Neighborhood ➳ h.s. au

Thirteen

Harry was standing against the wall in front of Ann's World History class, Marie pushed up against his hip. His arm was draped around her shoulders, and it took every ounce of courage in Ann's body to walk up to him and look at him straight in the eyes. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but Marie surely did by the way that she smirked in her direction.

"I'm sorry," Ann stated before she tightened the straps on her backpack. Her fingers played with the hem of her t-shirt and she shook her head as she stared at the ground beneath her. "You two are obviously in love with each other and I tried to come in between that, so I apologize."

She started to walk away, but she felt a hand grab her forearm. When she turned around, she was met by the emerald eyes of Harry, and the furious eyes of Marie. "I need to talk to you after school."

Ann nodded, and she felt a breath of relief escape her lips as she walked into the classroom. She had missed Harry with everything in her body, and she was terrified of what he was going to say to her after school. What if he screamed at her? Told her to never come near him again? She couldn't bear the thought.

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Ann was sitting on her driveway when Harry approached her, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his hair a mess. He looked down at her with his feet shuffling.

"Mind if I sit?" He asked while motioning to the spot next to her. When she shook her head, he sat down beside her and rested his chin on his knees. "I'm sorry," he murmured before glancing over at her. She shifted. "You were right."

Her eyebrow quirked and she looked over at him. "Was I?"

"She hurt me again," his words were rushed and Ann's eyes widened. "I fucking hate how I let her do this to me."

Ann stood up then and took his hand in hers. "Come inside."

Harry didn't question her, he just wrapped his fingers around her hand and followed her inside. When she felt his fingers tighten around her hand, her heart rate quickened and she hurried to get inside. She went up the stairs and led him inside her room, the door closing behind them.

"Tell me what happened," she stated before lying some blankets and pillows on the ground.

He lied down and took one of the pillows into his arms. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh. "She got really angry and started yelling at me. She accused me of not loving her." Ann scoffed and Harry let out a slight laugh. "I know, right?" He looked at his hair and shook his head. "That's why my hair is a mess. After she hit me and before I came here I paced around my room and tugged on my hair for about an hour." He waved his hand in the air. "Anyways, after I claimed to have loved her, she said for me to pick either between her or you."

Ann's heart felt like it had stopped, and she felt tears form in her eyes. Pf course he had picked Marie, why wouldn't he have? She was his everything, and he was hers. She opened her mouth to reply, but Harry spoke before she did.

"So, I told her that it was nice knowing her." He let the tears run down his face and he shook his head. Ann let out a slight gasp and felt her head throbbing. "I'd rather have someone be there for me twenty-four seven rather than someone only being there for me when it's convenient for them." He looked over at Ann and wiped the tears from his eyes. "So I chose you."

"Harry-" she began.

"I really hope this is the last time. I don't want to go back to her."

Ann lied down beside him and felt her breath shaking. He chose her? Only as a friend of course, but still. She felt like her mouth was going dry and she looked over at his tired body. His eyes were closed and she saw his chest rising and falling slowly. She snuggled up to his side, but was cautious not to get too close. But, when his arm wrapped around her and he pulled her closer, she knew that there wouldn't be a problem.

"You make me happy," he whispered before his mouth hung open slightly. "So happy."

"So do you," she replied, but knowing that he was already drifted off. "More than you will ever know."

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Niall greeted Ann the next morning with a kiss on the forehead and a tight hug. She knew people were staring at the both of them, and she couldn't help but not feel comfortable in her own skin and in the situation she was in. Harry was free. What was she doing here being with someone that didn't make her nearly as happy as he did?

"You look beautiful," Niall stated before wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her to her first period. Ann felt a slight blush come to her cheeks, but she didn't say anything in return, not even a simple thank you.

When they reached World History, Niall kissed her lips lightly and told her that he would see her after class. She turned away from him and walked to her seat, Marie's furious eyes following her.

"I hope you're happy," she said. When Ann finally looked up at her, she saw that there wasn't a trace of makeup on her face and her eyes were red and puffy. "Is this what you wanted? You bitch."

Ann shifted uncomfortably in her seat and she looked away. "It's not my fault," was all she said.

Marie scoffed. "Yeah right. I see the way you both look at each other. He's fallen for you, and you're too blind to see." She sighed. "What an idiot."

Ann could feel her heartbeat speed up and she looked away, her cheeks flaring pink.

"Don't ever try anything with him," Marie stated, her voice as cold as ice. "He's mine."

"You guys aren't even together," Ann retorted, her voice just as cold as Marie's.

Marie's eyes narrowed and she let out a laugh. "That poor boy could never resist me before," her eyebrows rose as a smirk spread across her lips. "What makes you think he won't be able to now?"

The bell rang then, and Marie turned around in her seat to face the front of the room. Ann's stomach was twisting and turning, and she had no idea what to do.

What if she had just been reading everything wrong? What if Harry wasn't truly over Marie?

If anything, Ann was glad he was no longer with Marie, but she knew that he would never love her the way that she had loved him.

And boy, was she in too deep.