this is so long overdue oh my god i am so sorry!!!!! i've just been having the worst writer's block and meh. i've also started driving lessons and i always feel so tired afterwards so i just crash. i am sooooo sorry!! but on the brightside, i am also working on a short story thing for someone who requested so long ago (: it should be done soon and it will also be harry/selena wahoo!!
_________________________________________________
Selena's POV:
I swipe the last counter before tossing the dirty rag in the back of the store as Hayley approaches me, her hair newly dyed again--this time the left side is a bright light pink, the middle marking the distinction between the two colors, showcasing the contrast.
"So, you coming over before the gig tonight?" she grins widely, sitting on top of the counter without a single care in the world, swinging her legs.
"What do I have to come over for?" I raise an eyebrow at her, curious about the unnecessary meeting. A week ago, Hayley complaiend to me that we've been friends for a few months now and I haven't even seen her perform once, so I agreed to come to her next performance which happened to be here in the evening. Harry rolled his eyes at the suggestion and scoffed saying that he could pull off the same performance if he ever bothered. I believed Hayley was as amazing as she claimed her band to be but pretended to give Harry the benefit of the doubt just so he'd stop degrading her. Although his behavior suggested playfulness, it still bothered me when he insulted others.
"We have to give you a small make-over and plan your outfit. You have to be dressed for the jam to feel the complete experience," she winks cheekily and I shake my head laughing at her extremely outgoing personality that just bursted spontaneity and excitement. Harry refused to watch her but after knowing I was going to go, he reluctantly agreed to tag along though he claimed it was mainly to watch over me.
The past month has been better, as it is now October. Harry and I consistently talk and he's managed to not act like a dick for most of the time which I considered a huge improvement. Liam and Danielle have been attached just like any new couple desperate to spend time together and Eleanor and Louis are only growing closer than before especially now with their parents' approval. When Louis revealed the story of how it went, it sent most of us into shock at the calmness of how they approached the situation and I had internally hoped that if I were ever to feel romantically involved with Harry, that my mother would be as understanding.
I don't know what Harry and I are. We're certainly closer than friends should be, considering how he basically forces himself into wherever I sleep each night, whether it was my own bed or his room. He claimed that he seriously couldn't sleep without me and though I want to roll my eyes at his overly-attached self, I can't help welcoming him to rest beside me whenever he begs.
"So, don't be late. I have to head down afterwards," she points an accusing finger at me as I nod, temporarily setting aside my thoughts to give her my undivided attention.
Harry's POV:
"Lock up, will you?" Hayley stuffs her hands in her leather jacket before heading towards the exit. I see Selena nod, smiling beautifully as usual, before shuffling towards the back of the counter to do a last minute check up. Taking advantage of her distraction, I quickly latch onto Hayley's arm before she can leave, constantly tilting my head back to ensure that Selena is busy and not listening to us.
"Hay, you know what's tonight?" I raise an eyebrow at her, trying to be as discreet as possible.
"Yeah," she rolls her eyes, "You're going to ditch halfway into the gig, aren't you?"
"I need you to keep her away, okay?" I can sense the annoyance as she mumbles a simple 'whatever.'
"I mean it," I place my hands on her shoulders, slightly gripping to make sure she realizes how serious this is. I never want Selena exposed to that.
"Okay," Hayley huffs before throwing my arms off of her, "See you."
"Did Hayley say anything?" the familiar voice startles me and I turn around to see Selena ready to leave, bag in hand and store all clean and prepared to close.
"Nah, just reprimanding me as usual for trashing her music," I attempt to keep my voice in a joking manner as she shrugs, thankfully clueless to our previous discussion. She sighs in disapproval but nonetheless locks up the store and wraps her arms firmly around my waist as I bend down to kiss her on the forehead.
"You are so beautiful, you know that?" my arm drapes around her shoulder tightly, pulling her petite figure into my bigger one protectively. She shakes her head denying it but I can tell she's blushing as she suddenly averts her gaze. I never imagined saying those words to anyone, except maybe my mum and sister, and it's weird how naturally they just effortlessly flow out of my mouth now.
Selena's POV:
After we return to my house, I notice a note attached to the fridge as usual--another reminder that my mum is nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she now?" Harry questions, resting his chin on my shoulder and hugging me from behind, locking my torso into his toned arms.
"Paris fashion exhibit," I toss the note aside before squirming out of his grasp and tugging on his wrist gently and leading him to the sofa in the living room. Mindlessly, I place his arms around me and snuggle up to his chest, the two of us lying comfortably and parallel from each other with the television on. He plays with my hair and I close my eyes momentarily, inhaling his scent and burying my head deeper into the crook of his neck.
