HARRY E. STYLES
November, 2014

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The rest of my day took a complete turn. One, that no one could have expected. At least, it was absolutely mind boggling to me. Seemed a little ridiculous but then somehow, it also made a bit of sense. I mean, doubt anyone would have ever thought that I would bail on my girlfriend to have dinner and a few drinks with Griffin Walker but it happened and honestly?

I was not mad.

No reason to lie, it was pretty difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that she was not half as bad as my mind painted her to be. Sure, she still had the side of her that made me want to bash my head into the wall, repeatedly until I got a concussion. However, when she tucked that side of her under the belt, she was pretty tolerable.

Or perhaps that was the pitcher talking. Two for twelve was my favourite deal and it turned out that the witch shared that with me. It called for a few seconds of awkwardness when we agreed and some would even refer to it as us boding over something as small as that.

Also, just a little side note, the simple reason I agreed to this was because staying at that event would have pissed me off more and caused further damage. My relationship was already hanging on by a thread and pulling on it, didn't seem like the greatest idea.

Spoons on the other hand? Best idea.

The house wasn't the biggest fan of the pub whereas I would've sat there for the whole day, only leaving when forced out, absolutely steaming. It honestly sounded like a dream to me but no one shared that with me. Doing it alone would've been depressing as fuck and definitely not something I would have done.

Then, annoyingly, it turned out that maybe I wasn't so alone after all. Griffin seemed to know the staff here and she was quite proud of that. She got along with them so well that she managed to get herself a free cookie dough and even shared it with me.

Now that scared me.

She was more than tipsy but she was definitely not as drunk as she'd usually get on a night out. She had the two pitchers, we did two shots each and then she ordered herself a Strongbow Dark Fruit to 'wash it all down'. That's what I blamed her kindness on because if I let myself believe that she was just that nice in general, I knew that my mind would begin to play tricks on me again.

Our current conversation was all about uni work and how much she dreaded all the shit she had to do. Honestly, the way we chatted so casually was kind of weird at first because I was more used to us arguing than anything else but then something changed and I kind of became a lot more relaxed.

"Ugh. Don't," she groaned and rolled her eyes, making me chuckle as she leaned forward to grab her drink. We sat in a booth, a little secluded from everyone else which made for the perfect little gossip corner. "This lad in my classes... he always asks people how much of their work they've done like mate, I haven't even started."

"I hate that," I said before I glanced around, watching as a group of people walked past our table, laughing and taking their place by one of the bigger, round tables. "People asking how much you've done as if I need a reminder of how behind I am."

"Literally."

"But then I feel better when they say we're in the same boat."

"Deffo," she agreed. "It's just annoying, innit? Like, good for you if you've done all your reading and you have done half of the essay. It's almost as if they are begging to do your work."

"Bet they'd do shit on it on purpose," I scoffed, thinking about it a little more. Asking someone to do your work seemed pretty risky to me, not knowing whether or not they will actually put the effort in or just slap some words on a document.

"Of course," she reacted. "God, I hate teacher's pets. Always thinking they know best like piss off."

"Tell me about it. This girl in my class always answers every question which makes it easier on the rest of us because we don't have to bother answering. But it just becomes so annoying like why do I even attend the class?"

"Nah, I know. The lad I keep mentioning is the same. Does my fucking head-in."

"Thought you'd be one of them," I made the comment and the face she pulled already made it worth it. She seemed almost offended, not even wanting to believe that such thing would leave my mouth.

"Take that back."

"Swear," I chuckled as I shifted in my seat and got comfortable again. I toyed around with the salt shaker, pushed it from one hand to the other until it fell over on the sticky surface. One of the most annoying things about this pub was that no matter how well the furniture was cleaned, it remained sticky as ever. "Oh shit," I mumbled as the shaker's content poured out slightly so I ran my hand over the top and brushed it on the floor. "But yeah—you just seem like someone who prefers keeping to themselves, someone who does all their work on time, always asking teachers questions."

"I bloody wish," she sighed. "Unfortunately, more often than not, I leave my work to the last minute. I say it's because I work better under pressure but really, I'm just a lazy piece of shit."

"Somehow, I can relate to that," she looked at me like she told me so, knowing she said some pretty basic student shit. It was true. Most students were like that. At least, it seemed to be a stereotype, one that her and I definitely lived up to, it seemed. "Speaking of uni work and all... wonder how mad Nadine will be at us for not going back."

"In my personal defence, she told me she'd rather not see me there so I don't care if she'll be mad at me for not going back."

"Yeah, she told me she didn't want to see me for the rest of the day. According to her, my presence would've worsened the way she was already feeling about our argument."

"Why is she such a bitch lately, ugh," she groaned and rolled her eyes. Feeling like there wasn't anything I could have said, I shrugged my shoulders. She has been quite off lately, barely speaking to anyone in the house other than Adrian. But even my friend couldn't shake her properly to snap out of whatever trance she was looped in.

"Could be the whole Christmas time, no?" I asked, deep in thought, aiming to come up with an answer to Griffin's question. Though she may not have asked me for one, it was something that my mind couldn't figure out on its own so all help was welcomed. Even if it came from my mortal enemy.

