~~~ Hello hello hello :) Friendly reminder guys that Tessa & Harry are now 10. Yes, 10 :O ~~~
Tessa POV
My fingers clenched on tightly to my seat, trying as best as I could not to get bumped around too much. Voices arose louder and louder as we carried on down the roads, laughter as well as talking. The teachers didn't bother to try and calm everybody down, probably because they knew they wouldn't stand a chance. Sending twenty ten year old's to a water park for an entire day with out parent supervision? They thought they could control us.
I think what made it worse was the bus driver, who kept on carelessly running all the speed bumps and red lights. We all thought this was the funnest thing in the world, well everyone except for Harry and I who were sinking into our seats, terrified.
Out of all the students on the bus, he and I had to be the only ones wearing our seat belts and actually sitting properly in our seats. Meanwhile everyone else was hopping around like bunnies and instead of using the belts for protection, Tom and his lame posy encouraged everyone to try and yank them out of the seats in order to make one giant seat belt that would reach the back of the bus to the front. .
Morons.
"I feel sick." I heard Harry grumble miserably to my left, gripping his seat belt hard. Even given his pale face and his worrisome expression I couldn't help but giggle at how silly he looked. It was so rare I got to see him look like this that when I got the chance to, I couldn't resist picking on him.
"Oh don't be such a baby." I acted annoyed, rolling my eyes at him and sighing. He almost looked pained to think that I thought of him being immature. Which shouldn't have been such a shocker, he was always immature.
"I mean, I feel sick that we've been waiting so long," He quickly corrected, sitting up from his slouching position. "We've been on this bus for almost eight hours."
I nodded at him, playing along.
"Yeah, it's been ages." I exaggerated, letting out another sigh from my mouth.
I carefully looked over at Harry who had caught his lip between his tooth, biting it. This was too much fun.
"Harry," I acknowledged, turning over to see him better. "You look really pale, are you alright?"
I reached my hand out to touch his face like his mum did to him all the time, already picturing his reaction. He swatted my hand away just like I knew he would and frowned at me.
"Gosh Tess, I'm fine alright." He argued in that frustrated tone I loved to trigger.
The stereo volume was suddenly incremented after the bus driver finally gave into Poppy and the others constant begging. To my surprise though, one of the teachers who was dragged along sat up and demanded every body took their seats.
"I dont want to see another person out of spot, am I clear?" She asked rhetorically, obviously not expecting anybody to talk back. This teacher had short, spiky black hair and beady brown eyes- which for some reason reminded me of a wild boar. Not the nicest thing to compare a teacher to, but I'm just saying.
Grumbling and complaints were quietly snickered between aisles, along with a few comments I found to be rather rude about the teacher who spoke up.
"Who is she anyways?" Poppy asked, turning around on her seat to get a look at my group of friends. We all looked at each other with the same blank face, unknown to the teacher who called us out.
"Figures none of you know her." The annoying voice of Tom projected itself to us. I twisted my head to the side to see him walking up the aisle and plopping down next to Poppy.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Poppy asked suspiciously towards Tom, who was currently mastering a smirk I knew as he grew older would only become more frightening.
"That's Mrs. Crucio," Tom explained slowly, as though he were talking to a bunch of dim wits. "She's the head of the upper school levels, one strict woman she is. Gave my brother detention the other day for not having his shirt tucked in- mental!"
We all absorbed Tom's information as he quickly skimmed down the aisle and back to his louder side of the bus. I could tell we all became a little more uncomfortable knowing that this lady taught upper levels, but she couldn't be that bad. Right?
***
"Everybody, walk in a straight line. Get on, get moving, we havent got all day." Mrs. Crucio nagged again for the hundredth time since her outburst in the bus.
"Yes we actually do." Poppy silently talked back, biting her tongue as soon as Mrs. Crucio looked our way.
"What was that?"
We all ran in the opposite direction, trying to hide the fact that we were laughing so we wouldn't get caught. On the bus, we all decided not to let this uptight lady ruin our field trip. If she was going to be strict, fine, but one thing was for sure she wasn't going to ruin our day.
When we all finally came to a stop at the entrance, Mrs. Crucio walked past all of us slowly; almost as if she were inspecting us before sending us of to battle. Once she reached the front of the line, she snapped out a clip board from behind her back.
"I am going to call your names and when I do, say present." She ordered, again, making us all feel like we were about to enter war grounds.
My last name was one of the firsts on the list, so I prepared myself.
