The Things You Mean to Me // Harry Styles Series #1 - Holmes Chapel

I Can't Compete With Your Boyfriend

Life, and people, can be really predictable. There were questions. So many questions. Some annoying, some just plain dumb, and a few that were actually thoughtful.

The Heathers paid me a lot of attention, and seemed pretty friendly. I remembered Harry's warning, though, and kept my guard up. It's easy to get sucked in when the popular girls are being nice to you.

Emma and Harry seemed to be my best friends. Mrs. Hayes picked me up and took me home on the rainy days, and Harry was waiting on the wall in front of the house on the less wet ones. I knew coming to get me added time to his morning commute, and I told him he didn't have to.

"I know I don't have to. I want to."

~

I sat with what I had begun to think of as the Band Bunch at lunch, but morning break was monopolized by Callum, the Heathers, and their crowd. Callum had asked me to join them on my second morning, and they seemed to expect me from then on. I figured it might be good to have a variety of friends and went along with it.

By Friday my phone was filled with numbers and my head was filled with names and faces. I felt welcome. As I left the building for the weekend, Callum got my attention.

"Olivia, would you have lunch with me on Sunday at the George & Dragon?"

He didn't make it sound like a date date, and I thought it might be interesting to get to know him without the Heathers around, so I accepted. His parents had offered to drive us there and back. I thought about saying I'd walk, but knowing the weather...

Dad was happy that I was making friends, and he clarified the house rules in case I wanted to have anyone over. They'd be the same as at home. If I had anyone, boy or girl, over when Dad wasn't there, I had to let him know when they came and when they went. If I had a boy over, the bedroom door had to stay open and a light on.

There were some gaping plot holes in this system. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good kid, but I'd be lying if I said Jason and I hadn't taken advantage of them back home more than once.

~

Saturday morning was chilly and a heavy mist hung over the town. Dad and I decided that some pastries would cheer us up, so I snapped the hood on my parka and headed into town.

Mandeville's was busier that week than the last, and I had to wait a few minutes before Harry was free. He rang up and bagged my pastries, then asked the shop lady if he could take his break.

We sat in the tiny staff room and shared a Tango Apple, which is like very sweet fizzy apple juice.

"How was your first week?"

"You saw most of it. I guess it could have been a lot worse. Thanks again for coming to walk with me. That was a really nice surprise on Monday. And for letting me hang out with you guys."

"We didn't let you, we wanted you to." He reached across the table and patted my hand, like an adult soothing a child. It was adorable. He was adorable. He seemed so much more mature than me and my friends at home, with the band and his job, but younger and more innocent at the same time. Maybe it was his eyes; he always looked pleasantly surprised.

"Olivia?" I had lost focus there for a moment.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come over tomorrow afternoon? We could work on the History homework, if you haven't done it already, and... hang out."

"I can't." His face honest to goodness fell. "I'm having lunch with Callum."

"Oh. Well, maybe another time."