the cool side of the pillow {styles au}

thirty one

Cleo's POV:

It takes my dad less than half a second to exit the kitchen; uncomfortable situations make him, well, uncomfortable. Once he's disappeared into his office and the door is shut, Elliott takes the seat next to mine at the island and turns to face me, a small smile making itself present on her lips.

"I just thought it would be good for us to get a chance to talk, woman to woman, without your father in the room. I know how this feels; both my parents remarried when I was about your age, and I know you probably see me as this 'step-monster'."

"That's not true at all," I interject.

Elliott tilts her head to the side and looks at me inquisitively, "I just want to get to know you and vice versa."

Every nerve in my body is on high alert, finding this foreign concept very threatening. Seeing as I've never been in a situation quite like this, I don't know how to handle it. But I have to try. "Let's give it a shot."

"Really?" Elliott's face lights up like a Christmas tree.

I smile genuinely at her excitement, nodding twice, "Really."

***

Harry's POV:

"Mum! Come here!" I call from the living room, in pure amazement at the scene before me.

Before I've even taken another breath, my mum comes barrelling into the room, toothbrush dangling between her teeth, "What's wrong?" She's out of breath and there's toothpaste on her chin, and she seems a bit annoyed when she realizes I'm not on fire or anything urgent. But when her eyes lift from me to the room behind me, her jaw goes slack, the toothbrush clacking against the wood floor.

"Donald," my mother gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. She's witnessing my father stand on his own for the first time since the car accident. The doctors didn't think he would be able to do this for months, if not years, from now. He's been to physical therapy a couple times, but we didn't think it was helping all that much until now.

My father stands there proudly for a few seconds before one of his legs gives out and he falls in a heap onto his wheelchair. Regardless of the fact that he only stood for thirty seconds, I've never seen him filled with such pride. My mother rushes over to him and peppers his face with kisses, cooing about how proud she is. And I fear that I might throw up, so I quickly excuse myself and head up to my room to relax.

It's my first night of Christmas break and there's nothing I'd rather do than this... Nothing. My test this morning went better than expected; I passed. My grade wasn't high enough to give me a passing grade in the class but because Mr. Stevie could tell I actually studied and rose above my ego to take this second chance, he passed me. I've never been so relieved in my entire life, and I called Cleo right away to tell her. Unfortunately, she didn't answer the phone so I figured she went back to sleep.

That reminds me; I haven't heard from her all day. Being the clingy bastard I am, I send her a text: Oh me, oh my, where is my sweetie pie?

Her response comes a few minutes later: Oh my, oh me... you're an idiot, why am I in love with you again?

To sunshine: That didn't rhyme, but I'll take it. Where have you been all day?

From sunshine: I'll tell you in a second.

My brow furrows in confusion as I respond: Ooooookay? x

Just then, the doorbell rings followed by shuffling downstairs and my mum's high-pitched, excited voice. Shortly after, there are footsteps on the stairs and before I even see her, I know it's my girl. When Cleo pops her head in the door, a goofy smile spreads across my face; she's wearing a floral baby doll dress, lacey black tights, and her usual black Docs.