Losing the Light [h.s.]

18

"Can't sleep?" Marlee says into the phone. "It's one o'clock."

"I'm, uh, throwing away that idea," Harry says gruffly.

"I've missed you," Marlee says, smiling a little to herself. "Can I come by your house later?"

"Actually, yeah," he says, clearing his throat. "But this isn't really what I wanted to talk about."

"What did you want to talk about?" Marlee asks. She leans against the outter wall of the coffee shop.

"So I--er... nevermind." He stops abruptly.

"Harry, what is it?" Marlee says, growing a little impatient.

"I'll just tell you when you come over. Come over when you can, soon please. Bye."

Marlee glares down at her phone's screen. He hung up on her?

What would he want to talk about? Something important, she guesses, if he doesn't want to speak over the phone.

Marlee huffs back into the coffee shop, and Stacey's grin falls. "Uh, oh. What happened?" she asks.

"Harry's being weird," Marlee says. "He said I had to come over and talk to him right now."

"Oh, you have to go?" Stacey says sadly.

Marlee lets out a laugh. "I think so, but at least he's sounding better."

Stacey rasies her eyebrows. "That's good, yeah. We can finish up then."

When Stacey stands up to leave, she hugs Marlee and tells her she hopes everything is okay with Harry, and to call her whenever.

Marlee walks out of the shop in the opposite direction of her friend, and straight to Harry's house. By now, her impatience has eaten away at her, and she glares at the door until Anne opens it. Then her expression forms into a surprised smile as Harry's mother pulls her in for a hug.

Man, Marlee thinks. There's been a lot of hugging today.

"Come on in, dear," Anne says. "Harry's in his room."

Marlee walks down the hall, knocking on Harry's door. "Hey, can I come in?" she says flatly. She opens the door to reveal a very tired-looking Harry sitting on his bed with his legs crossed. Marlee turns on the light switch, feeling confused.

"You made it," he beams.

Marlee smiles. "You look better."

"I feel a ton better."

Marlee sits across from Harry on his bed. "So what's this important thing you want to tell me about?"

Harry pulls out a printed copy of the anonymous email he received along with the magazine article. "Have a look at this, why don't you." He hands her the papers, looking blank. Marlee reads over them and says, "Wow. They're making it a way bigger deal than it needs to be."

Harry nods. "Who do you think did it, Marlee?"

She looks back at the paper. "I don't know, it could be anyone that hates you. That's not a long list, though."

"I think I know who might've done it," Harry says.

Marlee's eyes widen. "Who?" she asks.

"Matthew, duh," Harry says. "He's the one who hates me the most for wrecking his fame and fortune."

"Really? Well--actually, yeah. That is pretty obvious," she laughs. "Do you think he'll fess up if we confront him, though?"

Harry shakes his head. "I highly doubt it. Why would he say anything about it? He anonymously tipped off the Press."