"Brown? Tessa Brown?" Mrs. Crucio called out right when I knew she would. My hand rose to the air nervously, fidgeting as her eyes latched onto me and looked me head to toe.
"Present." I softly whispered, feeling a knot clump in the back of my throat.
"Hmph." Mrs. Crucio didn't look at all impressed with me, which for some reason made me mad and a little bit uncomfortable. Here eyes wandered back to her check list, with out giving me a second look. My teeth grinded together, I was liking this teacher less and less by the second.
"Brillings," She called out with a tone of disgust as her eyes glared down at us. "Tom Brillings."
A few snickers were heard from some where behind us, which made me automatically know Tom had to be back there. Then, full on laughter erupted as I watched Tom pointed his finger in the air and guide his way closer to the teacher who stood in front of him. That same smirk was smudged all over his face as he quickly snapped his fingers together then used them to point a finger gun at her.
"That, would be me." He lazily stated, wiggling his eye brows at Mrs. Crucio- who by the way looked like she was about to snap her poor 2.0 pencil into bits. However she quickly straightened out, cracking her neck to the side and unfisting her fingers from her clip board.
"So you're the other Brillings." She announced in annoyance, locking eye sight with Tom. I was so taken back by Tom's bravery at times, even though he was an absolute bone head, I had to admit he had alot of guts. At least, this certainly helped prove it.
"Yes I am." He stated proudly, crossing his skinny arms over his chest. Even Harry and I couldn't help but dimly smile at how up front Tom was being with the professor. I swear his wits were what made him a laugh.
Mrs. Crucio's eye twitched as I witnessed in slow motion her thumb make the final snap on her pencil, causing it to bend entirely in half. I jumped naturally, grabbing for Harry's hand as an innocent reflex. I slowly released it as I listen to him and a few others chuckle at Mrs. Crucio drop her pencil on the ground and shift to the side to lean against the lamp post.
She cleared her throat and we all turned quiet.
"Styles, Harry Styles." She called out as her eyes searched through the sea of mocking faces.
Harry's hand rose to be acknowledged by the teacher, and once he was he quickly brought it back down. Just like me, she inspected him from head to toe with out saying a word. She almost looked uninterested by all of us, like we were unimportant to her. I really hope when I get into Upper School, she is never my teacher.
We all chatted to each other quietly as Mrs. Crucio continued to call out all the other students. Poppy was telling us about this new water slide they had just opened in excuse for the one that was recently closed because of malfunctions.
"How do you get malfunctions on a water slide?" I curiously asked, directed over at either Harry or Poppy. "It's a slide, it cant just- break."
I felt like my question was fair. It was a question that didn't make sense to me so I asked it. Although, when Poppy and Harry both laughed at me I felt a little self conscious.
"Seriously Tess?" Poppy asked amused, giggling madly because apparently I was just 'so funny'.
"Everything can break, Tess." Harry added, with his eyes barely open from smiling so wide.
I rolled my eyes at them and turned to face the front. Finally, Mrs. Crucio had finished calling out every body on her list so we could all go inside and officially start our day of fun.
Except, Mrs. Crucio had some ground rules to make before letting us all loose. Harry and I both exchanged the same look as he lips said to me;
"This woman thinks we're actually going to do what she says. Ha."
I smiled down at my feet, shaking my head at how diverting Harry could be at times. Always wanting to be on the edge of things it seemed.
But I shuddered after actually processing what he just told me. Harry was rubbing off on me way too much. Breaking rules given by an elder? No way. If he thought we were breaking any rules today, he thought wrong.
My eyes discretely looked over at him again. He had a devilish grin smeared on his lips, I could already tell he was up to no good. But I was determined not to let him win this time. If he was going to try and break any rules, I'd be there to stop him.
"And lastly, no sneaking around any where prohibited. If I catch any of you putting a toe out of line, we'll send you straight home."
We all waited impatiently for the words we wanted to hear just roll of her tongue, nodding to get her to just move on.
She sighed as she positioned her clip board under neath her arm.
"Alright, go." She sounded almost relieved to get us off her hands and into the water park where we wouldn't be able to bother her.
We all scrambled through the main doors, running past the benches to leave our bags and heading straight into the pools. It was the perfect day to go swimming, although, I didn't really swim so well. I stayed in the shallow areas of the pool, not taking any risks in the deep ends. Swimming was just something I never really learned to do, and honestly never really saw any interest in it furthering. However, right now, watching all my friends splash around in the water waves with out me, did make me feel a tad excluded.
