It's already August. And Hattie is leaving me. I don't know how the summer flew by so fast, but it did.
And I never saw it coming, but Harry and I are closer than ever.
After the party that night, or should I call it a disaster, Harry made sure I got home safely. Although the whole incident with Louis and what he said hurt, I wasn't going to let that of all things bother me. Harry and I talked it out, and even though Louis had a negative connotation when speaking about Harry's new habits, I couldn't be happier that he's mostly stopped drinking.
It wasn't my intention to make him stop or whatever. Never would I try and change someone like that. If someone is going to become a better person, they need to figure out what they need to do on their own.
And I believe Harry did. He figured out that his partying wasn't getting him anywhere, so he stopped. Maybe hanging out and becoming friends with me gave him a little push, but certainly not one that I initiated.
He's not totally different. He's just a bit more thoughtful now. I can't help but be glad that the accident may have caused this positive change for him.
Harry and I have made Friday night our official 'Make fun of dramatic movies movie night.' I go over to his house and we watch some horribly made movies and laugh along to it the entire time. It's quite fun, really. The rest of the summer has just been working at Dairy Queen making ice cream sundaes and trying to savor the little bit of time I have left with Hattie.
Tonight is one of the said movie nights. Tonight's pick: Titanic. I was snuggled up on the couch in Harry's basement, a quilt thrown over me, despite it being August. Harry sat beside me, imitating Jack's love for Rose.
"Oh, Rose. Even though I just met you I want to die for you." Harry drew on, a silly smile drawn on his face. Who ever knew he had this easy-going, funny side to him. But tonight, I just couldn't enjoy it.
We were taking Hattie to school tomorrow. LIke, away to school. And I've known this was coming for weeks, but the reality of my best friend moving hours away is just now setting in. Harry seemed to pick up on it.
"Hey, Pay, that was a good one." He said, hitting me playfully.
"I know." I said, a small smile ghosting my lips.
"What's wrong?" He asked, turning his body towards me.
I took a deep breath before speaking. "Just...tomorow. We're taking Hattie to school."
"Oh." Harry said, knowing there's not much he can do to make anything better.
"Yeah. I just, it's going to be a big change for me. I'm used to seeing her everyday." I said, staring off into space nostalgically.
"It will be different." Harry admitted. "But at least I'll still be here."
"Oh, so I can come over at three in the morning and talk to you when I have a problem." I said giggling. I don't think Harry really understands what I'll be missing here.
"Sure." He shrugs, like it would be no big deal for him.
"'What about when I get my period and I'm cramping and need someone to complain to?" I said, knowing her wouldn't agree to this one.
"Errr, you might just want to give Hattie a call for that one." I said and I laughed. "But anything else, I'll be here. I just don't deal with that girly shit." And I felt incredibly happy at the genuineness in his voice. It's crazy to think just 4 months ago, I had never talked to this boy in my life.
"Thanks. What a friend!" I joked, tackling him and giving him a hug.
* * * * * * *
"Well, I think that's all of the boxes, Hat." My Aunt Kara said, putting her hands on her hips. The four of us were stuffed into Hattie's small dorm room.
"Yes. Everything looks great, don't you think!" She said excitedly, looking in awe at her new home around her.
"It's cute." My mom said, appreciating all the decorating all of us had been doing all afternoon. We took off this morning, taking a few hours to get here. Then, Hattie checked in and registered for school, and the rest of the afternoon was spent in the new dorm.
I had been pretty quiet all morning, mostly just bummed out that my best friend and I would now be seperated by hundreds of miles. I don't want to bring the mood of the group down, but it's hard when you know you won't see her for a couple months.
"So, you're pretty much settled in." I said.
"Yep. I can't wait to go down to the dining hall for dinner." Hattie was so excited and it was adorable. I wish I could be excited for her.
"Well, we better get going then." Aunt Kara said, a bittersweet look on her face.
"This is so sad. We're leaving one of our babies for college." My mom said.
"You still have that one to boss around." Hattie said, pointing to me.
"We better go before I start crying." Aunt Kara said, pulling her purse over her shoulder. My mom hugged Hattie first, telling her to concentrate on her studies and not do anything stupid. I was next.
I walked up to Hattie, engulfing her in a tight embrace.
"I'm going to miss you, Pay."
"I'll miss you, too." I said, tears starting to form in my eyes.
"We'll be on the phone everynight. Don't worry." She said, looking me in the eyes.
"Yeah." I really didn't want to cry in front of her, so I swallowed my tears, said one more goodbye, and grabbed my mom, telling Aunt Kara we'd wait for her in the car.
Ten minutes later, the three of us were packed up in my mom's mini-van, the seat by mine that was usually filled sitting eerily empty.
* * * * * *
"Harry." I said straight after Harry picked up.
"Hi." He said. I'm sure he was expecting this. "How are you?"
Without answering, I just broke down into tears. I was sat on my bed, nothing to think about but the empty room below mine.
