sam and Robby all summer."
"What about Hawk?" Piper asked.
"What about him?" She asked, playing with her bracelet.
"You're not friends with him?"
"Uhm, no. Our friends kinda hate each other, remember?"
Piper shrugged while she looked past them, a grin tugging at her lips. "Well, he's definitely watching you. I think he likes you."
Harper's heart rate spiked at those words but she kept her expression neutral. "What are you talking about?" Bemused, she looked over her shoulder to find that Hawk was watching her. Rather intently, too. Accidentally, she caught his eyes and suddenly it was like they were the only two in the room.
A sad smile crossed her face because she wanted nothing more than to cross the room and try to fix their broken relationship. But there was no salvaging it. They were on opposite sides of the war and no amount of wishful thinking could make it work.
It was fun while it lasted. When it'd been just the two of them locked away from the world. But once they'd left the safety of that bubble and reality descended upon them, it was like a slap to the face. A reminder of why they could never be despite fitting so perfectly together.
Despite how much she missed him, Harper forced herself to look away. Her mind knew that it was for the best.
"Yeah, no he's not," she said. "I think you're just making things up."
"I'm telling you, he was looking at you," Piper insisted before turning to Moon. "You saw it, too, right?"
Moon nodded with a knowing smile. "She's right."
But Harper rolled her eyes despite knowing that they were right. "I think both of you are delusional."
"And I think you're in denial," Moon said.
"Maybe it's worth seeing if there's something there?" Piper asked but Harper shook her head. "I don't know, I think you two could be cute together."
Kyler let out a laugh. "Yeah, I can picture it now. The loser freak and the foster kid," he muttered with a shake of his head.
"That's not - it would never work out," Harper said softly, frowning at how true that statement was.
"Obviously," Kyler said with a snort, taking a bigger sip of drink. "He's a freak. Always has been and always will be." He looked past them to where Hawk continued to watch them. Smirking, he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side.
Harper tensed and tried to shrug him off but he had her pinned to his side. "Just because you don't like him doesn't mean you have to be a jerk."
"Trust me, Harper. It's bad enough that you're a foster kid. I mean, personally, I don't care. We don't care but other people will. Kids at school are kinda brutal and they'll judge the shit out of you so the last thing you want is to hang with those losers. That includes Sam and whoever else she's hanging out with now," Kyler said before he shrugged and added, "No offense."
"Well it's a good thing I don't care what people think," Harper said, finding her voice to speak up. "And I'll be friends with whoever I want and, if you don't like it, then I guess that kinda sucks for you."
Kyler smiled enigmatically, brushing her words aside as if they didn't matter. "We'll show you around school and you'll hang with us instead. You'll thank me later," he said with a wink.
Harper narrowed her eyes, doubting that very much. She had no desire to hangout with him or his friends as she already found his overconfidence to be off putting. He was just another rich kid who had everything handed to him. Who thought he was better than everyone else.
But Harper didn't need to say anything because there was a shout behind them, pulling them from the tedious conversation. Demetri stood in a shocked kind of silence as the contents of a drink dripped from his head. Hawk pushed his way through the crowd but it didn't take long for her to figure out what happened.
"Now that was hilarious," Kyler said.
"It's really not that funny," Harper said, shooting him an incredulous look.
"No, but it is. I never thought I'd see the freaks turn on one another."
Kyler's laughter grated on her already frayed nerves. "I'm gonna check on him," she said, frowning when she didn't see Demetri.
"He's fine," Kyler said dismissively but Harper was already pushing herself away from him. "Meet up with us later!"
Harper barely registered what Kyler said because she was making her way through the much too crowded living room. Catching sight of him, she quickened her pace and followed him toward a bathroom. Before the door could close, she put her hand out and stopped it.
"Seriously? I'll be out in a minute!" Demetris voice took on a hard edge that she had never heard before.
"It's just me," she said tentatively.
He pulled the door open with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I thought you were... never mind. So what's up? I'm guessing you saw everything, huh?"
Harper sighed heavily and nodded. "Are you okay? Dumb question, sorry. What happened back there? I thought - I mean, it looked like you two were getting along for once."
"We were. It was kinda like, you know, before. We were talking about Doctor Who and other stupid shit but I saw the old Eli for a minute. Until he dumped a drink on me and walked away."
Harper stayed silent, not quite knowing what to say despite the dozens of questions that bounced around her mind.
