"I've got to cover for you. It's the only way."

"No, I got this. Go home, Emily."

"No. I just have to cover for you. Your mom cannot screw this shit up. It's final. I'm staying the night, and I'm going to cover for you so you can go swimming with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" I shouted at her for the eighth time tonight. I was pulling on my shorts that would go over my black bikini. I'm basic when it comes to these things, honestly. Black, white, grey, green, I don't care. As long as it fits and I like it on myself. I made the extra effort to make myself look as good as possible with Emily braiding my hair down my back.

She tugged harshly at my braid, making my head tip back a little at the pull. "I'm going to fucking make this work, Serenity. You and Harry are going to be together for the longest time, have a huge American-British ass wedding, and you'll also have children with British accents. OK?"

Her firm tone was scaring me a little, and I rolled my eyes at her silently, humming a soft "yes" because I'm more thinking of how this swimming thing could probably go. Half-naked with Harry never seemed so tempting before but I gotta say I'm not complaining. I would have been complaining like three days ago but we're past that by now.

I sighed heavily, getting up from the bed as she finished. I stared at my figure in the mirror. You know those days when you feel absolutely pretty? And nothing can ruin your day? Until you hear something that by just tiny words can destroy all that happiness?

That was me. I'm miserable most of the time, but I don't like to think so. My mom might be the reason for that. I come home and think about my life here and suddenly I'm a mess of depression. A grey lump on the street no one cares about.

My body was curvy, a little, or so I'd want to think. I did work out here and there -- highly concerned with my looks a few years back -- and here I am. My arms were small and I almost wanted to call myself a freaking Tyrannosaurus. My height wasn't ever a problem, and I'd want it to stay that way. I'm most likely happy with my body. My thighs were a little big, but I honestly didn't care. I just liked to make sure I keep myself away from my limits.

Oh, and then I look at my chest and much of what people consider "sex appeal." I'm seventeen, but thanks to my mom's chicken, I've developed quite a lot. My mother is rather flat-chested, though my grandmother has the biggest sagging b*obs I've ever seen. I really hope my stay up for a long time. They're sometimes too big for my liking. Without a bra keeping them still, they suffocate me in my sleep or slap Clary in the face out of nowhere. I go for a hug, and they're there in the way. It's just the way it is.

I turned myself around, not aware that Emily was now texting on her phone. My butt wasn't the biggest, but squats do help to an extent. I really like the way black suits my light caramel skin. The skin on my upper arm was a little red and blotchy, which I hated, but it didn't drag too much attention since my b*obs already did that for them.

"Stop staring at yourself. We get it. You're fucking gorgeous and I hate you for it," Emily spat, not looking away from the screen of her phone. "He's coming to get you in like five minutes."

Then it settled I was a little bit anxious to leave and see him, which made me more anxious. "Is my mom sleeping? Anyone asleep? Do you eve know?"

"While you were showering and shaving in case you get lucky," She laughed loudly as I scowled her, "I told my mom and she said it was alright with your mom, too."

"My mom isn't sleeping yet?" I asked, feeling more apprehensive.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Who the fuck is going to sleep at eight in the evening?"

"My family, dipshit," I muttered, throwing a fluffy, pink pillow at her.

She hummed, shrugging her shoulders. "I can see that. But anyway, I'm going to turn off the lights and turn the shower on, lock the bathroom, and tell her you're showering."

"And after that," I slowly urged her to continue.

"Tell her we're getting ready for bed, obviously." Her tone revealed her annoyance, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"She won't believe that." I told her expertly. I am an expert on my mom's behavior. "Trust me, I've observed the animal for quite some time now." I threw on my peach see-through on and slipped my feet into a pair of black Toms -- Emily's since she refused to let me wear the ugly flats.

Emily sighed heavily. "Then what do I say?"

"Tell her we're going to read romance novels on my laptop or something. She'll definitely believe that one," I told her, opening my window as my phone vibrated, a text from Harry saying he's outside beaming at me from my screen. I smiled a little, dropping my phone into my pocket again. "Trust me, the dumber the excuses, the more she believes them."

