A/N: Please comment as you read. It'll mean the world to me
I hadn’t planned to go with Harry. In fact, everything inside me screamed at me to stop and turn around. I could still back out of this. He wasn’t even holding my hand anymore. Once he’d gotten me outside, he’d let me go.
The skin on my hand tingled in the absence of his touch. I wanted to ask him to keep holding it, but I couldn’t exactly blame the guy for letting go. Mixed signals could be my middle name for all the confusing things I did.
Of course, it wasn’t my fault. At least, that’s what I was trying to tell myself. I hadn’t decided to like him—it just happened. I knew it, and it pained me.
Because on one hand, I knew I was falling in love. But, on the other hand, I also knew I couldn’t act on it. At most, I could be his friend. However, while I was staring at his back, I had a suspicion that being “friends” would require just as much restraint on my part as now.
And as Diana had just reminded me: I wasn’t that great when it came to acting. There was no way I could act like Ludmilla on her job as an actress while also acting like I didn’t have feelings for Harry.
The thought alone was enough to give me a headache.
I was already beginning to doubt where Cami started and Ludmilla ended. This whole situation sucked. And I knew I was whining unnecessarily much, but I didn’t care. Here I was, in one of the most romantic cities on earth, with the guy I actually had a crush on, and I couldn’t do anything about it at all.
And yes, I did have a crush on Harry. No matter how much I tried to convince myself about the opposite, there wasn’t anything I could do about it. He had walked right into my life with adorable dimples; a dashing smile and a personality that could make me swoon. He was just so sweet.
Even now, as I was being the biggest bee with an itch on earth, he respected the boundary I’d neglected to inform him about.
I half-ran up to him. “Where are you taking me?”
He shrugged. “I just wasn’t feeling the company back there. It wasn’t exactly grrreat.”
This time, I found the joke funny. Mostly because he was making fun of Diana, and as horrible as it made me sound, I absolutely loved it.
“Poor Zayn, though,” I said in between laughs.
He chuckled. “He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, he can always use Terry as an excuse to get away.”
“What’s she like?” It was something I’d wondered about before, but my mind hadn’t really registered it.
“Who? Diana?” Harry stuck his hands in the pockets on his shorts.
“God no. I know her.” I widened my eyes in mock-horror. “I meant Terry.”
“Oh.” Harry’s right hand went to his hair, scratching slightly. “Well. She’s one of a kind that’s for sure. She’s sweet, bubbly and she has these crazy theories about everything. Honestly, she cracks me up.”
I smiled at his words. “She sounds lovely.”
“She really is—and she matches Zayn so perfectly.” Harry took both his hands up from his pockets.
I didn’t know where the fascination of Harry’s hands came from. I only knew I was almost hyperaware about him in general. I looked at my own hands.
“Oh, look!” Harry said. He pointed at something in the distance.
The next thing I saw was the most mesmerizing sight in the world. A beautiful sunset in the horizon. A myriad of colors lit up the sky, and I lost my breath for a moment. The fluffy clouds that prided the sky had different shades of red, blue, orange and purple. It was so beautiful.
“Wow,” I muttered.
“I know, right?” Harry stopped walking, crossing his arms as he watched the sun.
I stood next to him without knowing what to do. It was one of the most romantic moments, and in an ideal world, I would have snuggled close to Harry as we both waited for the sun to disappear. The sound of his heartbeat would lull me into a sense of safety. I would enjoy his arms around me, and right before the last rays vanished, I’d tilt my head up and kiss him with a passion.
Of course, this wasn’t an ideal world. This was the place where I was a liar who should stay away from Harry.
I sighed.
“Is something wrong?” he asked and turned to face me.
I shook my head no. “Just really loving the view.”
“Me too,” he muttered.
I squirmed slightly, since he was still looking at me. Obviously, he couldn’t be talking about me. I gulped and kept my eyes firmly on the horizon.
For a minute, it felt as if the entire world was on hold. Nothing existed, but the single ray of light left on the sky. I was afraid to breathe too loud. An enchantment surrounded me as I watched the lonely ray reach all the way across the rooftops.
Somehow, it reminded me of myself. I was that last ray, trying to be seen for what I truly were, and not just part of a bigger picture.
As melodramatic as it was, I felt a teardrop slide down my cheek. It was utterly cliché, stupid and I felt pathetic. However, I didn’t care. I was standing in the shadows on an almost abandoned street, watching the perfect metaphor explain my life—showing emotions was to be expected.
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked.
I turned to face him as the sky changed to a dark starry night. Several street lamps turned on, illuminating Harry and me.