"But I have no idea what happened," Demetri continued.
"I'm really sorry he did that. I promise to kick his ass when I see him."
A strained smile tugged at his lips before he sighed. "I should probably try to clean this up."
"You'll be okay?"
"Yeah. I'm kinda used to this," he said quietly.
After she parted with Demetri, Harper found herself in the middle of a crowded room surrounded by people who were having the time of their lives. But for her and her friends, this night seemed to be lacking in the fun department.
Harper moved from one packed room to the next though she wasn't exactly sure where she was going. Her friends were nowhere in sight and her phone held no new messages or calls. Sighing, she pushed her way through the crowd, no longer caring if she walked into people or not. It was impossible not to bump into anyone, and she was getting jostled from all sides anyway.
When she made it to the other side of the room, she stopped short when she noticed Hawk. Her eyes lit up while a frown formed on her face. A mixture of emotions that she didn't know which ones to focus on. A battle of the heart and the mind.
Sighing, Harper chose to focus on her anger and willed her heart to behave. Once she stopped beside him, she tugged on his arm to get his attention. "Hey."
Hawk turned to her but his expression was passive as he looked down at her. "What do you want?"
His question gave her pause almost as much as his cool regard for her did. "I just wanted to talk."
He sighed but didn't say anything. The seconds ticked by as the party raged on around them. "So are you actually gonna talk or just stand there?"
Harper couldn't help but frown at the callousness of his words and attitude toward her. Just a few hours prior, he'd been asking her to forgive him and how he was acting like he couldn't be bothered with her. She swallowed down the unease and focused on her anger instead. "What the hell happened with Demetri? You two were getting along for once and then you just dumped a drink on his head."
A smile tugged at his lips at the memory. "He was being an annoying shit so I shut him up."
"That's it? Demetri was just talking too much for you?"
"Pretty much, yeah. He never knows when to shut up so I helped him out."
Harper blinked in disbelief. "Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you promised to back off. You said that you'd try to."
"Yeah, well," he said with a carefree shrug, "messing with him is too much fun to give up. I don't know why I ever agreed to back off."
Harper's anger died down while confusion clouded her features. Something was wrong. Something he wasn't telling her. Because this version of Hawk was someone that she didn't recognize. But she still held out hope that he was just messing with her by pretending to be mad before a smile would crack through that indifferent facade. As the seconds ticked by, she knew that wasn't the case. That this was real.
"Are we done?"
Harper snapped out of her thoughts. "No, wait," she said, placing a hand in his arm which he shook off instantly. She tried not to look hurt and crossed her arms. "What's going on with you? You're just acting like-"
"Like what?"
"Like more of a dick than usual," she snapped before sighing. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes because she didn't believe him for a second. "So why are you acting like this? Are you taking your anger out on my friends because you're mad at me? Is that what this is about? Because I'm sorry for how things ended between us. I'm sorry for ignoring you but... if you're mad at me or hate me, then just tell me. Don't take it out on Demetri."
Hawk took a slow sip of his drink and looked over her head. Refusing to meet her eyes. "Not everything's about you, you know."
"No, I know that but-"
"And I'm not mad. I'm just over it. I mean, it's not like we're friends or anything," he said, briefly looking down at her. "I honestly just don't give a shit about you."
Harper kept her expression as neutral as possible while her heart broke. She could hear it cracking, bits of it chipping off and leaving her hollow. While she'd been mad at him, she hoped that they'd be able to work things out. But this new attitude toward her was like a slap to the face.
Luckily Harper knew how to deal with her sadness. She was a pro at camouflaging her feelings until they were hidden even from herself. The same wall that started to crumble around for the first time in years slowly began to fortify itself once again. Ready to protect her from disappointment, heartache and every other cruel thing that she'd come to experience in her life.
After what felt like hours, she nodded numbly. Not wanting to show any hurt feelings or give him the satisfaction that his words had any effect on her.
Before she could reply, Kyler appeared by her side. He regarded Hawk with a look of dislike before tugging at her arm. "Come on. You're missing all the fun."
Numbly, she let him pull her away without a word.
"Yeah, go back to Kyler," Hawk muttered but his words got swallowed up by the room.
Harper found herself in front of a new group of people as Kyler introduced her to his friends though she forgot their names almost immediately. Because mentally she was back with Hawk, reliving his last words to her which felt like a knife that cut through her heart. She shouldn't be this upset because they had been over for more than a week but witnessing how indifferent he was toward her hurt.