After another hour of watching The X Factor reruns, Harry suddenly sits up, the vibration of his phone interrupting us. He runs his hands through his curls looking a bit flustered as his fingers soon travel to the touch keyboard, quickly texting whoever it was a short message in return.
"Who was it?" I wonder who and what they said that can put Harry on such edge.
"Nobody," he shakes his head but I frown, knowing he's hiding something from me. Suddenly, he carefully removes my touch and stands up, heading towards the door without so much a word.
"Where are you going?" I now join him standing up, arms folded across my chest, not entirely happy that he's planning on leaving so abruptly without telling me anything.
"It doesn't concern you," he snaps and I flinch a bit at his bitter tone. Before I can say another word, he storms out, as I just stare at him speechless. Right when things are starting to get good, something worse always happens.
Hayley's POV:
Just as I'm hanging out with Jeremy and Taylor, my bandmates, for rehearsals, my phone sounds off. Trying my best to ignore it, I continue singing the songs we had lined up for tonight but the incessant ringing throws us off. Annoyed, I sheepishly apologize to the boys and jump off the stage to check who the fuck it is.
Harry.
It's always this asshole.
"What?" I nearly hiss into the speaker, receiving an equally frustrated voice.
"Look, practice came up. So, you're going to have to go over to Sel and watch her tonight. Keep her away, you hear me?"
"Whatever," I hang up without bothering to hear anything else he has to say. Throwing my phone in a safe cushion, I return back to the boys, regaining my position again as we rock out in our garage in preparation.
After we finish, we decide to give ourselves a break and not over-work or unnecessarily stress too much. It's not like it's the first time we're performing anyway. Checking the time, I notice it's close to when Selena should be arriving. The boys help me gather our instruments and materials and transport them from my garage where we've been practicing to the trunk of the car that we'll be driving in later. When almost everything's ready to go, I lightly jog towards the front door, opening it and welcoming them in. They sit on the couch as I patiently wait for Selena by the front, tapping my fingers against the door to pass time. I smile when I see her familiar dark hair, walking up the steps to my porch tentatively.
"Hey girl," I gently nudge her with my right fist as she feigns a happy expression.
"What's wrong?" I notice her less than cheery self as I drag her inside the warm shelter of my home.
"Just Harry acting strange," she shrugs and I nod, feeling slightly guilty that I'm completely aware of his whereabouts unlike her.
"Forget him for now. We are going to have a good time," I pull her hands and I can see her mood lightening up at the sight of my closest guys in the living room.
"Jeremy, Taylor, this is Selena and Selena, these are my boys," the introduction goes by smoothly and I inform the boys we're going to change before leading her to my bedroom.
"So, how long have you guys been together?" she tilts her head as I search furiously through my closet, rapidly throwing out articles of clothing.
"A long time. They play guitar and bass," I skim through the details, sparing her as I pull out a simple dress and a leather jacket for myself.
"What's your band called?" she sits on my bed, watching me curiously.
"Paramore. It's supposed to mean "secret lovers" and we're a rock band," I fill her in before just yanking off my tank top off and changing quickly. Rummaging through my drawers, I pull out a maroon beanie and slip it on top of my head, still keeping my hair straight.
"You look really nice," she compliments me and I ruffle her hair playfully.
"Now, you," I direct my attention towards her with a smirk. Harry will kill me for this, which is exactly why I decided to do it.
"I bought you something to wear tonight," before she can protest, I throw a shopping bag at her lap.
"You didn't have to--" she begins to protest but I cut her off.
"It just screamed 'you.' You have no idea how great it would look on you, trust me. You've been filling my shifts in too without getting extra payment, so just take this as a gift," I finally convince her to just accept the damn bag, shoving it towards her.
"Oh no," she immediately responds the minute she peeks in the opening, "First, that's way too revealing. Second, it's England. It's freezing."
"So, what? The place will be heated," I nudge her as she persistently refuses.
"Come on. If Harry sees you in this, he'll regret ever leaving you alone," she sighs as she slowly picks up the outfit and glances at me again.
"It's a good idea," I nod to emphasize my excitement for her to wear it. Rolling her eyes, she takes the bag and retreats to the bathroom I point out for her to change. When she comes out, I pat the seat next to me by the bed and signal for her to turn around. Selena seems completely lost but follows my directions anyway, allowing me to tie her wavy hair into a ponytail.