"Right. She is going home, isn't she?" she sighed. It made perfect sense, considering that whenever she was bound to be with her family for a longer period of time, she became a ball of stress, exploding on everyone at any given moment. Not holding back, not that there ever was any trace of her wanting to do so.

"You?"

"Me?" she asked back.

"You going home?"

"That was the plan."

"So, it changed?"

Griffin laughed and took a sip of her drink. "Why are you so interested?"

"Trying to keep the conversation going, is all," I shrugged. It was amusing how she switched so easily, almost effortlessly, even, between letting her guard down slightly to slamming it back up, turning to the side of her that made me not like her so much. "Not giving me much to work with, are you?"

"Ever thought it's because I don't want you to keep the conversation going?"

"Ah, we're back to bitchy Griffin Walker."

"She never left, buddy."

I didn't say anything. She got me there. For a while, it seemed to fade that this was only a distraction for both of us from what was happening with Nadine. Griffin Walker was still my mortal enemy, she was still a nasty little witch who had no problem hurting anyone, as long as it did not concern her own. Though she showed a completely new side to her this afternoon, it would've been foolish of me to disregard every argument we ever had in the past.

Then again, they did not matter. As soon as we got some shouting out in the open, it was calm. Two weeks ago, when we last saw each other and were forced to be in such close proximity, things calmed down with the rain. Remember me thinking about all the strange ways in which mother nature works? It felt as though it linked to our very being. The minute the rain started to heavily pound against the bus stop we found shelter under, our argument heated up as we exploded. Not too long after we decided to not speak to one another, it calmed down and completely faded away, leaving us with silence and the fresh smell of the rain.

"But yeah. The plan has changed," she sighed as she gave me the answer in the end. My answer was a simple hum as I made the assumption that she's probably going to stay here for the holidays then. "Shit—I just remembered that Secret Santa thing Nadine made us do."

"Oh my god," I stared at her with my eyes widened, my mouth following suit. Things have been so hectic that the thought of the whole thing completely slipped my mind. Seeing as being at home didn't do me any good, I decided to take up extra shifts and I spent more time at the library even if not much of my work got done there. The gym also became my best friend so my mind was always occupied.

"I've not gotten anything for mine," she admitted quietly as if it was a secret. The shock on her face was the funniest look I ever did see. She was a bit tipsy which made this so much more amusing. "Have you?"

"Fuck no."

"It's like we have a death wish, no?" it was clear that she was panicking on the inside as she kept staring at me, her eyes flickering everywhere at a fast pace, leaning over the table. That was something she did often when things became stressful all of a sudden, it was a dead giveaway of how she felt. Eventually, she hid her face in the palm of her hands and made a crying sound. "Nadine hates me as it is, imagine if I text her to tell her I'm not doing this bloody gift exchange."

"Who did you get, anyway?" I asked as if she'd tell me. It was worth a try, though. Knowing that Wesley got her would have been funnier if she got him in return. I would've swapped with her but I knew she'd never do that.

"You'll either find out or not."

"Pisses me off when you do that," I mumbled.

"Heh, good," she smirked, leaning back and taking her glass along. We'd been sitting there for what felt like hours so when we checked the time, seeing it hit nine in the evening did not come as much of a surprise. "Should we get going?"

"You sure you can stand after all that?" the teasing comment came almost naturally to me though it caused both of us to glance at the other a little awkwardly. My lips licked and rolled in my mouth, the smile which wished to crawl upon my face now pushed all the way back.

I was fighting it. She was fighting it.

This dinner went a little better than expected. It made us both feel slightly uncomfortable because this was the first time we actually did more than argue. We bickered, rather, which was quite entertaining, especially when compared to past experiences. It is true that although you cannot judge a book by its cover, you do anyway until you decide to flick through its pages and understand the lines that tell the story.

"Question," she held one of her arms up, a finger in the air.

"Yeah?"

"When is this Secret Santa again?"

"Uh... believe it's sometime next week," I guessed. Katherine was leaving on Wednesday, Wesley the next morning followed by Adrian and Nadine the same day but the afternoon. Through my hazy thoughts, I figured it would be Tuesday and faintly, something of that sort sounded familiar.

"Right," she nodded. "Are you getting the bus back home?"

"I was gonna get an Uber. Don't know if I can get on a bus after all that food," I admitted. I hated getting public transport in general but when I've had a few and felt so bloated from all that I ate, there was nothing worse than the thought of being surrounded by strangers and having to stop at almost every stop before mine.

"Ah."

"On a second thought," I remembered. "My car is parked near uni so I need to go back there. Might just get the bus."

"In that case, I will be walking," she took the piss and I rolled my eyes. The weather has never been so cold like tonight, it made my insides shrivel up and turned my skin dry, it begging for some sort of relief.

Before we left, Griffin Walker insisted on bidding the staff goodbye. It made me chuckle once she left to do so and I found this to be the perfect opportunity to nip to the toilet. Once my business was done and I washed my hands, I bumped into someone who I last saw the day they moved out of the townhouse we used to share.