Maybe because she'd been silently holding out hope that they'd work things out. Which was stupid since she'd ended things.
Sighing, Harper focused on the conversation she'd been pulled into. It was dumb but entertaining at the same time. Because it kept her attention away from Hawk and that was all that mattered. She laughed at some stupid jokes Kyler and his friends told and drank the drink that was shoved into her hand without another thought.
A couple minutes turned into an hour. The time passed by at a faster rate than she thought possible. But soon the jokes turned into a bragging competition of whose vacation was the best, who had the best car and other possessions that, at the end of the day, didn't mean anything. It was pure arrogance that Harper couldn't stand by and listen to.
She broke away from the group, her steps slow and uncoordinated. Her head was in a fog that she couldn't shake off. Stepping into the living room, she stopped short when her eyes locked onto Hawk talking to a pretty girl. The two of them were all smiles and laughs while her heart silently cracked, the pieces chipping off and leaving behind hollowness.
Harper drained the rest of her drink and reached for a new cup of who knows what from the table. The alcohol no longer burned as it went down her throat, which was probably a sign for her to stop drinking but she didn't dare to. The only way she could bear witness to the blatant flirting was with a drink in her hand, numbing away the emotions.
As much as she wanted to, Harper couldn't keep her eyes off of them. Couldn't help but compare her looks to the other girls' beauty. Everything about the girl radiated from her perfectly straight hair down to her outfit. She wrinkled her nose as she looked down at her everyday outfit consisting of shorts and a long sleeved shirt.
Plain. Just like her.
Harper wrinkled her nose as she tried to push away this feeling of... jealousy? No. She wasn't jealous. Their short, barely lived relationship was over and Hawk was allowed to talk to whoever he wanted. So why was she feeling like this?
Taking a long swig in her drink, she wished it would dull her emotions further. The slight buzz in her head told her it was working.
"There you are!" Moon appeared by her side, a friendly smile directed right at her.
"Here I am," Harper said, mustering up a smile.
Moon's perfect features twisted into a frown. "What's wrong?" Before she could answer, she looked across the room and realization dawned on her face. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."
Harper's eyes widened and she shook her head, which caused a dull headache to set in. "I'm not. Why would I be worried about... I don't care who he talks to."
Moon nodded unconvincingly. "So that's why you're standing here drinking by yourself?"
"I'm drinking because you, Kyler and Piper told me I should loosen up and have some fun." When Moon didn't answer, Harper rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don't care who he flirts with."
"Good. Because he really does you."
Harper snorted with disbelief. "Yeah, I can tell," she said and winced at how bitter she sounded. She moved to take another sip of the drink but Moon pulled the cup away from her.
"I think you've had enough," she said when Harper protested. "You're tipsy, bordering on drunk so let's keep it there, okay?"
Despite wanting to drink away all her problems, Harper knew she was right.
"So, talk to me. What's going on between you and Hawk? And don't tell me it's nothing because I'm not blind. I can tell that something happened so what is it?"
Harper clamped her mouth shut, battling with what to tell her. She shouldn't say anything to confirm her suspicions.
Deny, deny, deny.
"It's nothing." But with the alcohol in her system, her brain wasn't functioning properly. Or maybe she was just desperate to talk to someone about this. Taking a breath, she let it out slowly. "At least not anymore."
Moon squealed, her eyes lit up as she grabbed her arm. "I was right this whole time? I knew it! Okay, you have to tell me everything."
Harper paused, uncertain whether she should. "It's not going to be weird for you? I mean, you two dated for a while."
"Yeah but we broke up. Obviously. And I'm with Piper now," Moon answered. Sensing her hesitation, she continued. "What me and Hawk had was more of a physical thing than anything else. I mean, we were together but I don't think it was anything deeper than that."
So Harper told her everything. From the karate lessons to how their unlikely friendship grew into something more. And then to how it ended just over a week ago. As soon as she stopped talking, the panic and fear set in of what she'd just admitted aloud. "Moon, you can't tell anyone. Sam doesn't know and I never should've said anything because if this gets out, my friends will hate me and-"
"Of course I'm not going to say anything. Your secret's safe with me."
"Why?" Harper heard herself ask.
