The Academy // Harry Styles AU

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Nicole’s POV

I didn’t get why they were announcing already that we were able to go up to the roof top since midnight was still at least an hour away, or it may be closer to midnight, I didn’t know. I kept forgetting that I had that new watch on my wrist to check the time instead of just guessing.

I moved my watch on my wrist so I could look at the time. It was about forty-five minutes away from midnight so I guess that that was a reasonable amount of time before midnight to start going up to the rooftop.

I sometimes wished that they’d let us go up there the whole time during the party if we please, but I also liked going up right before midnight because if we were able to be there for the whole party I’d probably spend my whole time up there so the midnight moment wouldn’t as special as it is when I’m just getting onto the roof top for the first time that night.

I don’t know, I just thought going up there for the midnight countdown was the coolest thing, especially getting to see all the different fireworks that people all over were setting off at midnight.

“You want to head up to the roof?” Harry asked me soon after the person had announced that we were allowed to go up.

I looked around and saw a majority of the people were heading up there, but there were still a lot of people who hadn’t gone up yet.

“Not quite yet,” I told him, I wanted to wait until it was at least ten minutes to midnight to go up.

I wasn’t sure why, but I just always liked to. Harry and I ended up getting more snacks from the snack table. This time Harry filled his plate more than I did and he chose the lemonade instead of the fruit punch this time, and I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle and make another joke about his previous drink choice turning his mouth red.

He just rolled his eyes at me as we began to walk back over to the table that we had been sitting at. Unfortunately though someone had decided to take the table we were sitting at over the many other empty tables. Harry threatened to go say something to the couple that had taken the table but I have to convince him that it really wasn’t a big deal we would just find somewhere else to sit.

Since many people had already gone up to the rooftop, it was pretty easy to find a place to sit unlike it was when we had arrived at the party since there were so many people in this area.

Once Harry and I had sat down at the new table we began to talk for a while and eat our snacks, pretty much doing the only thing we’ve done since we’ve gotten here. It may seem boring, being at a party and the only thing you do is sit and talk and eat cheap snacks the school provided, but it was actually quite fun, especially now that Harry seemed to be taking more part in conversation now.

I had a feeling that maybe he hadn’t been talking as much as before because he was worried about my friends seeing or something. I knew that he wasn’t particularly fond of having to hide form my friends, but for my sake he was sitting pretty good and understanding when it came to me not wanting to lead them to any ideas when they were around.

Apparently I hadn’t done a very good job at not giving them any ideas since Christina claimed she’s had her suspicions about Harry and I for a while. She said that she had seen Harry leaving the dorm one night. He never told me about that and I wondered if I should ask him about it or not. If I did it would probably have to wait until after he knew that my friends knew since it pretty much corresponded with that and he’d wonder how I knew if I brought it up now.

It was only a matter of time now before Harry and I had finished up our food and I had decided it was probably a good idea to go ahead and head up to the roof top now to be there in time for the count down.

I checked the time on my watch as Harry and I walked up the stairs and midnight was in about five minutes.

When we got up there, we chose a spot to stand where there were less people in the way so we could get a clear view to see all the fireworks that would be going off in different places in the sky.

As I looked over I spotted my friends nearby, and they of course were looking at us. Liz looked away when she saw that I noticed them, but Christina of course continued to scowl. I noticed Becca trying to pull the two of them away to a different area of the roof but they were just ignoring her.

I turned back to Harry and tried to brush off the bothersome fact that I had a few pairs of eyes watching Harry and I’s every move. It was easy to forget about them though when someone announced that there was two more minutes to midnight and I began to grow more and more excited.

Harry noticed and he just laughed at me, not understanding why I found this as exciting as I did. I really wasn’t sure why either, I just did. Just the fact that it will never be this exact year again for anyone of this lifetime and we’re going into a year that hasn’t yet happened was just so cool to me, even though when I would wake up the next morning it pretty much just felt like any other day.

It was the small changes of the year like have to erase the date you wrote because you wrote the wrong year seemed to be the biggest change of all.

I was even more excited though when someone began to start the countdown and everyone joined in. Harry was probably the only one who wasn’t joining in on counting down each number, but I was too excited to bother him into doing so.

Just as the countdown was over, fireworks began to go off and I noticed groups of couples kissing and friends hugging and celebrating.

“Do you think it giving you a hug would give away too much?” he asked me. I turned and looked at my friends, Liz wasn’t there anymore but Becca and Christina were.

“You know,” I said, “I really don’t care,” I stand up my tiptoes to better reach his height and pressed my lips to his.

It was honestly the best moment of my life, kissing him on New Year’s, not giving a crap about what my friends thought of me or of him. I break away from the kiss and I think we’re both staring wide-eyed at each other although I’m not sure why since we’ve obviously kissed before. This was just so different, so public yet so calming.

“Nicole?” he said, confused, but I didn’t respond. I didn’t want to explain myself, at least not right now.

I looked over at my friends standing some feet away form me, staring with open mouths, probably because I just kissed Harry in front of them and every one else with no shame.

I was pleased with the reaction I had gotten out of them and was nervous yet excited to see what would happen when I got back to my dorm with them.

Harry still had a somewhat confused look on his face, but I think it was more of a look of shock. I knew now that I really had to tell Harry what happened with my friend finding out sooner rather than later now, but considering my tendency to put things off I figured that was a good thing.

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