Friendship? [H.S.]

Chapter 84

*Song for this chapter: Be Alright by Ariana Grande*

August 16, 2019

"Please, don't pick me up. I'd like to try and keep a low profile."

"Ok, but I don't know why we can't just do what we always do." Harry was staying on the phone with me, trying to keep me from over-reacting any further over my flight delay.

"Because, fucking Kike and Cody retweeted my thread with them and tagged me in their stories. The interviews I've done throughout the season with the Drillers have taken off. Clayton-"

"Wait, Ducky... I have no clue who these people are. Should I know who they are?"

"No. They're all new in my life. Well, Clayton isn't. He was here back in April for a rehab assignment, and we got to know each other then. Kike is Clayton's teammate on the Dodgers... the Dodgers are the parent team to the Drillers, the Drillers are the minor league team I work for. You following?"

"Yup." I wasn't confident that he was.

"Kike apparently saw the latest video I did and is showing everyone in the clubhouse in LA. Clayton told them I was the brains behind it, showed them my socials, and they did deep dives... so, now, they're trying to get me to sign on with the Dodgers full time." I took a breath. "So, they have been tagging me in stuff and it's brought even more attention, not as much as the Harries, but I'm waiting for them to catch on and join in the conversation because your mom has been liking some of the posts too."

"Ok, so... you're popular again and you're not wanting to add any fuel to the fire?"

"Right."

Once I finally landed in London, Harry was waiting across the street, and I just rolled my eyes. At least he was tinted out so you couldn't see him. I was only there for about 24 hours before heading back to Tulsa. Ariana Grande was doing a show at the O2 and he'd gotten tickets. He promised me that it would be low key, we were in a group, and he wasn't taking no for an answer because he knew I loved Ariana. It doesn't matter how big of a group we are in, he's always going to be spotted and sought after. It always amazed me how entitled some of his fans could be when it came to taking pictures, talking to him and not taking no for an answer. He is slowly getting better about setting solid boundaries with people and not giving in. I hope that one day he gets to live an unbothered life that he thinks he will be able to. 

I said no to the concert at first, but then I just couldn't bring myself to miss it and he really wasn't taking no for an answer. So, here I am, climbing into Harry's car knowing the concert is about 3 hours away.

"Cutting it close, Ducky." He grinned and leaned over to kiss my cheek. We both froze when I turned my head and our lips touched. My eyes went wide, and I knew I should pull away, but I couldn't move.

Move, Jana.

He blinked and grinned with our lips still touching, neither of us moving, and then I finally pulled away. "Let's do that again." He smiled out of the side of his mouth as he settled back into the driver's seat and took off.

"Hi." That was all I could say at this point. "I need to shower. Am I going to have time?"

"Oh honey, the concert isn't for another 3 hours. You'll be fine."

Harry came out in white bell bottoms, one of my favorite shirts of his that said Space Fruity Records on the front. He wore a black belt and white shoes and his hair, of course, looked perfectly tousled.

I laughed at the juxtaposition of our outfits. He was wearing all white and I was in all black. He must have noticed at the same time because he pointed between us in the mirror.