Alex

School had become fun with Harry by my side, us becoming friends, it had been amazing. We would never run out of stuff to talk about and had so much in common. We liked all the same movies and books. Our music was identical on our phones, and we even had similar sisters.

His stutter had gotten better around me; It was less frequent. Today we were assigned a partner project and for the first time, I actually wasn't stuck with the absent kid or the odd person out. Harry quickly sat with me and told me we were partners and I just smiled like an idiot. He was quickly becoming my favorite person.

We walked together to the front of the back building to eat lunch. Harry set his jacket down and told me to sit on it so my pants wouldn't get dirty. I blushed sitting down and tried to hide a smile.

He was the sweetest.

"S-so I'm thinking for the project we can do a powerpoint instead of poster board like everyone else." I nodded looking up at all the spring fling signs around the school. I had never gone to a school dance and just this morning alone I saw three girls get invited. "Alex?" I turned to him and nodded.

"Um yeah powerpoint sounds good, we should start soon because I'm going to be swamped with projects." He looked over to where I was looking and it was so obvious that I was staring at the spring fling poster.

"Spring fling?" He turned to me. "D-do you want to go to that?" I raised an eyebrow not sure if he was asking in general or if he was asking me if I wanted to go with him.

"I've never been to a dance before." I shrugged looking down. He didn't say anything until the bell rang and I quickly stood walking to class together.

After school, I had almost forgotten about what I told Harry and decided to begin walking home until he stopped me and told me he would give me a ride.

We were just about halfway out when he cursed and told me he forgot his science book in his locker. I waited by the exit and watched as kids left campus as fast as they could.

I turned, about to walk towards the bathroom when I walked right into David. I gulped apologizing. "Watch where you're going." He pushed me back.

Of all the years he had been picking at me, I had never said anything to him, but for some reason, I was feeling brave. "Maybe you should watch where you're going, fucker." He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me slowly. I gulped backing up a little.

"What the fuck did you just say to me." I was backed up into a corner and began shaking.

"Why are you so mean to me? We used to be friends, remember that?" He scoffed shaking his head.

"That was because we felt bad for you." I heard footsteps and quickly turned. "Stay the fuck out of my way or your ass is going in a trash can where you belong." He walked out of the school just as a teacher walked through to leave.

Harry showed up a minute later with his books but could tell something was wrong.

"Y-you okay?" I nodded. "You want to come over, w-w-we can start the project?" I smiled gently walking to his car with him. I wanted to know what I did to David for him to hate me. Maybe he was just a mean person or abused at home. I met his mom once and she was a sweetheart but his dad wasn't very kind.

I decided to ignore my thoughts as soon as we arrived at Harry's house.

I had never been here, Harry was always telling me that his family took forever to unpack. He nervously told me if it was okay that we were alone since his mom- or the cute way he says it 'mum'- wasn't home.

"It's okay, we're doing homework, not cocaine." He chuckled walking with me up to his gate and opening it for me. His house was small but from what he told me is that it was just his mom, stepdad and him.

His bedroom was the last one down a long hall and as soon as he opened the door my eyes widened. His room was white except one wall that was electric green and covered in posters of bands and artists like Prince and Michael Jackson. "My mum s-says that when we move around to only decorate one wall, less work to p-paint it if we move again." I nodded setting my stuff down. I took off my jacket and walked over to his collection of tapes and CDs.

"The early 2000s called." I joked causing him to playfully push me. I pushed him back and he let out a laugh as I poked his side. We had begun playing like this a few weeks ago and usually lead to him tickling my side until I screamed in laughter. Now that I knew he was ticklish as well I did it again backing him up until he fell back on his bed.

"I-I please!" He laughed as I kept tickling his side until I had him back on the bed. I soon realized the position we were in and my eyes widened.

"Oh sorry." I sat up off of him and sat down on his bed. He looked at me and smiled.

"It's okay, I uh-uh- my eyes w-water when I laugh like that." He lifted his shirt from the bottom to wipe his eyes. I had never really noticed that Harry had a nice stomach. He wasn't buff but he had- woah why am I looking at him like that? I looked away and stood up off his bed to sit down at his desk.

"We should do our project, I have notes we can start off on and stuff." He nodded quickly ignoring my weirdness and sitting beside me.

"You like him!" I rolled my eyes at my sister. "I mean you both got that awkwardness thing going for you."

She changed pages of her music sheets and began playing one of my favorite pieces. I smiled at how well she played and sat back listening to her. All that ran through my mind was Harry, and I felt a bit frustrated because I wasn't sure if I liked him or if I felt this way because for the first time in a long time someone was friendly to me.

I looked at my sister and wished I was that pretty and confident as she is when she's playing, but every day in my life.

She finished her song and I applauded. "Perfect as usual." She thanked me and quickly picked up the instrument to put it away. She left the room to get a drink of water when my phone went off. I was about to get ready for bed, it was quite late on a Friday and I was tired from a long day at school.

I looked at the phone and smiled at Harry's number.

H: what are you doing?

A: About to get ready for bed. What about you?

H: well actually I was wondering if you could come outside I want to take you somewhere?

My eyes widened and I quickly looked out my window and gasped. Harry was across the street standing outside of his car looking at his phone in the dark street.

My sister walked in and set her cup down. "What are you looking at?" My eyes widened.

"Harry's outside, he wants to go out." She gasped running to the window and looking out.

"Holy shit you need to go!" She whispers yelled.

"Are you insane, mom and dad will be pissed. You know how they feel about me going out this late." Amy rolled her eyes and looked out the window again.

"Sneak out and I'll cover for you." My eyes widened.

"Really?" She nodded. "Okay, then." I changed my shirt and texted Harry that I would be out in a minute. I fixed my hair while Amy set up my bed to look like I was in it. She shut the light off and laid down only turning on her reading light.

"If mom comes in, I'll tell her you're asleep. When you get out the window there's a rope to slide down on." I slowly turned to her and gave her a look. "What you think the cello nerd doesn't know how to party." I rolled my eyes opening the window and sneaking out.

Thanks for reading. Xx

-k