"Because this is your secret, and it's up to you whether you tell Sam and the others. But I promise I won't tell anyone."
Harper believed her because what other choice did she have? She'd find out soon enough if Moon would keep her word but she hoped, for her sake, that she would.
"I think you guys will work it out," Moon said confidently with a nod.
Harper snorted in disbelief, not seeing how that would ever happen. Not after what Hawk told her and not with everything else standing in their way, creating impossible obstacles that would take all their strength and energy to tear down.
"I'm serious. It's so obvious that he likes you." Moon smiled down at her. "And don't worry about him and Kylie," she added, nodding toward the girl he was still talking to.
She even has a pretty name, Harper thought bitterly.
"But thanks for telling me. For trusting me with this," Moon said. She looked over her shoulder before waving to a group of people that waved her over. "I should go but your secrets are safe with me. Oh, and no more drinking."
And once again, Harper was left alone. She felt a weird sense of relief for trusting Moon with one of her biggest secrets. She was terrified that her secret would get out, that Moon would spill everything the moment she met up with her friends but there wasn't anything Harper could do.
Because what was done was done.
There was no going back.
Every now and again, she would look to where Hawk continued talking with Kylie. And it took everything in her to not compare herself to the girl.
So when Robby appeared beside her, she was grateful for the distraction.
"This party sucks," he complained.
"I don't know, I think it's been pretty fun."
"What? You can't - you're not serious, are you?"
Harper laughed at the dumbfounded look he threw at her. "No, I'm just kidding. This party definitely sucks."
"So where've you been, anyway? You kinda disappeared for a couple hours ago when Moon pulled you away."
"It was only a couple hours? It felt like so much longer," she said with a sigh.
Robby grinned, slightly amused. "That bad, huh?"
"Bad doesn't even describe it. Moon and her girlfriend , Piper, were pretty cool but then I got stuck talking with Kyler and his friends for the last hour. Not only is he an arrogant ass but I was forced to listen to them talk about rich kid problems."
"Yeah, that's petty rough. Sorry."
"You should be. It's all your fault for abandoning me," she said, smacking him on the arm.
"Sorry," he said with a laugh. "I was kinda busy with Sam and that stupid drinking contest she was in."
"Oh, yeah. How'd that go? Please tell me they're still not doing it."
"No, it ended a while ago. Sam won but then she just kept drinking and drinking. I couldn't get her to stop so I went to get her some food but she disappeared somewhere so I'm hoping she's okay," Robby said.
"I'm sure she's fine. She's probably catching up with Moon and her friends."
"I hope so," Robby said.
The music abruptly stopped and the complaints from the partygoers started almost immediately.
"Excuse me," Demetri said, his voice carrying through the speakers while the microphone squeaked in protest.
"What's he doing?" Robby asked, looking towards an area of the room where Demetri slightly swayed on the spot.
"I have no idea," Harper said.
"I'd like to make a toast. To Eli Moskowitz," Demetri said.
Confused, everyone looked around the room.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Demetri said, throwing his empty cup on the ground. Some of you know him as Hawk. But underneath that crazy clown cosplay and whatever type of Manic Panic he dumps in his hair, he's still good old Eli."
"This isn't good," Harper muttered.
"What are you talking about? This is great," Robby said with a grin while Demetri continued talking.
"- brother. Well, he was my binary brother. Do you know what he is now? A real zero," Demetri said, his smile and confidence growing as the crowd laughed.
"We have to stop him. Now," Harper said as a wave of panic washed over her.
"Why?" Robby asked. "He deserves to be roasted. After all the shit he's done, this is nothing."
Harper tilted her head in exasperation. "It doesn't matter. Do you really want another fight to start? Because that's what's gonna happen and Demetri will end up hurt."
Robby frowned as realization dawned on his face. Nodding, he followed Harper to the front where Demetri continued to bring up Hawk's most embarrassing moments. They tried to get his attention but he either was too wound up in his storytelling or he didn't care, choosing to ignore them instead.
"Okay, you're done," Robby said, trying but failing to grab the microphone from him. He looked to Harper helplessly, shrugging as every attempt was unsuccessful.
