HYSTERIA

TWENTY TWO - DON'T STOP ME NOW

DON'T STOP ME NOW - QUEEN

"Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time."

HARRY STYLES

"What the fuck was that about?" Niall's voice surprises me from the hallway.

"Fuck!" I slam my hand against the countertop, feeling the metallic taste in my mouth as my teeth pierce my lower lip.

What the fuck is my problem?

I grab the first thing I see and toss it across the room, hearing the water splash from my glass as it shatters onto the floor below.

"Harry!" Niall exclaims, and I finally turn to him, a worried expression across his features.

"I–" A sob threatens to spill from my mouth, but I cut myself off before I can embarass myself anymore.

I push Niall out of the way and storm off to the music room, locking myself in there with my journal until further notice.

Unfortunately, Niall isn't too keen on that plan. "Harry, what the fuck just happened out there?" Niall's voice is calmer as he speaks through the door.

"I don't know." I respond honestly, voice filled with defeat.

"You gotta give me more than that." He huffs. "If it's about Ariel, you can tell me. Louis isn't here."

"I fucked her." I tell Niall even though it's not news to him.

"I've never done something like this before. I-I don't know what's happening." I surprise myself with my honesty.

"You like her?" He questions after a minute of silence.

"She irritates the hell out of me, but I never get sick of it. It's like arguing and back talk is what got us here in the first place."

I hear him mumble through the door, something I can't quite make out so I ask for him to repeat himself.

"You brought up her ex– that was really fucking shitty." He admits and my head falls to my palms as I anxiously rub my forehead.

"I really fucked up. I saw what he did to her man and I–"

"Wait– what he did to her? Who? Her ex?" He questions, cutting me off.

Fuck.

"Um, yeah." I swallow before deciding to turn the subject. "What do you think about Ben?"

"He's cool. Seems like he's getting along well with Tommo."

"Do you think he's trying to get with Ariel?" I ask, hating how sympathetic and protective I sound.

"Hm." He mumbles, "Now that you say that..."

That's when I'm unlocking the door and quickly swinging it open, causing Niall to stumble forward as his previous source of stability was stolen from him.

"He's different around Ariel. I can see it. He's not like that with June. Have you noticed?" His eyebrows furrow as he joins me in the room.

"I never paid much attention to it, but he definitely gives Ariel more attention. Doesn't he have a girlfriend? Andy?" He asks and I can tell his brain is now just as confused as mine.

"Yeah. Not like it's stopped anyone before though." I tell him, sinking back into the couch.

"So all those things you said to her just now..."

"I blacked out– I swear whenever we bicker, we're constantly just adding fuel to the fire. Each blow we throw at each other just adrenalizes into something so much bigger. It's toxic, it's impulsive, but it's the only way we know how to communicate."