"You look hot," I approve as she awkwardly attempts to cover herself.
"Hayley, it's cold," she whines.
"Yeah, so is Harry's soul. This will warm him up, all right," I can imagine the anger that will rush through him as soon as he notices what I gave his girl to wear in a tightly-packed room filled with people.
"Won't I look completely out of place?" she tugs on her white shorts and black bralette top as I shake my head.
"A lot of people dress like this even in this weather," I reassure her worries and we soon leave my home, with Jeremy and Taylor in toll to the small restaurant where we'll be performing for the night.
Selena's POV:
The ambiance of the room is warm and welcoming with the strung lights that covers the top leafy canopy-like ceiling. People sit at tables covered with pure white cloth, glass cups, and shiny silverware, chattering and mingling with one another. I find a small table near the front and take a seat, feeling a bit awkward without anyone. Harry should have been here.
A waiter approaches me asking if I need anything and I simply ask for a glass of water. He stares at me a bit too long but I shrug it off since it wasn't bordering creepy just yet. When he returns, I take a sip and continue to glance forward at the stage where Hayley and the guys have finally finished setting up. They announce the top three songs they are going to be performing and I tap my fingers against the table lightly, feeling the rhythm that soon follows.
Hayley's voice is wonderful as she hits the high notes and drags them out with a strong vibrato. Her rocky edge is apparent in her songs and I tap my foot, loving the beat and the sound of the guitars mixing in with her voice.
"And, that was Misery Business," she beams as the crowd cheers and the room is filled with applause. They continue their acoustic performances until their set-list is done and Hayley thanks the crowd for joining her before retreating to the table with me as the boys pack up the equipment, ready to bring it back to the car.
"Thanks," she raises her hand to greet fans and people who continue to clap, laughing and loving the energy, before the room calms down and she sits beside me, taking a swig of my water.
"How was that?" she elbows me as I admire her happy demeanor. It's wonderful what a little adrenaline can do to you.
"It was amazing," I honestly answer as she proudly nods.
"That's what I thought," she jokes while bringing me into a tight hug.
Hayley's POV:
"Hey, you know what would be fun?" Selena looks completely confused at my question, signaling me to go on since she has no idea.
"Watching a fight," I grin devilishly as her eyes widen.
"What?" her voice falters and I link her left arm with my right, waving to the boys with my other hand and walking her slightly down the street.
"You see this tiny stadium," I point out to the anxious brunette as she feebly nods, "We're going in."
The minute I push the glass doors, we are greeted by big men who frown, folding their arms across their chest.
"We're full," they gruffly say with complete menace, not budging at all. Their burly frames don't bother me but their presence alone seems to intimidate Selena much to my dislike.
"This is Harry Styles' first girlfriend and she's his good luck charm. You know if he lost, it'd be all on you," my face remains straight and the men suddenly step aside, like Moses parting the Red Sea, fear written on their faces. Almost no one underestimates Harry.
"The boys are calling me. We're going to a celebratory dinner, but have fun!" the words slip out of my mouth in a rush as I soon return towards the entrance, exiting.
Selena's POV:
"Hayley, wait!" I try to call her out as I turn around but to no avail. She's gone. Great.
I feel the attention of some male viewers in the crowd as they turn their eyes toward me and I unconsciously attempt to cover myself, feeling uncomfortable.
"Selena!" I whip my head at the familiar voice, relief flooding through me as I recognize Ross waving towards me, his blonde hair being my only safe haven in this mess of closely fitted bodies and aggressive shouting.
"Hey," I greet as I approach him and realize he's sitting with Laura, the girl with the baseball incident, and another stranger behind him.
"You look lost," he chuckles as a light blush fills my cheek.
"I am," I sheepishly respond before he pats the empty seat behind Laura, indicating I can have a spot. Thanking him, I settle in and Laura turns around to say hello since we clearly remember each other.
"You know Ross?" her voice displays her surprise and I nod, explaining how we met on my first day and that we have English together.
"Wait, you're...Ross's girl, aren't you?" making the connection, I grin at the adorable pair. Laura turns bright pink just at the idea but nevertheless doesn't bother denying it.
"Uh..yeah, I asked her to be my girlfriend yesterday," Ross boldly finishes the statement, true bliss eminent on his bright face and I can't help admiring the young couple.
"So, you're Selena?" a purple-dyed haired girl beside me scrutinizes my face and figure, leaving me feeling too exposed again. She's wearing something similar to me so I don't feel that out of place but still awkward despite so.
