I watched Riley wait around on the last few tables before the night would end and his shift would be over. He was so hot, but he'd never go for someone like me. He knows me as a goody, not the troublemaker that I am at night. He knows me as that weird girl always studying rather than the girl who dances with half of her ass out. 

"He's a jerk," Tiffany said beside me. Tiffany is a twenty-eight year-old who has just been recently engaged. I remember squealing with her at the size of the diamond ring on her hand. She was a pretty blond with brown eyes and thin lips. "Don't even try that one, girl." 

She was probably the only woman in a three mile radius who understood what was going on with me. Tiffany knew about my adventures at night. I smiled softly, sighing heavily. 

"I'm just a nerd to him. I wouldn't blame him. I do wear these long ass skirts." I laughed breathlessly. 

Tiffany grinned, bumping her hip with mine as we stood next to each other at the sink. "Honey, you and I both know you wear them at least a thousand inches shorter at night." 

"Shh!" I hissed at her, laughing gently. "My mom could hear us." 

She rolled her eyes. "That woman has eyes and ears everywhere. How does she not figure you out?" 

"I actually think she has. She's just waiting for the right moment to screw up my life." I told her, putting down a few plates. "If she hasn't already," I added. 

Tiffany hummed. "You think so?" 

"Yeah," I huffed, "Why else would I be doing the dishes on a Saturday night?" 

Someone called for her in that next second. She turned her head before looking back at me. "Or maybe 'cause your mom's a psychooo," she sang in a whisper to me, walking away while I tried not laugh at her.

By the time we were closing up, my dad planned to take us out for dinner. My mom refused to do that, though. She explained I was on punishment, and Willie was laughing at me in the car quietly. I looked over at the small child. We might as well have given birth to the anti-Christ. 

I flicked him in the forehead. He stuck his tongue out at me, huffing softly to himself before looking out at the window. My icy glare lingered on him for a while longer when my father interrupted my train of thought. 

"I know you've been working hard, Serenity. I am very proud," he smiled at me through the rear mirror. I could have told him I was proud he was driving the car rather than my mother but that would just unravel more problems and punishments in this family. 

He continued while I stared out the window, not wanting to hear about finals. "You'll pass this test with flying colors."

I was surprised my parents didn't lecture me how rude it was not making eye contact with the person who is talking to you. Every word they spoke usually flies in through one ear and out the other. Their ways make me want to rip out my hair. They don't get off my back, ever. They fail to know me as a daughter. It irritates me so much. 

Two more months, I remind myself. 

When we got home, I was put on kitchen duty again; cleaning the fridge. This was child labor, really. I sighed heavily, bringing my hair in a pony tail and getting the cleaning rag from the counter top. I crouched down, emptying the fridge of its contents. 

"We're going out with Willie across the street to Martha's. Since you're on punishment, I can't leave you alone. I expect the fridge immaculate when we get back," my mother spoke behind me, Willie in her arms. 

I sometimes wanted to cry because they were so unfair with me. I nodded my head, not bothering to turn around and acknowledge her. I hated when my eyes began to sting with tears, that familiar painful lump in my throat when I didn't want to cry. Crying has been off my recent activities list for months until this very night. 

My parents don't love me. Ever since I was younger, no matter how much I tried, this place never felt like home. I didn't want to be weak and cry over it, but I can't help it. Everyone needs their family, and mine have never been there for me.  And that sucks. 

"Two more months," I breathed, mumbling to myself as I re-stocked the fridge. 

I went upstairs to take a shower. When I finished, I wrapped a warm towel around my wet body. As if on cue, my phone whistled loudly. My parents left twenty minutes ago, thankfully. 

"Hello?" This time I remember to check caller ID, but it was futile because the number was unknown to my phone. 

"Serenity, hey, it's your type speaking here." Harry. I knew by his voice and the words he spoke. I couldn't find the nerve to waste my breath on him screaming and yelling. He frustrated me so much and right now I wasn't in the mood to be messed with. 

My jaw clenched, one hand holding up the towel up to my body and the other holding the phone up to my ear. "I'm hanging up." 

"No, don't," he replied seriously, sighing. "I need your help with something." 

"No," I spat.

"Please?"

