"Thank you for today. It was perfect," I said as we walked back to the car. It truly was perfect. It was simple, but somehow everything I would have wanted from a first date. I wasn't sure if that was what this was, but I hoped it was. Harry and I were doing things in a weird order, and we hadn't really talked about what this was yet. Maybe if Harry weren't who he was then this wouldn't be like this, but I didn't really know how normal relationships worked anyways so maybe this was how it always was. We reached the car, and he held the cherry red door open for me.
"Thank you for coming with me. You made it perfect," he said as he shut the door behind me. He walked around the front of the car keeping his eyes on me the whole time, raising his eyebrows as he said, "I enjoyed the scenery." I chuckled, my cheeks going red as he reached his side of the car.
"Where did this come from, anyway?" I asked him looking around at the black leather interior of the car as I placed my left hand on the ball of the shift. "Do you just keep classic cars lying around in different places around the world?"
"I have my ways," he said as he sat down in his seat. I narrowed my eyes at him, with a smile. "It is a friend's car, that he kindly loaned me today."
"What kind of car is this anyway, it's beautiful." I reached up fingering the fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror.
"A sixty-four Chevy Corvette Sting Ray Convertible." That is a mouthful I thought. He placed his hand on top of mine on the stick. "Do you know how to drive a manual?"
"Sort of. A past friend tried to teach me in the parking lot of our high school when I was sixteen. I have the knowledge of how it's just actually doing it that is the problem."
"Switch me spots," Harry said as he began to open his car door.
"What? NO. No way." I shook my head. There was no way I was going to test my driving skills with this car.
"Why not?" He said keeping his door slightly open but turning his body towards me.
"Not in this car. I will break it."
"I can promise you, you won't break it. It'll be alright." I turned my head away from him.
"Nope," I said crossing my arms in front of my chest, turning my head away from him, refusing. I heard Harry's door shut and I was relieved he took no for an answer so I relaxed back into my seat. I turned my head to look back at Harry, but he wasn't there. I shot my eyes up and to the front of the car. Harry was already on his way to my side. "Harry, no. I can't do this." Harry reached my door opening it up and grabbing my hand.
"Yes, you can. Put yourself out there, remember? I'm right here." I knew he wouldn't stop until I gave in.
"Grr. Okay fine," I said going limp and letting him pull me out of my seat. I made my way to the other side of the car as Harry sat in my previous spot, leaning over, opening the door for me from the inside. I slowly stepped into the car lowering myself down into the seat. The height difference between Harry and I made it so that I couldn't even reach the peddles. I reached between my legs pulling the lever up and moving the seat forward until both my feet touched the necessary parts.
"Short legs," Harry said with a chuckle.
"I'll gladly get out and you could just drive," I said reaching for the handle of the door.
"No, no. I will not say another thing about your short legs, and if it counts for anything, I like your short legs."
"Say short legs again," I said, ready to pounce like a short-legged cat.
"No, I'm done," Harry said with a chuckle. I nodded at him, a smile growing on my face. I was glad I had someone who I could so easily get along with and talk to. I never really had that. Even when I did have friends I was never in one spot for too long. Never really knowing where I fit in. But with Harry, I felt one hundred percent myself. Finally feeling like I found the missing puzzle to my lonely piece. "Okay so, show me what you know." Harry moved his hand in front of him signaling me to start the car.
I tried to think back to the nine years before, in the parking lot of my old school, and bring forward the memories of how to drive a manual. I really hoped this was one of those things that are like riding a bike, then again I wasn't very good at driving a stick then I definitely wouldn't be now. I placed my left foot down all the way on the clutch and my right foot all the way down on the break, reaching the stick, making sure it was in neutral, I slowly turned the key as the car roared to life.
"Okay starting it, I apparently can do," I said blowing out the air that I was holding in my lungs.