Blowing out a breath, she searched her mind for any helpful solutions. The panic increased along with everyone's laughter as the seconds went by. "Hey, I like your stories. They're really funny," she said, forcing Demetri's attention on her. His face lit up but quickly faded into a surprised frown when she yanked the microphone from his hand. She looked across at the crowd of people who looked disappointed that the roast session had ended so abruptly. But making his way through the crowd with Mitch and Aisha behind him, Hawk looked like he was ready to end Demetri's life. "Okay, go, go, go," she muttered, pushing Demetri and Robby back in the hopes of avoiding a fight.
With Demetri unsteady on his feet and the room overcrowded, it was impossible to make it further than a few feet.
"Screw mercy. You're a corpse!" Hawk yelled.
Harper looked around helplessly, bracing herself for a fight that was imminent. Closing her eyes, she let out a nervous breath and turned to face them. She stepped in Hawk's path, unsure of what her unthought out plan had been.
Her mind was sluggish but her resolve was strong.
Hawk let out a humorless laugh. "You're defending him after all the shit he just said?"
"Of course I am! You're really that surprised he decided to fight back for once?"
"He's always been a coward so, yeah. But it doesn't matter because he's still dead." Hawk took a step forward, his attention on Demetri but Harper stood her ground. "Get out of my way."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Foster, I swear." Grabbing her arm, he tried to move her aside but Robby shoved him back.
"Don't touch her!" Robby glared at him, almost daring him to try.
"Or what?" Aisha asked, her tone deadly as she leveled them with a glare.
Hawk clenched his jaw, silently debating on what his next move would be. Though he took a threatening step forward, he looked past them to Demetri. "I'm not looking for a fight. I only want Demetri."
"That's not gonna happen. You've done enough damage for one day," Harper said.
"And to get to him you'll have to go through me," Chris said, appearing beside them.
"Stay out of it, traitor," Mitch said.
"Why don't you just back off?" Harper said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Mitch scoffed. "And what are you gonna do? Hit us with a golf club? Do it, stray. Maybe they'll actually lock you up for good this time."
"I'm not gonna let you hurt him," Harper replied, trying to keep her expression neutral as Mitch advanced on them.
Moon rushed into the space between them, looking more than a little frightened at the fight that was just moments away. "Guys, stop! We're friends."
"No, we're not," Harper said with a sigh.
The tension in the room was palpable. Heavy. All eyes were on them as each group waited for the other to strike first.
The outside suddenly filled with red and blue lights, the sirens of police cars distinct in the distance. And just like that, the fight was over and everyone scrambled to escape the police. The crowds dispersed, people shoving past each other every which way.
Harper was rooted to the spot as people pushed her in a hurry out the back door. She looked around in a panic but her friends were nowhere to be seen. Her heart thudded in her chest as the sirens grew closer. If she got caught, it would be a violation of her probation, something that could easily send her back to juvie.
Move! She yelled at herself. When she unfroze it was to a panicked room full of people running. Unsure of where to go, Harper ran in the opposite direction, shoving against the crowd as they tried to push her down in their own panic. She stumbled but she managed to get across the room and wrenched the front door open. Car tires squealed against the pavement as people drove away from the house.
The sirens continued to grow louder. Closer. But Harper had no idea where to go. She had no car and her friends were nowhere.
She was stranded.
A car pulled to a sudden stop in front of her and the passenger door opened. "Get in!" Hawk yelled, watching her expectantly. "Foster, get in the damn car!"
Harper hesitated while her mind spun with what to do. She was out of options, she knew that, but the only choice left wasn't one she was willing to take.
"Or you can wait for the cops and screw up your probation. It's up to you."
"Yeah, okay," she muttered, making up her mind. She ran toward the car and got in, barely having time to close the door before they sped away from the house. Her heart thudded in her chest, beating so loudly she could barely hear anything. She twisted in her seat to look back to where the cops were just pulling up to the house as multiple people ran out into the yard.
It was close. Too close. Just a few more minutes and everything she'd worked so hard for would've been for nothing.
"Thanks," Harper said as she sat back in her seat, clicking the seatbelt into place. She glanced at Hawk but he focused his attention out the window, taking sharp turns that led them further from the house.
"What's your address? I kinda need to know where to drop you off," Hawk said a moment later, pulling his phone out once they were at a red light and passed it to her. "Just type it in."
"You can just drop me off in town. I'll walk."
"I'm not letting you walk home in the dark, foster."
"Why not? I'll be okay. I've done it before."
"Yeah, during the day when you weren't drunk."
"I'm not drunk," Harper said, looking toward him so fast it made her dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the nausea. "I'm not. I only had like three drinks. I'm a little lightheaded, that's all."