She nodded. "Okay. Got it covered. Have fun and do not have sex in the water. It's dirty." Her laugh was muffled when I shut the window, my face bright red from picturing doing it with Harry in the shallow water, both of us soaked, water droplets mixing with sweat. Fuck, I cursed, shaking the thought from my head.

The grin that latched on my lips when I saw him was the same one that made me want to smack it off myself, in a good way. Not in any way do I understand how smacking yourself is good in any way, but it's possible with Harry. Once I was down that menacing fire escape, I rushed across the street only to catch sight of Harry leaning against his car.

He had his arms crossed over his chest. Bare chest. We was hotter than my showers and steamier than my mom's pots while she cooks. It was obvious he worked out a little. He had red swimming trunks, his curls pushed from his face as usual. He looked like he was a lifeguard, and Christ he can save me all tonight if he wants to. On his feet, he had a pair of black, Nike running sneakers.

I received a cocky smirk when he caught me, and I brought a playful scowl on my lips before slapping his head.

"I was going to be a gentleman and open the door for you, but suit yourself, dipshit," he called from the other side as I ran to the passenger seat.

"No need, you're an ass anyway," I laughed, shutting the door as he joined me inside. "So pool? Lake? Woods?"

Harry scoffed, starting the car again. "And why would I ever suggest the woods?"

"To have your way with me," I stated confidently, and jokingly. "No one's around. You're a slightly stronger male, and I am female. Things can happen."

He glanced over at me, keeping a hand on the steering wheel as we turned the corner. His other hand, however, was lonely on the arm rest, where it shouldn't have been, but he clearly doesn't give a fuck. That's how my dad says it's the wrong way to drive. The man drives with two hands tightly gripping the steering wheel like he's afraid he'll crash or something.

I looked at his lonely hand, mentally trying to grow the balls I'm missing to grab it in mine. Would that be too much? Why am I suddenly wanting to make the moves? I'm much colder than him than what I really hope for. I think he knows that or he would have already left my bitch ass alone. I'll die alone if I can't even ---

Harry's fingers reached for mine, entwining our fingers together as he didn't even look away from the road. I felt my cheeks blaze in heat from the embarrassment, not knowing whether he saw me watching his hand or he just genuinely wanted to hold mine, too. His was big, huge in fact, compared to mine. They were a little rough, but soft enough to make me swoon lightly. I didn't want to be mushy about this, really. I hate my thoughts just as much as anyone who'd ever hear my thoughts.

"Is that you're way...of telling me you want this d*ck tonight, baby?" He shot at me, his voice deeper and raspier than it was as always. The newer tone was something I haven't heard since the party and I felt my stomach quench, not even taking into considering if he was joking or not. Shit, it was hot.

I rolled my eyes, trying to recover as fast as possible. "I --," I began, but he started chewing on his bottom lip, the curve at the corner of his lips, making me aware that he was waiting until I shot some fire at him. "You know what...yeah. If that's what you think, sure. I want your d*ck. "

Ain't that the truth, my conscience laughed.

"You're gonna crack some time." He sang, smirking now.

"Nope. Not at all, Styles." I remarked, eyebrows raised followed by my chin. I was determined not to crack under his stupid antics.

He hummed, before groaning with his mouth closed. Here comes the part I truly adore about his character -- hence the sarcasm. "Fuck, I can't wait to see them t*ts of yours, then."

I pressed my lips together, avoiding the feeling his voice was arousing inside of me. Both lust and annoyance. Which one was stronger? I'm afraid I don't know.

"Imagine...your t*ts wet and bouncing...shit, I'll grow hard in this car right now, fuck --"

I threw my hand across the arm rest to screw up his face. A loud slap echoed, but I knew he wans't even hurt when he started laughing at me. I scowled, obviously finding this hardly amusing, but I couldn't help the little grin lacing my lips. "Harry, you're a pig and you're super disgusting."