"A great start. Now what?" Harry smiled over at me. All I wanted to was jump out of this car and not do this, but when he looked at me like that I felt like I was floating off the ground and that I could do anything. I checked behind me to make sure no one was driving past as I shifted the car into first gear. No one was coming so I slowly took my foot off the brake and began the transition between the clutch and the gas. I moved my feet to fast killing the car.
"I told you," I said as I placed both of my hands on my head in frustration.
"Calm down. It happens. Just try again," he said placing his hand on my shoulder with a squeeze. "Take a deep breath and when you are ready, go for it." I relaxed at his words, but I was still nervous to continue, but I didn't want to give up, especially with him here supporting me. I took a deep breath and started the whole process over, this time slowing down my feet movements. The car roared to life and pulled forward. I was in control and I was doing it. A smile filled my face as I began the drive. "See there you go. I knew you could do it. Now just turn left up here."
***
"This is the bus?" I asked Harry as I stared up at the bus, from my seat. Harry had told me where to go, leading us to a basically empty lot that just contained the bus we would be on for the drive to Toronto.
"Yes. What did you expect?" He asked as he stepped out of the car, grabbing his backpack from the small storage compartment in the back.
"I don't really know. It is just so big. I didn't realize how big tour busses are I guess." I opened my door and stepped out as I continued to stare at the massive piece of metal in front of us.
"Wait until you see inside," he said as he reached my side, grabbing my hand and leading me forward. He seemed excited while I was nervous. I wasn't sure why, but I had no idea what to expect.
"Cutting it a little close, there guys," Jeff said standing next to the open door of the bus.
"We made it before noon didn't we?" Harry chuckled.
"Eleven fifty-nine. So I guess yes," Jeff said looking at his watch. He looked back up to us with an eye roll, but a joking smile, clear on his face. "Alright off you go, just remember you need to be in Toronto by four pm tomorrow for the PR interview," Jeff said stepping away from the door.
"Yes sir," Harry said handing him the keys to the car that I handed him once I parked the car. "Thank you, Jeff." Harry wrapped Jeff up in a hug before letting him go and stepping up onto the bus.
"Yeah yeah. Be safe you two, and I will be in Toronto when you get there." Jeff turned to me, grabbing both my shoulders in his hands. "Don't let him get into to much trouble, okay? He is in your hands now." I gulped. I knew he was just kidding but it put my nervous into overdrive.
"Trouble? Who me? Never!" Harry said.
"I promise," I said to Jeff as he pulled me into a hug.
"If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away." I nodded to him before I stepped up into the bus behind Harry. I had never seen inside one of these busses before so I wasn't sure what to expect but as I looked inward my jaw dropped.
"So this is the main I guess it would be called like the living room area," Harry said moving to sit on one of the couches. I walked forward taking in everything before me. There was a large leather couch to the left of me and then a smaller one with a built-in table to my right.
"Wow," was all I could say. Not sure the correct reaction to have here.
"Yeah," Harry said as he stood, moving through the small kitchen area and to the door in the back. Even though the kitchen was small it wasn't any less magnificent. The counters where white marble with hints of glitter that sparkled from the hit of the light. Harry reached the door hitting a button that was on the wall. The door sliding open revealing even more of the bus. He moved backward, reaching up into one of the curtained areas, which I assumed was the bunks, pulling himself up and disappearing into it. A few seconds passed by with no sign of him coming back out so I moved forward. "Hi," he said as he poked his head out of the curtain.
"Why are you like this?" I asked as I began to laugh. He was a child, but that was something I liked. He was an adult- smart and serious-, someone, to hold me down, but he was also a child- funny and knew how to relax and have fun- someone to help me drop the shell and enjoy life.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," he said as he climbed back out. "These are the bunks." He pointed to the two curtained areas. "On this bus there are only two and they are called 'Condo' bunks because it's normally just me on this bus and the rest of the crew and band have other buses."
"There are other busses?"
"Yes? You okay?" Harry asked stepping back towards the mirror wall.
