Charlotte
As I drive home from Harry's, I'm unable to stop my heart from beating so erratically in my chest. The image of Harry smiling down at me after I accepted his request is still etched in my mind, and nothing seems to be able to erase it. I don't understand how his simple invitation is making me feel like such a giddy little school girl. I've been on many dates before, but I had never felt this way before any of them. The truth of the situation sits silently in the back of my mind, mainly because I refuse to think it over. I have only known Harry for a few short hours, but now I was going on a date with him. If this was with any other guy, I know I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now. But everything about Harry is much different than the average boy.
The ringing of my phone is the only thing that snaps me out of my small trance. I press the button on my steering wheel and answer the call without a second thought.
"Hello?"
"Charlotte I've been trying to call you!" My fathers voice blares from the cars speakers. I hiss at the volume and reach for the dashboard to lower it.
"Sorry, I was in the middle of something," I admit shyly, purposely forgetting to tell him about Harry. If I mention anything about my day with him, he'll interrogate both him and I to no end.
"Oh really? Was it more important than your dear old father dying of starvation?" I hear him let out a subtle, yet over exaggerated groan and I sigh. Of course he was calling just to pester me about food again.
"Didn't you buy food at the farmers market? Can't you just make something out of that?" I attempt to give him an idea, solely because I do not feel like making an unnecessary trip to some random fast food place. I hear him start to clamber around in the kitchen, and he lets out a distressed grunt.
"I don't feel like anything healthy Charlotte," I can practically sense the pout in his tone.
"Why did you even buy anything if you knew you weren't going to eat it?" I turn into the first fast food joint that I see after I scold him: In N Out. The only reason I even consider getting him the food is because I know that he will just continue to argue with me until I buy him something.
There's silence on the line for a few short seconds, but then I hear him mutter out a response, "I wanted to feel proud of myself for buying healthy shit okay?"
I instantly roll my eyes at the seriousness in his tone, and park the car. I exhale loudly before speaking, "Sometimes I wonder who the child here really is."
"Oh shut up and just get your dad a burger!"
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"Here," I plop the In N Out bag onto the dining table, and throw my keys into the small dish on the counter. The binders under my arm are practically seething in there place, begging to be opened and searched through, but I ignore it. I refuse to open them with my fathers wandering eyes watching over me.
His eyes light up like a small child's on Christmas morning, and it takes him less than five seconds to jump up form his spot on the couch. He hardly even notices my presence before ripping the paper bag open.
"Now this," he clutches onto the dripping burger and pops a french fry into his open mouth, "Is why I love you."
"Ya sure, okay," I brush him off quickly, hoping to escape to my bedroom with Harry's binders in hand. But before I can even take one step down the hallway, my dad lets out a poor imitation of a cough.
"So, where'd you get those binders?" he asks with his mouth full. I wince, cursing at myself for not hiding them properly. He has never been one to get upset about stuff like this, but I am in no mood of discussing about my day with Harry.
"From a friend," I answer briefly.
He raises his eyebrows at my response and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. The half-eaten burger is left abandoned on the table as his full attention merges onto me, "You have a friend?" he speaks in disbelief.
I shrug my shoulders at him and cross my arms, "Don't say it like it's such a bad thing."
"It's not that Charlotte," a smile replaces his look of utter shock, "You've just, well, you've just never mentioned any friends before."
"It's not that big of a deal," I start, my feet slowly shuffling on the wood. I assume that he he senses my discomfort, and his eyes soften. He chuckles and picks up the burger again.
"Okay then," he smiles at me one last time and takes another bite of his food. I breath a sigh of relief, knowing that that was his signal of the conversation coming to an end. I bring the binders to my chest and make a quick dash to my bedroom, already aware of what I would be spending the rest of night doing.
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"Charlotte, sweetie, wake up," I hear my father's voice call out to me. I feel a hand shaking my shoulder gently, and I allow my eyes to flutter open. My vision starts off blurry as I lift my head, but by the way my joints are aching, it's obvious that I did not fall asleep in my bed. I blink a couple of times, and finally regain my eyesight.
