A Shot of Reality [Harry Styles]

X. Manifest

A/N - Hello all! It's chapter 10 and I updated on time + there's a Harry POV + it's somewhat long! *three cheers* I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I'd love all forms of feedback! Love you all, and happy Friday! x

May 14th, 2012

London, UK

H

“Harry, it’s her 18th birthday. At least act like you’re having fun.”

I somewhat ignored Louis’s bitter orders, gulping down my corona passively as I sharpened my view at one of the many couples grinding on the dance floor to the dizzying David Guetta mash-up.

Sydney and John, John and Sydney. However I mixed up the order, it still sounded as unappealing and disgusting to me as the first time.

Of course, Sydney wasn’t the part of that sentence that repulsed me. She was my best friend, and she deserved more than anything to have a great birthday. To make sure of that I had rented out all of Verve- probably the most expensive and exclusive club in all of London- for her, and invited the dickhead she calls her ‘boyfriend.’

As I swallowed down more of my suddenly warm beer, I somewhat realized almost everything I did was for her. It would take light-years to list of all I did, but it was true. If it was anyone else, I would smack myself ten times for every year I was alive for being so stupid. But I didn’t mind this certain realization, because it wasn’t just anyone else.

It was Sydney, plain and simple.

“I am having fun,” I mumbled, still analyzing the two bodies; two very sweaty and close bodies.

Louis scoffed, apparently unconvinced with my answer. He signaled the barista with a wave of the hand, probably to fetch him another Captain and Coke.

“You always were a bad actor,” he said, silently thanking the barista as she slid him his drink while leaning over the bar top a little too much in reference to her cleavage, to which Louis ignored.

“That bartender has a thing for you, mate,” I noted in an attempt to change the subject.

“I’m sure she does, Harry. But in case you haven’t been alive the last ten months I’m with Eleanor,” Louis said loudly in my ear aggrievedly.

I rolled my eyes, before returning them back to Sydney and him. He was sliding his strong hand down her flat stomach exposed by her crop top as he snaked his other hand closer to her bum than needed.

“Try it, asshole. See what happens,” I thought to myself protectively.

“Harry, leave them be,” Louis said increasingly calm-like, holding my shoulders back as I kept my eye on them, or rather on him.

Sure enough, his hand slid lower.

Asshole.

 “He’s a dick, Lou,” I yelled against the music, swatting his hands off my shoulders. Louis looked surprised, his blue eyes widening at the seriousness of my tone.

“He doesn’t deserve her, not one bit.”

My eyes never left them, even when Louis rambled on about how it wasn’t my place to judge, yada yada yada. See, Louis and all the boys knew John was what I said he was. Anyone with the slightest sense of sight could detect that. He wasn’t anything but a posh, country club asshole that got away with things based on his looks and family name. Of course he didn’t deserve sweet, beautiful, quirky Sydney who put everyone before herself and worked for everything that she wanted.