With a smirk, he shook his head. "Just three?"
"Okay, no. You don't get to judge me, okay? Not when you've been drinking all night."
"Yeah, I was drinking water."
Harper wrinkled her nose while throwing an incredulous look his way.
"I'm serious. After the drink I spilled on a Demetri, I switched to water. It's not like anyone was checking what I was drinking." When she didn't say anything, he added, "I couldn't come home wanted. My mom still terrifies me, okay?
Harper caught herself before smiling. "That's awesome for you but I'm still not drunk. I don't know, do you want me to walk a straight line or something to prove it?"
Hawk sighed heavily. "Just give me your address or we'll be driving around in circles all night."
"I really don't need you to drive me home. If you drop me off in town, I'll just call someone to pick me up. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."
"Who are you going to call? Your friends abandoned you at the party and your foster parents will know you've been drinking the moment they see you. Even if you aren't that drunk."
Harper bit back the snarky comment before she caved in and typed in her address. When she handed him the phone, their fingers brushed and she quickly pulled her hand back.
The instructions of the mechanical voice filled the air but the space between them felt enormous. Like they were two strangers. Mixed with the heavy silence, and perhaps that's just what they were now.
Sighing, Harper turned her attention out the window. Streetlights illuminated the town as they drove through an unfamiliar area. Or perhaps it felt unfamiliar because the night cloaked everything in a kind of mystery. There were more cars on the road as they passed gas stations, diners and dark shopping centers. When they veered off course from the instructions of the GPS, Harper sat up straighter in the seat.
"Where are we going?" She asked as they turned left into an all-night fast food restaurant. "I thought you were driving me home."
"I am but I'm hungry. I didn't eat anything all night," he said with a shrug, pulling up to the drive-thru. "What do you want?" He asked as an overly peppy voice cracked to life through the speaker.
"I'm not hungry."
Hawk shot her an annoyed look before ordering for them much to her protests. He ignored the glare she directed at him and drove forward until they reached the pickup window. The wait for the food was short probably due to how late it was. After paying, he handed the food to her and parked haphazardly under a street lamp.
"Which one do you want? There's a double cheeseburger with fries and a bacon burger with onion rings."
"I told you I'm not hungry."
"Since when? You're always hungry."
"Wha- no, I'm not!" She said despite her stomach rumbling. She wrinkled her nose as the scents of greasy fast food wafted out of the bag. "Isn't it really late for burgers?"
"Yeah but they're a good hangover food," he said before casually adding, "you know, for when you're not drunk."
Harper narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you care? I mean, you don't, remember? You kinda told me you don't give a shit so...."
"Just eat, foster. You'll feel better."
"I feel fine," she mumbled indignantly while her head throbbed as if someone was taking a hammer to it. A few seconds went by with none of them saying anything. "Which one do you want?"
With a satisfied grin, he passed her one of the burgers. Only when she started to eat, did he take a bite of his food. They ate in silence as a handful of cars passed by on the streets that were usually jam packed during the day. When the quiet became too loud, he put on a random playlist and the music filled the space.
Harper tilted her head at the couple songs that had played through. "Was that Taylor Swift?" She asked, an amused half smile on her face.
"I don't know, I guess. It's just a playlist, foster."
But it wasn't just a playlist. It was the same one she'd been listening to just a few days ago. The same one he'd judged her on when they met in the park.
She nodded unconvincingly and returned to her food.
"I'll trade you some fries for onion rings," he said once they polished off their burgers. They split the side dishes just like they used to before falling into another silence. And although Harper didn't want to admit it, she did feel better now that she had something in her stomach other than liquid.
"So, congrats on getting adopted. I always knew they'd let you stay."
"Thanks. I'm really happy." Harper smiled before staring down at her lap and tugging the bracelet around her wrist.
"But?"
"But what?" Harper asked, looking his way. He didn't say anything because he didn't need to. Sighing, she nodded. "I am happy. I mean, I never thought it'd happen but... I just don't know if I can be normal. I've been a foster kid for pretty much my whole life so I don't know if I can be something else."
"You're so much more than just a foster kid," he told her with a shake of his head. "It's definitely a part of you but it's not who you are."
"Yeah, but...," she started, trying to keep her doubts and fears from bubbling to the surface. "What if one day-"
"They won't change their mind."