My arms lie crossed on my desktop, on top of one of Harry's binders. Many pictures are scattered around me, and my dad eyes me worriedly. I sit up slowly in my chair, simpering slightly as last nights events start to flood through my memories. I must have spent hours looking through Harry's binders, but I don't regret one moment of the time spent.
"Did you sleep here all night?" He asks, looking down at the mess.
"I uh-" I yawn loudly, stretching out my sore muscles before starting to push the pictures back in there place, "I guess I did."
He shakes his head, and peels off a picture stuck on my cheek. I swat his hand away tiredly, unaware that the picture was even stuck there.
"So this 'friend' of yours just gave these to you?" He looks over the photos and back up to my tired gaze. I yawn again, not completely aware of what was even going on. I stand up and stretch my arms once more.
"Yea, he did," I state normally, putting the rest of the photos back into the binders.
"'He'!?" It's as if my fathers eyes enlarge on the spot.
I turn away from him, squeezing my eyes shut at my idiocy. The unadorned pronoun slipped out uncontrollably, and now I'm surely going to pay for it. I casually turn back around to face him, and I'm met with a gaping jaw.
"Yes he." I annunciate the word as if it's not a problem, grabbing the binders on my desk in the process. I purposely avoid his stunned stature and place them on my shelf, his eyes glued to my every move.
I pull my bed head out of its pony tail and grip the elastic with my teeth, but stop as I feel his eyes continuing to stare me down. I tilt my head at him and groan.
"Are you going to keep doing that?" My words are muffled as I speak, but I'm still able to send him an annoyed scowl.
He doesn't utter a word before he charges at me, tugging me into his chest without warning. I suck in a breath, spitting out the rubber band in my mouth as I gasp. Any normal father would undoubtedly be sickened at the thought of their only daughter befriending someone of the opposite sex, but my father, instead, starts jumping up and down with me in his arms. He's positively far from normal.
"What the hell? Dad, put me down," I calmly demand, my face squished in his chest. His hopping gradually starts to slow its pace, and he loosens his grip on me. I glance towards his face and a considerably large smile is plastered there.
"Ooh what's his name? Where'd you meet him? This is so exciting," he claps his hands together, conclusively animated with the topic.
My fathers attitude toward the situation surprises me whole heartedly, and I suddenly feel awkward in the room. I brush through the tangled knots in my hair and start biting on the inside of my cheek, trying to keep my embarrassment at bay.
"It's Harry, dad. I met him at the beach yesterday," I try to keep my statement short.
"So that's why you were gone so long! I thought you'd be back by the time I got home. So when you weren't, I was really surprised. Did you go somewhere with him? Is that how you got those?" He points to the binders on the shelf and I shrug.
"Yea, he invited me over to his house," my dad's face expresses a sense of worry for the first time, so I quickly continue, "He's a photographer. He invited me over so he could give me some pictures and he, well, he ended up giving me them."
"So you just left after that hm?" Nothing happened?" He crosses his arms over his chest with a cocky smile spreading across his features. Before I can deny anything, he speaks again, "And don't tell me nothing happened. You should have seen your face when you walked in yesterday. I haven't seen you that happy in a while."
"That's-That's not true," I argue with him. By the way he begins to smirk at me, I know my timid tone wasn't convincing.
"Okay, okay," I sigh, but finally give into my fathers onslaught, "He's taking me out to dinner tomorrow."
At my words, he brings me into another hug, caressing me happily, "Well look at that, my baby girls growing up."
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"Dad, where's my bag?" I yell out from my room, tying my shoelaces in a knot. I push myself off the bed and glance at myself through the mirror.
