birds // hs

0.5

I cautiously approached the fire and tried to locate someone I knew, but there was no one. Just new faces, all of which looked offended at my intrusion.

"Who is this?" One of the guys asked, although his voice was one hundred percent uninterested as he stared at me.

"Rachel," Niall answered. "Be nice, she's new. And she's a lifeguard so she has a right here, just like all of you. Has anyone seen Styles?"

"By the water," the girl replied shortly.

He nodded and left me there, alone with seven people that were looking at me like hungry dogs stare at a hunk of meat. I was the hunk of meat, just in case you were wondering.

"You're not from around here," one of the guys observed with a sideways grin. He was about my height with dark skin and dark hair, but his eyes were a piercing icy blue. He was sort of scary, to be honest.

"My guess is...Oklahoma," another chimed in. "Am I right?"

"Washington, actually," I smiled. Even though it was clear I wasn't welcome, I wanted to be as nice as possible. My goal was to make it impossible for them to hate me. "But a lot of people say I look southern."

"I don't see it," the girl, whose name was Liza, smirked. "I think you look Norwegian."

"What the fuck does that mean?" The other guy laughed as he took a long drink out of his red solo cup. "Do you even know what a Norwegian looks like?"

"Yeah, her."

They all laughed and as much as I tried to fake it, I couldn't muster a smile. I felt like I was back in second grade, being teased because I was reading in PE class. It wasn't a good feeling.

"Want a drink?"

"No, thank you," I said quietly. Liza scoffed and whispered something to one of the guys, which he passed on to the next. They all snickered and stole glances at me, which I tried to ignore. Of course, I failed again. It was nearly impossible to like these people. I guess they had each other.

"I'm just going to find Harry," I mumbled. None of them were listening anyway so I turned and walked away, not really sure where I was going but glad to be far away from them.

I stopped near the water and let the waves wash over my feet, the water splashing up my calves as I stared down at the dark sand.

"What are you doing?" Harry's voice sounded from behind me. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, just needed some air," I lied easily.

He chuckled. "They're hard to deal with, I know. But they mean well."

"She said I looked Norwegian," I muttered stubbornly. He stepped up beside me and I looked at him for the first time, quickly taking in his gorgeous shirtless frame and khaki pants. He looked godly.

"Norwegian? Is that an insult?"

"I'm...not sure."

"Interesting."

I crossed my arms. "Should I leave?"

"What? Of course not," he shook his head. "I know they can be mean but-"

"I don't have to come to these things," I said softly, gauging his face for a reaction. He didn't look happy. "They're your friends, and that's great, but I don't like them very much."

"They were mean to you."

"Yes."

"Come with me."

I followed closely behind him but stopped when he reached the fire, his broad shoulders and tanned back illuminated as he scowled at the group.

"Did she tell on us?" Liza sighed, sending me a sour glare. "Harry, you know-"

"That you're all a bunch of fucking losers?" He finished tightly. Liza's jaw dropped.

"She's with me, understand?" He nearly yelled at all of them. I took it as a friendly gesture, but the looks on their faces told me it was something much more than that. "And if any, any of you insult her or even whisper one thing about her, I will fire you. Do you all understand, or should I use smaller words?"

"She's not one of us," Liza argued, her brow set. "How many girls have you brought here, Harry? How many ditzy pieces of ass have you forced us to meet because you said they were 'different'?"

"Don't call her that, Liz," one of the guys asserted as Harry straightened up. "She's right there, and you're pissing Harry off."

"Good!" She huffed, throwing her drink on the ground for effect. "We don't want her here."

I didn't need to hear anymore. I turned and quickly walked away, not caring that tears were slipping down my cheeks or that no one bothered to follow me. I wanted to be alone, so I went to the only place I could see- the lifeguard tower.

Navigating it easily, I plopped down on the small seat and let out a deep breath. It wasn't just them, it was kind of everything. I was tired, my muscles were sore from working all day, and my sunburn made it impossible to even move without wincing. And I missed my friends already.

Only a few minutes of relative quiet had passed when I heard footsteps approaching. I didn't bother opening my eyes.

"Rachel," he said softly. "Come on, come down here and talk to me."

"I don't want to go back there," I muttered stubbornly.

He let out a deep breath. "I'll take you home then. Come on."