Everything Has Changed

Ch. 2

~18 y/o Harry~

I wake up to the sound of my alarm blasting in my ear. I sigh heavily and shut it off. Senior year, the year everyone looks forward to since their very first day of primary school. Everyone always told us that our childhoods would fly by. They told us to make the best of it and cherish the first eighteen years of our lives. If only I had taken their words seriously, maybe I wouldn't be regretting everything I've ever done in life. Maybe I wouldn't be looking back and regretting how much I threw away the past four years of my life. Maybe I would've actually lived during my high school years instead of just trudging through them.

I roll out of bed and head into the bathroom and start the shower. I wait a few seconds just staring at myself in the mirror while the water heats up. I run my right hand through my curly hair that comes just past my jaw and take note of the bags under my dull, green eyes. I squeeze my eyes shut tight and take a deep breath before undressing and stepping into the shower.

I stand under the stream for a few minutes before actually starting to wash my hair and body. Once I'm done, I reach for the towel hanging just on the other side of the curtain and ruffle my hair before wrapping it around my waist. I step out and wipe my feet on the shower rug before walking out into my room. I make my way over to my dresser and pull out a pair of skinny, black jeans and a pair of black briefs, then I grab a light blue button-up from my closet. I tug on the briefs and jeans and then button the shirt up just slightly more than halfway.

I step in front of my body-length mirror to fix my collar and make sure everything is fitting the way it should. I grab my brown pair of boots and slide them on my feet before heading back into the bathroom. I brush my teeth and part my hair so it dries nicely. When I'm done, I slide my bracelets onto my wrists and then grab my bag and phone before heading downstairs.

I rummage through the kitchen for something quick to eat and settle on a granola bar. I take my anxiety medication and then make my way out to my car. I throw my bag into the back seat and start the car and impatiently wait for Niall, my friend and neighbor, to take his place in the passenger seat. I only have to wait a few minutes before he's climbing into the car and I'm backing out of the driveway.

"I drove you all year last year, how have you not figured out what time we leave?" I ask him while shifting the car into drive and heading down the road.

"I haven't had to worry about leaving on time for three months, cut me some slack," he excuses, and I just shake my head.

"Well, let it be known that I will leave without you if you take more than ten minutes," I assure him while making a right turn. He turns to me in disbelief.

"We already get to school ten minutes earlier than everyone else, I think we'll be fine H," he argues, and my hands tighten a bit on the wheel.

"No, we leave when we leave because-" he cuts me off.

"Because you're always anxious that we'll be late. I know, I know," he huffs while sitting back in his seat. I release my hands on the wheel.

"Right, and no nick-names, remember?" I reprimand. He nods to show he heard me, and we drive the rest of the way with just the noise of the radio in the background. When we finally make it to the school; I pull into my assigned spot, put the car in park, and then turn it off. I sit back in my seat and stare ahead at the building in front of me.

It's not the best school in the world, but I've put up with it for the past three years, what's one more? I try not to think of all the memories I could've made here, but I didn't because it hurt too much to go to the football games, I hate dances, and I dove head-first into my studies back in freshman year. It's hard to think of the happiest memory I have here, I'm not sure I have one. I take a deep breath before grabbing my bag out of the back seat and then climbing out of the car.