Candour

II

Cool, Calm and Collected.

"How are you so calm?" Harry questions as the pair walk out of the air conditioned office. "You literally just got an after school detention and a blank cheque to pay for my laptop."

"It's not the first time. How am I not expelled?" She chuckles kicking the ground as she walks.

"How would I know? Apparently I was a wreck waiting for our head of year to greet us." Harry raises an eyebrow at her before shaking his head and laughing. "You're quite strange Ivory."

"Says you."

"Me? Strange? Don't think so."

"Excuse me, Chesire. I hadn't even known you existed up until half an hour ago. How have you possibly gone without seeing me?" She wonders out loud. A simple bump in the corridors or even a class together should've been likely. But obviously not.

"I don't associate myself with those like you." Harry mumbles, although incoherent to Ivory.

"Pardon?"

"Big school."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

2 months later.

"Harry! Wait!" Ivory called and the brunette in front of her slowly came to a halt.

"Yes?" Green eyes peered up at her.

"Are you catching bus?" She asks, flipping out her laminated blue pass.

Harry mirrors her and sighs. "Sure am."

"You sound so depressed. Cheer up." She nudges him and Harry sidesteps away from her.

"It's Monday morning." He groans and takes out his phone.

"Harry, please. You love school and all it's mighty glory. What's up your ass?"

A few weeks before, Ivory's mother and her partner got serious, thus moving in with her new money bags, 'soon to be step father.' Every morning and afternoon, a bus trip home was routine, and much to her surprise (well, not really) Harry had caught that same bus also.

The first few days, Harry would sit by himself, his bag sat next to him on his seat so other students wouldn't sit next to him. He was pretty self involved in his thoughts, sitting there blank faced, obviously deep in concentration. Soon enough though, Ivory asked to sit beside him and well, every bus ride after that Harry's bag was never propped beside him on his seat.

They would talk about nothing and everything and within the span of a few short weeks they had become quite close.

Ivory had learnt that Harry's parents weren't on the best of terms and that his sister was so close to making Harry rip all his hair out.

Harry learnt that Ivory's stepdad was her stepping stone to all her concerts and lavish gifts she had ever wanted. He always chastised her for using him, but he couldn't deny that if he were in that situation he would do the same thing.

Ivory knew how reserved and good hearted Harry was. Usually she was used to the days when Harry needed space and the trips where they would occasionally sit in silence. But this particular morning was different. Ivory could feel the tension in the air as if it were a woollen, warm blanket, enveloping their surroundings.

"There's nothing wrong." He snaps and takes a further two steps away from Ivory.

Harsh. Ivory thought.

"You sure? You know I'm always here to talk." She reassures, only to be replied back with an eye roll from Harry.

Ivory scoffs. So, this is seriously what I get for trying to be a good friend?

"Whatever floats your fucking boat." She mutters, pulling the sleeves of her jumper down to cover her hands.

"What did you just say to me?" Harry spits.

"You can't be serious right now, Harry." Ivory laughs.

"Do you think this is funny?" He growls, suddenly angry.

Ivory steps forward to Harry, but he only takes one back.

Ivory presses her lips into a hard line and bows her head. She chuckles at how ridiculous the situation is.

"You need to chill out." She turns to walk away but Harry's small voice stops her.

"My parents are divorcing." He mumbles, obviously quite shattered and hurt.

"You need to quit mumbling, it's fucking annoying."

"I said my parents are divorcing." He states, much more loudly this time around.

"Oh." Ivory says and almost immediately sympathises for Harry. Divorce was something she was familiar with. "That sucks. A lot."

"Yeah. I guess. But what can you do?" He shrugs and steps onto the bus which had just pulled up onto the curb.

"Well, a starter would be to not take it out on you and me." She says, stepping into the lively bus herself.

"You and I." Harry shouts over the mass of other passenger's chatter.

"Yeah. Whatever. Just, I don't know. Run or something." She suggests, to only be faced with a confused look.

"Run?" He sat down in a seat toward the back and shafted his bag between his legs and the seat in front.

"Yeah. To release stress and stuff. I'm not sure." She shrugged and sat next to him.

"Have you tried it?"

"Do you think I would run?" She laughs and Harry nods, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Harry pulls a note out of his back pocket and rummages his bag for a pen. "I almost forgot, can you sign this for me?"

He handed her a crumpled note and in scrawled handwriting it read,

'Please excuse Harry from participating in sport as he has a sprained ankle.

Thank you,
Anne.'

Underneath, Harry had left a fair amount of space for Ivory to forge his mothers signature.

"You do realise, if you use the same excuse more than three times in a row, they'll stop believing you." She states, but signs the note anyway. "Besides, all you do is run. It'll be good for you! Get your mind off of things!" She smiles at Harry, who reciprocates a much weaker attempt.

"Cheer up! You have me and I'm not going anywhere soon."

"Everyone leaves at one point, Ivory."

******

Shorter chapter but oh well!

Thanks to those who put my book in their reading lists!

All the love x