♡ chapter 4 ♡

            Where we were headed was a mystery to me, so I stayed quiet the majority of the ride, only speaking up when one of the boys would ask a question. Needless to say I didn't do much talking. They were more interested in the radio volume than me sitting in the passenger seat, and I couldn't say I blamed them. I was an outcast set next to them, a girl Harry miraculously decided to drag along for the ride—why should they voluntarily speak to me?

            I'm practically a nobody.

            My foot was tapping unintentionally on the car floor, my leg mindlessly bouncing around with it due to my increased anxiety level. I needed to be home no later than six because I needed to study for my test on Friday. Call me a geek, but I'd like to continue passing with my 4.0 GPA and make it into a good college. So sue me if I sound pathetic, but I want to make something of myself when I'm older.

            And then we pulled into the one place I would've never suspected; a gas station. Expect we didn't stop for gas. Harry drove to the back of the building, where another car happened to be parked. Two girls sat on the hood of the car, three boys tossing a football around in their makeshift triangle. My lips curled in, trying to picture myself hanging out with these people. The girls looked to be in a deep gossip conversation, and there's no doubt in my mind that I won't fit into that conversation. I hardly know anyone to gossip about.

            Well, here goes nothing.

            I let the boys get out first before I gradually followed suit, tugging my father's army jacket around myself subconsciously. I was never good at making new friends, and this would be no exception. Ivette and Jacob both spoke to me first, but I don't think I would be able to be the spark of a new conversation. I'm not good at socializing like Ivette and Jacob are. I'm too awkward for those kinds of things.

            "Well, looks like you three have been on the hunt," one boy said as he caught the football, a smirk gracing his lips as he glanced at me.

            Harry stood somewhat close to me, his body stiff as if he weren't even comfortable being here. "Grace, this is Jackson, Marty, Dillan, Estella, and Kim. Guys, this is Grace."

            An awkward wave was all they gained from me, but it didn't seem to matter since they hardly passed me a glance. Wringing my hands together anxiously, I uncomfortably stood beside Harry, unsure of what else to do. They didn't seem friendly at all, and I'd much rather would be at the pizza parlor down the road. At least I would be able to stuff my face and eat my sorrows away then. It would occupy me.

            Harry nudged me some with his elbow after everyone went back to chatting in their parted groups. "Don't mind them too much," he said quietly. "They aren't that great at meeting people, but they're great once you get to know them."

            "How do you get to know them if they don't like meeting people?" I asked back in a soft tone, confusion etching my features.

            Harry's lips twitched, but he looked away from me as he slid onto the hood of his car, patting the spot beside him. "You have a fair point, so how about you just talk to me instead?"

            I've only been waiting for this moment two dang years.

            I mustered a smile through my butterflies, nodding as I somewhat clumsily slid onto the hood. Yes, I might've nearly slipped off, but it's not like I sit on hoods every day. Besides, it doesn't exactly seem big enough for two people to sit on. And I don't want to sit too close as if I'm implying something, but I don't want to be on the edge either. I can't seem to find a medium, thus leading to my flustered state.

            "I meant it when I said I didn't bite," Harry said in amusement, and I waited and waited for that damn smile; still nothing.

            "I just... okay," I muttered as I situated myself somewhat equally between the edge and Harry. Our thighs were almost touching, and me being the fangirl I am had to suck in a breath to keep from squealing. Who would've thought I'd be this close to my crush after two years of being nonexistent through his eyes?

            "You're pretty frantic for the supposed quiet girl, you know?" Harry said as he leaned back on his palms, watching the now awkward hexagon of boys tossing the football.

            My cheeks heated up slightly as I managed a little shrug. "This is just... different to me, I guess."

            Harry pursed his lips. "I'm guessing you don't get out much?"

            "That's somewhat likely."

            "Somewhat likely? You're not very good at elaborating either."

            I laughed some, partly out of my awkward state and partly because he was just freaking adorable. "Elaborating can sometimes give off the wrong impression to people. You sometimes say more than you meant to and then you can't take it back."

            Harry turned to look at me, his emerald eyes scanning across my features for a moment before our gazes locked. He was silent for a moment, just staring at me and I began to squirm under his mesmerizing stare. I cleared my throat, looking down to my dangling feet, but I could feel his eyes still piercing into me. I wanted him to speak first, and I was lucky that he did.

            "Can I ask you something, Grace?"

            "Sure."

            "How come I looked so angry in your drawing?"

            My heart sank as I turned to him once more, my lips parted. Was he unaware of his immense lack of smiling? Did he not own a mirror? Not to sound rude to his face, but I was only drawing him the way I saw him. I mean, if you're going to draw someone to perfection, you might as well draw what you see. Right?

            "Um..." I clasped my hands together, shrugging as I looked straight ahead towards the woods that surrounded the backside of the gas station. "I don't know. I was just drawing you how you looked. It's kind of a pet peeve of mine."

            Harry frowned, his eyebrows pulling together. "So you couldn't have drawn me any differently?"

            My throat went dry. "Well, that's always how you look, I guess. I've never seen you smile or anything—"

            "You could've drawn one anyways."

            "But it wouldn't have been yours."

            Harry rose his eyebrows, facing me once more and I held his gaze. "I don't understand why you didn't just fake one. A smile is a smile. It's not a cure for cancer or anything. Besides—" Harry squirmed some, as if growing uncomfortable "—people fake smiles all the time."