"Uh, yup. That's me," I take my turn to study her, "Why?"
"Just heard a lot of things about you. You made Harry Styles apologize to my sister?"
"Your sister?"
"Laura," she gestures towards the sweet, innocent brunette in front of me, sitting closely to Ross.
"I'm Demi," she juts her hand out for me to take and I warmly shake hands with her, noticing she has a slight grip, "Thanks for sticking up for my sister. It's seriously so hard to find someone who would do that so, I really appreciate it. You definitely earned major respect from me."
"It's no problem at all," I brush off her flattering words.
"Trust me, it is. People hardly care for another nowadays. But, anyway, the blonde kid up there against your Harry is my boyfriend Sterling and Ross's brother."
Sterling.
"How long have you guys been dating?" the nerves get me as I shudder at the memory of the night where I felt vulnerable and completely attacked.
"It's been like four years now. Why?" her eyes bore into mine and my palms begin sweating despite my shorts and lack of sleeves.
"Round 2 will begin in a few minutes," the voice of an announcer booms throughout the room and yells and cheers fill the air. Her chocolate brown eyes briefly leave mine and towards the two males in the center, each in their corner, preparing. She stays trained on the blonde boy with bright ocean blue eyes and her affections for him are almost tangible. I can't tell her he tried to cheat on her, especially with me. She'll just deem me crazy and jealous--which I absolutely do not want to be labeled as.
"Just curious," I bite back the words threatening to fall off my tongue.
"Okay..so how long have you guys been dating?"
"Who?" I scrunch my nose, not exactly sure who she would be referring to.
"You and Harry, obviously. I heard you're the first girl he's dating," she shakes her head at me.
"We're not really...dating," I explain hesitantly.
"So, just close friends with benefits?"
"No, just close friends," I correct her almost on instinct.
"So, let me get this straight. Harry is being friends with you without asking for sex?" she seems appalled and I'm a bit offended that's all she thinks I could ever offer to him. Laura's stomach grumbles and Ross chuckles, taking her hand in his and excusing the two of them to go buy something to eat, promising to be back soon before anything begins.
"Yeah, pretty much. Anyway, what is this?" quickly, I change the topic and gesture towards the ring in the middle of the room.
"It's a fight. Round 1 already ended and it was a tie. Though, Harry and Sterling have been at it for years. Sadly, but truthfully, Sterling always loses. I tell him to just quit it before he gets hurt terribly, but he won't stop challenging Styles. Honestly, I have no idea why he won't just give up. It's humiliation for all of us who continue to cheer for him, but I guess it's a guy's pride thing."
"Has he always been so fixated on beating Harry?"
"Yeah. But, lately, it's gotten worse. He messed with my sister once and I've absolutely hated his guts since then. When Sterling found out, he was determined to make Style's life hell."
I gulp, taking in the information. It explains Sterling's persistence and Laura's frightened figure when Harry approached us.
"He hurt Laura?" my voice betrays myself and I know I appear hurt myself.
"Yeah," her voice lowers, slowly turning cold like a growing storm.
"Was it...really bad?" I shut my eyes, not believing Harry will have the guts to inflict such monstrosity on a young, fragile girl.
"Thank God he didn't seal the deal with her. The minute he found out he wasn't going to get that from her, he left her. She was like a completely love-struck slave and then once she found out he didn't really like her like that, she just shut everyone off, refusing to talk to anyone. It was really hard for Ross to piece her back, but bless that kid."
I think back to Ross explaining on the first day in English class, how it wasn't going to be easy to win the girl of his dreams due to rough pasts and I cringe, knowing Harry was responsible for that.
"The fight's starting soon, I can tell," Demi hits my arm lightly, shaking me out of my thoughts and to turn my attention to the ring. There he stood, in all his glory, his charming smirk ever so present and his tone body tense. The two boys are wearing tight-fitted tank tops that cling to their sweaty torsos and boxer shorts with padded gloves clad on their hands. They both have helmets hopefully with mouth pieces to protect their facial features. Harry's nicely built arms are on full display and the tattoos that line his arm look beautiful in the lighting. Girls closeby swoon and I can't help feeling a bit jealous, especially seeing them wearing similar apparel to me, which I never would have put on if it weren't for Hayley.
The referee rings the bell and I watch the two guys surround themselves with the girls fanning themselves, lingering pathetically close. Just as I am silently fuming, I notice a hard stare on me and looking up, my light eyes meet his, full of confusion and pure fury.
Shit.
