The Timeline

6.

June 2013:

C : "Are you mad at me? You sound mad."

Yes.

H : "No, I'm not mad at you. Just tired from all the shows."

Harry locked his phone and did not wait for Claire's answer, like he usually did. It had been a while since he had last done it. He didn't know, exactly, when he had started to feel the annoyance towards her, but once he had landed in America he had realized that he was annoyed.

At first, he had hated being annoyed at her. He had tried to trace back the days, to locate the root of all evil, because when he was annoyed, he could not enjoy their conversations like he usually did. Everything was tainted and whatever she said did not stick to him. He felt like he wanted to step into his phone and emerge wherever she was - he had a pretty impressive memory of all the places she had ever mentioned to him - and shake her hard, both hands placed on her arms, squeezing, trying to get the sense back inside of her head.

He had spent the entire stay in Mexico - albeit a short one, due to touring schedules and frantic timings - growing more and more annoyed, tracing back the dates, playing things over and over in his head.

He had gone to the year-end show - had arrived late due to traffic and had to rush inside the Theatre, ignoring the gaping looks the poor students who had admitted him inside the foyer had given him - had watched the show, had been mesmerized by the show, had clapped and whistled and gave the cast (Claire) a standing ovation. Had said hello to all of her friends, had shook hands with Richard and introduced himself to Anna, who was crying loudly and saying to everyone 'did you see that! did you see that!! and my father doesn't want to see!!', had learned the news that Philip and Jane hadn't come to the show. Had even met Fannie, who had been cold towards him, but he hadn't cared, for the news about Claire's parents had made him so mad. He had then proceeded to choose a restaurant and get a table for all of them, as they waited for Claire. Had congratulated Claire, had given her the flowers, had hugged her.

And then she had been told that her parents weren't there, that they hadn't come. Had seen the way her entire demeanor had changed. Had been taken back to the night he had spent at her house. Had ignored her friends telling him to leave her be, for she was just going to be horrible and had been right, for he had spent the following ten minutes hugging Claire and letting her cry into his shirt.

And then he had walked her back inside the restaurant, hand on her lower back, while she rubbed at her face.

And then he had watched her sit back down at the table, next to Fannie, like nothing had happened. Everything would've been fine after that - although Claire didn't exactly engage in the conversation after that - but then something had happened. Fannie was looking at him. Harry had ignored her all night, as best he could, three years of experience now under his belt. Her gaze, however, was different: she wasn't gawking at him, looking at him like all the people who swooned after him did; her eyes held a trace of malice that made his skin tighten. He could see that she was holding Claire's hand under the table, but she didn't look like she was putting too much thought into it. Instead, she was putting much thought into watching him, eating her food.

Her gaze felt almot... taunting to him. Instead of paying attention to Claire, sitting right next to her, the person they were all there for, the person who everyone was fussing about, the person who wasn't eating at the dinner that should've celebrated her big break through in acting, Fannie was looking at him. She was also almost smiling. Was she trying to say something to him? Most likely.

When it had been time to leave, Harry had seen the way Claire had kept next to Fannie, how she had only brushed him when he had went for another hug. He had wanted to whisper to her that she had been amazing, had stole the show. Had wanted to tell her so many things, from the way he would've changed her name to 'Actress' on his phone, to the way she looked way more experienced on stage than all her other peers. He hadn't been able to do it, because Fannie had been holding her hand and had tugged her back before Harry could do any of it. So he had said to her: