Illicit (H.S)

05

Lucy Greene

The sun is setting, casting a golden hue over the town as Caroline and I make our way to the local bar; Bell Bar. It's quite a cozy place. The interior is very homey with red chairs and wood flooring. Tonight, both me and Caroline need a distraction from the drama surrounding Calvin's upcoming party and the tension with the Normans.

Town-square and the bar is bustling with the usual evening crowd. It's difficult to get through to the bar due to all the people. We push through the doors, greeted by the familiar smell of beer and the sound conversations. One thing about our town is that there's always noise. It's a Wednesday evening, and there's still a crowd surrounding the pool tables and the bar. Caroline flashes a smile at me, her dark eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Ready for a fun night?" she asks, nudging my shoulder.

I return her smile, though my thoughts are still muddled with the yesterday's events. "Yeah, let's forget about everything for a while."

We wore our best outfits and I dressed my arms in tons of jewellery that I love.

We find a table near the back, away from the noise of the main bar area. This way, we can talk about everything that has happened. We haven't gotten a chance to do so as both Calvin and Caroline got in trouble for the race. Which probably means, my turn is next.

As we settle in, I notice two figures behind the bar. Harry and Zayn, both wearing matching black shirts with the bar's logo, are working at the counter. My heart skips a beat. Of all the places, they had to be here. Work here.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Caroline asks, sensing my sudden change in mood. She takes off her coat and hands it on the back of the chair.

I nod, trying to keep my cool. "Yeah, just... surprised to see them here," I say as I nod towards their direction.

Caroline follows my gaze and stiffens. "Let's just enjoy our drinks and leave if they start any trouble."

I sigh, "Hopefully, they're not our waiter."

Luckily, Camilla, a girl from our old school, is our waitress for the evening. As we order our drinks, I can't help but steal glances at Harry and Zayn. They're handing out drinks and cocktails, chatting with customers at the same time. Harry seems to have settled and gotten comfortable rather quickly-- I mean, he moved only a week ago.

As Camilla places our drinks down on the table, Harry and my eyes meet briefly, and I see a flicker of recognition in his gaze. He quickly looks away, but the smirk on his lips tells me he's noticed us too. I notice him nudging Zayn, and they both exchange a few words before returning to their tasks.

Caroline must've noticed the interaction as she breaks my glance away from them. "We should leave," Caroline whispers, her voice is tinged with anxiety.

"Finish your drink first," I say. "We'll leave soon."

I hate that they make Caroline feel unsafe in her own town. Before Harry came into the picture, we could at least all co-exist.

"So... What's been happening lately?" Caroline asks as we start sipping on the sweet alchohol.

I exhale, thinking of everything. "Nothing, really. It seems everything has been about the race and all that shit." 

"Crazy. It's been so hectic." 

I look around the room, seeing more and more people leaving the bar. It's getting late.

Caroline and I manage to talk without any interruptions. But just as we finish our drinks and stand up to leave, we bump into Niall. It seemed like he was just going to pass us by, based on his surprised look. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he sees us.