"Tired, very tired," Harry mutters."Io sono stanco."
Basic Italian, that meant, I am tired. Yes, I've read the Italian dictionary during the semestral break since it was boring.
He lies down on the bleachers, a row away from my seat. He just came from their practices and the tiresome ones had started just this Monday so technically, Madz didn't have to defend them last week that much but I'm glad she did.
I laugh, taking a glance away from my book and to Harry who is now lying in front of me, sweaty and obviously needed a rest.
"What? Louis took you guys to a bloodbath, no?" I ask, partly laughing.
Harry takes a deep breath, "Yeah, you could say that."
Again, he still has that black band on his wrist and he's been wearing that ever since the semestral break. I wonder why.
"Harry," I call.
"Hmm?"
"Why'd you put that band over your wrist?" I ask. "Plus, why have you been wearing it? You do it like all the time."
"Secrets," he says. "If I were you, I wouldn't think much about it. I do things without reason."
"I'm thinking, an injury?" I ask.
"More or less," Harry mumbles. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm sound as a pound."
"Can I see it?" I ask, a bit too curious since I'm a little bored.
"No," he answers. "Taylor."
"What?"
"Did I give you a gift this Christmas?" He asks.
"No," I answer immediately.
He sighs, "I'm getting you one."
As much as I am a bit surprised, I find myself responding very quickly, "I didn't give you one so we're kind of even."
"Yes, but I'm not asking for you to give me one," he says.
"I'm not asking either," I reply immediately.
He sits up and takes a very deep breath, looking into my eyes. "Come on, we'll just head to the mall and be back here before you know it."
I smile but in my mind rings my own voice saying, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea!
"If someone sees us, we're dead."
"I can't exactly buy you a gift. I still don't know what you like," he reasons out.
"Well, I'm not exactly asking for a gift," I riposted very quickly and instinctively since I really don't like it when I have no replies for simple, friendly arguments.
"Either we buy a gift right now, or I'll take you to Verona, yes, Verona, Italy. I'll be paying every expense and you wouldn't want that, now would you?"
"Bad idea," I mutter. "We can't go to the mall, if someone sees us, you know how things go."
"What's the matter, stranger? Scared of a little rumor?" He asks in a challenging tone. A sly smile forms on his lips, dimples making their way to show.
"There's a fine line between scared and careful, Harold," I say.
He leans in, his face just inches from mine. "I dare you."
"No."
"Then, I double dare you. I'll sweeten the deal, if you don't agree now, Rapunzel."
There's this look of anticipation in his eyes. He's really determined of what he wants to do and he's warning me to back out before he gives me no choice.
"I'll call your bluff, still no," I say sweetly, leaning in to him as well.
"I triple dare you, or else I'll kidnap you and take you to Italy tomorrow and we'll both be gone."
The term 'kidnap' is a bit unnerving.
"I don't believe you, my parents will look for me," I say.
"Not unless they know it's a friendly thing. Your parents trust me, I'm a Styles."
"Or they hate your existence because you're a Styles."
"They do?" He asks.
I laugh, "No. It's just business."
"Come on, please just come with me," he says, changing the subject. "Please? I think you're the only one among the cats I haven't given a gift yet."
"Really? What did you give to Isabelli?" I ask, quizzing him to see if he's lying.
"Peppa Pig DVDs, all currently existing seasons," he answers and obviously, he found out about Isabelli's Peppa Pig addiction.
"What about Micha?"
"A DVD of Tangled, Frozen and Brave."
"Wow, um, Louis?"
"A football."
"Okay, Runner?"
"A hoodie."
"Madz?"
He purses his lips, and when he does, I realize how close our faces are so I lean back a little as he answers, "DVDs of the entire Supernatural series."
"Gee, I really am the only one," I mumble with a sigh.
"So?" Harry asks a little impatiently, obviously wanting me to come with him now.
"Okay, but we'll be quick, alright?" I say as the condition.
"Yes, Swift," he mumbles and smiles. He stands up and offers me his hand but it's really one of the rare moments of me not really accepting his hand.
I fix my things and stand up on my own, "Shall we?"
"Race you there."
We both run to the parking lot without a signal or anything else. We just run after he says it. I have no idea if I'm just faster than him or he's cutting me some slack because I get to his car even before he does.
We both catch our breaths first.
"Were you taking it easy on me – or are you just plainly tired that — you were actually slower?" I ask, breathing every once in a while.
Harry opens the car door for me and sighs, "Yes, I'm tired."
"Then you should — head home, we can do this thing tomorrow." I'm kind of hoping he falls for this fake concern so that I get to sneak pass his gift-giving thing.
He laughs, "I've spent a load of time with you, stranger. As much as I want to believe you, you're a liar so either get in or I'm really going to pull the kidnapping thing."