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
Harry reached out and caught the teardrop at my chin. His thumb caressed my cheek, drying away the remnants of my weak moment. “Are you okay?” he whispered back.
In all honesty, I didn’t know why we were whispering. It almost felt as if we spoke too loudly, the spell around me would be broken. Reality was fighting its way into my little intimate bubble.
I met his eyes. Maybe the spell would protect me if I told him everything right now? I wanted to. His eyes were filled with concern for me—a concern I didn’t deserve.
But I could change that. I just needed to tell him the truth. I opened my mouth to start speaking and then…
The bubble burst.
“Ohh,” a man squealed at us. “Lovers on a moonlight walk. How romantic. Do you see that Judy?” He nudged the woman at her side. “Young people in love—Italy is great.”
“John, dear,” Judy said. “You’re embarrassing them.”
I averted my eyes to the ground, feeling the heat spread to the top of my ears. Lovers? Hardly.
But then again, considering how close Harry and I was standing, I couldn’t exactly blame the guy. To give him the right impression, I took a step back, putting some distance between Harry and me.
“Oh no!” The man face palmed himself. “Did I ruin everything? I’m so sorry.”
Harry, however, wasn’t fazed. He just greeted the man with an enormous smile. “No worries, sir. We were just watching the sunset. Did you get a chance to see it? It was absolutely mesmerizing.”
Judy stepped forth. “This old chap pulled me along hours ago to be certain we caught it.” She smiled at John. “He’s a romantic sap that one.”
Love was in the air, and I found it almost blinding.
“Have you been to the night market?” John asked. “If not, you should try to go there—it’s simply amazing at this time.”
“I’m not sure,” Harry said. “Where is it?”
“Colonne di San Lorenzo,” Judy answered. “Not too far away from here. They have everything there. Some street performers and open microphone for the elders. And bars with cheap alcohol for the younger generation.” She sighed blissfully. “We’ve been there every night since we arrived. It’s an incredible place to be.”
“Maybe we should take a look then,” Harry said. He turned his head to look at me.
I nodded. Sure, maybe something could distract me from my racing heart and tumbled mind.
“You should,” Judy and John said in unison. “It’s so romantic.”
Apparently, everything in Italy was romantic. However, I hoped the street performers would include a man who swallowed fire. Nothing less could shake me out of my current state of confusion.
“We have to do something first, though,” Harry said after the couple moved along.
I looked at him. What was he up to?
He laughed. “Don’t look so scared—it’s nothing dangerous.”
“Everything that involves you is dangerous,” I muttered.
“Sorry, what?” He frowned.
I shook my head and smiled. “Nothing, let’s go then.” I gestured for him to lead the way.
He sent me a questioning look but seemed to let it go. I followed him as he walked down the street, stopping in front of a souvenir shop.
“What do you want in there?” I frowned.
He chuckled. “You’ll see. Wait here.”
I stayed in my spot, only moving once when a woman with a baby stroller needed to pass. My curiosity was eating me up from the inside, but I didn’t give in. The fact that I managed to avoid even one glimpse inside the store was a miracle in itself.
Of course, it shouldn’t have been a surprised when Harry came out completely changed. With oversized fake glasses, a grandpa hat with ‘Italy’ written across it, an ‘I heart Italy’ T-shirt, and to top it off, he had a fanny pack around his hips.
“What the hell is that?” I stared at him with an open mouth.
“It’s a disguise.” He grinned.
I burst out laughing. He looked utterly ridiculous.
“Yeah, laugh it off,” he said. “I’ll get the last laugh, though. Here’s yours.” He handed me a bag.
I widened my eyes. He had to be kidding, right? I looked between him and the bag in my hand. Just as he’d said, it was filled with similar items to what he was wearing.
“That’s… I’m not… No. No way.” I fumbled over my words. “I’m not wearing this.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself, I’m sure the tabloids would love a picture of you sightseeing.”
I grabbed the glasses. “These won’t fool anyone. You know that, right?”
“There is literally a gazillion of these shirts and hats around town—I saw them earlier in the bus. It’s our best bet.” He smiled at me, showing his big dimples. “Come on, Cami. Live a little.”
I groaned. He had a point. Besides, I kinda wanted to see this night market. I glared at Harry once more, but finally slipped the T-shirt over my head.
“How big do you think I am?” I asked. The T-shirt could substitute as a dress. It went to right above my knee, surpassing my shorts. The hat and glasses were equally unfitting.
Now I didn’t consider myself to be a particular vain person. However, during the time as Ludmilla, I’d begun to see a change in my own view of fashion, as well. And I was certain that my sister wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this.
