Strange [h.s.]

Fifteen

Ella Frazier

It's movie night.

Harry and I usually try to do these little nights once a month. Just the two of us, a shit ton of snacks and movies that play until we both fall asleep on the couch.

I have just about every junk-food item you could think of on the table. I made some popcorn and got some candy from the store. I even went out of my way to make some brownies. As I make sure everything is in its place, I hear a knock on my door.

"You don't have to knock. You know it's open," I shout.

Harry pulls the door open, a smile on his face, and in his arms is a bag. "Just trying to be a polite house guest," He jokes.

I shoot him a look, a smile on my face as he sets the bag down on the counter, pulling out a few bags of candy.

"Harry, I already bought stuff for tonight," I put my hands on my hips.

"You can't buy everything," He tells me, walking over to me to add his snacks to the collection. He props a hand on my hip, leaning over to kiss me. We both smile into it, stepping back and making our way over to the couch. Harry kicks his feet onto the table, grabbing a blanket from behind us and laying it over the both of us as I scroll through movies to find us to watch.

After scrolling for a while, we both agree on a movie. I look over to Harry, "Let the games begin."

****************************************

Harry has been silent all night. Usually, I don't mind and would prefer it if it was a movie I cared about, but I don't care to pay attention to 21 Jump Street.

"Alright," I kick my feet off his lap and plant them on the ground, "I've had enough with beating around the bush, talk to me."

Harry's head watches my feet fall, then trail up to meet my eyes, "Talk to you about what?"

"You haven't spoken all night," I laugh, "We usually make fun of just about every scene on the screen."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

I shake my head, "You don't have to apologize to me about that, but I have a feeling it's not just being tired, Harry."

Harry furrows his brows at me, "What do you mean?"

I let out a sigh, looking into his eyes, "It's been weeks that I've seen that exhausted look on your face Harry. It's work-related, I know, and I've tried to give you space and not push it, but it's starting to worry me, so will you please just talk to me?"

Harry's eyes move from mine, dropping to his lap, then to his knees, and finally to his feet, which are still propped up on the coffee table. He lets out a deep breath, shutting his eyes for what feels like forever, then opening them back up. He doesn't look back at me; he just stares at the television screen in front of him.

"Harry?" I speak up

"It's nothing El," He slightly groans, almost sounding annoyed.

I furrow my eyebrows at him, "Don't say it's nothing. Clearly, it's something you've been stressed out for like a month now."

Harry turns his head to me, with an almost sad look, "Ella, please."

I'm not one to push, but I'm also not one to let people bottle things up. I've done that enough in my life to know that it gets you nowhere. If something is bothering Harry, like I know it is and has been for a long time now, I would rather him get it out than continue to let it bother him.

"Please, talk to me, Harry. I'm not doing a good job as a girlfriend if you don't talk to me about things that are upsetting you," I try to joke in an attempt to lighten the mood. It works a little, a small smile cracking on Harry's lips as he lets out a puff of air in the form of a laugh.