Harry's POV:
"You're going down. Tonight's the night," Sterling hisses in front of me as I chug my water bottle before the match.
"You wish, Knight. You've been saying that for years," I grin victoriously knowing it's the truth. This guy has nothing on me. Once the bell rings, I put my hands up in defense, slowly following him around the fighting area in a circular motion.
"Don't get too arrogant just because you have your beautiful good luck charm with you tonight," he rolls his eyes as I furrow my eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't act stupid, Styles. That sexy brunette of yours will be the death of all men," he chuckles and I suddenly snap my head upward, tracing the trail of his sight, until my eyes land on Selena and they widen. First of all, why for God's sake is she here? Second, why is she wearing that? As pleasured as I am with her choice of attire, I hate that it's public to so many people, including men who are too close to her to my liking. My jaw clenches in anger.
Damn it Hayley.
Before I can react, Sterling packs a punch straight into my gut, leading to me falling on my back. He continues to beat my chest, almost straddling me. His arms reach out for mine, attempting to push them down with as much force as he can muster, wanting to twist my arms or break them if possible.
"When I win, I'll get your girl," he taunts and the absolute, surge of fury shoots through my veins. I throw him off of me with ease as he lands roughly on the side, surprised by the sudden turn of events. My hands reach out for his neck, holding him up as I give him an uppercut, taking control as he falls from the contact of my fist and his jaw. He spits out blood and I continue to beat his abdominals until he's wrenching with pain, almost crying out from the damage. The whistle blows and I am teared apart from him as medicals come to aid his terribly injured body.
"Styles wins!" the man hollers after counting to three and hearing Sterling surrender. When the crowd bursts out screaming again, I slip off my gloves and helmet, tucking them under my left arm and searching the crowd. Placing my equipment in the guy who helped me earlier's hands, I take off my tank top, receiving more high-pitched screaming from the girls as I laugh. They're too easy to please. My eyes weave through the people once again, only pausing when they land on her.
I notice her cringing at the sound of Sterling's bones bending as they elevate him onto a gurney-like platform for mediocre assistance. No one really cares in this run down area. The purple-haired girl leaves her side and I watch her running towards Sterling's side as the two familiar kids in front of Sel turn around to share some exchanged words. Shortly after, they too leave to join the older girl who previously left and though I'm expected to be in the dressing room with Ed to review tonight's match, I jump off the small ring and head towards the girl in the bleachers.
"Why are you here?" the words come out meaner than I had anticipated and I wish my tone had been softer with the more fragile girl.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she folds her arms across her chest, less scared but more frustrated.
"You didn't have to know," I shrug, making sure to flex, knowing that maybe the sight of my shirtless body will soften her annoyance.
"You were just going to keep the fact that you brutually beat people from me?" she shakes her head in utter dismay but I seem unfazed which seems to piss her off.
"I can't believe you!" she throws her arms in the air dramatically. I roll my eyes before reaching out to bring her arms down, but when I make contact with her soft skin, she flinches away.
"You lied to me," she scoffs, "What else are you hiding from me?"
"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you but I never said I wasn't fighting. Technically, I am still a honest man," I point out the details but she huffs, stubbornly placing distance between the two of us.
"You said it was nothing. Clearly, this is something," she spreads her arms out, trying to exaggerate the space of the room.
"Can we talk about this later?" I groan, not wanting to fight with her, especially considering how tired I am and how much I really want her warm hugs.
"No, there's not going to be a later," she takes a step back but I just sigh at her overreacting.
"And, why are you dressed like that?" I heave deeply trying not to yell. Deciding to even out my breathing, I take a seat in a nearby chair, tightly gripping her hand and pulling her into me as soon as I notice guys walking out and glancing at her for far too long. They shouldn't even be looking at her in the first place.
"Don't turn this on me," she points at me accusingly before exhaling, obviously bothered, "I'm leaving."
I clutch onto her hands, refusing to let go as she attempts to pull out but failing.
"No, you're not," I scoot over, wanting to pull her down to be beside me but her grip is forceful. My one hand almost feels her fingers slipping and actual fear hits me once she is released accidentally.
"Shit, Sel!" I call out her name, standing up but losing her in the massive crowd as girls surround me and guys follow her.
Fucking hell.
I try to shove through the people but it proves difficult and once I see the door opening and a small draft of cold air fills in, I suddenly feel as icy as the weather.
She shouldn't have witnessed any of the cruelty that's dealt with in fighting. She shouldn't have even known about it or been here. This is just some misery business that she was never supposed to be involved in.
This is fucked up.