"Aww, Paisley. Don't cry." He said over the phone, laughing a little bit.
"It's not funny." I choked, and this just made him laugh more.
"It's not like you're never going to see her again." He said, and I could practically see the smirk on his face.
"You have no heart, Harry."
"So I've been told."
"Harry, I called you for support, and you're just making fun of me."
"You're being a bit dramatic." He said, and this just fueled my anger. Doesn't he know he shouldn't mess with an emotional teenage girl.
"Dramatic? Fine then, I'll be dramatic to somebody else. Go hangout with your clique of douchebags." I said, and hung up right away. Yes, Harry and I were friends, that doesn't mean we always get along.
Although Harry can be incredibly sweet and thoughtful at times, I forget that he really has no experience dealing with people with actual emotions, it being that he's never had to before. I forget that we are still two very different people with differnet ways of dealing with things. I like to talk things through until I've gone through it in my mind and accepted it to myself, and he just likes to forget about things right away.
I decided it would be better to call Elizabeth or Mallory anyway and just let Harry take his bad attitude elsewhere. So, doing just that, I dialed up Mallory and started to pour out my heart to her; someone who would actually be sympathetic.
It had been about a half hour of Mallory saying 'You'll see her more than you think' and 'she'll be home again for break before you know it' when I heard someone shuffling up the stairs to my attic bedroom.
Harry's face popped through the door, and I said a rushed goodbye to Mallory.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice weak from crying and my face all red and blotchy. Harry was wearing a pair of black jeans and a striped black and white t-shirt. He stood in the doorway, looking as if he didn't quite know what he was doing.
"I, uh, came to apologize." He said. I gave him an nod as if to say to go on. "I'm sorry for being such an asshole earlier. You just needed someone to be there for you and I was just being a dick." He said. I was a little shocked to see him here, because his bad boy aura doesn't quite give off the feeling that he would feel bad about something he did. But then again, Harry was never quite what he seemed.
"Why is it that you're always showing up at my door to apologize?" I said, my voice stronger now and a smile taking over my lips. When Harry saw that I was fine, his smile appeared too, the dimples I love so much popping in his cheeks. He walked farther into my room, taking a seat at the end of my bed.
"I just fuck up a lot, I guess." He said. The way he said it was sort of joking, but I could tell he really felt that way.
"Well, it's a good thing I easily forgive, then." I said, tilting my head towards him. It was silent for a minute, before Harry spoke again.
"I really am sorry. I should have been more sympathetic. How are you feeling now?" He asked.
"I'm better now. Just had to get the tears out, I guess. I'm just going to miss her."
"Well I'm glad you're feeling better. Are you up for a movie? Because I picked up Warm Bodies on the way here and thought we could definitely have some fun with a zombie romance." He said, the usual playfulness back in his voice.
"I think a zombie romance sounds great." I said.
"Okay, I'll put it in." He said, walking up to the TV and popping it in. When he came back, I patted the spot next to me, and he sat down. We leaned against the wall, sitting on the bed, our attention turned toward to movie.
After awhile, I wasn't really paying attention to the movie anymore, but was totally consumed by my thoughts.
"What made you come back, Harry?" I asked. I had been wondering that all night. What was it that made him come over here, after he was clearly done with me on the phone.
He looked at me intensely, his green eyes meeting my gaze in the darkness of the room. The left side of his face was illuminated by the light from the TV.
"I realized what a dick I was being. And then I felt bad because you just needed someone and you were there for me when my parents messed up. I just wanted to be a good...friend, I guess." He said, thoughtfully. This was the side of Harry I loved to see. The vulnerable one. The one where he said stuff that he actually felt, and meant. There was no act when he was like this.
"Thank you, Harry." I said. We turned our attention back to the TV, and I started thinking about what he said. Harry was very rarely open with information, so when he brought up his mom, I wondered how they were doing.
"How are you and your parents?" I said, breaking his attention away from the movie again.
"Better, I guess. I mean, my mom never brought up my grades again. Nothing has changed, though. They're still always gone, and when they're home, they're not really there. They only care about what I do when I get in trouble."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset by bringing it up." I said, then scooted closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. We've never actually cuddled like this before, but my movement was just natural. I lifted my head back up, before Harry's hand slowly pushed it back down, giving me a shy smile.
"It's okay." he said, and I wasn't sure if he was talking about his parents or me resting against him, but I just stayed quiet and leaned against him. His body was warm against mine, his strong arm holding us together.
This is nice. I thought. Two friends comforting each other. This is what friends do.
I slowly drifted off to sleep, my head still nuzzled into Harry's neck.
Later, I felt Harry lay me down on my bed, pulling the covers over me. Without opening my eyes, I heard him padding over to the door and down the steps, and when a couple minutes later I heard the ignition of a car start, I knew he was gone.
* * * * * * *
I cannot take it they're so cute :D :D :D
Anyway, what'd you think of this chapter, let me know!!
And Happy Easter btw!!
Macy xx