"The only reason I thought about swimming was because I knew you were gonna wear a bikini. I could have said hey! let's go to the library or some shit. But I didn't. Because I know I want to see you half naked." He said that like it wasn't the rudest thing you could say to a girl but I'm not even offended. It says a lot about my standards. Harry just has an...asshole sense of humor.

"Haha," I dryly spat, "you're so clever."

"I know, aren't I?"

"Now I'm not taking off my shirt. You need lessons on how to talk to people."

Our conversation ended there as we pulled up to a road on the countryside of things. The dirt road led to a small lake, a dock that spread far down a big, dark lake. The dirt was a sandy type, a large parking lot emptied for the night. The moonlight reflected off the water's surface, my warm body already chilled by the sight.

Harry parked the car, stepping out immediately. Like he was going to back at my house, he opened the car door to let me out. I stared at him with a humorous look, eyes narrowing into his as he gave me that goofy grin. "Well?" He urged me to get out of the car.

I complied, stepping out, discarding my Toms, and leaving them in his car. I hurriedly made my way through the sandy dirt, walking against the warm wood on the dock. Harry discarded his sneakers near his car, a hand on the hood as he did so, and his eyes watching me carefully.

With my back turned (aware he was watching me) I tugged off my top and then my shorts, quickly discarding them to the floor without a care. A high-pitched laugh escaped my lips when he appeared behind me, threatening to honk my b*obs in his hands.

"Harry, seriously, stop." I walked towards the edge, closer than I had been a second ago as he followed, centimeters away from me.

He chuckled softly. "I'm tempted and there's no one around to stop me."

"Don't you dare, Styles," I warned, and before he could even think about reaching out to me I ran off the edge and threw myself onto the water, squealing loudly. Once I raised, my skin chilled to the bone by the cool water, Harry was watching me with a grin. "Aren'y cha gonna join me, Harry?" I asked, a teasing smirk on my lips.

"I don't know..." he hummed, shaking his head humorously, "the water looks really dark and scary."

I scoffed. "Okay, then. Stay there." My eyebrows were raised, my words tumbling from my mouth at an outrageous speed. 

"Then. I. Will," he shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the dock, my thoughts running wild.

"Okay, then how much you wanna bet you can't stay out of the water for too long?"

Harry seemed to think about this for a little, eyebrows raised in consideration. "I'm willing to bet one of my eight cars."

"You mean your mom's cars," I shot back, throwing my head back when he shot me an irritated look. "I'm sorry. Okay, okay. Loser has to lay on the sand, wet."

No one likes sand up their ass, and I'm pretty sure this was a childish kind of bet, but we were going to do it anyway. There's no room for responsibility between him and I. There's just too much of everything else.

"Alright," he sighed, "just saying don't cry to me when you've got sand between your asscheeks."

"Which you would most likely love to wipe off." I shot at him, swimming around and mentally arranging ways to make him crack. Because really I hate sand sticking to my skin, and I'm not sure if anyone likes the discomfort.

"That's...," he paused, pursing his lips, "probably true."

I hummed to myself, swimming around as the water flowed carelessly around my body. My graceful movements were interrupted by Harry's inability to freaking keep his mouth shut. He was beginning get bored on the dock, and I what I was thinking of was really risky but he's been begging for it, so might as well give it to him in the worst way possible.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come in?" I asked, watching him carefully as he stared back at me with a bored expression. He shook his head, pouty lips almost making him like a child. My hands reached to the tied knot at the back of my neck, smirking as I began to undo it.

Harry's eyes widened, now just realizing the many ways I could get him to crack. "You're asking for death."

As I finally got the one lower down my back, I tugged it off and threw the black fabric at him, laughing as he breathlessly caught it. His eyes were still wide with astonishment, my eyes staring into his with the most devious grin I could make even with my own heart beating pretty fast. I'm really gonna regret this.

"Am I really?"

A/N: who wins? COMMENT AND VOTE! Thank you for reading, peaches ;)