Not The First Love : Re-Imagined

6. Harry : You Knew

"Mike," I answer the phone call. "So, are you ready?" he asks with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Ready for what?" I inquire, a bit puzzled.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Mike replies with a laugh.

"What?" I pause, trying to piece it together. "Dude, today's Saturday," he reminds me.

I quickly glance at my phone's calendar, and sure enough, it confirms it's Saturday. "Fuck, how could I forget this!"

"Okay okay, calm down," Mike reassures me. "We still have time. The party's gonna start at 8."

"Okay, after I'm ready I'll come to your place, Hazel's place is near yours."

"And pick up Claire too," Mike instructs.

"Yup, I will," I assure him before ending the call and turning back to Taylor.

"I have to go somewhere," I inform her.

Taylor accompanies me to the exit door. As we part ways, we both say in unison, "Text me when you reach home," and chuckle at the synchronicity.

Making my way to where my bike is parked not far from the house, I reflect on the evening ahead. The urgency to prepare for the party looms over me, and I quickly hop on my bike.

Hazel and I go way back, all the way to seventh grade. The trio—Claire, Hazel, and myself—has been a constant, with Claire, a childhood friend, practically growing up alongside me. Our parents have this quaint notion that we should end up together, but realistically, our paths are different. Claire has her dreams, and so do I. But totally opposite. Despite that, she played a crucial role in fostering my friendship with Hazel.

Mike, our newest addition, came into our lives later on. He's proven himself to be a reliable friend, always there when needed. As I prepare for the evening ahead, I decide it's best to pick up Claire first. She has a knack for making sure I look presentable, especially on significant occasions like tonight. With Hazel on my mind and the anticipation mounting, I set off to gather Claire.

As I pull up outside Claire's place, I give a quick honk. Moments later, she appears at her window, calling out, "Five minutes!" Her voice echoes down to me as I call back, "Hurry up! We gotta be there before 8!"

What was supposed to be five minutes stretches out to fifteen, feeling more like an hour. Resting my head against the fuel tank of my bike, I listen to the door open and slam shut.

I turn towards the gate, and there she is, clad in a white crop top and jeans. I take a moment to scan her outfit from bottom to top.

"This took you so long," I remark teasingly. "Yeah, why?" she shoots back.

"Getting dressed like this only takes four or five minutes," I joke.

"Shut up, you dumbo," she retorts, playfully dismissing my comment.

"Deciding what will look good on me took some time." "I hope your girlfriend takes longer than that." she says.

"Then I'll ditch her and go alone," I reply with a smirk.

"Huh, we"ll see about that," she respond, smiling back.

"Now, let's hit the road," she add, making a gesture to get going. I start the engine and we move off.

"So, what are you thinking of wearing?" Claire asks.

"Don't know, maybe a suit?" I reply.

"A suit? You're not going to prom with her," she chuckles.