"No," I said more firmly. "I'm naked and wet and it's definitely not because of you." 

"I know. I can see you," he replied, laughing. 

My eyes widened, and my head quickly turned to the window. There he was, standing on the fire escape grinning with his phone to his ear. Even in the moonlight, I could make out the smirk on his heart-shaped lips. Like a volcano waiting to erupt, the magma flowed down my skin in steam from my shower. 

"Are you crazy?!" I shouted into the phone, feeling suddenly very concerned for the lack of clothing I had on. "Harry, seriously, I'm not in the mood. Get the fuck out of my property before I call the cops on you." 

"Not until you help me," he said. "And I'm friendly with the cops. They will arrest me with joy." 

My face got hot from the annoyance. His consistent character drove me insane. I wanted to grab the nearest object, open the fire escape, and crush his skull with it. We still spoke through our cellular devices as he made hand motions, grinning. 

"I'm not helping you and that's final. Get out," I snapped, rolling my eyes. I wanted to at least get dressed before I made the mistake of letting my towel drop. 

"I will knock on your door and pretend I left my jacket in your room," he threatened, eyebrows raising as if he was testing my temper. "Your mom would have a heart attack."

I frowned, feeling my bones ache with exhaustion. I really didn't want to play this game right now. I sighed deeply. "They're not here," I grumbled. 

"I'll still do it whenever," he said nonchalantly. 

A tired sigh left my mouth, my hand tightening on the grip of my towel. "Please, leave, Harry." 

"Help me," he urged. 

I threw my phone on my bed, tired of him. My hand came to the window, shutting the curtains right after I held my finger up to signal him to give me a minute. I quickly threw on some sweats and a shirt after searching everywhere for a bra and my underwear. Once he got my help for whatever it is he needed I'll be sleeping without a bra on for sure. 

My fingers went to open the curtain, pulling the window up and allowing the warm air to penetrate through my air-conditioned room. Harry dipped inside my bedroom, a winning grin on his face when he examined my room. He probably got so much pride out of being in my room with me alone. 

"What do you want? Make this quick." Our eyes locked while I crossed my arms over my chest. He wore a light blue t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. He really doesn't care how he comes off to anyone. In the short period of time I've learned Harry is a careless douche. 

He sighed, not wanting to speak until he sat himself on my bed. I mentally ordered myself to burn the sheets now, but I decided against it. Wouldn't want to burn the house down, too. 

"There's some Satanic shit going on in my house and I need you to convince your mom to start a prayer circle for my dear family and I." The words weren't as ridiculous as they sounded coming from his mouth. He wasn't serious at all, and what pissed me off is that I decided to help him, but he never really needed it. He just wanted to make me angry. 

I growled, overly pissed and pushed him down aggressively. He fell on his back onto my bed, chuckling as I threw a temper fit in front of him. "Aggressive," he hissed, rubbing his chest with his large hand. 

"What are you trying to accomplish?" I screamed. "Seriously! Because you're annoying as Hell itself!" My face went red all over, my index finger jabbing into his chest repeatedly.

Harry stared at me with his pretty green eyes. Everything about his features were perfect, but I hated him as a person. I wasn't quick to like people, and Harry made it easy to dislike him.

"Relax, nun." He rolled his eyes. I grabbed my text book and raised in the air, ready to slam it against his head. Harry became concerned for himself, eyes widening and he grasped my wrists in his long fingers. "Whoa, whoa! Drop the text book, lunatic." 

I hope he knows how dangerously serious I was about giving him a concussion with a math textbook. "Don't push me anymore, Harry. I'm really sick of this," I shouted, throwing the text book to the lilac rug on my floor, cringing as Harry tightened his grips around my wrists. "Just because I don't throw my panties at you doesn't give you the right to screw with me emotionally!" 

"I'm not even doing anything wrong!" He defended himself, terribly. He was doing everything I hate and screwing with my temper. "You're just really ill tempered." 

"You're just an ass!" I screamed, pulling my wrists from his iron grip. I may be really ill-tempered but that makes more sense why people like Harry and I don't get along very well. He poked at me and burst my bubble from the second we made eye contact. "Now get out of my house before my parents get back." I firmly pointed to the opened window again. 