Poppy, being the best friend that she was to me, offered to spent time with me in the shallow area of the pool just so I wouldn't be alone. Even though I appreciated her gesture to keep me company, I couldn't help but feel like a stick in the mug.
"Go have fun, Poppy." I whined, splashing her with a flick of my hand in the water. She laughed and splashed me back.
"I am having fun." She quickly countered, bobbing her head under water to refresh her drying skin.
"I mean, go out there and have fun." I urged, nodding my head over in the direction where all the laughs and splashing was coming from. Poppy sent me a guilty frown, biting her lip between her vampire teeth.
"Fine, but I'll be back really soon to be with you." She negotiated before paddling through the agitated waters and to our group of friends who greeted her.
I wiggled my feet in the water, bringing them just above the surface to create a cool sensation. It felt like I was floating on the water, slightly tickling at under neath my feet. It was when I looked back up did I notice something odd. Harry and a few others were walking around questioningly behind the benches, almost suspiciously. I narrowed my eyes at them, and then widened them as I watched them scrambled through the gates to a certain slide that had been blocked off. Prohibited.
My feet immediately got me out of the water and ran me over in the direction I just saw them move in. Then I remembered that I wasn't alone at the moment, and certain people were watching me. I casually looked over my shoulder in awareness that Mrs. Crucio was as I suspected watching me. A groan escaped my lips as I realised I really had to play this one cool. I went over to the edge of the pool, pretending to go meet up with Poppy or anybody near that area. After a few minutes of splashing around innocently, I hopped back out of the water and quickly but carefully made my way behind the benches. My eyes locked with the gate that had been left open by Harry and his friends. Sly move, Harry.
I ducked down on all fours and began crawling under the benches, just to be sure nobody could see me. I thought my plan was going great, following just as well as Harry was, when my head came in contact with somebody standing right above me.
"What are you doing?" Tom scoffed as he laughed. My voice hitched in my throat, releasing an exasperatingly loud sigh.
"Why should I tell you?" I bit back irritably, trying to move around him but he simply stood in my way.
"'Cause I can go over to Mrs. Crucio right now and tell her where your friend Harry just snuck of to." He threatened, obviously trying to get some sort of reaction out of me. Which, of course he did.
I chewed on my bottom lip for a few seconds before explaining to Tom what I was trying to do. I couldn't believe I was actually telling him my plan to get Harry out of trouble by getting myself into trouble. Meanwhile Tom just couldn't believe I was actually willing to get into trouble, let alone fore anybody.
"Fine, go." Tom said flatly, stepping aside for me to go ahead. I stared at him like he was mad, and reluctantly advanced.
"Why?" I curiously responded once I had passed by his legs and cleared my path to the gate.
"I dunno, just go before I change my mind." He said back in his bitter tone, shooing me away with his hand. He didn't have to tell me twice. I sprinted as fast as I could with my short legs to the gate and and slid inside with ease. I scanned my surroundings; a pebble path way that lead some where behind a cement building. I followed it, not given any other lead.
Continuously and nervously, I glanced over my shoulder, every time praying Mrs. Crucio wasn't going to some how magically appear behind me because Tom decided to sell me out after all.
When I turned the corner, I was some what relieved to find Harry dipping his feet in the pool. Although that feeling of relief didn't last long as i took notice of the bright orange film surrounding the entire pool.
I ran over to him, creating a shadow just above his head. I stayed like that for a few seconds until he realised I was there and decided to look up.
"Tess!" He grinned excitedly, jumping out of the pool. "I was just about to go get you, check out this awesome water slide I found. I'm going to ride on it as soon as the boys get back."
I shook my head at him and grabbed onto his wrist, dragging him away from the pool.
"Oh no you're not." I tried to state firmly, but couldn't really as Harry chuckled every time I tried to make him budge. God he was so stubborn.
"No, Tess I really want to do this." He persisted harder, looking at me with his glowing green eyes. I wanted to give in and let him do what he wanted, like usual, but I had a really bad feeling about this. "Harry- I really would prefer you didn't."
He glanced back over his shoulder, probably wanting to get his friends back at his side to support his decision. Thankfully though they still hadn't come back, which allowed me more time to try as slap some sense in to my best friend.
"It says its prohibited, Harry." I argued with caution, not wanting to raised voice to high. "You will get in trouble."
Harry groaned and rolled his eyes at me, looking genuinely annoyed with me for the first time in a while.
"You sound like Mrs. Crucio." He grumbled, looking over at me with bitter eyes. I stepped back, releasing his hand from mine. It wasn't the comparison between Mrs. Crucio and I that upset me, it was the fact that he actually tried to hurt my feelings by saying something mean that made me sad.