"Runner will kill you," I mutter as I enter his car.
As soon as he enters the car and closes the door, he starts driving towards the nearby mall. The car ride is only filled with music coming from the radio and our tired breathing even after we're over halfway there.
I keep looking at his right arm that has the band. "What kind of injury is that?" I ask after a couple of moments of restraining myself.
"Needle injury," he mutters.
"You've been hospitalized? What happened to you? I mean —"
Harry laughs. "Is this concern I'm hearing from you?" He asks as if it's a rare thing that I show him concern. "Just kidding. I would really rather not talk about it."
"Okay," I reply.
He pulls up to the mall's parking lot and we both rush our way to the bookstore. He tells me to pick whatever I want and keeps following me around.
I know I am supposed to keep this quick to get this over with but the mindset slightly changes once we are actually in the bookstore. There's really this wild feeling about being in a bookstore and it's one of the best things ever. All I need for the rest of the perfect time is a cup of coffee and a rainy scenery outside.
Harry keeps picking up books and putting them back to the shelves after reading the back at the same rate as I do.
I purse my lips first before approaching him again, "Can I ask you a question? You don't need to answer if you're uncomfortable with it and I've been wanting to ask you months ago. Well, then again, you don't need to answer if —"
"I'll answer," he says with a smile as he takes a book from certain shelf.
"Okay so, like, I hope it isn't uncomfortable or anything. I guess not, since it's like months ago but —"
Harry chuckles playfully, "I'll answer, stranger. Now what is it you want to ask me?"
"What is your type? Like when it comes to girls?" I ask since I really don't know anything about his history with that kind of stuff. I only know one tiny detail and that is, he chose Lindsey to date and he hasn't dated anyone since.
He flips the book over and pouts, "I have no particular type in appearances." He puts it back to the shelf after a moment. "In traits, I'm going with a girl who has got good sense of humor and has the ability to keep conversations flowing. Just a girl who can make me do things I've never done before."
"Is Lindsey like that?" I ask. I don't know Lindsey either. I just know her from what I hear from other students.
"No," he answers immediately. "None of those."
"Then why'd you choose to date her?"
"She was nice at first," he replies. "But then, you know, revelations."
I am still sorry about that revelation. Although I can't believe it's been months.
"How many girlfriends did you have?" I ask.
"Three," he answers and continues walking. He takes another book from a shelf, it reminds me of why we're here in the first place.
I start picking up books, one at a time as I continue, "Any plans on the fourth?"
He looks at me first and the right side of his lips pull upward a little for a moment, "None. Richard told me it's sort of time to get serious and I couldn't agree more."
"Three girlfriends, ever fallen in love?" I ask, putting a book back where I took it from.
"Probably not," he answers and licks his lips, "History sort of repeat itself so you get the idea of what happened before Lindsey."
"I can't imagine girls cheating on you, they're freaking idiots," I grumble.
Harry places a book in front of me, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It's a book written by the same author as the one who wrote the Harry Potter series and I think the children's book he just placed in front of me is also in the wizarding world.
I was going to ask him but he asks me something first, "What about you? Ever fallen in love?"
"Do you want an honest answer or do you want an instant, according-to-me-being-not-single kind of answer?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Harry looks at me with a puzzled expression. I replay my memory about what I asked and yes, even I don't understand.
"I mean me as a whole person as just me currently or me as Runner's girlfriend?" I ask.
"It's a simple question and I sort of only wanted yes or no," he replies to me, his face turning serious.
"Sort of an unfair question, though," I mumble, obviously dodging his question and I do hope he doesn't notice. "What's with the book?"
Harry takes the book, "Later. Answer my question first."
"I don't really know how to answer that."
"You probably should," he says. "You say those three words to Runner almost every chance you get. Why don't you just answer my question? Ever fallen in love?"
"I think the answer is within your statement," I answer with a smile. He observed so himself, I say 'I love you' to Runner whenever I feel like it.
"I'd really rather hear the answer that first came into your mind," Harry says, apparently dissatisfied with my answer, judging from the scowl on his lips.
I scoff, "What do you want me to say?"
"The truth."
The truth. . . the first thing that came into my mind. I didn't want to answer that, it would be unfair, especially for Runner. I do say I love him and I know I do but that wasn't the first thing that came to me. . . neither was it the second.
Harry stares down at me, looking for a very serious answer. "I'll ask you one more time," he says. "Taylor Swift, have you ever fallen in love?"
I sigh, licking my lips. I guess I knew that someday someone would ask me that question and I wouldn't be able to answer so easily. I also knew that going here with Harry is a bad idea but what the hell? I'm already here.
"I'm not sure if I have," I answer, looking down a little.