From what Harry texted me earlier, I'm aware that the diner he is taking me too isn't too fancy. Looking at my casual, yet dainty attire, I wonder if what my outfit holds is appropriate. I tug annoyingly at the burgundy sweater's sleeves, and glance down at my black skater skirt. I'll be absolutely humiliated if I go underdressed, but then again, I'd look like a fool wearing anything more elaborate. I awkwardly shift my black converse clad feet, and stare blankly at my reflection.
My father promptly walks up to my open doorway, my black handbag dangling from his arm, "It was on the couch."
I thank him quietly and grab it from him, throwing it over my shoulder.
"So," I start, twirling around in front of him, "How do I look?"
His watchful eyes cast over my outfit, and he smiles, "You look great sweetie. This Harry fellow is really lucky if you ask me."
"Stop it," I blush and reach for my phone inside my bag. I check the time and my heart rate instantly quickens. It was already 7, so Harry would be here any minute.
I exhale nervously, rubbing my palms together. Harry isn't even here yet, but I can already feel myself beginning to sweat. Why am I getting so nervous? It's just Harry. It's just a date.
The doorbell suddenly sounds throughout the house, and I jump in surprise. Dad looks over to me and I breathe heavily. He tilts his head towards the door and I walk past him. I take one last breathe before grasping the handle of our front door. It lets out a distinctive creak as it swings open, and my my breathe instantly hitches in my throat when my eyes land on Harry.
He's holding a bouquet of flowers in front of him, and my heart flutters. A black jacket adorns his torso, and a simple white t-shirt lies beneath it. He's chosen to wear ripped black jeans, and dirty brown boots cover his feet. Because nothing is constricting his curls like before, they lie near his shoulders in a styled manner, and I have to hold in a gasp.
"Wow," he breathes out, looking over me.
"Hi Harry," I squeak, still recovering from my first impression of him. His mouth falls open as if he's about to speak, but he can't seem to find any. Instead, he pushes the bouquet towards me.
He clears his throat, "These are for you, I-I wasn't sure what kinds of flowers you like, so I had the florist pick them out. I'm a complete bloke when it comes to these things."
He hands them over to me and I smile, "Thank you Harry, they're beautiful," I tell him honestly. I'm about to invite him in when I suddenly feel a presence behind me. I turn my head slightly and hardly prevent myself from groaning. My father smiles down at both of us, and I gaze over at Harry apologetically. Harry's eyes widen and I feel terrible.
"You must be the charming fellow taking my daughter out tonight," my dad reaches his hand out for him to take, "I'm Gale Forbs."
Harry politely takes my fathers hand and shakes it, "Hello sir. It's very nice to meet you, I'm Harry. Harry Styles," he tells him confidently, letting go of my dads hand.
I gently shove the flowers into my fathers grasp to get his attention off of Harry and he frowns down at me. I pat him on the shoulder and whisper to put them in a vase before leaving his side.
"Okay, you've met, now we've really got to get going," I walk up next to Harry and point to my phone, "You don't want me out too late, now do you?"
My father sends me a glare and I smile lazily in return. He turns back to Harry and his expression turns serious, "Make sure you take good care of her tonight, alright?"
Harry gulps down suddenly, but nods in response, "I promise that she's in good hands sir."
I start tapping my foot impatiently and my dad notices. He reaches over then and gives me a kiss on the cheek, causing my mind to go blank. He was purposely trying to embarrass me in front of Harry and he knew it. He leans back with a cocky smirk and I glare angrily at him.
"Alright kids, go have fun," he dismisses us and I breathe out heavily, relieved. I smile to Harry as he waves goodbye to my father, and I follow him down the pathway towards his car.
He opens the passenger door open for me and I smile fondly at him. I thank him and take a seat inside as he closes the door.
"Have her back by midnight!" I hear my dad yell from the porch and I wince, realizing he was still watching us. I hear Harry respond with a short 'will do' and watch him get in the seat next to me. He starts the car quickly and turns his head, his emerald stare meeting my own.
"So, let's get this night started then shall we?"
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Charlie & Harry's dates going to be in the next chapter, so don't kill me ;)
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