Wide eyed, Harper looked at him. "I didn't.... How did you know that's what I was thinking?"
"Because I know you, and I know how self destructive you can be when things finally start going your way. I mean, you always think the worst is gonna happen because life's been a bitch to you so you panic."
Harper hated how right he was. How well he knew her.
"Everything will work out. You'll see," he added with a smile.
Harper nodded, hoping that he was right because her mind was full of doom and gloom scenarios.
She distracted herself by sipping on her coffee.
"Why did you really dump that drink on Demetri?" She asked quietly.
Hawk sighed, seeming to ignore her question. "I was just mad when I saw you talking with Kyler and then Demetri thought that I was still not over Moon because it was the four of you talking. And he kept saying that I need to move on and shit like that and...," he trailed off with a sheepish look.
Harper blinked in surprise. Not wanting to read anything into it, she jokingly asked, "you were jealous?"
"What? No. I wasn't - I just hate Kyler, that's all."
"Okay." She waited for him to say more. Maybe she even wanted him to admit that he was jealous but he didn't. The silence grew until it was heavier than before.
"I should probably get you home."
"Oh. Yeah, it's pretty late."
The drive home was as awkward and quiet as it could get. There was so much that was left unsaid between them, so much that neither of them wanted to admit that it felt like it would suffocate them both. But neither of them said a word. No small talk or random comments about what song was playing or about the party Nothing.
Just silence.
When Hawk parked outside of the house, the silence felt like a ticking time bomb. Like it was waiting for the smallest of sparks to ignite it.
"So uhm, thanks for the ride." She reached for the door when he didn't reply but he grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving.
Threading his fingers through hers, he tugged her back.
Surprise crossed her face as she looked down at their hands before looking at him expectantly.
"I lied before, foster, when I said I didn't give a shit about you. Because I kinda care too much about you. And I hated seeing you talking with Kyler so when he put his arm around you, I wanted to punch him in the face. Repeatedly and violently."
It was everything that Harper had been waiting to hear. But it was also everything that she didn't want to hear. Because, at the end of the night, they were still broken up. They were still two people who had too many obstacles in their way for them to be together.
Despite that, she smiled. "I wasn't really happy to see you talking with that girl, either. Kylie. I think that's what Moon said her name was."
"You were jealous?" He asked with that annoying smirk.
"Yeah, I was jealous."
"Good. I was kinda hoping you would be," he admitted before saying, "I just wish things could go back to how they were, you know? Before."
"Yeah. Me, too," Harper said softly. And just like that there was a glimmer of hope for them to work things out. Like maybe it wasn't all over. But just as that hope sparked to life, she blew it out. "I just-"
"Look, I know I can be an ass," he interrupted. "And I do stupid shit when I'm mad like mess with Demetri and tell you that I don't care about you when I do. It's not an excuse but I'm sorry for acting like a dick all the time, Harper."
"I know but...." She blinked slowly, eyes wide. "Wait, did you just call me Harper?"
"Yeah, that's your name."
"I know that but I didn't think you did since you've always called me foster."
"I thought I'd use your real name for once," Hawk said with a shrug. He met her eyes with a smile that she returned before sighing. He stayed quiet for a moment or two as if trying to get the courage to speak. "Can we just, I don't know, start over or something? It just sucks not talking to you or hanging out with you. I hate that you've been ignoring me."
Harper started to talk but couldn't get the words out. She struggled between logic and emotion and remained stuck there.
"I promise not to be an ass to your friends. I'll back off. For real this time if you just give me another chance."
The words got stuck in her throat, refusing to be said. "We can't. I just don't see how we'd make this work."
Hawk nodded once and then let go of her hand. "Yeah, okay."
"Hawk-" she started, unsure of where she wanted to go with that sentence.
"I'll see you at school," he said, putting a final end to the conversation.
Harper wanted to say more. She wanted to go into a detailed explanation of why this wouldn't work and why she couldn't put her friends last or allow them to get bullied. But it seemed like there was nothing left to say.
With a nod, she exited the car.
** You guys...this took me so long to write! And then it took me even longer to edit (and re-edit) it. Sorry for taking so long to post but the perfectionist in me took over. But so much happens here with Harper! I can't wait to hear your thoughts, opinions, ideas, etc. Please keep adding this story to your reading lists and leaving comments and voting. They all make my day :)