Harry blew air out of his mouth, letting his shoulders drop. "I'm sorry." 

"I don't care." I knew he didn't mean it. 

The green in his eyes was so pretty I wanted to believe him, but I used my head this time. A frown laced itself on his face. "I'm sorry, really."

"I don't want to talk to you," I said softer than I have been ever with him. I wanted to cry out of frustration. He manages to piss me off at my worse times. Any other time I would have wasted my breath to irritate him, too. Maybe that's what he was looking for. Tonight I wasn't in for it. 

"I don't care," he said, too. "I want to talk to you." 

"Well, that's too bad, isn't it?" I scoffed, feeling the tears building up in my eyes. Dear Lord I wasn't about to cry in front of this asshole.

Harry squinted his eyes at me, and I could tell my glassy eyes were actually scaring him a little. Surprise, I have feelings. The pale green became almost grey in his beautiful eyes, pretty lips into a frown as he watched me. "Are you going to cry?" 

"No," I squeaked, "leave please." 

"No," he snapped. Is he really snapping at me while I'm about to burst into angry tears right in front of him? That's how inconsiderate he is? "Don't cry, please. I'm sorry," he pleaded, his voice angry all of a sudden. If this was making him uncomfortable then crying in front of Harry was a good thing. 

Tears rushed down my cheeks as I became frustrated. "Sorry, I guess." I spat, pushing against his chest once he attempted to get off my mattress. He fell back onto the light peach covers again. 

"I'm sorry, okay! Fuck!" He growled, throwing his hands in the air before covering his face with them. He really truly seemed uncomfortable, but I really didn't care what he felt right now. I was willing to cry pools and pools of salty, hot tears if that took it for him to leave me alone. 

The hands that covered his face were red and scarred at the knuckles, but I quickly brushed away my observations as I wiped my tears with my own little hands. I can't believe we're in my bedroom shouting at each other irrelevant apologies, me in tears and him covering his face in almost shame. 

His voice muffled by his hands, he shouted, "I don't like it when girls cry. Holy shit, stop crying." He couldn't even look at me, and I smiled widely at the sight, shaking my head at him. Harry managed to have me pitying him for three seconds. 

"Are you like on your period? I can see you laughing at me," he dropped his hands from his face, making my smile turn downward into an angry frown. "Stop it." 

"Am I irritating you?" I laughed, sniffling. 

Harry's eyes were wide with irritation, curls disheveled from when I pushed him down multiple times. "Yes!" 

"Well good!" I screamed, and as he sat up I pushed him back down roughly. 

I didn't find it amusing when he growled, standing up and almost making me fall backwards to the floor. The force of his body crashing into mine felt like falling from a tree and my back hitting the ground, the air knocked out of me for five seconds. His voice burst my ear drums because it was so loud, my eyes widening in a little bit of fear. 

The green that was so beautiful in his eyes somehow turned to so dark I couldn't recognize him for two straight seconds. 

"Don't fucking touch me!" He shouted, "Don't provoke me." 

Harry not only was ill-tempered like me, but he was a hypocrite, which I was, too. I wasn't afraid to admit we're really the same people beneath to myself. He finished provoking me, making me angry to the point where I had to cry because I couldn't kill him with my math textbook. And now he's angry because I'm provoking him. 

"Shut up, Harry." I poked his chest angrily. "This is all your fault. You provoke me, so how does it feel to be provoked now?" 

He rolled his eyes at me, running both hands through his curls and pushing them back in anger. He actually began to jump around, and I was afraid he was possessed by the Satanic thing he was annoying me with at first. He jumped around, growling and attempting to release the anger he held inside from my provoking. 

"Stop acting Satanic," I laughed, amused by his fury. 

His pretty eyes glared icily at me. "I swear, if you weren't a girl..." 

"If you weren't a guy and ten feet taller than me, I could have managed to kill you with that textbook." I knew I was being childish, and that would only anger him more because I refused to feed him apologies for my indecency. 

"I really regret coming here," he breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes in attempt to relax. 

"Good." I hummed. 

"I fucking hate you, Serenity." He spat, opening his eyes to look into mine. 

"The feelings mutual. Now get out."