            It was my turn to frown as I shook my head. "That's true, but there are reasons to smile. Even at a joke or something. You can't possibly look angry all the time. I mean... that can't be healthy, can it?"

            Harry shrugged. "I seem to be just fine."

            My scowl deepened, my shoulders slumping in defeat. We sat in a small silence for a while, and I pondered on how to word my next question. I wanted to be blunt about it, but also not sound inconsiderate. Perhaps he has a reason for never showing any sort of emotions through facial expressions, or maybe it's just... him.

            "Can I ask you something, Harry?"

            He rolled his neck to either side, popping it. "Have at it."

            Rolling my lips together, I turned my whole body cautiously to face him, folding my legs crisscrossed. "Why don't you ever smile?"

            "You seem pretty straight forward considering I just properly met you."

            "Sorry," I murmured, looking to my lap.

            Harry heaved out a sigh, sitting up slightly and crossing his own legs. He pushed a hand through his hair, ruffling it slightly before leaving it perfectly unruly. I tried not to gawk too obviously, and thankfully Harry spoke to bring my attention to his beautiful, hypnotizing eyes.

            "I don't smile because... what's the point?" he said dully, shrugging his already slumping shoulders. "Per said before, smiles don't cure cancer. Smiles don't save the world, Grace. They're pathetic little ways to show you're happy, but people use them as excuses to say they're fine. So I just don't smile at all."

            "Well." I frowned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ears. Harry watched me intently until our eyes found each other's once more. I managed a little smile. "Smiles aren't just for everyone else's benefits. They're for yours, too."

            Harry didn't reply.

***

            "How did it go? Girl, you owe me every single juicy damn detail. I want to know what he smelled like, what he felt like, what he acted like. I want to know the smallest details, the biggest details, the pointless details, the great de—"

            "I get it, Jacob. Calm down, would you?" I cut him off, smiling some as I raked my fingers through my hair. Then I gave him a shrug. "It was all right."

            Jacob's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "All right? You went to hang out with the Harry Styles, and all you can tell me is that it was all right?" I nodded, but Jacob huffed. "No, Grace. That's an unacceptable response. I want elaboration!"

            I grinned. "Harry teased me on how I don't elaborate."

            "He teased you? Dammit, Grace, details!"

            "Okay, okay, okay, sheesh! I don't know. It wasn't anything romantic. We were behind a gas station, for Pete's sake. There were other people, but they were practically snobs and—"

            "Hey, Grace!"

            My head snapped in the direction of the feminine voice, half expecting to see Ivette, but half knowing that wasn't her voice. My eyebrows pushed together at the sight of Estella walking towards me, a small smile—that actually looked half genuine—on her perfectly glossed lips.

            "Um... Hi, Estella?" I said unsurely, standing a bit straighter.

            Estella smiled. "Hey. Who's your friend?"

            "Oh, um. This is Jacob. Jacob, this is Estella."

            Jacob's eyebrows shot up, eyes widening. "Estella Matthews? As in the fashion icon of the entire school?"

            Estella gave out a little chuckle that almost sounded sheepish as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I guess that's what they call me. But it's nice to meet you Jacob."

            Jacob grinned.

            Estella turned to me. "Grace, I just wanted to say sorry for kind of snubbing you yesterday. Kim isn't the best at meeting new people, but I'm not really like that. I told her we should've at least said hi, but she can be a bit of a bitch sometimes. Anyways, uh... I'm sorry, again." She smiled almost timidly.

            I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, um... It's all right. I mean, no harm, no foul, right?"

            Estella grinned. "Great. I hope we can talk some more at lunch or something. Harry has been talking about you nonstop." Estella sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulders. She tossed me a smile as if she didn't just made me melt to the floor. "Well, see you later!"

            Jacob and I watched in disbelief as Estella's heels clicked down the hall, a boy opening the door for her with a flirty wink afterwards, but she just waved a thanks in return. That was when I realized my jaw was hanging open, and Jacob was slapping my arm like a lunatic.

            "Holy Estella fucking Matthews!" He turned to me, eyes still huge. "And holy Harry fucking Styles talking about you!"

            My cheeks flushed as I bit my bottom lip, unable to hold in the little squeal. Jacob returned it as we did a stupid little girly dance in the middle of the hall. I swear we aren't normally like this, but he was fangirling over fashion while I was fangirling over Harry Styles. It was nice to have someone hop around with you idiotically in the middle of a school hallway. And Jacob was the perfect person to girlishly dance with.

            "What the hell am I walking into?" Ivette's voice finally rung through my ears and we both turned to see a confused look twisting her features.

            "Estella Matthews just talked to us and—"

            "And apparently Harry has been talking about me nonstop," I finished for Jacob.

            Ivette's jaw slacked before she, too, began hopping around like a fool.

            God, I love my friends.

            After we all managed to compose ourselves, Ivette demanded details with the same incessant pushiness that Jacob held. The bell rang, so I promised them both an explanation at lunch. I wouldn't have History until third period, but I could only hope that Harry would talk to me there as well. And for once, I was smiling on my way to class.

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A/N: This chapter sucked, oops c: But look at the new cover I made, whoo! It took forever to actually get a cover to fit right >_< Thanks to @SummerOriginal1D & @-divergxnts for trying, but they wouldn't fit properly and I was getting very irritated. Anyways, hope you guys liked this even though it was kind of rushed... Love you all (: xx

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