If he wants to know the first thing that came to my mind, then I hope he is satisfied because that's the only thing that came to my mind until I remembered Runner.
The atmosphere is already different and I don't like it. When it's Harry, it's very uncomfortable that the place gets gloomy, I understand if it's confusing, or fun or aggravating, it's different when it's melodramatic.
Then I shrug, trying to change the mood. "I'm gonna go to the futuristic section, meet ya there, okay?"
I skip my way to the futuristic section and sigh in relief once I'm there. I didn't realize that my heart was ready to explode earlier as it is beating too loudly. . . yet I didn't really notice. I take a few second to calm myself and go through the books.
I have my list of first choices and second choices as to what I should buy. I don't really expect Harry to stay around now seeing as I left our conversation hanging in midair.
I see Harry walking out of the bookstore, holding a plastic bag with a book in it and he makes his way somewhere else to the second floor. He seems calm and just like a normal shopper who didn't just come out of a serious talk.
Even though I admittedly expected it, I don't know why I feel disappointed of him leaving me alone. . . maybe it's because he dragged me here in the first place or because I have no free ride back to school.
I keep looking at the books –I guess, I'll buy for myself– when my phone vibrates.
I read the text message from Harry saying. . .
Don't leave don't follow me. B right back.
And the next one is,
Lindsey alert
Oh. Now I feel kind of dumbfounded after thinking he did leave me alone. I guess I just love expecting the worst out of people out of habit.
It takes a while of me reading the book I want to buy, I'm actually already in the third chapter when Harry comes around.
"Thanks for coming back," I mumble, not really bothering to look up. I know those are Harry's shoes.
"Found a good book?" Harry asks. "Sorry for leaving you without notice and —"
"I forgave you the moment you went up the escalator," I say and stand up cheerily. "I found a book." I don't even have to ask him why he left, I just know it's about Lindsey and I'm very contented with that brief explanation.
Harry looks at the book I'm reading. "Divergent? Isn't that a series?"
"I don't want you to buy the whole series."
"I bought Isabelli every season of a cartoon. Also Madz, only it's a TV show," He reasons out. "We're buying the whole series."
"Gee, chief," I mumble. "I know you're a rich kid and all but you don't have to spoil me. Everyone else does that and I don't really want it coming from you."
"Really?" He asks rhetorically with a blank expression. "Fine, I pay half, you pay half. But we're taking the series."
"I have read the series," I say. "I know how it ends, the girl dies."
My voice slightly fades in the end as I scratch the back of my head. I remember when I first read this thing, I was in grade eleven and I was absolutely distressed. Seriously, who kills a main character?!
"We're still buying it." Then he blinks a few times, "Tris dies in the end?"
"How'd you know that's the main character?" I ask because he told me before that he doesn't like reading.
"I watched the movie," he answers. "Come on."
As he said, I paid for half and he paid for half even though he kept on complaining about it over the cashier.
We get in his car as quickly as we could and I told him just to take me home. I'm very looking forward to read these books in my room.
I look out the window with the whole Divergent series on my lap, trying to understand why that was the only think that came to my mind when Harry asked me a simple question.
Love? Seriously?! I throw that word almost every day and I know I mean it. But what bothered me is that I couldn't answer a question straightaway if I've ever fallen in love.
Then I thought, I don't really want to think about it so I look over to Harry.
"What did you do on the second floor?" I ask.
"Wrapped this up," he answers and then puts a gift-wrapped thing on top of the books. I'm guessing, it's a book too, wrapped in red paper.
"Okay, I'm guessing it's the Tales of Beedle the Bard," I say and he laughs. I know I'm right.
"It is," he answers. "It's a children's book but one particular story caught my attention."
"You don't read," I remind him.
"Anything that has my name is bound to be good," he replies with a smile.
I remember, there was the name "Harry Potter" on the cover.
"Okay, which story?" I ask.
"I'll tell you later," he answers. "It caught my attention, earlier you asked me if I' e ever fallen in love. I guess I just have a view of a character there, same perspectives."
Now I really can't wait to read whatever is inside it. I know it's a children's book with a collection of numerous stories and fairytales but if it leads me to answers about Harry, then I'm definitely down with it.
"Tris really dies?" He asks after a moment.
I laugh, "Yeah, she dies in the end. I remember reading the same paragraphs over and over just to prove to myself that I'm not imagining it."
"How did Four react?" He asks.
"Grieve-stricken, obviously," I answer. "Anyways, don't watch the next movies after the first part because they're inaccurate."
"I was planning to watch the next ones," he muttered.
"Very inaccurate," I repeat. "When are you going go tell me which story has the character that you liked?"
He scoffs, "I don't like the character, just his perspective. I'll tell you once we get to your house, yeah?"
"Okay, fine."