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

Chasing Cars

I really didn't expect Harry to walk me to school on his birthday, but there he was, all smiles.

"Happy birthday! How's sixteen treating you so far?"

"I feel like a new man."

Oh, there was the big smile. The one that seemed to turn my legs to noodles and made my heart beat a little faster.

"What have you got there? Can I help carry something?"

I gave him the box I'd been balancing precariously on one hand.

"You should take this. It's for you, but you can't see what's inside yet. Just keep it right side up, please."

"You didn't have to..."

"I know. But I wanted to." It was my turn to smile.

He told me about the new clothes that had been waiting on his dresser when he woke up. Jeans, which are jeans, a jumper, which is a sweater, and a sweater, which is a sweatshirt, and trainers, which are sneakers.

His mom was making his favorite dish for dinner, toad in the hole. I didn't even ask about that one. It sounded kind of dirty.

I got some compassionate smiles and some disdainful smirks in the hallways, but mostly people just went about their business. Callum had the good sense to look embarrassed when I walked into our Maths classroom.

Emma had seen the tweet on her way back from her grandmother's and called me from the car, so when we saw each other for the first time since the fuss, we didn't need to discuss it.

Break was tense, as the Heathers held court in a corner, looking at me and giggling behind their hands with the few sycophants who worshipped at their ugly altar of mean. I knew I needed to deal with the situation right away.

I walked straight toward them, smiling as I spoke loud enough for everyone around to hear.

"Sammi, thank you so much for trying to hide what was really going on with that funny comment, but honestly, I don't mind if people know I was crying about my dead mother." The last few words I enunciated and projected, as I put my hand on her shoulder. "I won't forget your kindness. I promise." And I walked away.

~

"That was bloody brilliant." Harry was beaming as I joined my friends.

Haydn slapped me on the back. Kiki took my hand and squeezed it tight. Will and Nick just smiled and nodded. Emma looked at me like I was some conquering hero. It all felt pretty damn good.

I was actually interested in the day's history lesson, and didn't even notice the Heathers or Callum. Well, I did notice that Sammi was sitting as close to him as she could, and he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to her.

After class I took the box into the cafeteria, along with a little package. Harry was already sitting, an empty space beside him waiting for me. I moved his tray back and set the box in front of him.

"Happy Birthday, Harry."

He opened the lid, and I got my second big smile of the day. I felt like it was my birthday.

I had made chocolate cupcakes, with white frosting and a letter H in green on each. Without hesitation he pulled one out, removed the paper, and ate it in two giant bites.

"Fank oo!" he said, through a mouthful, his eyes bright and crinkly.

"Gi sum errybuddy elss." Right that minute he was more like a six year old than a sixteen year old, and I loved it.

I handed cupcakes to our friends, and there was one left over. Harry was eyeing it longingly.

"Eat it. You're the birthday boy, you get a second."

"But you haven't had one. I can't take it from you."

"I had one last night and another this morning," I lied. "Eat it. Then wash your hands, and your face, before opening your present."

I reached out to wipe a large dollop of frosting from his cheek and, without thinking, sucked it off my thumb. He looked at me for a moment, mouth slack, then shook his head a tiny bit and went to clean up.

A little more focused when he came back, Harry picked up my present and opened it carefully.

I explained, "At home we can get our license at sixteen, and some kids actually get cars then. My dad isn't the type to spoil me, so he gave me this instead. I'm passing the torch to you."

A bright red Porsche with the number 16 on the roof like a race car dangled from a keychain.

He frowned.

"It's left-hand drive."

"I just gave you a Porsche and you're going to fuss about what side the steering wheel's on? Ingrate!"

We couldn't keep straight faces any longer. As we laughed, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a huge kiss on the cheek. He smelled like cupcake and something spicy.

~

Science sucked, mostly because Harry wasn't there, but Language Arts was hysterical. He kept driving the car around the desk, over our legs under the table, and through a tunnel he made from a piece of paper. I was afraid it would be taken away from him, but I think the teacher knew it was his birthday and let him off the hook.

He had to get home as soon as school was dismissed, but before her left he took me aside in the courtyard.

"Do you know, Olivia, from the moment I met you, everything changed. Thank you for today."

A little surprised and a lot happy, I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and wished him a good birthday dinner.

It was the best day yet.