At last, only the fanny pack remained. I didn’t actually have any belongings to put in there, but at I looked at Harry, I could see the fun in our matching outfits. We looked non-threatening, dorky and resembled a couple of tourists down to the last detail.
Harry held out his hand to me, and my heart skipped a beat. “Shall we?”
I hesitated slightly, but decided to take his hand. When I was hiding my fake identity, it almost cancelled out the lie, right? I mean… two negatives give a positive and stuff like that.
Yeah, I wasn’t convinced either, but as Harry gave my hand a squeeze, I hushed the voices in my mind. Right now, I wasn’t Camilla posing as Ludmilla. I was just Cami. A feeling I realized often came when I was around Harry.
Maybe he simply had that effect on people.
And it was nice. To walk with him, hand in hand, watching the architecture and the colorful neon signs of several nightclubs. I was content for the first time since I started this whole charade.
As Harry led me around the corner to I halted. It was really crowded. Whereas just a second ago, we’d been on our own, here people were running around, yelling, singing and even dancing in the middle of the street. A couple of stalls were lined in between buildings. Men and women shouted out good deals to find costumers. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood.
“Wow,” I said for the second time that day. “It’s like we’ve stepped into a parallel dimension.”
Harry chuckled. “Yeah, it’s like another world out here.” He squeezed my hand once before letting go of it.
I looked up at him. “Maybe it’s best if we keep holding hands, I don’t want to get lost.”
It didn’t take him long before he’d grabbed my hand again. “Okay then, I’ve got you,” he said, a smirk playing at his lips.
I had a hunch that he didn’t believe my vague excuse either. However, with his hand around mine, I wasn’t going to complain. He didn’t need to know that I could get lost in a bathtub. And he certainly didn’t need to know that my poor orientation skills had only been part of the reason I’d asked him to hold my hand.
We weaved our way into the crowd. And just as the couple from before had promised, it was filled with things to do. I spotted a palm-reader, three nightclubs, a break-dancer and several restaurants. The sound of music and laughter filled the air, and I noticed Harry steering me in a particular direction.
Because I was shorter than most of the people here, I didn’t see where he was taking me before a small stage came into view. He turned to me with a broad grin. “Up for a little challenge?” he asked.
I stared between him and the stage. A large sign saying ‘Karaoke Challenge’ hung above two microphones. Was he serious? I glanced at him. He was. Bursting into laughter, I shook my head. “God, no. That’s a little too High School Musical for me.”
“Come on, don’t be afraid.” He grinned. “I’ll be right there beside you.”
“That’s so cheesy,” I muttered. I stared at the stage. Would I be able to do it? It’d be good practice for the concert at least.
At last, I decided to go along with it. I nodded to him, and he smiled. He left me to talk to the host and soon after, he waved me over.
“This beautiful young couple dares to challenge each other. Give them a hand, guys.”
A round of applause followed from everyone who was watching. I stepped up onto the stage, sending another glance to Harry, who simply gave me an encouraging nod with the head.
Here goes nothing, I thought.
Harry had chosen the song. It was a duet, but I couldn’t place the familiar first tones. I looked out over the crowd. There was so many, but I knew that the concert would be in front of thousands. If I couldn’t even do it now, I’d never succeed at the concert. And then both Ludmilla’s and my own ass were at stake.
I recognized the song, and I wanted to laugh. Harry, that smug bastard, had indeed requested the very first song from High School Musical. As he began to sing, I rolled my eyes at him. I could see the amusement in his eyes as he guessed my thoughts.
Nevertheless, I began to sing as well.
“This could be the start,” I sang. “Of something new. It feels so right, to be here with you.”
Okay, so it was actually kind of fun. I laughed at Harry as he gave it everything he had. He danced to the song, mimicking the emotions of the movie. The sight alone almost made me lose my focus, but I’d be damned if I lost to him.
The audience seemed really into the song too, they were clapping, dancing and singing along to the familiar melody. It was contagious, and soon after, I was twisting and turning as well.
When the song ended, the crowd clapped. I jumped over to hug Harry. It was just so… exhilarating. My body pumped adrenaline, and I was in such a good mood.
Harry’s arms went around me, and he hugged me tight. I wanted to tell him how amazing it’d been, but I never got a chance.
“It’s Harry Styles!” a girl cried.
“And Ludmilla Hanson!” another girl screamed.
Harry and I looked at each other with widened eyes, both of us mouthing the same word:
“Run.”
A/N: Give it a vote, maybe? Your support is what makes this story grow.