"Harry," he nodded at me curtly, making me press my lips into one another tightly. Him and I were civil though we did have our weekly argument back in first year. He'd always bring his mates around and they'd smoke up the whole house, me living on the first floor, right above the living room just meant that my room would stink of weed. Sometimes, I'd wake up in the middle of the night from just how strong its smell was and I couldn't go back to sleep until I aired it out a little.

"James."

"See you're still juggling the best friends," he commented with a smirk as he dried his hands with the paper towel. It made me stop in my tracks and look at him with my left eyebrow raised. "What?" he chuckled. "Is that not what this is?"

"No, it isn't, actually," I folded my arms together as my eyes looked him up and down, finding it difficult to hold back what was truly on my mind.

"Is it not?" he asked back. "Miller's event was tonight and you did not show. Neither did the best friend. Suspicious, don't you think?" without a response to give, I sighed and he, yet again, smirked in victory. "Of course, that is none of my business. After all, the more the merrier, right?"

"You would know, wouldn't you?" I asked, referring to all the girls he managed to juggle just in those eight months we spent living in one house. Him and I lived on the same floor, opposite to one another which was the biggest curse of knowing him. Each night, he'd have someone, even multiple someones over, making it difficult to get to sleep.

As you can tell, sleep is very important to me. When someone messes with that, I become angry.

"Oh, yes, of course," he spoke proudly as he looked in the mirror. His arms lifted, he sorted out the collar of his shirt, moving his shoulders up and down swiftly as he pulled the material to the front. "Which is why I understand you, completely, mate."

Without the chance to say much in return, he patted my shoulder and squeezed past me. My jaw tightened, I squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling deeply. Although there was no truth whatsoever to what he had said, it bothered me that he had done so. James always thought I switched between the two girls, reasoning that the hate between Griffin Walker and me was nothing but an act, perfected to the gods to make everyone fall for our efforts. Where Wesley and Adrian joked about it, James genuinely believed in this theory, no doubt telling his little group whenever he remembered I existed. That's how all these rumours about me started, the pile rising and burying me away with it.

The bus was empty. Other than two lads in the very back, it was just the driver and us. The traffic seemed to be non-existent which got us to our desired destination quite fast. As I pressed the buzzer so the driver could stop at the stop near uni, Griffin did not seem to want to move.

"You coming?"

"I'm going home," she told me.

"Thought I was giving you a ride home?"

"Why?" she laughed and I shrugged. In my head, that was the plan. Sure, neither of us made it but it only seemed right. "Not that you should be driving."

"Right," I mumbled, remembering that I drank. Even though the ride home wouldn't have been that long and I was in a right state of mind, it would have been stupid of me to sit behind the wheel. "Sorry, mate, I'm not getting off yet."

The driver put his hand out the little window to signal he heard me and I sat back.

"This is not even the way to your house," the girl reminded me.

"It's easier if I go this way," I explained. Finding my way home from her apartment was quite the challenge the first time, then the more opportunities I had to complete the journey, the easier it became. Granted, I've only been to her place four times—once, when she first took me to her place after her work that summer, second time was Nadine dragging me and Wes over to hers earlier this year when she got out of the hospital, the third time when I followed her home to ask for help for Nadine's birthday party and the fourth time when she collected my drunk self from the park after a fight with Nadine—it was not difficult to get on a bus and figure out where to get off of it.

The rest of the journey was silent the same way it started. The pounding in my head was slightly annoying, though not much more than the argument I would have to face once I arrive at home. The thought of crashing on someone else's couch popped in my mind but the realisation hit me that I had to go into work tomorrow, we had a staff celebration thing my manager was oh-so-excited about. She threatened us, saying she'll cut our pay if we fail to attend and I couldn't have that.

Without waiting for Griffin to reach for the stop button, I had done so myself. She cleared her throat as I slid off of the seat, her following as the bus came to a stop. As we thanked the driver, the cold air hit my face right away and made me pull my coat together, stuffing my hands in the pockets.

"Well, goodluck with Nadine," she chuckled as she tied the strings of her hoodie to keep the hood on her head. I snorted, rolling my eyes as I turned my head to the left, watching the bus go by.

"Yeah, thanks," I answered. "Do you, uh, want me to walk you to your place?"

"I'm a big girl. Think I can manage," she scrunched up her nose and nodded a couple of times, chuckling lightly. As we spoke, our breath turned white in the night, slowly fading into nothing. I always preferred the night, there was so much to it that I barely experienced. Everything seemed purer during these hours, it fascinated me greatly.

"Right, 'course," I mumbled. "Well. Don't get killed, then."

"Geez, thanks," she laughed. "You don't get kidnapped on your way home."

"I'll try my best," I smirked, nodding a little. "Hey, uh, what time do the buses come during these hours? There's no fucking timetable in that stop."

"Um..." she took her phone out and scrolled through it for a bit, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she looked for the information. A little sound disturbed the silence, a buzzing against my thigh before she said, "Sent."

"Cheers."

"Yup," she answered. "Now, let me go home before I freeze to fuck."

"Shit, sorry. Yeah, uh... well, see you when I see you?"

"Yep," Griffin brought her right hand up to her forehead and saluted, then turned away and shouted a last, "Bye."