I gritted my teeth together, almost cracking them.
"Fine then," I said, nodding to the top of the slide. "Go, see if I care."
Harry looked at me with glazed eyes, opening his mouth to say something but quickly shutting it after I crossed my arms. His wet curls shook around his head as he turned on his heels, not saying another word.
I decided not to watch, turning on my own heels to face the gate.
Although I was grateful I had managed to get myself out of this iffy situation, I couldn't help but ignore this really bad feeling in my gut that something was going to happen to Harry. As I was facing the other direction, a certain sign on the gate got my attention. It was red and very noticeable from the inside of the pool area, but not from where I had come from. In other words, I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't come in here. As I narrowed in my vision on it, the words on it became more prominent. Along with loud thumping and banging from the slide. I spun around, feeling my heart climb in my throat as a blood thrilling scream filled my ears followed by a giant and painful splash from the pool.
The sign read:
'Slide temporarily down due to malfunctions. Do not ride.'
I raced over to the pool were I saw Harry struggling to stay afloat in the water. He was holding his right arm above the water, clearly he had damaged it, but I noticed he was having trouble keeping every other part of him above the surface.
"Harry!" I desperately yelled. "Keep swimming I'm going to go get help!"
Splashing and coughing was all I could hear, causing instant fear and desperation to wash over me.
"Can't, much longer." Harry struggled to say as water continued to drag him under. Harry was a good swimmer, but by the looks of how much pain he was in due to his arm injury, I knew he couldn't swim on his own much longer.
Panic was over coming me because I didn't know what to do. Except for one thing that popped into my head. It was crazy, but I was desperate and I needed to get Harry out of the water.
"I'm coming in, Harry! Keep swimming!"
And with out another thought, I jumped into the warm waters and began paddling my way to Harry. His splashing helped me guide my way closer, making his location easier to find. I gasped as I finally reached him, hooking on to his arm.
"Ow!" I flinched away as Harry yelped in pain, cradling his arm and forcing his eyes shut. I grimaced as I watched his head fall entirely under the water, disappearing from my vision. Trying to control my own breathing, I took in one last breath then plunged under the water and pulled Harry back up to the surface. We both inhaled a breath of air, but Harry was beginning to exhaust. I quickly scanned the pool, disoriented entirely and struggling to keep not only myself but Harry's weight as well above the water.
"Harry," I gasped, tugging us nearer to the left side of the pool where I saw the words 'shallow' written. "We need to get to the shallow area, please just keep paddling. We're almost there."
I mustered all the strength I could to get Harry and I onto standing grounds again, pushing through the water that was becoming increasingly heavier on my small body. I was relieved though that Harry was a fighter, helping us both swim to the other side even though I could tell his arm was causing him much pain. As soon as we both reached the stair case, we collapsed. Out of breath completely, and mentally and physically exhausted. However we weren't given much time to recap as footsteps and shrieks were heard from behind us. The next thing Harry and I knew we were being carried away by strangers, giving us bottles of water to sip from. Although I did not feel the need to have any more water in my system, thank you very much. I kept on closing my eyes, then having them forced open again by a loud, nagging voice I knew had to Mrs. Crucio.
"What were you misfits doing in that area? It was restricted for a reason!"
Voices followed hers, telling her to keep it down and that they were calling an ambulance. I suddenly felt a pang of energy hit me straight on my chest, getting me to sit up.
"Where's Harry?" I demanded, panic sticking hard in my voice. The people around me in white uniforms looked around, mumbling a few things silently before addressing me.
"He's in the other room, an ambulance is coming to take him to the hospital." The lady sitting next to me informed.
I began to worry even more now given this information, feeling a few water leaks in my eyes.
"Why?" I whimpered, sinking my head in deeper to my pillow. "What happened?"
Nobody answered me, I was only given sympathetic looks that made me want to scream. I didn't want sympathy, I wanted answers.
"When he fell down the slide," The woman at my side began, taking hold of my hand. "He fell very badly on his arm, his elbow dislocated from its proper joint and it's possible he broke his arm. The ambulance will be here shortly along with both your parents."
My eyes were wide with fear and concern. The lady kept on asking me if I wanted anything to eat or drink, but I didn't want any of that. All I wanted was to see Harry and tell him I was sorry for letting him go through with this. It was my fault he got hurt. I should have stopped him like I usually do when he gets stupid ideas. It was my fault.