"Yes, sorry. I guess I just never thought about how bands travel during a tour." And that was true. I loved music but I never went to many concerts, my anxiety and all.
"Well, this is how. We usually only fly when the two locations are too far apart to drive. This is the bathroom," he said pointing to his left, "and this is the shower," he said pointing to the frosted glass door to his right. There wasn't much privacy but I guess when Harry is usually the only one on this bus he doesn't have to worry about that much. Even though I was sure Harry wasn't worried too much about his modesty. I wish I could have his level of confidence. But when you have a million and then some- the number of people that find you one of the sexiest men alive, I guess you probably get a huge confidence boost.
Harry turned his back to me as he hit another button on the wall. This time the mirror moved, revealing another room.
"This is the lounge room." Harry moved into it and I followed slowly behind him. This room was surrounded by a large u shaped leather couch and on the opposite wall, there was a TV set in place on top of a large cabinet. I moved forward in amazement, taking it all in.
"Is there another secret door you are going to open?" I asked turning to face Harry who was now behind me.
"No, this is it," Harry said with a chuckle. "What do you think?"
"This is amazing. Way more than I expected really. So this is how you live while touring?"
"For the most part, yes."
"Are you ready to go Mr.Styles?" Someone yelled from the front of the bus as it roared to life.
"Ready when you are, Mark," Harry yelled back. "You might want to sit," he said to me as he took a seat on the couch. I nodded taking a seat next to him, as the bus lurched forward. "Oh and before I forget your bag is in the closest next to your bunk."
"Okay," I said. I didn't know how he did it but I trusted him so much that I wasn't even worried where my things were or who had them, which is something I would normally always be thinking about.
When the bus was finally moving at a pace that made it easy enough to stand, Harry, stood up moving towards the Tv.
"Would you like to watch a movie?" Harry opened the top drawer to the cabinet revealing a drawer full of DVDs.
"Um, sure?" I peered into the drawer grabbing the first movie I saw, handing it to Harry.
"The Notebook?" Harry asked looking down at the movie in his hands. I shrugged.
"Sure, I guess." I wasn't big on romantic comedies. I believed in true love, for sure, but something about how they portrayed it in movies, left me lacking. I turned from him and sat back down on the couch.
"Okay," he said putting the movie into the driver and taking a seat next to me, our shoulders touching. The movie started and I placed my head on his shoulder. The opening scene started as a man was rowing a boat under a red sky.
***
The air in the bus was cold. Harry was warm but his body heat wasn't enough to keep the chill from my naked arms. We were halfway through the movie when a light snore left Harry's mouth. He seemed peaceful. Even though the movie was still playing all I could think about was writing. I wanted to write about the trip to the park today before any detail could leave my mind. I was sure that nothing would. Harry gave me a day to remember, but I would rather be safe and write it down before I was sorry.
I quietly and slowly stood as not to awake him and moved out of the room. Harry said my stuff was in the closet next to my bunk but he didn't tell me which bunk was mine. I was standing between the two bunks staring between the two closets on either side of me. I reached for the door on my left. Opening it to reveal, what was not mine.
Harry's clothes hanging on the rack before me. I reached my hand up running my fingers along the different clothes before me. So many different colors stared back at me. My fingers stopped on a black sweatshirt hanging before me. I couldn't stop them before they were pulling it off the hanger and placing it over my head. It was soft and smelt like him, warming my cold skin the minute it covered me.
I slowly closed his closet door turning towards mine to find what I sought. I opened the door to find my bag there. I carefully unzipped it and reached under the piles of my folded clothes, my fingers touching hard metal. I pulled out my laptop and moved towards the front of the bus.
I set my computer down on the table and took a seat in front of it. I turned on the computer, looking at the photo of Gabby and I with our matching shirts on while the home screen slowly turned on. As soon as it was on I logged into the old blog account that I never used and began to write.
"I always hoped my..."
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This was a much longer part but I took my friend's suggestion and split it into two chapters... So you are going to have to wait for more...