Neighborhood ➳ h.s. au

Six

Harry was sitting across from Ann as Marie was sitting next to him, her thin fingers brushing his forearm lightly. Ann was uncomfortable, and Harry knew it as well, which is why he gently took Marie's hand and moved it to the side. Marie looked at him, her eyes blazing with fury, but Ann knew she saw a bit of hurt in them too.

"Marie," Ann stated, knowing that she would soon regret what she was about to say. "How are you?"

Marie turned to look at her, her lip curled up in disgust. "Why do you care?"

Ann then coward down, but Harry turned to look at Marie. "She was just trying to be nice. You know you haven't been anything but nasty to her since she's arrived."

Ann peered up at him then, a small grin forming on her face. Harry hadn't been anything but nice, and maybe a little bit annoying, since the moment Ann arrived to the new neighborhood and school, and she couldn't help but feel greatful. She somehow felt attatched to him, as he reminded her of her best friend back in California. His name was Andrew, and he seemed like the only person that understood Ann. They had dated on again, off again, but she had always known that she had loved him dearly, even if he didn't feel the same way.

That was one of her flaws. She loved too easily.

"Hey, Ann," Harry was snapping his fingers in front of her face, which caused her to snap out of her trance. "Did you hear anything I said?" Harry didn't give her enough time to answer. "There's going to be a party tonight at my house, and I think that you should come." He smiled at her then, and her stomach once again felt weird.

Marie's eyes were boring into Ann's, a sinister smile plastered on her tan face. "Yeah, you should definitely come."

Ann's eyes glanced around the room awkwardly, and she shook her head. She wanted to go, of course she did, but it was also Friday, and she was tired, and she had loads of homework to do, and-

"Why not?" When she looked up to meet Harry's gaze, her mouth went dry. His bright green eyes were staring into hers, and she felt like melting on the spot.

"I have loads of homework to do, and I need to finish unpacking everything, you know."

"Oh," Harry looked away then, Marie's smile becoming even bigger. "Well, just come by if you get the chance, okay?"
Ann wanted to punch herself for the next thing she said,

"Okay."

-

"Why don't you just go to the party?" Jewel asked, her hands clutching the counter as she leaned back. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun, her favorite red bandana holding back the extra strands. Jewel was beautiful, everyone had known it. The thing was, Ann looked nothing like her, and Jewel always joked about how Ann somehow got switched at birth and she took the wrong baby home.

"Because, mom," she emphasized. "This is Harry we're talking about. And Marie. She hates me."

Jewel cringed at the booming music next door, her thin figure turning around and closing the window above the sink. "That gives you an even better reason to go."

"Mom-"

"Ann, you need to come out of your shell more." Ann rolled her eyes at her hippy-like mother. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and forget this conversation even happened. Her mother always pushed her to 'go outside the box', but Ann knew if she went, she would only be disappointed.

Marie would be there, along with other people that she didn't even know. Maybe Mickayla would be there, she was nice, right?

"I'm not pushing you to go," Jewel crossed her arms over her chest. "I just think that it would be a good experience for you."