***
"Tess I got you some ice cream." My mum informed as she took a seat next to me in the deserted waiting room. The only noise I could hear was the constant chime of the church bell across the street that went off every fifteen minutes. Another fifteen minutes I had to wait to see Harry.
I took the cup from her and scrapped at the edges, not feeling hungry but since I wanted to please my mum, I took a few bites. Strawberry, Harry's favourite flavour.
"Mum, when can I see Harry?" I asked weakly, taking another bite of my desert.
She was about to respond, when the nurse coming out of Harry's room got my attention. With out my mums permission, I dashed over to the nurse and stood in front of her. She looked at me and smiled, nodding towards the handle as her way of saying it was okay for me to go in.
With out hesitation, I twisted the knob and walking in. There he was; his curls sprawled out all over his pillow, his cheeks had gained back some colour and a new accessory was adorned to his right arm. A big, white cast. His green eyes watched me come inside and sit on the stool next to his bed. Although I was relieved to find out he was much better now, the realisation that this happened because of me made me feel like the guiltiest person on this planet.
I nervously ran my fingers through the tips of my still wet hair, tugging at them slightly.
"I'm sorry, Harry." My voice quavered out softly, looking down at my feet because I couldn't look him in the eye. I knew he was looking at me though, his eyes were piercing no matter the situation. It was really annoying sometimes, he basically lured you to looking at him. So I did.
His eyes were glassy, like he had shred a few tears not so long ago and although he was awake he still seemed half asleep.
The feeling in the room suddenly shifted to one more comforting as Harry chuckled.
"You're applogising?" He said almost sarcastically, arching one of his eyebrows at me.
My mum popped her head in through the door, letting me know that we were leaving in five minutes. I nodded over at her just to get her to leave.
"Yes I'm sorry," I said again, dipping my head down in heart ache. "I should have stopped you, I knew you were going to get hurt and I didn't do anything about it."
I felt like I was about to cry, water brimming in the corners of my eyes as I glanced back at the recently added cast on Harry's arm. That wouldn't be there right now if I had stopped him. We wouldn't even be in the hospital.
Harry seemed taken completely a back by my apology, looking at me like I had dropped from mars. His hand, the one that wasn't in a cast, reached out and dropped it over mine that was holding on the the bed rail. A quick sparkle shimmered in his eyes.
"You didn't do anything about it?" He quoted with a dash of irony in his tone. "You literally saved me, Tess. If you wouldn't have jumped in the water and helped me out of the pool, I probably would have-"
"Stop." I cut him off, squeezing his hand and whipping away a quick tear that had unwillingly escaped my eye. "I'm just grateful you're okay."
"Told you anything could break," He remembered back to earlier this after noon. "Even bones count, apparently."
I whipped that smile right of his face but pulling at a few of his curls irresistibly. He thought I wasn't going to take it easy on him because of his injury? Well he was wrong.
"Harry that's not funny." I contended, although not being able to keep my serious face because of his stupid grin he refused to wipe away.
"What ever you say, Tess."
He smiled at me, sitting up slightly from his bed. I absorbed his face for as long as I could, thanking god nothing too bad had happened to him. I don't know what I'd do with out him. I jumped as he promptly released my hand and shuffled to the side on his bed side table. After offering to help him and getting sourly rejected, he turned back to me with a black felt tip marker. He handed it to me with a wide, silly grin on his face.
"Sign my cast, will you?" He ordered rather than requested, already leaning closer to me to show me where he wanted my name to be scribbled.
"Right there." He pointed at a certain area near the front of his cast were everybody else could see. "I want everyone to see your name." He explained, smiling at me as I stuck my tongue out in concentration- something I had picked up from him. "I want everyone to know that you're my best friend."
I slightly blushed at his comment, poking him right on his dimple and laughing as he tried to bite my finger. As I handed him back his marker, he took it in his left hand and popped open the cap. I stared at him nervously, watching him shakily yet progressively add on a few more words underneath my name. When he pulled away and allowed me access to see what he had added on, I couldn't help but pull him into a affectionate hug. I tightly held onto his shoulders, snuggling my chin near his neck as I felt him smile onto mine.
He had added on;
'Tessa Brown - my hero.'
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
(A/N) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Some drama, alot more to come especially since in the next chapter they are going to be 13!!! Upper School (middle school for you gents) is going to start and a whole lot more ahem crush related topics will arise. Just giving you a heads up to keep you on your toes! But yeah, vote and comment what you thought! I love to hear from you guys :) stay lovely everyone xx -Chloe
Ps. Thanks so much for the 10.000+ reads! Cute as a button every single one of you! xoxo