Midnight Angel H.S COMPLETED

18

HAZEL POV

We all sat around the circular table in the shade, Harry stood up eating a lolly.

I've been thinking about Harry a lot. I don't hate him, I've decided. I don't like him either. He's a murderer and probably insane or something. I can't like him. He's cocky and rude most of the time but when he's like he was at the picnic, my feelings change. I should distance myself from him as much as I can, I think. Sometimes he can be an angel. Sometimes he's the opposite. And I'm tired of risking it for someone that is like him.

"We have three more months and we need to start planning now. Ideas?" Harry explains. Harry and I were distant yesterday because of me trying to pull away. But also, it was just awkward. I mean, he was all touchy when he took me out.  Maybe he regrets what happened yesterday. He's making me regret it.

"Why? We don't need more months?" I question. Harry's monotone, cold face turns to me and his eyes are dark as if nothing good between us ever happened. For some reason, it makes my skin crawl.

"Woods, shut up." I purse my lips together, this painful burst churning in my stomach. I look down at my now clammy hands on my lap, goosebumps covering my arms. "We have four more months in total." He turns to everyone.

"Well," Niall speaks and we all look at him. Thank God he's speaking. My head aches as if I'm holding back tears. "We could go over the chateau so we can take a look at the entrances. "

"That's a shit idea," Liam says, hitting Niall on the back of his head.

"What was that for?"

"Liam, fuck off," Harry closes his eyes almost ashamed. Harry's frown has been here all day and his eyes are cold and it makes everything odd. His walls have always been up, but now just higher. "Niall."

"We could go past the chateau in a plane at night for entrance ideas and also for an exact location. Landon's location is always slightly off, the son of a bitch."

"Landon Harris usually has parties in his most fine places. The chateau is proba-"

"August 20th 2013.'' Louis speaks up. Everyone stares at him, surprised he's talking. I feel like Louis is probably the nicest one out of all of them. He just doesn't talk. He looks at everyone then at his lap, his hood covering him. "Masked party. 3 PM is when special guests enter but anyone else is 8 PM. I also have the map."

I can almost hear crickets as everyone just blinks at him. "What?" He asks.

Harry shakes his head, dismissing it. "And if she's not there?" He says, readjusting his lolly before leaning on the table again. His arm muscles are prominent in the light and his tattoos shine. I look down at the wrist tattoo. I still wonder who Darlene is. It's not my business.

"She better be or we're fucked." Liam speaks, sipping from his glass.

"Tomorrow we're going to Las Vegas-"

"What? That's no-"

"Don't you know?" Niall looks at me. "We're going to get the ruby ring tomorrow to replace the real one." I slightly slump in my seat. They think I have no clue that he's lying to me. I know that's not the full truth. There's something more to it. Harry is a book locked up in a safe. I couldn't tell if he's lying which is another reason to disassociate myself from him more than I am, but Niall. Niall, I can tell, just slightly, when he's lying. They all forget I'm part of this too and that I have been my whole life.

*

"Where are you going?" I ask, sliding across the floor in my socks. The boys all turn around slowly. Harry's eyes connect with mine and I try my best to look away. I hear a cough and all our heads turn to Louis slouched on the sofa, his arms spread on the back of it.

"We're going to get high-"

"Hazel, it's none of your business. You'll be staying with Lou-"

"No-" Harry frowns so I look at the floor, his coldness weighing me down. "I'll com-"

"No the fuck you won't." He speaks. He walks up to me, making me feel like an ant before he takes out the cigarette from his mouth, blowing the smoke in my face. I cough and close my eyes. "Woods, let's make your life a whole lot easier. Drop your idea, stay with Louis. Don't call, don't follow, don't text." I peek my eyes open and he smirks so I shut them again. "You don't want your next breath to be your last, do you?" I squint my eyes at him, my whole body burning in his words. I shake my head, giving in. "Words, darling. Use your words."

"No, Harry."

"Good." He puts his cigarette in my mouth and goes to my ear. "This is distance." His lips brush against my ear before backing up. "Boys." I turn to them. And they all walk out the door.

I wait a moment after they leave and look at the back of Louis' head. I hold the cigarette in my mouth and suck the toxins making me cough so I put it on the ashtray on the table next to me. I walk over to Louis and sit next to him but at a distance.

"Why aren't I allowed to go?" I ask, thinking he knows more than I do. He doesn't look at me but he shrugs. I nod timidly. "You don't talk much." I say and he stops and looks at me. It makes me realise he has beautiful blue eyes and it makes me want to look at Harry's green ones again without being scared.

"I talk plenty." He says fast, then turns back at the TV. I look at my lap and nod.

Moments pass on the TV talking mindless things behind my thoughts. "You and Harry have been speaking." He starts up a conversation. I nod politely and he carries on. "Harry tells me everything, really."

I nod and stand up heading to the kitchen which is conveniently by the sofa. "Do you want anything?"

"No thanks, love, I'm good, I'm good." He speaks before silent bleeds between us.

I reach up to the alcohol cupboard and go for the wine and something aches in me knowing that my first choice of drink is now alcohol. I wish I could turn back time. I'm used to drinking alcohol and that's basically what I've been living on lately. My eyes start stinging so I shake my head to try and shake out any thoughts. I pour the wine and Louis starts speaking again. "You haven't eaten in a week, Harry would fucking kill me if I let you drink on an empty stomach." He almost laughs. I frown at the thought of Harry caring about that stuff but something in me smiles too. I nod and make a glass of water instead then, sit back down on the couch.

"Oi, Haze, pass the lighter, will you?" He asks, sitting up with a roll in his mouth. I nod and pass the blue lighter to him. I stand up and walk back into the kitchen to tip the water in the sink. I've never been a fan of the thing that's meant to taste of nothing. It tastes like metal to me. "Put on the kettle while you're out there."

"What type of tea would you like?"

"Yorkshire if there is any, if not do whatever's there. I don't really care" I click the kettle and sit back down. "Just have a cup of tea, do you know what I mean?" He leans his foot on the coffee table. "It's like those fucking avocados."

I frown, puzzled by why he's mentioning avocados but I go along with it. "What's wrong with avocados?" I chuckle.

"'Trendiest food of all time .'" He mocks. I try to speak but he carries on. "Put them on your toast and you're the coolest kid around." He sees my smile and smiles too. "They do piss me off avocados."

"Why?"

"I bet you like them don't you?"

"Well yeah," I start. "My mum used to make it most mornings for me-"

"Hazel, Hazel, Hazel." He looks up at the ceiling.

I smile. "See see, just because I live a shitty life doesn't mean I live under a rock." He says, blowing out smoke.

"I bet you haven't even gave avocados a go-"

"I don't want to give avocados a go. It should be a fucking sin."

"You've acted on many sins."

"You're not exactly innocent, Haze." I smile at him. He reaches for the remote. "Right, what the fuck are we gonna watch?"